Manchester Irish Festival 2009 6th March – 21st March
Manchester will be celebrating its 14th Irish Festival from Friday 6th March – Saturday 21st March 2009. More than 30 venues across Greater Manchester, will host around 200 great events. With so much planned there is likely to be something for everyone from Irish Art, comedy and dance to Irish music, sport and theatre.
The events taking place as part of the festival include music from James Cannon and the Sinners who will be playing at the Union Inn, Levenshulme, on Saturday 7th March. On the same day there will be an Irish Language Taster Day at Manchester Town Hall. Riverdance, will be performing at the Opera House, Manchester, from Monday 23rd to Saturday 28th March 2009.
For many the highlight of the festival will be the Irish Festival Parade, 2009 which will take place on St. Patricks Day. The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be on Sunday 15 March 2009. The parade, made up of colourfully decorated floats, walking groups and bands, will set off in the morning, from Cheetham Hill to Albert Square, in Manchester town centre. Manchester’s Irish Festival Parade 2009 is one of the biggest Irish parades in the UK and Europe.
Large crowds are expected to line the route into Manchester and an Irish market and entertainment festival marquee is planned for Manchester’s Albert Square.
Further details are emerging all the time so please visit the event website manchesteririshfestival.com for a full list of festival events and further details about the festival.
I would like to take part at the Irish Festival.
Festival stages five day St Patrick’s weekend!!
Manchester will stage a five day St Patrick’s weekend party to welcome in the feast day of its Patron Saint. The Fun starts on Friday night with the continuation of the two week guinness tradfest in Levenshulme. The Fabulous ‘Shake the Barley’ headline Friday night while Celtic Rock band ‘Shkyala’ headline Saturday. If its outdoor fun for the kids you are after then head over to Cringle Fields for the massive outdoor funfair and Fleadh. While over in the city centre a tented city has taken over Albert Square to host a massive indoor Irish community market.
The highlight of the festival takes place on Sunday when the whole of Manchester will converge on Albert Square to watch the Parade. Monday sees another fun filled evening for the children with the staging of a junior Gaelic Football session at the energy box.
Finaly on St Patrick’s feast day on Tuesday the live Irish music starts at 12 noon at the Union, don’t forget your instrument or dancing shoes. There is a freee drop of the back stuff for the over eighteen’s for all performers.
Then on St Patricks Eve M19 has Galway singer songwriter Noelie McDonnell flying in from America to headline the festivals St Pat’s night concert at M19.