Traditionally, Irish céilís provided an opportunity for families and friends to unwind, share time together and celebrate.
So, how better can the Liverpool Irish Festival help families to wrap up #LIF2019, ahead of the working week, but to provide you with a brilliant céilí? This is the perfect time to (re)connect with loved ones, your (or another) culture and plan your trip to Ireland. Bring family, friends and your dancing feet to join the fun, learn some Irish céilí dances and witness live music and dance. No previous experience is necessary as full instructions will be given by an exceptional caller.
Not only will there be fun with music and dance, but The Armagh Rhymers will be in attendance, bringing with them folk stories, mumming and children’s books, galore. A truly spectacular outfit, they are replete with giant woven head pieces, costumes and drama, as presented by the true rhyming traditions of Ireland. For more details on their work visit armaghrhymers.com
Irish stew and other lunch offers will available from the Liverpool Irish Centre’s shop, along with a range of Irish produce sold all year ‘round. Do stop and take a look.
The Family Céilí forms part of our wider Family Days programme, including the Family Day at the Museum of Liverpool on Sat 26 Oct (see listing). It is organised by Liverpool Irish Festival in partnership with the Liverpool Irish Centre.
The Armagh Rhymers at Navan Fort (c) Charles Freger – detail only.
Liverpool Irish Festival and TG4 bring you three exceptional masterclasses with (recent) past Gradam Ceoil winners and experts in the fields of accordion, fiddle and concertina.
These classes are for existing musicians to sharpen their skills with the assistance a leading musician. Places are limited to allow for close tuition within small groups.
To apply, you will need to send your name, contact details, level of musical training/professional equivalent, masterclass choice and reason for wanting to attend to info@liverpoolirishfestival.com with the subject: TG4Masterclass.
It is important we collect this information so that the artists can come prepared with ideas for the session and an understanding of the skill set in the room. Places operate on a first-come, first-served basis. This is a rare opportunity to meet a remarkable artist, gain from their experience and hone your skills.
Session times run as follows:
12pm – Conor Connolly (Gradam Ceoil Young Traditional Musician of the Year, 2019) on accordion
1.30 pm – Clare Friel (Gradam Ceoil Young Traditional Musician of the Year, 2018) on fiddle
3pm – Liam O’Brien (Gradam Ceoil Young Traditional Musician of the Year, 2017) on concertina.
Gradam Ceoil Masterclasses run at 12pm (Conor Connolly, accordion), 1.30pm (Clare Friel, fiddle) and 3pm (Liam O’Brien, concertina) on Wed 23 Oct, not at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm as printed in the #LIF2019 brochure.
Liverpool Irish Festival and TG4 bring you three exceptional masterclasses with (recent) past Gradam Ceoil winners and experts in the fields of accordion, fiddle and concertina.
These classes are for existing musicians to sharpen their skills with the assistance a leading musician. Places are limited to allow for close tuition within small groups.
To apply, you will need to send your name, contact details, level of musical training/professional equivalent, masterclass choice and reason for wanting to attend to info@liverpoolirishfestival.com with the subject: TG4Masterclass.
It is important we collect this information so that the artists can come prepared with ideas for the session and an understanding of the skill set in the room. Places operate on a first-come, first-served basis. This is a rare opportunity to meet a remarkable artist, gain from their experience and hone your skills.
Session times run as follows:
12pm – Conor Connolly (Gradam Ceoil Young Traditional Musician of the Year, 2019) on accordion
1.30 pm – Clare Friel* (Gradam Ceoil Young Traditional Musician of the Year, 2018) on fiddle
3pm – Liam O’Brien (Gradam Ceoil Young Traditional Musician of the Year, 2017) on concertina.
Gradam Ceoil Masterclasses run at 12pm (Conor Connolly, accordion), 1.30pm (Clare Friel, fiddle) and 3pm (Liam O’Brien, concertina) on Wed 23 Oct, not at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm as printed in the #LIF2019 brochure.
* Not Doireann Ní Ghlacáin (TG4 presenter) as cited in very early listings. We apologise for any disappointment.
Liverpool Irish Festival and TG4 bring you three exceptional masterclasses with (recent) past Gradam Ceoil winners and experts in the fields of accordion, fiddle and concertina.
These classes are for existing musicians to sharpen their skills with the assistance a leading musician. Places are limited to allow for close tuition within small groups.
To apply, you will need to send your name, contact details, level of musical training/professional equivalent, masterclass choice and reason for wanting to attend to info@liverpoolirishfestival.com with the subject: TG4Masterclass.
It is important we collect this information so that the artists can come prepared with ideas for the session and an understanding of the skill set in the room. Places operate on a first-come, first-served basis. This is a rare opportunity to meet a remarkable artist, gain from their experience and hone your skills.
Session times run as follows:
12pm – Conor Connolly (Gradam Ceoil Young Traditional Musician of the Year, 2019) on accordion
1.30 pm – Clare Friel (Gradam Ceoil Young Traditional Musician of the Year, 2018) on fiddle
3pm – Liam O’Brien (Gradam Ceoil Young Traditional Musician of the Year, 2017) on concertina.
Gradam Ceoil Masterclasses run at 12pm (Conor Connolly, accordion), 1.30pm (Clare Friel, fiddle) and 3pm (Liam O’Brien, concertina) on Wed 23 Oct, not at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm as printed in the #LIF2019 brochure.
It’s 2021. Happy 100th birthday Northern Ireland.
Stormont has been down for years.
The UK and Ireland have long disengaged. When an unexpected oil bonanza in Mary’s garden suddenly changes the fortunes of Ulster and its people, is the world ready for the emergence of Northern Ireland as a global superpower?
Inspired by The Nolan show, a daily radio phone in show, The Biggest Show in The Country is a timely anecdote to ‘The Troubles’ narrative. A dark new musical comedy. Swapping guns, bombs and bullets for glitter, banter and ballads. Directed By Adam McGuigan and presented by Wake The Beast.
These performances are supported by Liverpool John Moores University.
It’s 2021. Happy 100th birthday Northern Ireland.
Stormont has been down for years.
The UK and Ireland have long disengaged. When an unexpected oil bonanza in Mary’s garden suddenly changes the fortunes of Ulster and its people, is the world ready for the emergence of Northern Ireland as a global superpower?
Inspired by The Nolan show, a daily radio phone in show, The Biggest Show in The Country is a timely anecdote to ‘The Troubles’ narrative. A dark new musical comedy. Swapping guns, bombs and bullets for glitter, banter and ballads. Directed By Adam McGuigan and presented by Wake The Beast.
These performances are supported by Liverpool John Moores University.
Peggy Peakin was a Liverpool music ‘influencer’ for over 50 years.
She’d collected tunes, made them her own, played and shared them. She and her sister played in Liverpool, notably with the Brian Boru Band and, most famously in the Liverpool Céilí Band, with Sean McNamara, Eamon and Terry Coyne and others. As a teacher she was greatly revered and as a peer, much loved. This night remembers her joy of music, revisiting many of the tunes she played, recognising her skill, friendships and legacy to music in Liverpool. Pupils, fellow players of traditional music and friends, honour her by playing and passing on stories in an evening of celebration.
We’re welcoming anyone who was taught by Peggy or who played with her during her long career. It would be good to hear more stories on the night, if you’ve something to share. Remember to bring any instruments, as there’ll be a chance to join in a few well-known tunes and perhaps learn an old tune in the way Peggy taught it.
Now entering Year 3, the Celtic Animation Film Festival celebrates and encourages new and emerging Celtic and international animators to forge an ongoing global community to share practice, tell stories and reflect on Celtic culture and concerns.
The theme for this year’s festival is women in animation and content focusing on women’s issues. Awards are offered for Best Celtic Animation Film, Best International Animation Film and Best Student Animation Film, judged by a female practitioner panel. Curated by Directors Kate Corbin and Eleonora Asparuhova, this is the perfect event in which to witness diaspora stories, contemporary approaches to animation and the theme of women in animation in front of and behind the screen.
STUDENT NOTICE: A limited number of free tickets are available to students. To get your free space, please email cafcompetition@gmail.com with your student number and name.
IndieCork Film Festival is a platform for new and emerging filmmaking talent.
As the years go by, we have found these programmes to be a useful showcase in which to hear from emerging Irish voices. This night demonstrates the wealth of skill in Irish shorts filmmaking and the current preoccupations of the makers.
Dark Green is a programme of new Irish horror shorts from the home of Bram Stoker, creator of Dracula. This is an entertaining and eerie programme, ranging from traditional gothic horror to the use of horror tropes in expressing contemporary anxieties, such as sexuality. There’s a scary take on the Irish wake and, of course, we include comic treatments of the genre – vegetarian zombies anyone? Sure to be a fascinating, if slightly bumpy, night. The programme is introduced by Mick Hannigan of the IndieCork Film Festival, an annual showcase of emerging Irish voices in cinema.
Liverpool Irish Festival hosts a night rich with Irish music, bringing you exceptional music from three recent Gradam Ceoil winners .
Delivering an outstanding showcase of Irish trad, the night involves some of the best musical talents of today and tomorrow. Conor Connolly, Clare Freil and Liam O’Brien won Young Musician of the Year winners in 2019, 2018 and 2017 respectively*. The three of them will delight audiences with their award winning talents. With support from Irish language broadcaster TG4, the Liverpool Philharmonic and other festival friends, this is going to be a truly exceptional event, complete with surprise guests, unusual instrument blending and overwhelming skills!
*Doireann Ní Ghlacáin was a listed player early listings. Sadly, Doireann will not be able to join us now.
