Welcome!


	WELCOME to the Guinness Liverpool Irish Festival website. This years Festival runs from Friday 16th of October right through to the 1st of November Want to know more? Join the Liverpool Irish Festival mailing list Email liverpoolirishfestival@yahoo.co.uk with your name, email address, postal address and phone number. We will keep you updated with all the latest news for the 2009 season. Download the 2009 brochure Click in the link at the bottom of this page to download the PDF of this year's brochure: Photographs For photographs of the Festival click here:http://picasaweb.google.com/vn.lif09 Rolling News The Festival is over - but what a brilliant time we had! The final weekend lived up to it's billing with Jinx Lennon every bit as different and exciting as expected and a positively magical All Stars Concert at St Brides, the music session at The Rodewald Suite rolled on until 2am and there was a highly succesful video film launch at The World Museum on the Sunday, not to mention the Battle of the Bands final, Irish Famine Coach Tour etc. We feel that the Festival has been a joyous event made successful by it's great audiences and the skill and enthusiasm of the artists appearing and all those individuals who gave their time to ensure that it was a success - we thank you all. Do you have any comments about the Festival? - we would love to hear from you - we love praise but we also know that there is always room for improvement, email us at the Festival office: liverpoolirishfestival@yahoo.co.uk By the way, the Festival might be over but our activities go on, we are holding a number of workshops with community groups based on the Quilts and Arpillera's exhibition that was at the World Museum throughout the Festival and we hope to hold an exhibition in the spring of the work produced. Friday 30 We've had a superb week so far with practically full houses at both film events at FACT, now we look forward to a busy final weekend - and busy is the word - Heidi Talbot at The Rodewald Suite tonight (Friday) is SOLD OUT, the 'All Stars Concert' at St Brides on Saturday is SOLD OUT, Sunday's Heritage Coach Tour is SOLD OUT - but tickets will be availible on the door for the phenomenon that is JINX LENNON at Static, Roscoe Lane (a little lane that links Roscoe Street with Berry Street) tonight at 8pm, and of course the late music sessions at Kavanaghs tonight and The Rodewald Suite tomorrow night will be open and in the case of Kavanagh's, free! Sunday 25 What a great weekend we've had! A super set from consumate entertainer Anthony John Clark and his band, Gaelic football in the sunshine (and rain) at John Mitchell's ground, a truely transcendental performance by Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, two packed out sessions at The Casa on Sunday afternoon, not to mention the Saturday morning lectures (packed) the heritage walks (also fully booked) and the last heat of the Battle of the Bands. After taking a rest on Monday the Festival returns with the first of two visits to Picturehouse@FACT for the showing of the short film on Gaelic poetry 'The Wren's Nest' which is coupled with a short talk on the gaelic language, whilst Thursday's visit features a full set of classic and contemporary short (and not so short) Irish films. Photographer Robeert Vance returns on Thursday to talk about the history behind his photographic exhibition in the Third Room at The Everyman Bistro, this leads us onto the final weekend featuring the unique Jinx Lennon, our annual All Star Concert (close to a sell out already) as well as, the coach tour, film at The World Museum, the final of Battle of the Bands and more fab music sessions! Monday 19 A super first weekend for the Festival: Both Heritage Walks sold out, Traditional Irish Dinner sold out, two of the most succesful workshops ever held at the World Museum (Quilts exhibition), Packed out music sessions. We now have a week of fabulous traditional music with Sharan Shannon at The Phil. and then Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill at St Georges Hall, plus Anthony John Clarke at St Michaels Irish Centre and more great sessions next weekend - and dont forget 'The Irish in Latin America', at El Latino Rincon on Thursday, it should be fascinating. Saturday 17 Friday saw the Festival start with a bang with the Celtic Tenors at the Philharmonic Hall, Brian Keenan at The Bluecoat and the launch of the Quilts and Arpilleras exhibition at The World Museum. The exhibition was introduced by a short talk by curator, Roberta Bacic, this superb exhibition is only on for two weeks, Roberta is running workshops at 1pm today and 2pm on Sunday with a talk at 12.30 also on Sunday. For details of otheer workshops please contact Ann-Marie McGaughey at National Museums Liverpool Tel: 0151 478 4048 or email: ann-marie.mcgaughey@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk Friday finished with a packed music session at Kavanagh's pub on Egerton Street, apart from the dozen or so musicians who contributed there were some verbal interjections by Comedy Poet Racker Donnelly - hilarious! Tonoght the session moves to the large backroom at The Casa on Hope Street, again starting at 10pm, this will be a little more formal with proper onstage sets as well as the open sessions, £4 on the door, musicians enter free. Saturday also see's the launch of Robert Vance's photographic exhibition in the third Room of The Everyman Bistro, a Battle of the Bands heat at The Pilgrim, A Heritage Walk (booked up) and 'Under the Influence' at Parr Street Studios. - That should keep you busy! Lastly for today, we understand that there are still places availible for the Traditional Irish Dinner on Sunday at St Michaels Irish Centre, to book a place at this feast of food and entertainment contact Maureen Morrison on 0151 263 1808 The Festival Starts! Last night (Thursday 15th) saw the launch of this year's Guinness Liverpool Irish Festival in the presence of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress.100 guests packed the Rodewald Suite at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall where Festival Chairman, John Chandler, opened the festivities, with music from Garva maestro Terry Coyne and friends, and poems and comedy from Racker Donnelly things got off to a brilliant start - and that is without mentioning the traditional sausage and mash dinner! View pictures of the opening and The Hope Street Feast taken by Festival photographer Vincent Ng here: http://picasaweb.google.com/vn.lif09 Exhibition Openings: Saturday17 October see's the opening of 'Threads of Hope' - Quilts and Arpilleras from Chile, Peru and Ireland. The exhibition is to be held in the Community Space at The World Museum, Liverpool, and will run throughout the Festival. We hope that this exhibition will stimulate an interest and awareness in Quilt making and in its social use, in preserving memories and documenting history and heritage. We will be organising public and group workshops both during and after the Festival, please see the Project page within the Festival brochure for further details. Saturday 17 October also see's the opening of a photographic exhibition in the third Room at the Everyman Bistro on Hope Street, entitled 'Speaking Ill of the dead' it is the work of popular Irish historian Robert Vance and opens up a new narrative vision of 'the Great Famine' of the 19th Century. Events: The Coach Tour of Famine Sites on 1st November is now fully booked. Any further calls will be placed on a reserve list . The Anthony John Clarke + Guests (Bruce Scott and Brendan Fahey) gig at St Michael's Irish Centre on the 23rd will now be even better! - rather than appear solo as originally advertised, Anthony John has decide to bring his band as well. You will have noticed that several of the Music Session's have an entry charge - notablty those at The Casa and in The Rodewald Suite at the Phil. - this is to cover P.A. costs but also because these are 'super sessions' where the musicians leading the event will also get up and do some numbers on stage, however, we want to support our local musicians so if you turn up with an instrument you will get in for free! Don't forget, if you are going to our highly popular 'All Star Concert' on the 31st you will not be able to buy a drink - St Brides is a functioning church - however you are welcome to bring your own. Change of Venue The 'LFC Irish Legends night' will now be held in The Pearce Suite at The Adelphi Hotel All other details as before. Tickets for the event will be on sale at The Adelphi hotel, Liverpool, between 12 and 6pm on Friday 16th of October. Change of Speaker Unfortunately, Edmundo Murray will not be speaking at 'the Irish in Latin America' event at El Rincon Latino on the 22 October, however we have been able to get a more than adequate substitute - Patrick O'Sullivan is Head of the Irish Diaspora Studies Unit at The University of Bradford, and one of the worlds most influential writers on diaspora studies - on top of that he knows his music! Expect a night that is both fascinating and fun.

	DOWNLOAD BROCHURE HERE