Turning Manchester green and red

THE Mayo Manchester Tourism and Business Group have organised a series of events to promote tourism in Mayo with the Manchester Irish Festival, kicking off today (Friday).

The two-week festival is one of the biggest Irish festivals in the world outside of Ireland and runs from Friday (March 3) until Sunday, March 19.

Highlights include a Mayo Manchester tradfest celebration concert on Saturday, March 11, at m19bar and music venue in Levenshulme. The concert is to celebrate the group winning the International Mayo Award and winning through to the final of the Irish Tourism Industry Award. It features Joe Keegan from the TV show The Voice, the Keegan Academy and the Fianna Phadraig Pipe Band.

On St. Patrick's Day itself the group have organised a charity Irish stepathon to raise funds for the homeless in Manchester. The event at the night-time Irish market in Levenshulme runs from 6.30 to 7.30 and features the Keegan Academy, the Reel Rhythm Dancers and the Grace Kennedy School of Irish Dancing.

Finally, the group have also been asked to stage an exhibition of photos from the MMTradfest staged in Ballina at the prestigious Central Library on Saturday, March 18, to promote its annual festival, which returns to Mayo from August 3 to 9.

 

More details are available from www.manchesteririshfestival.co.uk. For details about the MMTradfest, visit www.mayomanchester.com.