Liverpool Irish Festival #LIF2019 Brochure

/LIVIRISHFEST #lif2019 #madfortrad #madfornew #invisiblewomen

Bringing Liverpool and Ireland closer together using arts and culture.

liverpoolirishfestival.com Storytelling, family events, theatre, céilís, music, talks, art, poetry and literature, seisiúns, heritage, film, dancing, food and drink

Company Limited No.4800736. Registered Charity No.1100126

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Fáilte (welcome) to the seventeenth annual Liverpool Irish Festival and this year’s theme of “unique stories, creatively told”.

Ireland’s life, history, tradition and culture is rich with stories – both fact and fiction. During #LIF2019, using many artistic forms, you will hear stories of folk lore and faeries; departure and returns; deep personal tragedies and buoyant, beautiful love. Some stories continue the migration theme we led last year, whilst others unfurl new leaves that wow, educate and amaze. Coming from across the island of Ireland and diaspora communities, these stories knit together to tell a wider story about far flung islands, dual-heritage lives and travel influenced communities. Questions we have posed include: Where and how are today’s Irish stories being told and how are we protecting them for tomorrow?

Where is diaspora life reflected in Irish creativity and how?

What significant influences, if any, has Irish culture collected from around the world and how are they depicted? What stories do they tell?

How reflective of a modern Irish person is the creative culture Ireland produces today?

Does ‘Irishness’ reflect the whole of Ireland or only certain parts and how is it perceived in non-Irish communities?

What will Irish storytelling consist of in the future?

We are interested in sharing the unique and incredible stories of Irish people and the creative ways they tell them. Our experience of curating Irish work –from Liverpool, Liverpool Irish and Irish artists (from all parts of the island and the diaspora)- suggests that ‘contemporary work’ retains considerable reference to ‘trad’/traditional culture. Curatorially, we have questioned whether this is truly contemporary or whether we are -or it is- missing ‘the zeitgeist’. Is it possible that introspection is part of an Irish cultural phenomenon of re-examination? If so, where will this lead? How is it communicated? What are the effects on artists and audiences today? Does a reliance on trad Irish forms supersede any native culture in which Irish people live? Does this prevent ‘Irishness’ from growing and admitting host cultures in to its identity and expression?

Whatever Irish creativity does to answer these questions, we know it is beguiling, strongly linked to identity and ambitious in undertaking to preserve, share and understand itself. We can’t wait to share this year’s stories with you and to make plenty more by the Festival’s end!

/LIVIRISHFEST #lif2019 #madfortrad #madfornew #invisiblewomen

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Liverpool Irish Festival is open to anyone of any heritage, age, faith or class. As our name suggests we draw references from Liverpool, Ireland and the relationship between them, celebrating in the UK’s only arts and culture inspired and led festival. We are proud to share it with you. Once again, faílte (welcome). Bain sult as do chuid ama linn/enjoy your time with us.

About Liverpool Irish Festival Liverpool Irish Festival is governed by a volunteer board, chaired

by John Chandler, one of its original founders. The organisation is a registered charity (1100126). We receive regular funding from Liverpool City Council’s Culture Arts Investment Programme, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Emigrant Support Programme and project funds from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grant Awards. We are proud recipients of sponsorship from Tourism Ireland and Irish language broadcaster TG4.

#LivIrishFest

Use #LivIrishFest, #LIF2019, #madfortrad, #madfornew and #invisiblewomen to celebrate all aspects of the programme. Start connecting.

Tell your friends! Tweet us your thoughts; Instagram us your pictures and spread a little áthas (joy) by live-streaming our events on Facebook, linking us in using our handle @LivIrishFest. Additionally, subscribe to our enewsletter for festival updates at liverpoolirishfestival.com

Brexit and the Irish In Britain

4 Over the last year, the Director and Board of the Liverpool Irish Festival have been questioning issues surrounding Irishness, in the face of Brexit, rising hate crime and shifting societal concerns, identities and understandings. Whilst we consider unique stories of Irish people via their dual-heritage experience, rare travels or cultural awakenings and expression, there is also the need to consider how Irish people are being handled, en masse. Professor Mary Hickman helps us to consider this.

As the United Kingdom (UK) government negotiated a deal to achieve Brexit, many people were surprised at the ways in which Ireland has impacted on British-European Union (EU) relations. The surprise is often based on a profound ignorance about Ireland and British-Irish relations. Ireland is invisible to Britain/England in a way Britain/England can never be invisible to Ireland. For example, the British press is read widely in Ireland, in Britain most people would probably struggle to name an Irish publication.

Many in Britain are either unaware that Ireland is a separate country to the UK, or that Northern Ireland is part of the UK, rather than Ireland. This is probably less the case in Liverpool, compared with elsewhere in England, because of the long tradition of Northern Ireland migrants coming to the city (likewise south-west Scotland).

This knowledge gap was almost improbably revealed when the former Minister of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley, admitted her lack of understanding of Northern Irish politics, in that ‘people who are nationalists don’t vote for unionist parties and vice versa. So, the parties fight for election within their own community’.

Surprise can also be based on ingrained notions of superiority and primacy of UK interests. Boris Johnson, while Foreign Secretary, commenting on the EU requirement for a backstop dealing with the Irish border in any Brexit negotiation said that it was ‘beyond belief that we’re allowing the tail to wag the dog in this way’ and on another occasion likened the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland to that between the boroughs of Camden and Westminster in London for congestion charge purposes.

The border in Ireland is in fact a British imposed partition of the island, one of a series of partitions Britain used to extricate itself from colonial situations, and is an international border. Ireland is a separate, fully independent sovereign state.

In the EU the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister are equals. Ireland’s the view of the EU is that of a supranational structure, which enables solidarity and a single market to amplify the voice of otherwise small countries (17 of the EU’s 27 members have populations of under 10m). In Britain a prevalent view is of the EU inhibiting British power, as The Irish Times recently noted.

Bearing all this in mind, while we await the endgame of (the first stage) of Brexit, it is worth reflecting on the ways in which this impacts on Irish people in Britain.

One impact of Brexit has been to increase ‘pressure’ on Irish migrants both justifying their presence here and explaining the context of the Northern Ireland backstop.

In the words of comedian Peter Flanagan ‘as an immigrant here, the regular task of having to explain the geography of their own country to British people, while simultaneously trying to sound like a grateful, ‘good’ immigrant is getting exhausting’.

/LIVIRISHFEST #lif2019 #madfortrad #madfornew #invisiblewomen For many Irish migrants in Britain one impact has been to make them feel insecure about their position here. These concerns were stimulated not only by the referendum result but by the accompanying rise in comments telling Irish people to ‘go home’ and by worry about the fate of the Common Travel Area (CTA) in the midst of Brexit negotiations.

The origins of the current CTA lie in Irish agreement to a similar immigration policy to that of the UK in 1952. This was when Britain was keen for Irish immigration to help post-war reconstruction and the Irish State, in practice, wanted to facilitate emigration to Britain due to rising unemployment and a difficult economy.

In response the UK abolished immigration controls on travel to Britain from the island of Ireland through the repeal of the requiremen for aliens to obtain leave to land if their journey was from Ireland. The long-lasting nature of these arrangements is due primarily to the specific difficulties of policing the border, and operating immigration controls, between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Since the 1950s therefore there has been no need to carry a passport when travelling between the UK and Ireland. Since the 2016 referendum there has been a significant increase in applications for Irish passports from people living in Britain. This is assumed to be a mainly instrumental response to the loss of the maroon EU passport and free movement around Europe.

Recent research indicates that -strongly mixed with instrumental motivations- the process of applying for an Irish passport is a way of making sense of family history. The researcher, Marc Scully, points out that ‘it is not about people adding on a whole new identity. Most of them already had a strong sense of their Irish identity and are formalising that now’. He discovered that many had been young second generation (parent/s born in Ireland) during The Troubles and had played down their Irishness at the time because of all the negativity the Irish in Britain experienced.

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The space to be both Irish and British which expanded after the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) appears to be narrowing again, not only in Northern Ireland (choice to be Irish, British or both in Northern Ireland was guaranteed under the GFA), but also in Britain. There is currently a case at the High Court challenging the Home Office’s interpretation of the GFA that everyone in Northern Ireland is British but an individual can choose an Irish identification.

Irish people are very ambiguously placed in Britain (including those from Northern Ireland); they are simultaneously insiders and outsiders. While clearly enjoying privileges, compared with other ‘non-citizens’ from beyond the EU, Irish citizens are treated in many ways like ‘subjects’; the Irish have also experienced negative stereotypes, abuse, discrimination and being viewed as suspects in Britain.

One consequence of Brexit is therefore a stirring of Irish identities, an increased interest in Ireland, a desire to know more about Ireland and its relations with Britain. Hence the lasting value of an event like the Liverpool Irish Festival with its aim of bringing Liverpool and Ireland closer together using arts and culture.

Professor Mary Hickman is Professor Emeritus of Irish Studies and Sociology at London Metropolitan University. Former Professorial Research Fellow, Centre for Irish Studies, at St Mary’s University (London, 2012-2016), Mary was pivotal in establishing the Irish Studies Centre at London Metropolitan University in 1988. Mary’s research specialisms include Irish migration and diaspora. Mary has extensive experience of community involvement, currently being a trustee of the London Irish Centre, a member of the Mayor of London’s Community Advisory Committee for the St Patrick’s Day Festival and Chair of Votes for Irish Citizens Abroad (VICA).

People interested in this article may also be interested in the

Backstop: ensuring Irish-UK cultural collaborations after Brexit event at 12.30pm, Thurs 24 Oct. See listing for more details.

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Ticket Quarter

Trail strands #LIF2019 has four thematic strands:

US

Unique Stories, creatively told

IW

In:Visible Women

N&C

Nook and cranny spaces

FD

Family Days

Many events cross more than one trail.

Use the symbols above to find trails through the programme.

EVENTS KEY Film, art and animation Talks and tours Performance and poetry Food & drink Music & song Community, family & sport

Have you noticed some venues charge as much as 8-15% of fees on top of the ticket price?

Rising costs and different ticketing systems can mean costs are passed to customers.

After Liverpool City Council opened the Arena Conference Centre in 2008, it went on to open a serviced ticketing agency called Ticket Quarter.

This year Liverpool Irish Festival is selling as many tickets as it can using this system.

We have used some of our public funding to subsidise tickets, removing the administration/fulfilment charge.

We can only do this for tickets we control, which we identify using this . This mark means you will pay the ticket price and nothing more (P+P is an optional add-on). Liverpool Irish Festival is committed to minimising any barriers affecting access to arts and culture and thank our sponsors for enabling us to work towards improving access.

Where time and resource permit, we will do all we can to support community members attendinge vents. Anyone struggling to attend, based on costs -or other concernsshould contact us at info@liverpoolirishfestival.com for confidential support.

/LIVIRISHFEST #lif2019 #madfortrad #madfornew #invisiblewomen

ExhibitionS

All dates relate to 2019 unless otherwise stated. All listings were deemed correct at the time of going to print. However, changes do occur. Whilst we will do everything in our power to forewarn all ticket holders of changes, this is not possible in all cases.

To be absolutely certain of up-to-date information please visit liverpoolirishfestival.com.

End times are provided as a guide only.

Sefton Park Palm House

Watch me grow

Bluecoat Display Centre

In the Window: Rory Shearer

Tue 1-Thurs 31 Oct Viewable during shop opening hours. Free, just turn up US | N&C | FD The Bluecoat Display Centre present ceramicist Rory Shearer (Derry) for their monthly In the Window feature. Selected in response to a brief set

by Liverpool Irish Festival and the Bluecoat Display Centre, and supported by the National Design and Craft Council of Ireland, the panel felt Rory’s work best reflected “unique stories, creatively told”.

Responding to the physical terrain of his studio, Rory’s work speaks of the land, through the clay used, the marks made and the glaze he applied (and makes). His amazing display contains work from two of his series. Read more about this in the Festival newspaper and in store.

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Thurs 17-Sat 26 Oct Viewable during Palm House opening hours.

Free, just turn up US | N&C | FD This experimental exhibit is still in design at the time of going to press. This is, in part, due to art sector funding, project development cycles and our print deadlines, which in itself tells a story about what it is to be an artist today. Ideas include creating physical work that is linked with Instagram and looking for social interaction with the work in the physical –not the digital- domain.

This still-to-be-conceived piece, is operated in partnership with Art Arcadia with support from Derry City and Strabane District Council and –we hope- a key national funder. Sefton Park Palm House also partners.

Liverpool Everyman – Street Café and Bar

Materials library

Mon 14-Sat 26 Oct Viewable during venue open hours. Free, just turn up US | IW | N&C | FD The materials library provides a core resource and dropin-space in which to hold discussions and impromptu seisiúns/sessions. With a growing selection of fiction, history and children’s texts to lose yourself in, it provides festival goers with a space to drop-in and pick up another brochure, read the festival newspaper and enjoy a brew, a bite to eat and a chat.

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In:Visible Women week at Tate Exchange – Mon 14-Sun 20 Oct 2019 In:Visible Women is an annual strand of work within the Liverpool Irish Festival. It has been generated by conversations with artists, academics, activists, audiences and communities about the role of women in Irish society and creativity; today and historically. In:Visible Women is both a weeklong event taking place at Tate Liverpool as part of its Tate Exchange programme and a trail through the #LIF2019 programme, embedded in to the very fabric of the Liverpool Irish Festival. IW Reflecting aspects of the difficulties still presented to women –particularly those in Ireland or of Irish descent- the contributions made to this programme come from those progressing women’s rights through the work, focus and/or access they provide.

With discussion, engaging presentations and a positive and welcoming atmosphere, these events are open to all, but will be of particular interest to fourth wave feminists people with stories about Irish women in their life those who supported Repealing the Eighth amendment to Ireland’s constitution and anyone keen to meet like-minded, spirited women.

Across the week, the Liverpool Irish Festival hope to learn more about which Irish female writers and activists are known about and who audiences would like to hear more from make meaningful additions to Ireland Reaching Out, thus assisting the gender imbalance of the platform better understand the diversity of the Liverpool Irish community, what their lived-experience is today and whether or not the Liverpool Irish Festival is relevant enough for them. If not, what can we do? whether there are specific subjects that touch the Liverpool Irish community that the Festival has not considered previously; what these are and how it can programme for them in future.

#LIF2019 #TateExchange #InVisibleWomen

Each day the residency has a focus and a set of related activities. Most of the activities take place in Tate exchange, where we will additionally be showing work from photographer Casey Orr’s series Saturday Girl (seen left), featuring portraits of girls from both Liverpool and Belfast. Taken between 2015 and now, the images demonstrate the sensitive relationship girls have with their hair and the references made to the generations of women that come before them, with their styling, colour and cut. Bright but incisive, these portraits tell us stories about the girls of today. By comparing those of Liverpool and Belfast can we spot many differences or do they highlight the similarity of our two cities?

/LIVIRISHFEST #lif2019 #madfortrad #madfornew #invisiblewomen

Monday – Women: dual-heritage, diaspora and Liverpool life.

Today we consider dual-heritage women and their lived experience in Liverpool, using the 1919 Race Riots as a catalyst for story-sharing.

Why women, particularly? As the domestic linchpins of family story, photo albums and birthday diaries, women are still often regarded as the maintainers of histories, facts and mementoes. Rarely documented by men, women’s voices -and the hand-me-down tales of those we have already lost- are important to capture.

A centenary on from the anti-black race riots that erupted in Liverpool in 1919 (and other seaports across the UK) we examine attitudes towards race, particularly those concerned with inter-racial relationships, which encouraged extreme racial violence.

The term ‘miscegenation’ came into prominence in Europe, during the colonial era, and was used primarily negatively and as something to be avoided.

In the United States the term came to be associated with laws banning interracial marriage and sex, known as Anti-miscegenation Laws, which remain a cause for white supremacists today.

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Our first session charts how the discourse of anti-miscegenation, prevalent at the time of the 1919 Race Riots, gained academic approval and shaped perceptions to -and policy interventions with- Liverpool’s black and minority communities through to the 1980s and beyond. We have used the discourse around ‘miscegenation’ to prompt a reconsideration of Liverpool’s Irish connections and the many communities Irish migrants came in to contact with, which continue to form part of city’s community profile today.

We are aware that attitudes crystallised in 1919 continue to shape white agendas, views on mixed relationships and the offspring of such relationships.

We believe these continue to impact on lives today and because we are aware of particular dualheritage communities in Liverpool we will hold three guided story-sharing sessions in which anyone with Irish dual-heritage can come and tell their story.

Specifically these sessions will consider black and Irish communities and individuals; Chinese and Irish and, lastly, Irish diaspora dual-heritage people.

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In:Visible Women CONTINUED...

Day overview 10:30am The 1919 Race Riots – Madeline Heneghan (Writing on the Wall) locates antimiscegenation within the ideologies of Empire and its effects on Liverpool’s diverse communities 11:30am Michelle Charters (Kuumba Imani Millennium Centre) tells and hears stories from black and Irish communities and individuals 1:30pm A Chinese Irish representative of the Pagoda Chinese Community Centre will lead a public conversation about Chinese Irish experiences 3:30pm Win Lawlor (Irish Community Care) will will debate and discuss diaspora life and experiences.

We encourage anyone with mixed Irish heritage to attend to tell their stories.

We will document the sessions and they will inform our programme for #LIF2020.

Contributions are sought for a documentary film, to be screened on St Brigid’s day 2020 (1 Feb).

See liverpoolirishfestival.com nearer to the date for details.

This day is part of a COoL (Creative Organisations of Liverpool) produced event for Black History Month, supported by Arts Council England. This project also commissioned an essay from Liam Hogan (Limerick Libraries), which features in the #LIF2019 newspaper. Look out for the piece, entitled: An Irish Slave in Antigua.

We highly recommend the Black History Month programme to you. Coordinated primarily by our COoL partners, Writing on the Wall, it also features an augmented reality trail of the 1919 Race Riots and animated walking tours run by project partners First Take, Pagoda Chinese Community Arts Centre and Tmesis Theatre.

Please visit: wowfest.uk

Tuesday – It’s not just the working classes.

Go, Lovely Rose (Mary Manning) is a play about Rose Fitzgerald-Kennedy (JFK’s mother) and the way her early life was formed by masculine Boston politics. It demonstrates how even in the upper echelons of American-Irish society, women were moved as described by their male counterparts, not in the direction they wanted to travel.

With two performances of the work (c.45mins, 11:30am, 2:30pm; please gather 10 mins in adv), we will hold a Q&A with director Gavin McAlinden about what drew him to this female writer, the female only performance and what themes he most wanted to draw from them. We will also discuss Irish female playwrights and why so few have risen to heady heights of their Irish brothers.

Audience members are asked to think about female Irish writers and playwrights they would like to see represented in future Liverpool Irish Festivals and take part in the table top activities provided to help us understand what themes our guests would most like to see us explore.

Wednesday – Caillte: Can anyone deal with mass trauma creatively? Ireland has witnessed many systemic issues unearthed in recent years.

Whether it is the friction between faith and state, female body autonomy, arranged marriages or abuses within the Anglican and Catholic churches, there has been a lot to drive division and hurt, affect the national character and form identity.

Clara Kerr is a recent LIPA graduate who took on the story of the mass graves of Tuam and chose to question the historical story using her experience as a choreographer. As well as sharing aspects of the dances she created, we also talk with Clara about her process, reception to the work and what else she hopes Caillte can achieve.

/LIVIRISHFEST #lif2019 #madfortrad #madfornew #invisiblewomen

Table top activities ask audiences what large scale issues, pertinent to Ireland, they would like the Liverpool Irish Festival to consider in future years and whether people believe these concepts are important for art to challenge. We will also ask, how we do this with sensitively and who has the right to use these stories as stimuli for debate.

Caillte performances at 12:30pm and 3pm, each followed by a Q&A. Gather 10 mins in advance in Tate Exchange to proceed to performance space.

The Liverpool Irish Festival are grateful to LIPA for their support of Glas Creative in this endeavour. If you are interested in this subject, be sure to read Clara’s article in the festival newspaper.

Thursday and Friday – Who am I? Ireland Reaching Out aims to connect all Irish people with their place of origin. Chronicling as many Irish people as will register and can be reported, Ireland Reaching Out provides links and resources to trace genealogy and create entries for you and those who came before you.

In partnership with Ireland Reaching Out, also known as Ireland XO, the Liverpool Irish Festival invites people to share their invisible women –and others- by talking about their Irish ancestors.

Ireland Reaching Out will help visitors use the resources and provide practical support and guidance to their (and other) family history resources. Through Ireland Reaching Out’s services –primarily The Chronicles- ancestors can be linked by townland to their Civil Parish in Ireland, which can locate those descended from the area and their destination homes.

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For those not seeking to locate family, there will be information on other In:Visible Women, such as Agnes Jones and Kitty Wilkinson and access to The Chronicles. Of all the biographical entries on Wikipedia only 17% are women. Ireland Reaching Out believe that of their Chronicles only c.20% are about women. These two days will help to address the imbalance – we have to start somewhere! All those chronicled during their time at Tate Exchange will be recorded for posterity.

Saturday and Sunday – Fold & Rise.

Artists Julie Griffiths and Maeve Collins ferment a public conversation using bread making – a reference to the traditional work of womenas both a metaphor and methodology, in an exploration of labour, the body and temporality; using the domestic as political.

The participatory art project, running since 2016, questions the ambiguous and differential standards by which women are frequently measured and constrained by today. Participants create a loaf of their own, using yeast which has been cultivated within the project since 2016. They will discuss female effort (exertion, employment, toil) making their loaf, waiting for it to rise and forming it before taking it home to bake. In talking about effort those involved will talk about their own rights, freedoms, work and lived-experiences; folding time, rising bread and life together. Simultaneously, they will further cultivate the yeast ready for further discussion.

Sessions begin at 11am and 2pm.

Please gather 10 mins in advance.

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EVENTS

All dates relate to 2019 unless otherwise stated. All listings were deemed correct at the time of going to print. However, changes do occur. Whilst we will do everything in our power to forewarn all ticket holders of changes, this is not possible in all cases.

To be absolutely certain of up-to-date information please visit liverpoolirishfestival.com.

End times are provided as a guide only.

Punch Tarmey’s

Irish menu

Tues 15-Sun 27 Oct N&C Punch Tarmey’s is Liverpool’s largest Irish venue and they are offering a special menu for festival goers including full Irish breakfast, steak and Guinness pie and other classics. With a full bar or craft beers, standard draught options and spirits, Punch Tarmey’s presents a great evening out for couples or large parties. Check it out during the festival.

Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

Christy Moore

8pm, Wed 16 Oct £37.50-£48.50 + 8% booking fee; liverpoolphil.com N&C One of the most compelling and inspirational musicians Ireland has ever seen, Christy Moore has a universal fan base and continues to entertain. It is his deep urge to connect with the listener and transmit the meaning of the songs he sings that endears him to audiences of all ages. Christy has released over 25 solo albums, from Paddy on the Road (1969) to his most recent On The Road, released worldwide (Nov 2017) to great acclaim. Featuring 24 songs, the two-discs collect the songs that Christy has made his own during 50+ incredible years of live touring.

This event is a festival preview organised by Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.

/LIVIRISHFEST #lif2019 #madfortrad #madfornew #invisiblewomen

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Liverpool Irish Centre

Hello Delia Murphy

1pm, Thurs 17 Oct Free, just turn up US | IW | FD Sit back and be enthralled by the songs and story of Co. Mayo’s own Delia Murphy, sung in Delia’s unique style.

Roll back the years with The Spinning Wheel, If I were a Blackbird and other much loved songs.

From Hollymount (Co. Mayo), Delia rose as a celebrity singer, admired by music fans who appreciated her vinyl recordings and radio broadcasts. Married to Irish Ambassador, Thomas Kiernan, Delia was a star in her own right. She mixed with the famous and mighty, but retained her identity as a recording artist and performer. She was an extrovert who liked people with the same openness as herself.

2018 marked the 80th anniversary of Delia’s first Abbey Road HMV recordings. After ten successful years of touring, Carmen remains keen to remember Delia to those who recall her and share her -as a unique woman and artist- with new audiences.

Among other incredible stories, audiences will hear tell of Delia’s dealings in the Vatican’s ‘Spies Parlour Network’, in German occupied Rome during the war. Delia’s musical legacy continues in her celebrity, in grandson Ronan Browne’s Uilleann-pipe playing and in this very event.

Hello Delia Murphy is an illustrated, beguiling talk with songs –compiled and performed by Delia’s niece, Carmen Cullenaccompanied by Gerry Anderson on guitar. Delia -a significant musical-history figure- is credited with laying the groundwork for the Irish folk revival of the late 1930s-50s (before Liam Clancy), which she took to the world stage.

Liverpool Irish Centre

#LIF2019 official launch

6pm-8pm, Thurs 17 Oct Free, just turn up US | IW | N&C | FD Providing a snapshot of the festival ahead, the launch welcomes everyone to come and get a taste of Ireland, with some Irish stew and a glass of the black stuff, in the natural home of Liverpool’s Irish community. There will be music, stories, speeches (only short ones allowed!) and singing for everyone to watch, listen to and take part in.

Come along and meet the #LIF2019 team; share your Irishness, raise a glass (Sláinte!/ Health!) and welcome in this year’s festival, celebrating unique stories, creatively told. We look forward to greeting you.

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St Luke’s Gardens

British Music Experience

Jack Lukeman

South Liverpool walk

8pm, Fri 18 Oct £16.50/£14 conc; liverpoolirishfestival.com US | N&C Playing the Liverpool Irish Festival for the first time, Jack Lukeman (Co. Kildare) is becoming a Liverpool regular, having played the Philharmonic Music Room and Vince Power’s 2018 Liverpool Feis previously.

A loyal and fast-growing audience means booking early is recommended to avoid disappointment.

“The most magnificent and enigmatic of performers”, Edinburgh Spotlight Magazine, Scotland.

Jack Lukeman is an Irish singer-songwriter, performer, raconteur and a whole lot more besides. As a platinumselling, critically acclaimed artist in Ireland, in recent years Lukeman has devoted more of his time to winning a growing fan base in the UK and abroad. In this regard, he has toured the UK as a special guest on tours by artists as varied as Imelda May, Jools Holland, The Proclaimers and Neil Sedaka, and is currently promoting Magic Days, his latest album of idiosyncratic original songs.

2pm, Sat 19 Oct £6/£4 conc; liverpoolirishfestival.com US | N&C | FD This two hour walk, popular in recent years, visits the remarkable architecture of the Hope and Rodney Street areas, to discover their connections to the history, politics and culture of Liverpool’s vibrant Irish community. Led by historian Greg Quiery, we advise you book early to avoid disappointment.

St Luke’s Bombed Out Church

A New Leaf Tour

10am and 12pm, Sat 19 Oct £7 child/£3 adult; liverpoolirishfestival.com US | N&C | FD A New Leaf is the compelling story of a woodland and its discovery of an enchanting new leaf. The Grand Old Oak must solve the mystery of this new ‘leaf’, but she needs the help of an unexpected ally Florence the Woodpecker.

The performance is a mixture of poetry, prose and song.

“The poetry was brilliant. All gentle and powerful”. “Brilliant guitar playing. Amazing lyrics & songs”. “Made-me-cry. Emotive”.

For children and adults 7 years and up.

Image credit © Ian Hodgson.

Anyone interested in this walk may also be interested in the Scotland Road walk (Sun 20 Oct) and Heritage coach tour (Sun 27 Oct).

/LIVIRISHFEST #lif2019 #madfortrad #madfornew #invisiblewomen

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Liverpool Irish Centre

The Spirit of the reels: Liverpool Céilí Band – book launch

7.30pm, Sat 19 Oct Advance tickets only US | FD Welcome to the launch of the book about the famous Liverpool Céilí Band of the 1960s and 70s. Doors open at 6.30pm with the book available from then. The real show starts at 7.30pm, with an interview with The Spirit of the Reels author Ray Rooney; readings from the book and sets of the original band’s tunes, played by a fantastic group of the finest traditional musicians. The evening will also include a céilí, step dancing and a great seisiún to conclude.

D SOLUT O

A further launch with céilí –The Spirit of the Reels- will be held at 2pm on Sun 24 Nov 2019 at Liverpool Irish Centre for those unable to attend in October. See liverpoolirishcentre.com for details.

Central Library entrance

Scotland Road Walk

2pm, Sun 20 Oct £6/£4 conc liverpoolirishfestival.com US | IW | N&C | FD This two hour walk –led by historian Greg Quierywill explore the dense history of this world famous district.

Featuring the stories of heroic men and women, footballers and rock stars, two hidden statues, a graveyard and the legends of Dandy Pat and James Carling. The walk ends at St Anthony’s church, a short bus ride from town.

As with the South Liverpool walk, places are limited so we advise you book early to avoid disappointment.

Anyone interested in this walk may also be interested in the South Liverpool walk (Sat 19 Oct) and Heritage coach tour (Sun 27 Oct).

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Picturehouse at FACT

IndieCork: The Dark Green HORROR

6pm, Sun 20 Oct £7.70/£5.50 conc, picturehouse.com US | IW | N&C | FD 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.

Picturehouse at FACT

Celtic Animation Film Festival

2pm, Sun 20 Oct £7.70/£5.50 conc, picturehouse.com US | FD 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.

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.

/LIVIRISHFEST #lif2019 #madfortrad #madfornew #invisiblewomen

Leaf

Kilkelly

9pm (doors from 8pm), Sun 20 Oct. £12adv/£14 on the door (first-come, first-served); liverpoolirishfestival.com US | N&C Linking visual art with music, music with story and story with a cross-album narrative arc, Kilkelly reveal –in great depth- their new concept album: The Prick and the Petal.

Featuring the visual artworks of band member Stephanie Hannon and personal stories, wrestled with by Conor Kilkelly, listeners will be brought in to the world of creation, the meanings these art works layer on to the music and the identity of those communicating the stories. Not to be missed by anyone hoping to record their own album, thinking about their own creativity or interested in and by multiform work.

Sue Rynhart opens, supported by stellar guitarist Rob Luft. Sue’s a seasoned LIF performer, whose song La Malouine featured heavily at during Liverpool River Festival 2018. We welcome her, once again, to share her insightful song-writing, soaring voice, dramatic musical journeys and generous stage presence as a warmer to Kilkelly’s dark, heartsore renderings.

Presented in partnership with Mellowtone, who celebrate their fifteenth birthday this year.

Downstairs at the Royal Court

Ireland’s Call

8pm, Mon 21 Oct. £14/£12 conc; liverpoolsroyalcourt.com US | N&C Follow the lives and family histories of three young men as they grow up in Coolock on Dublin’s north side. What shapes them and entices them to a life of crime? Examining issues of class, religion and identity, this new play is an unflinching exploration of the Irish psyche, bringing our collective guilts, secrets and flaws to the surface.

Written, toured internationally and performed

by IFTA 2018 Best Irish Actor winner, John Connors, this is sure to be a thoroughly gripping experience and a ‘must see’, ahead of what is sure to be a meteoric rise for this budding star of stage and screen.

Developed as part of Show In A Bag an artist development initiative of Dublin Fringe Festival, Fishamble: The New Play Company and Irish Theatre Institute, to resource theatre makers and actors.

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18 Liverpool Philharmonic Dining Rooms

Gradam Ceoil – trio of masterclasses

12pm, 2pm and 4pm, Wed 23 Oct. Free, booking required (see below) US | FD 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.

Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room

TG4’s Gradam Ceoil: An Irish Trad night

8pm, Tue 22 Oct £18/£15 conc + 8% booking fee; liverpoophil.com US | N&C Liverpool Irish Festival hosts a night rich with Irish music, bringing you exceptional music from two recent Gradam Ceoil winners and a TG4 presenter and fiddler. Delivering an outstanding showcase of Irish trad, the night involves some of the best musical talents of today and tomorrow. Conor Connolly, Clare Friel 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!

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 in formation 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 2pm – Clare Friel Gradam Ceoil Young Traditional Musician of the Year, 2019) on on fiddle 4pm - Liam O’Brien (Gradam Ceoil Young Traditional Musician of the Year, 2017) on concertina.

Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room

Visible Women

8pm, Wed 23 Oct £20/£17 conc + 8% booking fee; liverpoolphil.com US | IW

Host: Ciara Ní É (Dublin, ROI)

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Laura Duff (Limerick, ROI)

Headline - Lisa O’Neill (Co Cavan, ROI)

/LIVIRISHFEST #lif2019 #madfortrad #madfornew #invisiblewomen

Bringing together three unique music artists, Visible Women shows off the contemporary talents of Irish singer-songwriters Maz O’Connor, Laura Duff and headliner Lisa O’Neill.

Hosting the evening is a bilingual spoken-word artist, broadcaster Ciara Ní É, supported by TG4.

With two hours of music, this is set to be an evening of musical adventure and lyrical storytelling, all tied up with a beautiful Gaelic twist.

Maz O’Connor (Liverpool/London, UK)

Are you into music by women for everyone? Do you want to support emerging talent? Are you riding the (fourth) wave of Feminism? Then this evening is just for you, your friends and your family!

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Liverpool Everyman

Backstop: ensuring Irish-UK cultural collaborations after Brexit

12.30pm, Thurs 24 Oct Free; registration recommended US | N&C | FD The Institute for Creative Enterprise, Edge Hill University is a cultural leader in policy and arts training. In this session Edge Hill Professor Martin McQuillan chairs a panel to discuss this critical topic as part of #LIF2020. Speakers include: Susan McKay, Mary Cloake, Professor James Moran, Professor Victor Merriman.

Just like other parts of the economy, the cultural industries rely on the unhindered movement of people -and ideas- across the border between Ireland and Britain. How can me make sure that creativity continues to flow in both directions after Brexit? What barriers does Brexit throw up for creative practitioners working between Ireland and the UK? What opportunities does it present for the creative economy? How should writers, artists, musicians and thinkers respond to Brexit and its social and political uncertainty? Can workers in the creative economy create their own backstop to keep channels of communication open between Ireland and the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit? This panel will explore these questions and much more.

Interested? Read Professor Mary Hickman’s essay on Page 4.

John Foster Drama Studio

The Biggest Show in the Country

8pm, Thurs 24 & Fri 25 Oct £12/£10 conc adv or £15/£13conc on the door; liverpoolirishfestival.com US | N&C 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.

/LIVIRISHFEST #lif2019 #madfortrad #madfornew #invisiblewomen

Philharmonic Dining Rooms upstairs

Waterstones

Two Souls

6pm, Thurs 24 Oct £3/£2 adv; waterstones.com/events US | N&C | FD Robbie McManus is tortured.

His psychopathic comrade ‘Padre Pio’ McCann is never far from wreaking havoc, his punk cousin ‘Rex Mundi’ has arrived from England and is getting in the way, his father is imploring him to finish his A-levels and get the hell out of Belfast – and then there’s Sabine, the mysterious loner in The Pound who shimmers, trancelike, on the dancefloor to the opening track of David Bowie’s Low. Her hair dyed jet black in a Cleopatra cut, she is a moving hieroglyphic that Robbie is desperate to decipher.

Author of Two Souls, Henry McDonald reads from the book and answer questions from journalist and former head of BBC Radio Merseyside Mick Ord. This event is held in partnership with fellow COoL member Writing on the Wall.

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Remembering Peggy –Melodic Memories

Liverpool Playhouse

Rebels and Friends

7.30pm, Fri 25 and Sat 26 Oct £15/£12; liverpoolirishfestival.com US | IW | N&C | FD 100 years ago Constance Markievicz was the first woman elected to the British parliament.

She was in prison. She had been a leader of the Dublin Easter Rising, but her pacifist sister, Eva Gore-Booth, was campaigning for her release. Wealthy young women from Sligo, they had turned their backs on convention.

Constance married a Polish count, was an artist and ran a soup kitchen in the Dublin lock-out. Eva was a poet who campaigned for the rights of barmaids and other working women in northwest England with her lifelong partner, Esther Roper.

This “stunning and evocative” play tells the remarkable story of these Irish sisters through theatre, poetry, songs, music, dance and over 600 archival images.

Saturday’s show is followed by a Q&A to discuss the production, story and archive.

Lynx Theatre and Poetry’s new production is supported by Arts Council England, the Irish Government’s Emigrant Support Programme and Unite the Union.

8pm, Fri 25 Oct £5 adv/£8 on the door US | IW | N&C | FD 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 wher by playing and passing on stories in an evening of celebration.

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Museum of Liverpool

Family Day Celebrate the Liverpool Irish Festival with family and friends at Museum of Liverpool. The day will incorporate music, talks and activities for everyone to enjoy across the day. Delivered in partnership with National Museums Liverpool, contributions will be made from the -ever-thrilling- Armagh Rhymers, Liverpool Comhaltas, Melody Makers, the BolgerCunningham and George Ferguson Irish dancing schools, Pagoda Chinese Community Orchestra, Tourism Ireland, Ireland Reaching Out and others.

The Family Day is a highlight of the Festival, where cultural sharing, enjoyment and conviviality are placed at the absolute centre of everything; the programme, the building and the city.

10am-5pm, Sat 26 Oct Free, just turn up US | N&C | FD With a veritable array of activities (and an entire museum for visitors to admire), you can be certain of encountering music, dance, screenings and previews, giveaways, story sessions and mumming across the day, plus much more besides.

Visit liverpoolirishfestival.com/events for more details.

The #LIF2019 Family Day forms part of our wider Family Days programme, including the Family CĂŠilĂ­ at Liverpool Irish Centre on Sun 27 Oct (see listing). The day is held in partnership with National Museums Liverpool and Tourism Ireland.

/LIVIRISHFEST #lif2019 #madfortrad #madfornew #invisiblewomen

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Meet at Liverpool Irish Centre

Heritage coach tour

10am, Sun 27 Oct £10 adv/£15 on the day (up to capacity); liverpoolirishfestival.com US | N&C | FD This tour will visit sites around the city where the Irish community have left their mark, including the Great Hunger memorial, St Patrick’s Church, Clarence Dock and a good deal more. Kitty Wilkinson, James Nugent, Agnes Jones, T.P O’Connor, and many will feature.

Magical and a little mysterious, the coach will return you to the Liverpool Irish Centre ready for the Family Céilí.

As with the walking tours, this coach tour has been prepared and presented by historian Greg Quiery.

We strongly recommend advance booking as places are strictly limited. Remaining coach seats will be sold on the day on a firstcome-first-served basis.

Liverpool Irish Centre

Family Céilí

2pm-5pm, Sun 27 Oct £5 adults and £2 children under 14; liverpoolirishfestival.com US | IW | N&C | FD 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.

24 Shenanigans

Rory O’Hanlon: Comedy

8pm, Sun 27 Oct Free, just turn up.

This is a first-come, first-served event with limited capacity.

US | N&C Starting his career in Dublin, award winning Irish stand-up comedian and actor Rory O’Hanlon is a firm favourite at comedy clubs across the UK and Ireland. Described by Chortle as having “presence, poise and timing” and The Irish Times as having “a joke every 30 seconds”, his rapid fire delivery regularly has audiences crying with laughter.

A regular face on Irish TV, Rory has been seen on RTE’s New Comedy Awards, Republic of Telly and alongside Des Bishop in Under the Influence. A veteran of stage performances, too, he has 7 consecutive solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe under his belt, not to mention numerous international appearances at major venues.

In a funny twist of fate, Rory returns to his old stomping ground, Shenanigans, where he worked 20 years ago, before fame and fortune came knocking. The night focusses on this time and the stories that remind him most of his former Liverpool life.

Other 2019 ev Festival audi may be intere Please note: these events are not run by the Liverpool Irish Festival. We cannot provide advice, support or further information on them. Please use the relevant details for each.

Manchester Irish Language Festival Tue 10 Sept – 12 week language course begins at St. Kentigern’s Irish Social Club, Fallowfield, M14 7DW. 5.30-6.30pm - short course (12 weeks) for beginners 7-8pm - intermediate level 8-9pm - post-beginner level 8-9pm - conversation for students at more advanced level.

If interested please contact ask.milg@gmail.org and/or attend St. Kentigern’s on Tue 3 Sept, between 8-9pm for the enrolment session.

Image credit © Ed Moore.

/LIVIRISHFEST #lif2019 #madfortrad #madfornew #invisiblewomen

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vents iences ested in Tue 15 Oct Teanga Unchained at St. Kent’s Social Club, Fallowfield, 8pm Fri 18 Oct Pop-Up Gaeltacht at Mulligan’s pub, city centre, 8pm Sat 19 Oct Saturday Irish at Northenden Golf Club, 10.30am-4.30pm (Teachers: Liam Dolan and Kaarina Hollo) Fri 25 Oct Poetry Evening with Aifric Mac Aodha & writing competition results at Cross Street Chapel, city centre, 8pm Sat 26 Oct Film morning at HOME, city centre film TBC, 10.30am followed by Pop-Up Gaeltacht and The Big Photo from 1pm.

Football fixtures Sat 19 Oct, 12:30pm – Everton v West Ham (home) Sat 19 Oct, 5:30pm – Liverpool v Man United (away) Tues 22 and Wed 23 Oct, times TBC – Champions League games Sat 26 Oct, 3pm – Everton v Brighton (away) Sun 27 Oct, 4:30pm – Liverpool v Spurs (home). (correct at time of going to press)

Sefton Park Community Centre

Movema’s sean nos dance workshop Tue 19 Nov Aneta Dortova (Galway), Soul Rebel Tap and Mikey Kenney support this fun workshop.

For more details visit movema.co.uk

Whitebox Family Photography Day Sun 20 Oct, 9.30am and throughout the day, £25.

Email iccfrevents@gmail.com Irish Community Care’s Liam Walsh provides photographic portraits of your children including 16 different digital images and one complimentary A4 print. For more details whiteboxphotography.co.uk

Seisiúns Special late session at Peter Kavanagh’s on Fri 25 Oct Regular Monday seisiún at The Edinburgh, Wavertree Regular Thursday seisiún at The Old Bank, Aigburth

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/LIVIRISHFEST #lif2019 #madfortrad #madfornew #invisiblewomen

1: Bluecoat Display Centre

8: Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

14: Picturehouse at FACT

50-51 College Lane, L1 3BZ T +44 (0)151 709 1014 E crafts@bluecoatdisplaycentre.com W bluecoatdisplaycentre.com

Hope Street, L1 9BP T +44 (0) 151 709 3789 E customerservices@liverpoolphil.com W liverpoolphil.com

Wood Street, L1 4DQ T +44 (0) 151 707 4444 E liverpool@picurehouses.co.uk W fact.co.uk

2: British Music Experience

9: Liverpool Philharmonic Dining Rooms – upstairs suite

Cunard Building, Brunswick Street, Pier Head L3 1ES (access from The Goree) T +44 (0) 151 233 0000 E info@britishmusicexperience.com W britishmusicexperience.com

3: Leaf on Bold Street 65-67 Bold Street, L1 4EZ T +44 (0) 151 707 7747 E info@thisisleaf.co.uk W thisisleaf.co.uk/liverpool

36 Hope Street, L1 9BX T +44 (0) 151 707 2837 W nicholsonspubs.co.uk

10: Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room

16: Sefton Park Palm House

Hope Street, L1 9BP (access via Sugnall Street, behind the main building) T +44 (0) 151 709 3789 E customerservices@liverpoolphil.com W liverpoolphil.com/music-room

4: Liverpool Central Library William Brown Street, L3 8W T +44 (0) 151 233 3069 W liverpool.gov.uk/libraries

Sefton Park, L17 1AP T +44 (0) 151 726 9304 E info@palmhouse.org.uk W palmhouse.org.uk

17: Shenanigans 77 Tithebarn Street, L2 2EN T +44 (0) 151 255 0000 E shenanigansbar@hotmail.com W shenanigansliverpool.co.uk

11: Liverpool Playhouse Williamson Square, L1 1EL T +44 (0) 151 709 4776 E boxoffice@everymanplayhouse.com W everymanplayhouse.com

5: Liverpool Everyman Theatre Street Café and Theatre Bar Hope Street, L1 9BH T +44 (0) 151 709 4776 E boxoffice@everymanplayhouse.com W everymanplayhouse.com

18: St Luke’s Bombed Out Church Leece Street, L1 2TR T +44 (0) 771 432 8415 E ambrosereynolds@bombedoutchurch.com W bombedoutchurch.com

12: Liverpool’s Royal Court - Downstairs Roe Street, L1 1HL T +44 (0) 151 709 4321 E boxoffice@royalcourtliverpool.com W royalcourtliverpool.com

6: Liverpool Irish Centre 6 Boundary Lane, L6 5JG T +44 (0) 151 263 1808 E info@liverpoolirishcentre.org W liverpoolirishcentre.org

19: Tate Liverpool (find us in Tate Exchange) Albert Dock, L3 4BB T +44 (0) 151 702 7400 E visiting.liverpool@tate.org.uk W ate.org.uk

13: National Museums Liverpool/ Museum of Liverpool

7: Liverpool John Moores University – John Foster Studio Theatre Mount Pleasant, L3 5UZ T +44 (0) 151 231 2121 E events@ljmu.ac.uk W ljmu.ac.uk

15: Punch Tarmey’s 31 Grafton Street, Cains Brewery Village L8 5SD T +44(0) 151 315 0575 W punchtarmeys.co.uk

Pier Head, L3 1DG T +44 (0) 151 487 4545 W liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol

20: Waterstones 12 College Lane, L1 3DL +44(0) 151 709 9820 liverpoolone@waterstones.com waterstones.com

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‘Unique stories, creatively told’ continues in this year’s festival newspaper, with a helpful #LIF2019 pull-out guide and 15+ writing commissions.

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THE SH OWBIG GE ST CO UN IN THE TR Y

Ro ya Do wn l Co urt 11am sta irs -1p m

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festival FUNDERS

Project funders

2019 Partners Bolger-Cunningham Irish Dance School

Derry City and Strabane District Council

firsttake

Liverpool Philharmonic Dining Rooms

Pagoda Chinese Orchestra

Liverpool Irish Festival is a registered charity (1100126). We receive regular funding from Liverpool City Council’s Culture Arts Investment Programme, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Emigrant Support Programme and project funds from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grant Awards. We are proud recipients of sponsorship from Tourism Ireland and Irish language broadcaster TG4.

Cover Image – The Armargh Rhymers by Charles Freger