Iur Cinn Fleadh: Five days and nights of trad music, history, arts and culture returns to Newry
The festival runs from Thursday to Monday
Newry City will once again be awash with the best in traditional and folk music for the entire bank holiday weekend as Iur Cinn Fleadh returns.
A play on words for the Irish name for the area - Iur Cinn Tra - which means 'Yew tree at the head of the strand, the five day festival will showcase the best of trad music, culture, history and poetry.
There will also be walking tours, the famous trad cruises on the tall ships, a family fun day and a little bit of comedy too.
One of the organisers of Iur Cinn Fleadh, Bronagh McAtasney, says they hope to attract over 10,000 people into the area for the seventh year of the hugely popular event, which runs from Thursday August 25th through to Monday August 29th.
Among the highlights of the five-day fest are the world-renowned Sands Family Folk Group, who will take to the stage at Newry Town Hall on Saturday August 27th. The previous evening at the same venue, celebrated Hilltown singer-songwriter Matt McGinn is in concert, with special guests Ciara O'Neill and Joshua Burnside.
Aside from the trad sessions taking places in bars and cafes across the city over the five days, one of the UK’s most widely acclaimed professional poets. Manchester-Irish, Tony Walsh, the Longfella will be apearing on Saturday.
Working class and entirely self-taught, his powerful writing and electrifying performances have made him a regular on television and radio.
Walsh is renowned internationally for the now iconic performance of his poem This Is The Place in the wake of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017.
For a full list of events over the five days, you can find out all the information by going to www.iurcinnfleadh.com