Brian Kennedy To Perform At Sailortown Festival On Sunday Night

Belfast-born singer/songwriter Brian Kennedy is set to perform at St Joseph’s Church this Sunday.

The concert is scheduled to take place as part of The Gathering, an exciting four-day festival celebrating and showcasing the history and culture of the Sailortown area.

Brian Kennedy’s performance forms part of an impressive lineup of events running until Sunday June 12. 

Throughout the four-day festival there will be a variety of both free and ticketed events, ranging from musical performances to theatre, exhibitions and the Sailortown Fair, with something for everyone to enjoy. 

Brian Kennedy’s performance at St. Joseph’s sees the regeneration project realised, with the large church – which was once the very heart of the Sailortown community – serving as the ideal venue.

“Churches, over the centuries, are one of the most special places to sing. The sound quality and the height of the ceilings.. Lend themselves. It’s like you’re singing to the saints and angels. All of those statues and figures are in the walls, the stained glass. Before you even look at the audience that might be here, already you have an angelic audience waiting for you”, said Brian.

“I think it’s really fitting that St. Joseph’s is getting a brand new breath of life, and part of the breath of life is playing music and singing back into the walls.

“I never really plan shows too much. After 32 years of doing this, I can dip into that well and see what is appropriate. I feel the building, what would be appropriate to sing. I let the audience sometimes guide the show.”

The festival serves as a celebration of 150 years of history and heritage at St. Joseph’s Parish. Organised by Sailortown Regeneration, the festival is also a recognition of the progress made in the regeneration of the maritown village.

Terry McKeown, Project Manager of Sailortown Regeneration, has been involved with the project for the previous eight years, holding the belief that the restoration of the church will create a safe space for the local community to rejoin together once again.

She said: “The church lay almost derelict for a number of years and we’ve now got to the stage that we can open it as a community space for local people, but also as a happening place with activities in it. The Gathering is an opportunity for everybody from Sailortown, particularly the ex residents, to come down and help us celebrate bringing Sailortown back to life with a whole range of events.”

Other headline events include a dance off at the Dockers Club, hosted by Radio Ulster’s Hugo Duncan on Friday night, and a DJ set from U105 presenter Johnny Hero.

One of the events, Sunday On The Maritime Mile, is set to see performances from singer/songwriter Anthony Toner and other guests, as they share the stage with their Sailortown inspired songs and poetry.

“I’m thrilled to get the chance to play again in Sailortown”, said Anthony. 

“The historic part of the city and its story inspired the song that first launched me into the world as a songwriter, and it’s a delight to be part of this festival and to see the ongoing regeneration work that is centred on St. Joseph’s. Other parts of the city might have the glamour - but Sailortown has soul.”

The regeneration of St. Joseph’s has been ongoing since 2005, under the remit of Pat Benson, Chair of Sailortown Regeneration and Trustee of St. Joseph’s, who was a resident in the area before the construction of the M2 Motorway.

He explained: “St. Joseph’s has always been the heart of the community since day one.”

“Having events like The Gathering here is incredibly important for bringing the older residents, their children and their grandchildren back down here and showing their roots, their untold stories.”

St Joseph’s will function as a venue for a multitude of events held throughout the duration of the festival, whilst other events are set to take place in locations within the Sailortown area. 

The Gathering will be a celebration of the community’s past, whilst also promising an exciting future for the urban village. 

Tickets are £17.50 and available from www.maritime-mile.com. To learn more about Sailortown Regeneration, visit www.sailortown regeneration.com. 

6 Exciting Events Taking Place at Sailortown’s The Gathering Festival This Weekend

A four-day action packed festival is set to take place in Belfast’s historic Sailortown later this week. Organised by Sailortown Regeneration, The Gathering will commence on Thursday, June 9 and run up until Sunday, June 12th.

In an effort to raise funds for reviving the urban village, this year's festival will feature a number of live music events, headlined by artists like Brian Kennedy and Radio Ulster’s Hugo Duncan across the four-day stretch, but will also highlight other types of exciting events, from theatre, sport, and markets, outlined here below:

1. I’ll Tell My Ma

Thursday 9th June - St Joseph’s Church

7.00pm-10.00pm | £10

Patricia Gormley’s hilarious one-woman play starring Christina Nelson tells of four generations of women from a West Belfast family and their various adventures. Trisha (a 60-something with a passion for writing), Chelsea Marie (an air stewardess extraordinaire with a tangled love life), Davina Corrina (a 16-year-old schoolgirl with the taste for the high life and Russian vodka), and Granny Eileen (fighting the cruel blows of fate) are all struggling in their own ways to deal with changes in their lives and find a way forward.

To find tickets, go to: https://maritime-mile.com/events/ill-tell-my-ma-play-9-jun-2022-07-00/ 

2. Boxing Blasts From the Past

Friday 10th June - St Joseph’s Church

8.00pm | £5

Hosted by Patsy Quinn Gym, this fundraiser is also in aid of local boxer and coach at Patsy Quinn Gym, Stephen McMullan, who spent five weeks in ICU from December 2021. This is one of a number of these events which have been hosted by the gym this year, including sponsored walks in February, and will also contribute toward the Sailortown restoration.

Boxing Blasts from the Past will consist of 12 exhibition rounds recreating the historic St Joseph’s Boxing Club in Sailortown.

Tickets can be found by messaging the Newington ABC - Patsy Quinn Gym Boxing Club Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Newington-ABC-Patsy-Quinn-Gym-Boxing-Club-323089224534888/

3. Sailortown Fair

Saturday 11th June 

Free admission

Saturday 11th June sees a family-friendly day of stalls, music, drama, drumming, samba and much more at the Sailortown Fair. The stalls will feature local crafts and produce throughout the day, while the market will also be showcasing Sailortown’s Heritage Archives. 

4. Sunday on the Maritime Mile

Sunday 12th June 2022 | St Joseph's Church

2:00pm- 3:30pm | Free Admission 

Join songwriter, musician and guitarist Anthony Toner, John McCullogh and Clive Cuthbertson at St Joseph’s Church for an afternoon of Sailortown inspired songs and poems by local poet John Campbell.

5. Pet Pageant

Sunday 12th June - Barrow Square Sailortown

3.00pm - 5.00pm | Donations in aid of Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary

Sailortown welcomes back its tradition of the St Joseph’s Franciscan Friars’ ‘The Annual Blessing of the Animals', fondly remembered by the St Joseph’s Community after the service provided by the Franciscans from 1984 to 1996.

This is a fantastic event for families and is an adorable opportunity to show off pets of any variety. This fundraiser is in aid of Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary who have been rescuing and looking after animals for over 25 years, with all donations going to the Sanctuary.

For more information, go to: https://maritime-mile.com/events/pet-pageant-as-part-of-st-josephs-church-150th-anniversary-celebrations-12-jun-2022-03-00/

6. Sailortown Exhibitions

Exhibitions will also run throughout the festival free of charge in a number of venues in the area, including:

Discover the Sporting Characters of Belfast - American Bar

Explore the Social Life of Sailortown - Dockers Club

Learn About Life at Sea Past and Present - Flying Angel

Past to Future: A New Life for Sailortown - St Joseph’s Church

These exhibitions focus on the historical legacy of Sailortown and its people in addition to the cultural and social aspects of Sailortown today, providing a wide variety of perspectives of life in Belfast and Sailortown from past, present, and future. 

Catch these events all over Sailortown this coming weekend in aid of Sailortown Regeneration, in what is sure to be an exciting few days with something for everyone.

Four-Day Festival Announced In Belfast’s Sailortown Later This Month

A four-day festival is set to take place in Belfast’s Sailortown later this month. Organised by Sailortown Regeneration, The Gathering is an exciting festival taking place from Thursday June 9 to Sunday June 12th.

The event, headlined by artists such as Brian Kennedy, Radio Ulster’s Hugo Duncan and Johnny Hero from U105 will see a whole range of performances and events from concerts and theatre to dances, boxing, a market and even a pet pageant.

Organiser Terry McKeown, Project Manager of Sailortown Regeneration said: “Sailortown are delighted to invite all to our weekend of festivities as we continue our long term vision of bringing this historic Urban Village back to life.

“Thanks to all those who have supported us to reopen St Joseph's Church as a focal point for the local and wider Community. 

“We particularly extend a warm welcome to Sailortown's ex residents who kept their home fires burning all these years.”

Following years of restoration the ‘sailor’s church’ has been transformed to a community hub in recent years.

“The Gathering which is funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the National Lottery and is supported by Belfast City Council, allows us to bring people back to showcase the creative talent that’s in Belfast and celebrate the transformation of the Chapel on the quays to a community hub” added Terry.

There is an impressive variety of both free and ticketed events across the weekend, ranging from musical performances to theatre and exhibitions, with something for everyone to enjoy. 

Throughout the four day festival, visitors can explore free exhibitions that detail the past, present and future of Sailortown at the American Bar, Dockers Club, the Flying Angel and St Joseph’s Church.

The Gathering kicks off on Thursday, June 9 in the evening with a performance of I’ll Tell My Ma, Patricia Gormley’s one woman play about the misadventures of four generations of a Belfast family, performed by Christina Nelson at St Joseph’s Church.

Friday evening sees an array of events, including the Dockers Club Dance off, hosted by Radio Ulster’s Hugo Duncan, Boxing Blasts From The Past, a 12-round exhibition of boxing history or a trad session at Pat’s Bar for those with a flair for poetry and or music.

The weekend will bring lots of craic and fun for the whole family with the return of the Sailortown Fair on Saturday, featuring local crafts and produce throughout the day and music performances throughout the evening.

On Sunday, there will be a performance from Cavehill Community Choir and a Pet Pageant at Barrow Square.

Belfast star Brian Kennedy will close the festival with a performance at St Joseph’s Church on Sunday evening, with support from Anton Glackin. 

The Gathering is an opportunity to support Sailortown Regeneration, who are leading a regeneration of the maritime village and have reopened St Joseph’s Church with the aim of it becoming a space to celebrate the culture and history of the area. 

Terry added: “The festival is an opportunity for old friends and new to gather together, relive old memories and make new ones as we recreate renowned Sailortown events such as the Blessing of the Pets, St Joseph's Boxing Club and the lively social scene in Belfast Docks. We're building on the past to create a future in this iconic waterfront location.”

With something for everyone at the event, The Gathering promises to be an exciting weekend packed with events that showcase the cultural heritage of Sailortown. 

To view the full schedule of events, go to www.maritime-mile.com. To find out more about Sailortown Regeneration, and how you can support the regeneration of Sailortown, visit www.sailortownregeneration.com.

St Patrick’s Day Live From Sailortown Hailed A Success

St Joseph's Chapel in Sailortown Belfast came alive for St Patrick’s Day yesterday from 2pm celebrating cultural and historical heritage of the historic area of the city.

After years of restoration St Joseph’s Chapel was transformed to a community hub that hosted the event on March 17 from 2pm to 9pm.

Project manager for Sailortown Regeneration, Terry McKeown said music, dancing, storytelling and art were all featured for the landmark occasion for Sailortown.

“We are delighted to have had such a stellar line-up,” Terry said. 

“The years of campaigning and hard work to open St Joseph’s deserve to be celebrated and the event was a packed day that had audiences joining us from all over the world including America, Canada, Italy and Australia."

The performances broadcasted live from St Joseph’s across two stages with all the acts introduced by U105 presenter and DJ, Johnny Hero.

Opening the day was Dál Riada Folk, a three-piece band who brought their selection of Irish folk songs, Irish and Scottish reels and jigs and modern folk.

Seamus Lavery of Dalriada Folk said: “Although I was not born in Sailortown I have a long association with St Joseph’s through Conradh na Gaelidhge. 

“In more recent times I have been a supporter of the Save St Joseph’s campaign, playing with the band at fundraisers and a few years ago we played in the church when it was reopened."

Closing the proceedings was The Lee Hedley Band, whose inspired blues sets have delighted audiences across Europe, the States and North Africa for more than a quarter of a century and light up Sailortown.

Singer songwriters Amanda St John and Anthony Toner were among the line up.

Anthony, who released his song Sailortown in 2008, added: “St Joseph's is a beautiful building, the atmosphere of churches is always welcoming to musicians, I think - there's a sense of the music rising up into the rafters that you don't get in more traditional venues. 

“The history of that part of the city adds another layer of importance to the place, and the exciting plans for its regeneration make it feel multi-layered, the past and the future of Sailortown collide right here, in this space, right now.

“It's a pleasure to have been part of such a wonderful bill of musicians and dancers and artists, to also see films included in the line up as well.”

Amanda added: “The gig was amazing. I was really missing proper gigs so much. It's exciting to have full stage sound and lighting set up and to be on the bill with so many other local talents."

A feature during the day was the presentation of an NVTV film on Sailortown, recounting the history, and the battles to win the lease when the church was deconsecrated through to the ongoing work.

Singer songwriter, Ludwig O’Neill, is no stranger to Sailortown having campaigned to keep the Rotterdam and Pat’s Bar from development, will bring his dark, realistic folk and blues tunes to the party.

He said: “I am very pleased to have been included in this St Patrick’s Day event almost a year since I played there before. 

“Sailortown is in my blood, it’s the heartbeat of North Belfast and over the years has been Belfast’s conduit to the rest of the world. St Joseph’s chapel has long been the spiritual hub of that area.”

This year’s St Patrick’s Day event was being funded by Intercom, The Executive Office and The Community Relations Council.

Terry said it’s a big turning point in the history of the chapel.

She added: “It’s about bringing people back to showcase the creative talent that’s in Belfast and celebrating the transformation of the Chapel on the quays to a community hub.”

Also on the bill was musician and songwriter Hugh Jordan who is best known for his hit Road to Donegal about returning Irish-immigrants.

Award winning dancer and musician Edel Ní Churraoin performed with the Sean Nos Dancers including a solo from Meabh Muir.

Other acts who appeared included The String Ninjas, The Adventures, the Ferris School of Irish Dancers, Patrick Ryan, Seamus McPeak and Paul Dean.

St Patrick’s Day Live from Sailortown was streamed live on a variety of social media platforms and available for replay on the Sailortown Regeneration Facebook page or at sailortownregeneration.com

Editor’s Notes

For more information contact Tina Calder, Excalibur Press, tina@excaliburpress.co.uk, 07305354209

St Patrick's Day Live from Sailortown, Belfast is funded by Intercom, The Executive Office and The Community Relations Council.

Sailortown Regeneration is funded by The National Lottery

Full Line-up Released St Patrick’s Day Live From Sailortown

The line-up has been revealed for a packed seven hours of entertainment live streamed on St Patrick’s Day from 2pm celebrating cultural and historical heritage of Belfast’s Sailortown. 

After years of restoration St Joseph’s Chapel has been transformed to a community hub that will host the event on March 17 from 2pm to 9pm.

Project manager for Sailortown Regeneration, Terry McKeown said music, dancing, storytelling and art will feature for this landmark occasion for Sailortown.

“We are delighted to have such a stellar line-up,” Terry said. 

“The years of campaigning and hard work to open St Joseph’s deserve to be celebrated and we can promise that it will be a packed day that will have you not wanting to miss a minute.”

Several performances will be live broadcasted from St Joseph’s across two stages and all the acts will be introduced by U105 presenter and DJ, Johnny Hero.

Opening the day will be Dál Riada Folk, a three-piece band who will bring their selection of Irish folk songs, Irish and Scottish reels and jigs and modern folk.

Seamus Lavery of Dalriada Folk said: “Although I was not born in Sailortown I have a long association with St Joseph’s through Conradh na Gaelidhge. 

“In more recent times I have been a supporter of the Save St Joseph’s campaign, playing with the band at fundraisers and a few years ago we played in the church when it was reopened. 

Closing the proceedings is The Lee Hedley Band, whose inspired blues sets have delighted audiences across Europe, the States and North Africa for more than a quarter of a century and will now light up Sailortown.

Singer songwriters Amanda St John and Anthony Toner will be among the line up.

Anthony, who released his song Sailortown in 2008, added: “St Joseph's is a beautiful building, the atmosphere of churches is always welcoming to musicians, I think - there's a sense of the music rising up into the rafters that you don't get in more traditional venues. 

“The history of that part of the city adds another layer of importance to the place, and the exciting plans for its regeneration make it feel multi-layered, the past and the future of Sailortown collide right here, in this space, right now.

“It's a pleasure to be part of such a wonderful bill of musicians and dancers and artists, to also see films included in the line up as well.”

Amanda added: “I'm really looking forward to performing at this event as I'm missing proper gigs so much. It's exciting to have full stage sound & lighting set up and to be on the bill with so many other local talents. 

“I’ll be performing acoustically with my piano player so it'll be a very stripped back set of some of my favourite Irish ballads.”

A feature during the day will be the presentation of a video on Sailortown, recounting the history, and the battles to win the lease when the church was deconsecrated through to the ongoing work.

Singer songwriter, Ludwig O’Neill, is no stranger to Sailortown having campaigned to keep the Rotterdam and Pat’s Bar from development, will bring his dark, realistic folk and blues tunes to the party.

He said: “I am very pleased to have been included in this St Patrick’s Day event almost a year since I played there before. 

“Sailortown is in my blood, it’s the heartbeat of North Belfast and over the years has been Belfast’s conduit to the rest of the world. St Joseph’s chapel has long been the spiritual hub of that area.”

This year’s St Patrick’s Day event is being funded by Intercom, The Executive Office and The Community Relations Council.

Terry said it’s a big turning point in the history of the chapel.

She added: “It’s about bringing people back to showcase the creative talent that’s in Belfast and celebrating the transformation of the Chapel on the quays to a community hub.”

Also on the bill are musician and songwriter Hugh Jordan who is best known for his hit Road to Donegal about returning Irish-immigrants.

Award winning dancer and musician Edel Ní Churraoin will perform with the Sean Nos Dancers including a solo from Meabh Muir.

Other acts appearing include The String Ninjas, The Adventures, the Ferris School of Irish Dancers, Patrick Ryan, Seamus McPeak and Paul Dean.

“The rich cultural and historical heritage of Sailortown is something we look forward to celebrating on St Patrick’s Day,” said Terry. 

“This will also be an event with an eye very much on the future at St Joseph’s and what we hope will be a vibrant future.”

St Patrick’s Day Live from Sailortown will be streamed live on a variety of social media platforms. All performances and the event will adhere to Covid-19 restrictions.

For more information keep an eye on the Sailortown Regeneration Facebook page or at sailortownregeneration.com

Editor’s Notes

 For press enquiries contact Tina Calder, Excalibur Press, tina@excaliburpress.co.uk, 07305354209

Sailortown Regeneration Presents 8 Hours Of Entertainment For St Patrick’s Day Online Live Stream

The rich cultural and historical heritage of Belfast’s Sailortown will be celebrated on St Patrick’s Day with an eight-hour live streamed event from the iconic St Joseph’s Church featuring music, dancing, storytelling and art.

After years of restoration the ‘sailor’s church’ has been transformed to a community hub that will host the event on March 17 from 2pm to 10pm presented by U105 presenter Johnny Hero.

Terry McKeown, Project Manager of Sailortown Regeneration explained the event will be a landmark day after the efforts of so many past and present residents of the area.

“For years we have been collating, collecting and recording the heritage of Sailortown to keep alive the memories and history, and the future of the area,” she said. 

“The St Patrick’s Day event which is funded by Intercom, The Executive Office and The Community Relations Council is a big turning point for us. It’s about bringing people back to showcase the creative talent that’s in Belfast and celebrating the transformation of the Chapel on the quays to a community hub.

“We would like to express our gratitude to the National Lottery for their ongoing support of Sailortown Regeneration.”

Boasting a mixture of live events and exclusive video presentations the day will mark the re-opening of St Joseph’s.

“When the church was going to be closed in 1999 it really triggered a whole outpouring of emotion and feeling and hundreds of people who used to live here came back down,” Terry explained. 

“They objected vociferously to the church being closed, with the result that there was a long campaign. Then in 2006 we managed to get a lease on it.”

However, the building was in a state of disrepair, and since then there has been a long journey, with always the vision to transform St Joseph’s and the Parochial House into a usable community space but still retaining the character of the buildings that date back to the 1880s.

“Sailortown was devastated when new motorways began in the 60s and 70s,” said Terry.

“But the spirit of the area has always been there. There is a new future with apartments, housing and some of the original buildings. Reopening St Joseph’s is a symbol that we have a population here, some new, and we have those who may have moved away, but their heart is still in Sailortown.”

Among the performances on St Patrick’s Day will be from Dalriada Folk, Anthony Toner, Ferris School of Irish Dancers, Barnbrack, Hugh Jordan, The String Ninjas, The Adventures, Amanda St John and The Lee Hedley Band, with many more on the line-up. There will also be the screening of a video about Sailortown.

Previously known as Sailortown Cultural and Historical Society, which gathered much of the heritage of the area together, Sailortown Regeneration are utilising these Listed Buildings as an Anchor Institution to promote 'people led' regeneration and re-establish a thriving community in this city centre waterfront area.

Sailortown is looking forward to the future, with planned developments such as the new Ulster University campus, the City Quays complex and work with the Titanic Foundation Maritime Trust, the Harbour and City Council to develop the Maritime Mile trail into Sailortown.

The group will explore the rich Maritime Heritage of Belfast and plan to host events for ex-seamen and their families to discover why Sailortown's Seafarers became such a vital part of the Belfast Story.

“The milestone event on St Patrick’s Day will be streamed under the current Covid-19 restrictions,” said Terry. 

“but we want to present St Joseph’s as an iconic space for St Patrick's Day to show that we will soon be welcoming everyone back in a celebration of our past and a brighter future for our City.”

Watch on the day on our Facebook page

Editor’s Notes

For press enquiries contact Tina Calder, Excalibur Press, tina@excaliburpress.co.uk, 07305354209