All the fun of the Fleadh is coming to you in ’22!
Newry’s highly popular music and arts festival Iúr Cinn Fleadh will take place next August Bank Holiday weekend.
After a two-year absence, the Fleadh will return to Newry for 25th-29th August with a completely new packed programme of music, mirth and more.
Over nearly ten years, the Fleadh has brought locally and nationally known musicians together – along with some from other nations. Paul Brady, Frances Black, Sharon Shannon, Hothouse Flowers and of course The 4 of Us are among those who have helped put Newry on the music map.
Already the committee have been working on some big ideas for 2022 – and invite others to join in with the planning. Those interested in helping to make the Fleadh a super summer success can contact the organisers at info@newry2020.com
Jodi’s coastal-desert brand of folk music has earned her a loyal following. ‘One of Australia’s most talented singer-songwriters’
The Weekend Australian
Since its formation in 1975, Warrenpoint Comhaltas has helped hundreds of young people take their first steps on the lifelong journey of learning, performing, enjoying and appreciating our rich living culture, through the mediums of music, song, dance, story and our native language.
From Maghera, Co. Derry, Jack plays piano, guitar, banjo and sings. Conor was the first recipient of the ACNI/BBC NI Young Traditional Musicians Platform award and a guest musician with the Ulster Orchestra & with the award winning Foden’s Brass Band.
Fiddler Justin Toner, 3 x Irish national medal winner. His musicality is recognised at the highest level. Guitar, Banjo and Bass player Paul Meehan has performed and toured with Lunasa, At First Light, Liz Carroll, Karan Case, Michael McGoldrick, North Cregg and many more.
Songwriter/producer from the foothills of the Mourne Mountains.
Matt has a growing reputation as a multi-instrumental session musician. He is the player of choice for many touring bands including Crosby Stills & Nash, Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello.
Newry’s Virtual Iúr Cinn Fleadh is not quite ready
Immense technical challenges have meant that 2020 Iúr Cinn Fleadh has had to be postponed again.
The Fleadh committee will be rescheduling the event as soon as they can. Keep an eye here or the official social media channels for the new dates.
The six-year journey to transform the historic Albert Basin at Newry, Northern Ireland, into a spectacular ‘people’s park’ will reach a major milestone – but not this weekend (6th-7th November).
Hundreds of hours of complex computer coding have gone into creating a wondrous 3D world for 2020 Iúr Cinn Fleadh – and many more hours need to be invested into this complex project to make it work.
Described as ‘part outdoor concert, part virtual reality and part video game’, the Virtual 2020 Iúr Cinn Fleadh is a highly sophisticated piece of computer engineering. Attendees will be able to ‘walk’ around the venue and talk to fellow festivalgoers in what promises to be a completely unique ground-breaking experience. But not quite yet.
Covid and tech issues have meant Iúr Cinn Fleadh has had to be rescheduled. Newry’s first ever virtual Fleadh will run from 6th-7th November, instead of this coming weekend.
Rapidly changing restrictions and the advanced technology being used to construct the 3D Fleadh have caused setbacks. But the Fleadh team is working hard through the technical challenges to create an event that’s tried and tested and ready to launch.
The Fleadh committee apologises to those who have set aside time to visit the electronic realm this weekend. They are still committed to launching this fully interactive extravaganza! Keep monitoring the official Facebook page for developments.
NOTE: Postponed to Friday 6th and Saturday 7th November
A spectacular state-of-the-art 3D ‘Avatar’-style world will rise up from the waters of Newry’s Albert Basin to launch the first ever virtual Iúr Cinn Fleadh this month (October).
Using up-to-the-minute technology, Newry will host its own online festival where attendees can chat to each other as well as watch gigs – just like the real thing. Though the physical Iúr Cinn Fleadh 2020was postponed due to the Covid crisis, the Fleadh’s high-tech counterpart will set the city singing, screening artists from Ireland, England, Denmark, Australia and America – against the backdrop of the mountain scenery – and Newry’s planned park.
Running from 16th-17th October at 8-10pm each night, the digital show will offer a safe environment with screens placed around the proposed city park, on which the concerts will be presented. From the comfort and security of home, festivalgoers will log onto the event at iurcinnfleadh.com, explore the 3D realm and converse with friends at the gigs.
Free of charge and without the need for tickets, Fleadh fans will be able to enjoy not only two nights of craic and camaraderie – but also the electronic wonder of the visionary Newry 2020-inspired Albert Basin Park project that’s planned to take the city into a new future. Headlining Saturday evening will be Hilltown singer-songwriter Matt McGinn, whose warm, powerful voice has drawn praise from Whispering Bob Harris. Matt’s set will be the only ‘live’ concert. All other acts are submitting exclusive recorded performances for the Fleadh.
Newry’s The 4 Of Us will bring their acoustic rock back to their hometown. The duo have been listed among TV3’s Top Irish Bands Ever – along with U2 and Thin Lizzy. There will be a return performance from local artist Aisling McAteer, who opened for Paul Brady at last year’s Fleadh. Also taking part are Irish traditional musicians Justin Toner and Paul Meehan, Conor Mallon and Jack Warnock, Traditional Arts Partnership and Warrenpoint Comhaltas. Acts from other nations include – Liverpool jazz band Green Tangerines, Danish band Almost Irish, Dylan Foley from the USA and Australian folk/pop singer Jodi Martin.
Iúr Cinn Fleadhthank Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Newry BID for their sponsorship. SRC Business Support Innovation Team helped Newry.ie and Kitchen Operating Systems Ltd develop virtual reality experiences through the Department of the Economy NI InnovateUsprogramme. Newry.ie and Kitchen Operating Systems Ltd have applied the knowledge acquired on the InnovateUsprogramme to help create this cutting edge event. The focus of InnovateUsis to enable small businesses, with fewer than 50 employees, to get the skills to engage in innovation activities across the business.
‘Festivalgoers will recognise the setting,’ said committee member Neil Bradley, ‘based on the 3D rendering for Newry’s city park project. But they won’t just be watching a video – as wonderful as that is – they’ll also be able to walk round, watch gigs and chat to friends. This is new technology and, as far as we know, one of the first places in Ireland to apply it on the scale of a major city festival like Iúr Cinn Fleadh. Newry is breaking new ground.’
Firmly stamped as a landmark on Ireland’s trad and folk map, Iúr Cinn Fleadh will set Newry singing and dancing again with more than 100 events from 10th to 13th September 2020.
After last year’s event, social media was spinning with such accolades as – ‘fabulous weekend’, ‘a job well done’ and ‘fair play to you all’.
And so the four-day feast of music and culture will delight punters afresh with tune-fuelled trains, ballad-driven boats and crooning coffee bars.
Now in its seventh year, the citywide festival plans to feature an Irish school, musical icon award, comedy night, wellbeing forum and impressive headliners.
Iúr Cinn Fleadh has already hosted some of the biggest names in Irish music including – Frances Black and Kieran Goss, Hothouse Flowers, Moxie, Paddy Casey, The 4 Of Us, Sharon Shannon – and welcomed Paul Brady in 2019.
Great as it is to invite the famous folk, the celebration is founded on the local treasure trove of singers, musicians and dancers. So there will be a wealth of spectacular sessions across the coffee bars, cafes and pubs – even the bus station!
Both seasoned and budding musicians are welcome to sing and play the days away. They will join an impressive line-up of world class performers from across this island and from overseas.
Located between Dublin and Belfast, Newry is the ideal spot for a music-filled weekend. For details, check out the website www.iurcinnfleadh.com or email info@newry2020.com
Manchester poet Tony Walsh is the son of a Cavan man and his performances are always a big hit with audiences around Ireland earning standing ovations in both Belfast and Dublin.
The poet makes his first appearance in Newry as part of Iúr Cinn Fleadh on Saturday 7 September in a free event at The Event Space, Marcus Square, Hill Street from 3 – 4 pm
As hilarious as he is thought-provoking, expect silly, funny and inspiring poems for children of all ages and their families.
A regular on tv and radio and a passionate educator, Tony’s acclaimed workshops have delighted teachers and inspired children of all ages from Keswick to Kazakhstan and from Torquay to Turkey. Having been invited by the BBC to write the official poem to mark the 60th anniversary of Blue Peter, Tony’s subsequent “astounding” performance earned a standing ovation at the 2018 Children’s BAFTA awards ceremony.
For it’s final concert of 2019 Iúr Cinn Fleadh is hosting a very special concert and lecture from acclaimed fiddle player, Gerry O’Connor.
The concert takes place on Sunday 8 September at 7.30pm in the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre, Newry, Admission £12.50.
Gerry from Ravensdale, Dundalk will present the concert based on a recent publication of traditional Instrumental music from the South East Ulster area “The Rose in the Gap”
