After enjoying live music at Iúr Cinn Fleadh, you can pop into The Super Record, Cassette & CD Fair at Newry Market on 24 August – and take some tunes home with you.
You’ll be able to browse through thousands of classic and vintage LPs, singles, cassettes, CDs and music memorabilia covering all styles of music and budgets.
Traders come from across the island offering everything from bargains to high end collectables, new product offers, those hard-to-find records – and much more.
It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out on your vinyl adventure or if you’re a vintage vinyl junkie – the fair tries to offer something for everyone and every taste.
That’s the message from Event Organiser Steve Murrin of Real Cool Fairs. ‘Our fair at Newry Variety Market is the largest record fair on the island of Ireland – with over 60 tables full of lovely goodies for your perusal,’ he said.
Steve has a long history with the music world. ‘I was always in the record industry at one level or another,’ he told us, ‘but best known for importing and distribution.
‘I needed something that suited my lifestyle and the fairs suited me. I needed work so created record fairs where there weren’t any.’
Steve has taken his fairs around Ireland for the past ten years now – about the same length of time that Iúr Cinn Fleadh has been running.
How did he start the one in Newry? ‘We found the venue, approached them, see if they wanted to run with it. That was it,’ he explained.
Steve and his team of sellers now do 140 fairs a year. The idea is an old one. ‘Record fairs have been around since I can remember – and I’m 61,’ he pointed out.
‘I was buying at them in my early teens. They’ve certainly been in ireland since the 1990s or before – probably earlier in the north.’
The record fairs are a two-way street. ‘If you have some unwanted music, bring it along,’ said Steve. ‘Traders are always looking to buy.
‘It’s a great, fun day out, browsing the tunes, digging the crates, delving through the bargain bins and searching out those turntable gems. Banter and haggle and enjoy the craic!’
Ironically, Newry’s last record shop closed in 2014 – the year of the first ever Iúr Cinn Fleadh.
During that year, Carlin Records owner Darran Turtle pulled down the shutters for the last time at close of business in his Hill Street premises.
As a tribute to that moment, we’ve repeated the headline of the story from local news website newry.ie back in 2014. It’s been said that previous to that sad closure, Newry used to have about five record shops.
The Super Record, Cassette & CD Fair will be open from 10am to 4pm at Newry Market on 24 August. It’s a handy bit of shopping in the middle of your Fleadh experience.