
Island's largest céilí festival set to return to Belfast in celebration of ‘rich legacy' of Irish and Scottish music
A host of musicians will take to the main stage including Belfast's own Róise McHugh with Down Academy Pipes and Drum also performing alongside Kerry trad band Pólca 4.
Artistic Director of Belfast TradFest, Dónal O'Connor, said the event is a significant celebration of history and culture.
'The Titanic Céilí on the iconic Slipways of Belfast's Maritime Mile is more than a celebration of traditional music, song, and dance; it's a tribute to the rich legacy of Irish and Scottish musical traditions that have shaped this city,' he said.
'Céilí and set dancing were central to social life during the Titanic era, bringing communities together in joyful celebration. Hosting this event on the very site where Titanic was built connects us directly to that vibrant cultural past.'
'The Titanic Slipways—once the launchpad for one of the world's most famous ships—will come alive with the sounds and rhythms cherished for generations. Belfast's maritime heritage, paired with its enduring musical traditions, creates a truly unique backdrop.
'This céilí is not just a communal dance; it's a living link to our ancestors, celebrating their spirit and resilience. As we gather to dance and make music, we honour those who came before us and keep their legacy alive. It's a powerful way to open this year's festival, and we hope it's a step towards a future attempt at the 'World's Biggest Céilí'.'
Ballad guitarist and singer-songwriter Meadhbh Walsh from Co Cork will also make an appearance with The Belfast Wren Boys and the internationally acclaimed Glengormley School of Traditional Music delivering an ensemble of folk songs.
Families are encouraged to enjoy range of workshops and activities such as bodhrán circles, art stations and face painting at the festival.
Plenty of food and drink vendors will also be there on the day of the festival which is being hosted in tandem with the Maritime Belfast Trust, Belfast City Council and Tourism NI.
Kerrie Sweeney MBE, CEO Maritime Belfast Trust, said: 'We are delighted to work in partnership with Belfast TradFest for the fourth consecutive year in delivering the Titanic Céilí on our world-renowned Titanic Slipways.
Watch: Flash Flooding hits parts of Northern Ireland
"This year's ambitious event sees us one step closer to achieving the Guinness World Record for the largest outdoor Céilí. .
"We invite everyone to come down this Sunday and be part of this journey, it's a wonderful celebration of traditional music and dance, bringing communities together on Belfast's heritage waterfront."
Entry to the Titanic céilí is free.
The event will run from 1–5pm at Titanic Slipways on Belfast's Maritime Mile on Sunday afternoon.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Antiques Roadshow expert shares huge value of Titanic letter but guest refuses to sell
Antiques Roadshow expert Hilary Kay met with a guest whose father Sidney Daniels was hired to work on the Titanic as a plate washer at the age of 18 Antiques Roadshow's Hilary Kay had an emotional encounter with a guest whose father, Sidney Daniels, was employed as a plate washer on the Titanic at just 18 years old. Sidney was one of the survivors of the tragic sinking, and his daughter brought along a poignant letter he penned to the beloved BBC series. She recounted: "It was a Sunday, he was sound asleep, there was a banging and shouting and it was the night watchman. They were all a bit bleary-eyed because at first they thought it was a drill. "It wasn't until he got up on deck, there were hardly any people around at first and then officers came and turned to him and said, 'Go to these cabins.' Of course it was hard to wake people, they were asleep. "Some reacted in different ways. One or two said 'What does this young man know? He's 18, the boat is unsinkable. We're not going up on deck.' Others were saying, 'We've got children, they're going to get a chill if they go up on deck.' So he helped the children with the lifejackets and ushered them up on deck." Hilary reflected on the harrowing event, adding: "You can imagine the scene of chaos and despair because people realised there weren't enough lifeboats." Relaying the harrowing tale of survival, one of Sidney's kin recounted: "That was his job, to try and get people into the lifeboats and the water was rising all of the time. When all the lifeboats had gone, the water was up around his knees and he thought, 'It's time to go.' So he dived off the side of the boat, swam away from it, came to a lifebelt and to my Dad's mind, it was too close to the boat, he was afraid when the boat went down, the suction would take them down so he said to this chap, 'It's no good here, let's swim away.'". They continued with the gripping narrative: "Apparently this chap followed him and they just kept swimming. He said he saw a star in the sky which he thought was his mother and swam towards this star and eventually came to this life raft which was upside down and managed to cling onto that." The story took an emotional turn as they shared: "When he was on there, he said, 'I'm tired, I want to go to sleep,' and the chap next to him said, 'Don't go to sleep lad, if you do, it will be your last.' So they sat there singing hymns trying to pass the time away." Accompanying their visit, the relatives brought a poignant piece of history - a letter from Sidney's uniform pocket as he leapt from the Titanic, reports the Express. Expert Hilary weighed in on the artefact's significance and value: "It's an extraordinary item and anything related to Titanic has this extraordinary affect on people. It is an extraordinary moment to behold something which is so linked into an extraordinary moment in history." She estimated it's worth: "We're talking about around £10,000, is the realistic value." Upon hearing the valuation, the guest firmly stated: "It's very nice but it's not going out the family, it's going to a museum." Antiques Roadshow is broadcast on Sundays at 8.15pm on BBC One.


Edinburgh Reporter
5 hours ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Discussion on dementia stories to follow UK premiere of Lost Lear at Traverse on Sunday evening
A special discussion around telling stories of dementia will follow the first UK performance of Lost Lear at The Traverse on Sunday 27 July. The new show by award-winning Irish theatre maker Dan Colley is a moving look at living with dementia, told through the familiar lens of Shakespeare's characters Following the preview performance on the 27 July, Dan will be joined by Alex Howard and Gus Harrower from Capital Theatres dementia-friendly programme and Magdalena Schamberger, who specialises in creating theatre for those with dementia Lost Lear will run on the main stage at the Traverse from 2 to 24 August Following its first-ever UK performance at Traverse Festival on 27 July, the hit Irish theatre show Lost Lear will host a special public discussion around telling the complex stories of dementia in theatre. The discussion will feature Lost Lear's award-winning creator Dan Colley, who will be joined by Alex Howard and Gus Harrower from Capital Theatres Edinburgh's dementia-friendly programme and Scotland-based theatre-maker and consultant Magdalene Schamberger, who has over 20 years experience working with people living with dementia. The discussion will look at the initial creation of Lost Lear and its collaborations between Dementia Carers Campaign Network and the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland. The play itself, a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear, examines how we know ourselves and who we are to each other, amidst the complexities of dementia. The discussion will also be a chance for audiences to talk about how the show has resonated with their own experiences of living with and caring for those with dementia, with an invite being sent out to people from local dementia communities. 'Dan collaborated with the Dementia Carers Campaign Network (DCCN), an advocacy group supported by The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, in the early days of writing this play.' says Judy Williams, Advocacy, Engagement and Participation Officer for The Alzheimer Society of Ireland. 'Through focus groups, carers shared their experiences, shaping Dan's approach to the play. For the DCCN, the project was compelling, inclusive, and in some ways, healing. It also provided new opportunities for carers to share their stories, while raising awareness about the challenges they face. We were very grateful for the opportunity to have this engagement with Dan and Matt, and we wish them all the best at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025. We hope as many people as possible have the opportunity to see this sophisticated and thought-provoking play.' 'Lost Lear is a captivating journey, from an energetic and rambunctious beginning to the poignant and gentle end, it portrays the bewilderment of someone who wants to care, trying to have the shared experience with the person living with dementia, struggling and sometimes failing.' says Susan Crampton of the Dementia Carers Campaign Network. 'I am delighted to hear that Lost Lear is going to Edinburgh and many more people will have the opportunity to see it for the first time – or again.' Lost Lear is a moving and darkly comic remix of Shakespeare's play told from the point of view of Joy, a person with dementia, who is living in an old memory of rehearsing King Lear. Joy's delicately maintained reality is upended by the arrival of her estranged son who, being cast as Cordelia, must find a way to speak his piece from within the limited role he's given. Using puppetry, projection and live video effects, the audience are landed in Joy's world as layers of her past and present, fiction and reality, overlap and distort. Lost Lear is a thought provoking meditation on theatre, artifice and the possibility of communicating across the chasms between us. Following rave reviews for its Irish premiere, where it picked up nominations for Best New Play, Audience Choice, Best AV Design and Best Supporting Actor at the Irish Times Theatre Awards, Lost Lear will have its UK premiere at the Traverse Festival in Edinburgh this August. Following its Fringe run, Lost Lear will tour to North America in Autumn 2025. Co-produced by Mermaid Arts Centre and Riverbank Arts Centre. Funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and supported by Fishamble's New Play Clinic. Part of the 2025 Culture Ireland Edinburgh Showcase. Traverse 1 Preview 27 July 7.30pm and 2 August 9.30pm Then 3 – 24 August (not Mondays) Times vary. Run time: 1 hr 15 min Tickets: £5 – £25 Like this: Like Related


Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson recreate iconic Titanic scene at Berlin premiere
Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson attempt to recreate iconic Titanic film scene while on tour in Berlin (Image: WireImage) Rumours of a romance between Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson gathered pace recently after the pair recreated the iconic scene in Titanic and posted it to social media. The pair have been on a promotional tour of their latest movie Naked Gun and were in Berlin at the time their recreation took place. Pamela, 58, plays Beth in the crime comedy while Liam, 73 plays Frank Drebin Jnr, who is on a mission to solve a murder to halt the closure of the police department. Taking to social media Pamela and Liam's close bond was clear for all to see as they larked around on a boat. In the video shared with fans, Pamela took on the role of Rose, played by Kate Winslet, while Liam held her by the waist similar to that of Jack played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Pamela showed off her elegance in a green gown teamed with a matching neck scarf. And Liam wore a grey suit. She captioned the video saying: "From the London to Berlin… this tour has been full of smiles, laughter, and so much love... Thank you to everyone who came out to giggle with us (and watch on the big screen). NYC next!" Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson attempt to recreate iconic Titanic film scene while on tour in Berlin (Image: INSTAGRAM) The chemistry between the pair was evident once again while on the red carpet at the London premiere of their film. Adding further fuel to the mounting speculation, Liam told People magazine that he was "madly in love with her." He said: "With Pamela, first off, I'm madly in love with her. She's just terrific to work with. I can't compliment her enough, I'll be honest with you." He added: "She's funny and so easy to work with." Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson joke around on a boat while in Berlin (Image: INSTAGRAM) However when asked to clear up the romance rumours, Liam was quick to say that he was "done with dating", while Pamela simply said she "has a friend forever." She went on to say: "We definitely have a connection that is very sincere, very loving." In 2009, Liam was left distraught after his beloved wife Natasha Richardson died two days after hitting her head during a ski lesson in Canada. According to reports, she had said she felt fine and returned to her hotel room. But just 45 minutes later she felt ill. The following day, she was taken by air ambulance to a New York hospital where she was placed on life support. Natasha sadly did not make it. Since then, Liam has been focused on his craft and family. During their promotional tour, both Liam and Pamela have been upbeat and playful. And Liam recently joked that his favourite part of filming was "the sex scenes." The co-stars were given an intimacy co-ordinator while on set. Recalling their intimate scenes, Liam told The Sun: "I'd never had one before. But she was in the background. There was no kind of, 'OK! Excuse me!'." Pamela then jumped in and claimed the co-ordinator stormed off and Liam recalled that at one point she threw her hands up in the air and said: "I can't take this! This is too hot for me. I'm going for coffee." READ MORE: Skechers knocks 'the best' kids' football boots down to £31 in summer sale Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .