Feile an Phobail
Encyclopedia
Féile an Phobail also known as the West Belfast Festival is a community arts organisation known for its August Féile (Festival). The organisation is prominent for its promotion of Irish
and international culture. The festival takes place on and around Falls Road in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
.
, and specifically after the events of March 1988 when the SAS
killed
three PIRA
terrorists in Gibraltar
. At one of the funerals of the three, two British servicemen were killed when their car stalled near the cortege. The community of west Belfast fell victim to intense media scrutiny and was described by the BBC
as a terrorist community.
Seeing this portrayal of their community as negative, misleading and damaging, Gerry Adams
gathered a small amount of friends and various local groups to organise a community festival. Its purpose was to celebrate the positive side of the community: its creativity, its energy, its passion for the arts and for sport. The Féile was, and is, aimed at providing events and entertainment at a price that the majority of the community could afford.
In August 1988 the first festival opened with a relatively humble parade of floats and bands and GAA
clubs walking in their club regalia to an open-air party in Dunville Park. Street parties were organised throughout the west of the city. Door-to-door collections were made to fund day trips to the seaside for pensioners and outings for young people.
It has grown from a one-week festival to a year-round programme with many events. It established the first ever children's arts festival in Northern Ireland, the Draíocht Children's Arts Festival, with activities ranging from sports to multi-cultural and educational events through both Irish
and English
. In 2003 alone, 6000 children and young people participated in Draíocht events.
The festival also has its own radio station, Féile FM
. The station initially broadcast across Belfast for two one-month periods in the spring and summer, during which young volunteers are professionally trained in media and management skills for free. In 2007, the radio was successful in securing a full-time licence, and now broadcasts 7 days a week, throughout Belfast. Some of trainees have gone on to find employment in the local media, including UTV
, BBC Northern Ireland
and Irish News Online
in Belfast.
In May 2009, Féile an Phobail launched Belfast's first dedicated comedy festival, Laugh at the Bank.
and pop
. Notable acts include the Altan, Brian Kennedy
, Mary Black
, the Afro-Cuban All Stars, the Harlem Gospel Choir
, Westlife
and Status Quo.
Local poets and writers have read their works on the same podium as renowned authors such as Patrick Mc Cabe, Roddy Doyle
and Evelyn Conlon. The festival has hosted the works of Ireland's leading playwrights and theatre companies, and has been the launching pad for world premiers, such as Frank McGuinness
's Someone Who'll Watch Over Me and Marie Jones
' A Night in November by Dubbeljoint Productions.
The discussion and debates have included talks by world-class journalists and documentary makers including Robert Fisk
(The Independent
), Michael Moore
(Oscar Winner) and have witnessed Gregory Campbell
(Democratic Unionist Party
) on the same panel as Alex Maskey
(Sinn Féin
) at the annual West Belfast Talks Back.
. Other community exhibitions take place around west Belfast, organised by community groups in association with the August Féile.
Culture of Ireland
This article is about the modern culture of Ireland and the Irish people. It includes customs and traditions, language, music, art, literature, folklore, cuisine and sport associated with Ireland and Irish people today. However, the culture of the people living in Ireland is not homogeneous...
and international culture. The festival takes place on and around Falls Road in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Foundations
The festival was established in 1988 as a direct response to the Troubles in Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, and specifically after the events of March 1988 when the SAS
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
killed
Operation Flavius
Operation Flavius was the name given to an operation by a Special Air Service team in Gibraltar on 6 March 1988 tasked to prevent a Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb attack...
three PIRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
terrorists in Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. At one of the funerals of the three, two British servicemen were killed when their car stalled near the cortege. The community of west Belfast fell victim to intense media scrutiny and was described by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as a terrorist community.
Seeing this portrayal of their community as negative, misleading and damaging, Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern...
gathered a small amount of friends and various local groups to organise a community festival. Its purpose was to celebrate the positive side of the community: its creativity, its energy, its passion for the arts and for sport. The Féile was, and is, aimed at providing events and entertainment at a price that the majority of the community could afford.
In August 1988 the first festival opened with a relatively humble parade of floats and bands and GAA
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
clubs walking in their club regalia to an open-air party in Dunville Park. Street parties were organised throughout the west of the city. Door-to-door collections were made to fund day trips to the seaside for pensioners and outings for young people.
Present
Féile an Phobail has garnered resounding praise and has grown to one of the largest community festivals in Europe. The carnival parade routinely brings together over 20,000 participants for a colourful, musical procession with specially-designed floats representing a chosen theme, dancers and children in costume and face-masks.It has grown from a one-week festival to a year-round programme with many events. It established the first ever children's arts festival in Northern Ireland, the Draíocht Children's Arts Festival, with activities ranging from sports to multi-cultural and educational events through both Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. In 2003 alone, 6000 children and young people participated in Draíocht events.
The festival also has its own radio station, Féile FM
Féile FM
Féile FM was a community radio station based at Conway Mill in the Gaeltacht Quarter in west Belfast.The station first broadcast in July 1996 on a 28-day restricted service licence, operating as an outlet for the west Belfast community...
. The station initially broadcast across Belfast for two one-month periods in the spring and summer, during which young volunteers are professionally trained in media and management skills for free. In 2007, the radio was successful in securing a full-time licence, and now broadcasts 7 days a week, throughout Belfast. Some of trainees have gone on to find employment in the local media, including UTV
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
, BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
and Irish News Online
The Irish News
The Irish News is a compact-sized daily newspaper based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is perceived as being broadly Irish nationalist in outlook...
in Belfast.
In May 2009, Féile an Phobail launched Belfast's first dedicated comedy festival, Laugh at the Bank.
Festivals
Féile an Phobail runs numerous festivals throughout the year. Among the festivals are:- August Féile - oldest project. Among Europe's largest community festivals, runs in August
- Féile an Earraigh - Springtime Irish traditional music festival
- DraíochtDraíochtDraíocht Draíocht is the debut album by Irish composer, musician and songwriter Dave Flynn. It was released in 2006 through Frisbee Records and distributed through CDBaby.-Content:...
- annual children's festival beginning in mid-October - Stand up in the West - monthly comedy night in Belfast's Western Bar, no longer running
- Laugh at the BankLaugh at the BankLaugh at the Bank is an annual weekend comedy festival founded in 2009 by Féile an Phobail in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The festival runs over the Spring Bank Holiday in May and features comedians from around the world...
- Belfast's first comedy festival. Launched May 2009
Performers
Féile an Phobail has rostered national and international acts to perform with local musicians, catering for all tastes in dancing and music: from Irish traditional music to world musicWorld music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
and pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
. Notable acts include the Altan, Brian Kennedy
Brian Kennedy (singer)
Brian Edward Patrick Kennedy is an Irish singer-songwriter and author, known for his ballads, and has represented Ireland at Eurovision 2006. He is the younger brother of musician Bap Kennedy.-Personal life:...
, Mary Black
Mary Black
Mary Black is an Irish singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both folk and contemporary material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland, and in many other parts of the world....
, the Afro-Cuban All Stars, the Harlem Gospel Choir
Harlem Gospel Choir
The Harlem Gospel Choir is an American gospel choir based in Harlem, New York. It is one of the United States's most prominent gospel choirs....
, Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
and Status Quo.
Local poets and writers have read their works on the same podium as renowned authors such as Patrick Mc Cabe, Roddy Doyle
Roddy Doyle
Roddy Doyle is an Irish novelist, dramatist and screenwriter. Several of his books have been made into successful films, beginning with The Commitments in 1991. He won the Booker Prize in 1993....
and Evelyn Conlon. The festival has hosted the works of Ireland's leading playwrights and theatre companies, and has been the launching pad for world premiers, such as Frank McGuinness
Frank McGuinness
Professor Frank McGuinness is an award-winning Irish playwright and poet. As well as his own works, which include Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, he is recognised for a "strong record of adapting literary classics, having translated the plays of Racine, Sophocles, Ibsen and...
's Someone Who'll Watch Over Me and Marie Jones
Marie Jones
Sarah Marie Jones is a Belfast-based actress and playwright. Born into a working class family, Jones was an actress for several years before turning her hand to writing.-Charabanc/DubbelJoint:...
' A Night in November by Dubbeljoint Productions.
The discussion and debates have included talks by world-class journalists and documentary makers including Robert Fisk
Robert Fisk
Robert Fisk is an English writer and journalist from Maidstone, Kent. As Middle East correspondent of The Independent, he has primarily been based in Beirut for more than 30 years. He has published a number of books and has reported on the United States's war in Afghanistan and the same country's...
(The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
), Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
(Oscar Winner) and have witnessed Gregory Campbell
Gregory Campbell (politician)
Gregory Lloyd Campbell is a Northern Irish unionist politician, and the Democratic Unionist Party Member of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, representing the East Londonderry constituency of Northern Ireland....
(Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
) on the same panel as Alex Maskey
Alex Maskey
Alex Maskey is an Irish politician who was the first member of Sinn Féin to serve as Belfast's Lord Mayor. He is Sinn Féin's longest sitting councillor and is currently an MLA for South Belfast as well as being a councillor for the Laganbank area of Belfast.-Early life:Maskey was educated at St...
(Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
) at the annual West Belfast Talks Back.
List of notable performers/speakers
| Artists | Speakers | Comedians | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westlife Westlife Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one... |
Hothouse Flowers Hothouse Flowers The Hothouse Flowers are an Irish rock group that combines traditional Irish music with influences from soul, gospel and rock.-Career:The group first formed in 1985 when Liam Ó Maonlaí and Fiachna Ó Braonáin began performing as street musicians, or buskers, on the streets of Dublin,Ireland as "The... |
Sunny Jacobs The Exonerated The Exonerated is a made-for-cable television film which dramatizes the true stories of six people who had been wrongfully convicted of murder and other offenses, placed on death row, and later exonerated and freed after serving varying years in prison... |
Ardal O'Hanlon Ardal O'Hanlon Ardal O'Hanlon is an Irish comedian and actor, best known for his roles in television sitcoms as Father Dougal McGuire in Father Ted and George Sunday in My Hero.-Early life:... |
| Girls Aloud Girls Aloud Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor... |
Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club is an independent alternative band from Ireland.Jerry Fish is the alter ego of musician and record producer Gerard Whelan who founded an independent record label and the band Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club, an eclectic, roots collective of musicians, friends and songs... |
Gerry Adams Gerry Adams Gerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern... |
PJ Gallagher PJ Gallagher PJ Gallagher is an Irish stand-up comedian, perhaps better known for his television show Naked Camera. His various characters in the programme include a mentally unstable taxi driver, ladies man Jake Stevens and a "Dirty Auld One", an old woman who makes sexual comments. PJ's performances on T.V... |
| Atomic Kitten Atomic Kitten Atomic Kitten were an English girl group from Liverpool, first established in 1997. Created by Andy McCluskey, the final line-up, and most commercially successful, consisted of Natasha Hamilton, Liz McClarnon, and Jenny Frost... |
Bell X1 Bell X1 Bell X1 are an Irish rock band from County Kildare in Ireland. They have released five albums which received much acclaim in Ireland.. They have represented Ireland in the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, received several major award nominations and headlined several festivals in their own country... |
Danny Morrison | Sean Hughes Sean Hughes (comedian) Sean Hughes is a British-Irish stand-up comedian, writer and actor.-Career:Hughes was born in London, but spent most of his youth in Firhouse, Dublin... |
| Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh is an Irish fiddler and the lead vocalist for the Irish traditional band Altan.-Biography:Ní Mhaonaigh grew up in Gweedore , County Donegal, on the northwest coast of Ireland.... |
Mundy Mundy Mundy is an Irish singer-songwriter. 'Mundy' is a nickname given to Enright, as it not only refers to his name Edmund, but it is how he pronounces the word "Monday".-Biography:... |
Gregory Campbell Gregory Campbell (politician) Gregory Lloyd Campbell is a Northern Irish unionist politician, and the Democratic Unionist Party Member of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, representing the East Londonderry constituency of Northern Ireland.... |
Tim McGarry Tim McGarry Tim McGarry is an Irish actor and comedian from North Belfast in Northern Ireland.He is a member of the comedy group Hole In The Wall Gang, and played "Da", a fictional Sinn Féin spokesman, in the comedy series Give My Head Peace.... |
| Mary Black Mary Black Mary Black is an Irish singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both folk and contemporary material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland, and in many other parts of the world.... |
Duke Special Duke Special Duke Special, real name Peter Wilson, is a songwriter and performer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A piano-based songwriter with a romantic style and a warm, distinctly accented voice, he has a distinctive look, with his long dreadlocks, eyeliner and outfits he describes as "hobo chic"... |
Alex Maskey Alex Maskey Alex Maskey is an Irish politician who was the first member of Sinn Féin to serve as Belfast's Lord Mayor. He is Sinn Féin's longest sitting councillor and is currently an MLA for South Belfast as well as being a councillor for the Laganbank area of Belfast.-Early life:Maskey was educated at St... |
Pauline McLynn Pauline McLynn Pauline McLynn is an Irish actress, comedienne and author, best known for playing Mrs Doyle in the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted, and Libby Croker in the Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless.- Early life :... |
| Harlem Gospel Choir Harlem Gospel Choir The Harlem Gospel Choir is an American gospel choir based in Harlem, New York. It is one of the United States's most prominent gospel choirs.... |
The Proclaimers The Proclaimers The Proclaimers are a Scottish band composed of identical twin brothers, Charlie and Craig Reid . They are probably best known for the songs "Letter from America", "I'm On My Way" and "I'm Gonna Be ". The band tours extensively throughout Europe and other continents... |
Edwin Poots Edwin Poots Alderman Edwin Poots MLA is a Northern Irish politician and a Democratic Unionist Party Member of the Legislative Assembly for Lagan Valley. He is one of three DUP MLAs for Lagan Valley.-Biography:... |
Alexei Sayle Alexei Sayle Alexei David Sayle is a British stand-up comedian, actor and author. He was a central part of the alternative comedy circuit in the early 1980s. He was voted the 18th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-ups in 2007... |
| Altan | Damien Dempsey Damien Dempsey Damien Dempsey is an Irish singer and songwriter who mixes traditional Irish folk with contemporary lyrics to deliver social comment on the positive and negative aspects arising from Ireland's Celtic Tiger society.-Early life:... |
Caitríona Ruane Caitríona Ruane Caitríona Ruane MLA is a Sinn Féin politician and a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for South Down.... |
Mark Steel Mark Steel Mark Steel is a British socialist columnist, author and comedian. He was a member of the Socialist Workers Party from his late teens until 2007.-Early life:... |
| Status Quo | Luka Bloom Luka Bloom Luka Bloom is an Irish folk-rock singer-songwriter. He is the younger brother of Irish folk singer Christy Moore.-Early life:... |
Jeffrey Donaldson Jeffrey Donaldson Jeffrey Mark Donaldson, MP is a Northern Irish politician and Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley belonging to the Democratic Unionist Party... |
Neil Delamere |
| Afro-Cuban All Stars | Javine Javine Javine may refer to:*Javine Hylton, a British singer*Javinė, a household god in Lithuanian mythology who protects grain in barns... |
Billy McQuiston Ulster Defence Association The Ulster Defence Association is the largest although not the deadliest loyalist paramilitary and vigilante group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles"... |
Karl Spain Karl Spain Karl Spain is an Irish comedian from Limerick. He is from the Corbally area of the city and was educated at CBS Sexton Street.In 2000, Spain won the RTÉ award for Best New Act.... |
| Hazel O'Connor Hazel O'Connor Hazel O'Connor is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of a soldier from Galway who settled in England after World War II to work in a car plant... |
Blazin' Squad Blazin' Squad Blazin' Squad were an English pop-rap vocal group. The group enjoyed significant success in the UK, achieving six top ten hits, including "Crossroads", a cover version of the Bone Thugs-n-Harmony original.-In The Beginning: 2002:... |
Dawn Purvis Dawn Purvis Dawn Purvis was an Independent Unionist member of the Northern Ireland Assembly. She was previously the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party until she resigned in 2010. She lost her seat in the Assembly in the 2011 election.-Biography:... |
Paul Tonkinson Paul Tonkinson Paul Tonkinson is an English radio presenter and television personality. He is perhaps best known for his work presenting on The Big Breakfast and The Sunday Show and his appearances on list programmes where he comments on popular culture... |
| Lúnasa Lúnasa Lúnasa can refer to:* Lúnasa , a traditional Irish band from Ireland** Lúnasa , the first album released by Lúnasa in 1998* Lughnasadh, a Gaelic holiday* Lúnasa, the Irish language word for the month of August.... |
Afro Celt Sound System Afro Celt Sound System The Afro Celt Sound System is a musical group which fuses modern electronic dance rhythms with traditional Irish and West African music... |
Martin McGuinness Martin McGuinness James Martin Pacelli McGuinness is an Irish Sinn Féin politician and the current deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. McGuinness was also the Sinn Féin candidate for the Irish presidential election, 2011. He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland.... |
Lenny Henry Lenny Henry Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :... |
| At First Light At First Light At First Light is an Irish band performing traditional Celtic music.At First Light comprises the talents of world renowned Uilleann Piper John McSherry and outstanding fiddle player Dónal O'Connor, creators of Tripswitch, which has been described as 'Acoustic perfection'.Combined with the sublime... |
The Gangsters The Gangsters The Gangsters is a 1913 short comedy film featuring Fatty Arbuckle as one of the Keystone Cops.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle* Nick Cogley* Fred Mace* Hank Mann* Ford Sterling* Al St. John... |
Sean Crummey The Folks on the Hill The Folks on the Hill is an animated sketch show produced for BBC One Northern Ireland. Its format involves parodying prominent figures in Northern Ireland politics and has also featured Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Bertie Ahern and George W. Bush... |
|
| Atomic Kitten Atomic Kitten Atomic Kitten were an English girl group from Liverpool, first established in 1997. Created by Andy McCluskey, the final line-up, and most commercially successful, consisted of Natasha Hamilton, Liz McClarnon, and Jenny Frost... |
Gráda Gráda Gráda is a traditional Irish music band, founded in 2001, whose members are a mix of Irish and New Zealand musicians. Gráda are based in Dublin and Galway, Ireland, but spend much of their time touring internationally... |
William Crawley William Crawley -Television presenter:He recently presented Blueprint, a three-part television natural history series, which ran from 31 March 2008, as the centre-piece of the most ambitious multi-platform broadcasting project in the history of BBC Northern Ireland. The Blueprint season united TV, radio and online... |
|
| Frances Black Frances Black Frances Black is an award-winning Irish singer. A pure vocal tone and an energetic stage presence has made Black one of Ireland’s most popular singers... |
Samantha Mumba Samantha Mumba Samantha Tamania Anne Cecilia Mumba is an Irish singer and actress.Her first album was released in 2000. Her most notable role was Mara in the 2002 film The Time Machine. She has also appeared in a number of Irish independent films.-Early life, education and early career:Mumba was born in Dublin,... |
Mary McAleese Mary McAleese Mary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in... |
|
| Kieran Goss Kieran Goss Kieran Goss is a Northern Irish contemporary singer-songwriter.-Biography:Kieran Goss was born and raised in Mayobridge, County Down, Northern Ireland. He was just nine years old when he got his first guitar... |
Christy Moore Christy Moore Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore is a popular Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is well known as one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts... |
Love Music Hate Racism Love Music Hate Racism Love Music Hate Racism is a music-oriented campaign based in Britain by the Anti-Nazi League and Unite Against Fascism. The campaign involves concerts aimed at spreading an anti-racist message... |
|
| Brian Kennedy Brian Kennedy (singer) Brian Edward Patrick Kennedy is an Irish singer-songwriter and author, known for his ballads, and has represented Ireland at Eurovision 2006. He is the younger brother of musician Bap Kennedy.-Personal life:... |
Austin Drage | Robert Fisk Robert Fisk Robert Fisk is an English writer and journalist from Maidstone, Kent. As Middle East correspondent of The Independent, he has primarily been based in Beirut for more than 30 years. He has published a number of books and has reported on the United States's war in Afghanistan and the same country's... |
|
| Neil Hannon Neil Hannon Neil Hannon is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter, best known as the creator and frontman of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy. The band's official website even goes so far as to say, "The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon," and Hannon is quoted in an interview as saying, "The Divine Comedy... |
Chumbawamba Chumbawamba Chumbawamba is a British musical group who have, over a career spanning nearly three decades, played punk rock, pop-influenced music, world music, and folk music... |
Ian Paisley, Jr. Ian Paisley, Jr. Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Jr., MP is the Member of Parliament for North Antrim and member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for the Democratic Unionist Party and an author. He is the son of the DUP's founder and former leader, Ian Paisley.In 1990, he married Fiona, and they have four children... |
|
| Penguin Cafe Orchestra Penguin Cafe Orchestra The Penguin Cafe Orchestra was a collective of performing musicians created by classically trained British guitarist, composer and arranger Simon Jeffes... |
The Peatbog Faeries | Seamus Heaney Seamus Heaney Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes... |
Other
Féile an Phobail has also been host to notable artists and painters from Ireland and abroad and hosts a festival-long exhibition in St. Mary's University CollegeSt. Mary's University College (Belfast)
St Mary's University College was established in 1985, but can directly trace its existence to 1900 and the foundation of St Mary's Training College, which focused mainly on the training of women as teachers...
. Other community exhibitions take place around west Belfast, organised by community groups in association with the August Féile.
External links
- Official Twitter page
- Official Facebook page
- Official MySpace profile
- Official Flickr account
- 360 Panorama of An Mór Shiúil
- 20 Years On - BBC documentary about Féile an Phobail