Posts filed under 'Antrim'
St Patrick’s Day is celebrated all around the world. However, for many it is simply a party, rather than a chance to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint. This is strange, because Saint Patrick had a dramatic life.
As a young lad of sixteen years he was captured by a band of raiders near Bologne in Gaul and taken with many others to slavery in Ireland. He was first brought to Mayo, but later sold to an Antrim farmer and he spent six years in captivity as a shepherd on Slemish Mountain.
One cold winter’s night, while Patrick slept, he heard a voice telling him “it is well that you fast, soon you will go to your own country” and a short time later the voice said to him “Look, your ship is ready”.
The spirit guided Patrick to the south of Ireland near Wicklow where he boarded a ship with a cargo of dogs bound for Gaul.
At this time an invasion of Gaul had left much of it desolate. Patrick and the crew of the boat wandered for 28 days until all food had run out. Patrick said to the crew “turn to God and he will provide” and suddenly a herd of pigs appeared and they had food once more. Patrick had performed his first miracle.
For a number of years Patrick wandered through Gaul. Conscious of his lack of formal training in theology and law he spent his time talking to and learning from the wise deacons and Bishops and soon he was made a Bishop in Rome.
He was lonely in Gaul so he went to visit his relations in Britain. While he was there he had another vision in which a man arrived from Ireland with many letters, including one for himself. The letter said “We ask you boy to come and walk once more among us”. Patrick was delighted and went to Ireland immediately.
The people of Ireland at this time were pagans under the influence of the Druids. Patrick had first to rid the country of these “magicians”. This is symbolised by the banishing of the snakes forever from Ireland.
He now set about converting the people to Christianity. His deep faith and belief in the Blessed Trinity made this doctrine a centre piece of his instruction. To help explain the mystery he used the simple 3 leaf shamrock to illustrate 3 persons in one God.
St Patrick died in 461. By this time he had created an established structured church throughout the country. His converts were across the entire social classes from Princes to slaves and many of his priests and deacons were from the youth of Ireland. He is still to this day the most famous figure in Irish history and is one of the best known figures throughout the Christian world.
February 27th, 2008
Improve your golf with a unique seminar, developed by sports hypnotist Dr Karl Morris.
If you have trouble concentrating on the course, or if one bad shot invariably leads to another, you could benefit from the courses. They are:
- Royal Country Down, Northern Ireland - 21/02/08 - Host Kevan Whitson - Call 028 4372 2419 for details
- Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland - 11/04/08 - Host Gary McNeill - Call 028 7082 2311 for details
The Mind Factor Workshops will help you improve your game, your concentration levels, and ultimately, your future.
February 7th, 2008
Rihanna’s live music events take place in Dublin on Sunday 2 December and Belfast on Monday 3 December, and as they’re both indoor gigs there’s no need to bring along an umbrella. Mind you the last gig I was at I got soaked with a pint of beer, so standing under someone’s umbrella-ella-ella-ella-ella, eh-oh- oh oh oh, mightn’t be such a bad idea after aaaall.
Book tickets for Rihanna’s gig in Dublin
Book tickets for the live event in Belfast
Umbrella was the theme tune for many a summer festival and extremely catchy! The latest single Shut Up and Drive is equally as catchy and set to be the theme tune for a drive.
I was watching the making of the Shut Up And Drive video with great pleasure on MTV earlier this week.
I really like all of the effort that went into sourcing the classic cars not to mention the young ladies washing them (ahem) of course I was looking at the cars, not the ladies, don’t mistake me for some kind of pervert!
The video is as slick as Rihanna’s new hairdo – have a look for yourself.
Enjoy the gigs!
August 22nd, 2007
UB40 get back to their reggae roots almost 30 years after they first got together to perform 3 live gigs in Ireland in November. Live music performances take place on and at:
Ali Campbell’s warm voice will melt Irish hearts as UB40 belt out old favourites like Red, Red, Wine and I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You.
They will also perform newer music from the album Who You fighting For, a return of UB40’s political voice mixed in with meaningful lyrics and beautiful beats.
UB40 are amazingly talented and their unique reggae sound, with influences from Jamaican Ska to Elvis, is what has made their career so successful.
Here’s a live music clip of Kiss and Say Goodbye – from Who You Fighting For with Ali at his soulful best
Facts about UB40
- They formed in the summer of 1978.
- UB40 began as mates who knew each other from various colleges and schools across Birmingham.
- Birmingham is their home town.
- UB40 stands for Unemployment Benefit Form 40.
- Before they even picked up an instrument, Ali Campbell and Brian Travers travelled around Birmingham promoting the band, putting up UB40 posters to promote the band!
- £4,000 in compensation paid out to Ali Campbell after a bar brawl paid for the band’s instruments (even though few knew how to play!).
- Ali and Robin Campbell’s father is Ian Campbell, a popular folk musician.
- They made it big when Chrissie Hynde heard them play in a pub in Birmingham and asked them to be her support act.
- John Peel was so impressed with the group’s first demo tape that he invited them to perform on his Radio One show in 1980.
- Their injection of life into many old Jamaican hits resulted in many musicians’ and producers’ renewed popularity and income. (Source: Wikipedia)
- UB40 named their first album Signing Off because they were ‘signing off from the dole’ in other words, getting a job. The album even had a reproduction of the unemployment benefit card on the cover with the words, “Signing Off” stamped on it.
- In 1985, the group celebrated a hit single with I Got You Babe, recorded with Chrissie Hynde.
- UB40’s first single, a double coupling of King, a song for Martin Luther King and Food for Thought, a song about third-world poverty, was the first record to reach the UK top ten without the backing of a major record label.
- The band formed their own record company in 1980 called Dep International.
- In August 1983, UB40 achieved their first No.1 single in the UK.
Red Red Wine was released ahead of the album Labour of Love, which went straight to No.1 upon its release in September 1983.
- The Labour Of Love Album, produced and co-written by saxophonist Brian Travers, was made into a short movie and features most of the music from the album and some members of the band.
- UB40 were the first British band to tour Russia.
- (I can’t help) Falling In Love With You was the bands third No.1. It proved to be the second top selling single of 1993.
- (I can’t help) Falling In Love With You reached No.1 in 17 other countries around the world.
- (I can’t help) Falling In Love With You was initially featured in the Sharon Stone film Sliver and spent seven weeks at number one in the USA.
- Promises & Lies entered the UK charts at No.1 and stayed there
for 7 weeks which was the longest time for any album to have stayed at the
top in 1993.
- Swing Low was recorded with the multi-cultural choir United Colours of Sound and became the official anthem for the 2003 English Rugby Team.
- Promises And Lies was the inspiration for a musical performed by the Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company in 2006.
- Sparta Florida Music Group started legal action against heiress Paris Hilton and Warner Chappell Music in June 2007 for plagiarism due to similarities between the song Kingston Town, originally by Lord Creator and Paris’s Stars Are Blind song.
Visit UB40’s official website: http://www.ub40.co.uk/
August 20th, 2007
The live musical performances of Natasha Bedingfield in Dublin and Belfast have been rescheduled and she’ll now perform in February due to her commitments in the USA.
I’m bruised, as I was really looking forward to see her play live in Dublin, and Natasha, like you, I bruise easily!
Nevermind, at least it’ll chase away my winter blues seeing her beautiful face in February! Also, as the event is round about Valentines Day, maybe I can give her a card!
Dates are as follows:
If any of your friends are going to the gig, then send them a note from a cute little baby!
See the video of
I Wanna Have Your Babies
:
August 17th, 2007
On Thursday 4 and Friday 5 October at Tripod you’ll be swigging lager-lager-lager-lager shouting, lager-lager-lager-lager-shouting, lager-lager-lager-shouting to classic tunes from Underworld—boy!
Best known for Born Slippy of Trainspotting fame, the dance mixmasters bring their DJ talents to Dublin. So if you’re looking for a dance event in Dublin then get yourself along to Tripod to tap your toes to tunes that will permeate your mind faster than a pink microdot.
Book tickets for Underworld, Thursday 4 October at Tripod in Dublin
Book tickets for Underworld, Friday 5 October at Tripod in Dublin
Visit Underworld’s MySpace page and listen to Born Slippy, as well as the brilliant Crocodile, the latest track from their new album Oblivion with Bell. You can also check out the rest of their tour dates if you happen to miss out on the live event in Dublin.
If you do miss it, or simply want more, then Underworld are also playing Belfast’s Kings Hall on Saturday 6 October.
August 14th, 2007
I wanna have Natasha Bedingfield’s babies!
Ahem, Natasha Bedingfield is coming to Ireland’s shores with two mind-blowing shows. You can see her in Belfast or Dublin (or both if you’re a really big music fan) in September February.
Natasha’s Belfast gig
Students will be very familiar with Mandela Hall as it’s also the students union! What an absolutely terrific setting for a live music gig for Natasha. Many of her fans in Belfast will be thrilled she’s performing live at such an intimate location. She’ll be so close to the audience you’ll feel like her soulmate.
Read more details about the live music gig in Belfast
Forget the detail, book tickets now before it’s sold out
Dublin’s fair city
If you’ve ever been to a live music gig at Vicar Street in Dublin, you’ll know that Natasha’s voice and set will be heard and seen from every seat in the house. The venue was specially designed to provide maximum viewing and listening pleasure and the sexy diva will certainly provide lots of that.
Book your tickets for the gig at Vicar Street in Dublin now and look forward to songs that will give you goosebumps. Her voice is “the voice to melt radios”, (as described on the Natasha Bedingfield site) so enjoy the gig in Dublin or Belfast and let Natasha melt your heart.
Find out more about the live gig in Dublin
A little known fact to nibble on about Natasha…
She was part of a Christian rock group with her famous brother Daniel and little sister Nikola (also a rising star) called the The DNA Algorithms! Listen to 2 early tracks here, live!
July 26th, 2007
Ladies and Gentlemen, wake me up before you go-go!
George Michael hits Dublin on Wednesday 1st August, he’ll be playing a music gig at the Point Theatre and tickets are selling out fast so get them before the sun goes down.
If you can’t get them for the gig in Dublin on Wednesday, check the availability on Thursday 2nd August.
You might even be able to catch George in Belfast on Saturday night (4th August) at the Odyssey Arena. The Arena is Ireland’s largest indoor music venue with standing and seating facilities, so there’s more chance of getting a ticket.
Hopefully you’ll be able to get one with freedom to dance to your favourite tunes, with classics like Fastlove, Outside and some classic Wham thrown in for good measure - it’s sure to be a great night out.
The gigs in Dublin and Belfast are part of George’s extended 25 Live tour which saw him play an amazing live gig in Dublin last year. The music event in Belfast will be the first time he has ever played in the city and is sure to be a sell out. Order tickets online now from Dublin Events!
If you make it along, feel free to post reviews of the Dublin or Belfast gig below!
July 25th, 2007
