Category: Featured Event

On Saturday 18th May, the May Queen procession will take place in Belfast city centre, from 12.30pm, followed by Lord Mayor’s Day celebrations at City Hall.

Little Amal will lead a colourful parade of wildlife, flowers and nature, leaving from Writer’s Square and making her way via Donegall and Bridge Street, towards Donegall Place and City Hall.

At the front of City Hall, she will be greeted by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Ryan Murphy, for an afternoon of free family activities as part of our Lord Mayor’s Day celebrations.

At City Hall, Little Amal will take part in a special performance piece at 2.30pm, based on Gulliver’s Travels, and featuring magic, circus and music.

Then, later that evening, Little Amal will step through the wardrobe with Lucy and Mr Tumnus for Amal in Narnia, a family-friendly outdoor show based on the classic C.S Lewis novel.

This show will run from 7pm to 8pm at C.S. Lewis Square, near Holywood Arches, with doors opening at 6.30pm.

On Sunday 19th May, tree planting will take place at Colin Glen Forest Park at 11am, followed by a finale event at Belfast Castle/Cave Hill between 7pm and 9pm.

Little Amal will begin her final day in Belfast with Do Not Disturb, a tree planting event at Colin Glen Forest Park between 11am and 12pm, with doors opening at 10.30am.

Her last stop will be at Belfast Castle gardens where she will explore the city’s mythological roots at a finale event – Amal at Beann Mhadagáin, between 7pm and 9pm.

Expect drumming, music, dance and a fire ceremony as the people of goddess Danu come together to offer Little Amal gifts of earth, air, water and fire to protect her on her onward journey to Newry, Mourne, Down and Dublin.

All of these events are open to the public but they do require free tickets to be booked in advance. For more details, visit: www.belfastcity.gov.uk.

The distillers of Shortcross Irish Whiskey and Gin have revealed the latest expressions of Shortcross Irish Whiskey. These new Irish Whiskey’s were distilled, matured and bottled at Rademon Estate Distillery, which was founded by husband and wife team David and Fiona Boyd-Armstrong, and was the first new distillery in Northern Ireland in over 100 years to release their own whiskey.

The first new expression is the Shortcross 7-year-old Cognac and range Liqueur Cask Single Malt Irish Whiskey. A whiskey whose journey began in early 2016 when the distillery secured its first batch of peated malted barley. This malted barley was then mashed, brewed and double-distilled on the distilleries copper pot stills.

Rademon are the first distillery in Northern Ireland to produce plated Irish whiskey in over two generations, Director of Distilling and Blending David Boyd-Armstrong describes the journey to get to that point as quite an adventure.

David said: “When we first approached our malt suppliers with a request for peated malt they each in turn told us that we were crazy, that’s not what you want to be doing, and that no one wants peated or smoky Irish whiskey. Of course, the irony now is that peated or smoky Irish whiskey is one of the hottest areas of the category.”

Distilling the peated malted barley was one thing, but then David wanted to use a cask no one had used before in the Irish Whiskey industry. “Speaking to several of the cooperages that we use we told them that we were seeking a cask type that would be distinctive and unique, and while they suggested several different types, I noticed something that they hadn’t suggested which was an ex-Cognac and Orange Liqueur Cask. Instinctively, I knew this could work really well and, in my mind, I had this concept of a smoky chocolate orange style whiskey,” added David.

As an industry and category first, this truly unique expression is described as: ‘On the nose there are notes of orange blossom, fresh mint and tropical fruits while walking through a summer garden. The palate leads with orange notes, as the malt makes an appearance. Milk chocolate combines with orange and mint, as the smoke shines. Sweet smoke and chocolate orange combine, giving a long, rich and oily finish with hints of leather coming through.’

Limited to less than 1,000 bottles annually this expression is bottled at 70cl/46%abv. RRP £65.00GBP/€75.00.

Launching alongside the above whiskey is a second new expression. The second new Shortcross 5-year-old Distiller’s Duo Irish Whiskey, blends Shortcross Single Malt and Shortcross Single Pot Still Irish whiskey’s together to create a blend that showcases the distillery’s character. The new whiskey has been aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and virgin American Oak (Quercus Alba) casks.

David Boyd-Armstrong, Director of Distilling and Blending describes the journey to create this expression: “Crafting the Distiller’s Duo has been a real testament to the quality of the Irish Whiskey we produce here at Rademon Esatate Distillery. We always look to see how we can take our Irish Whiskey and create something truly unique, and by combining our Single Malt and Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey together we are able to amplify the flavours and aromas of the malt and combine them with the spice and lush mouthfeel of the pot still to create a whiskey that we believe showcases our distillery’s character in the finest way possible. Uniquely, this is also the first time that this blend has been created where both whiskey’s have been distilled and matured at the same distillery.”

The Shortcross 5-year-old Distiller’s Duo Irish Whiskey tasting notes are described as: ‘A rich and fruit nose that is reminiscent of caramelised toffee apples, the palate leads with milk chocolate and sweet cereal notes from the malt. Over time these open up to reveal fresh hints of green apple and cola cubes, with a decadent and mouth-coating finish with chewy pot still spices and lingering note of red fruits, linseed and tobacco leaf.

This is a core expression and bottled at 70cl/46%abv. RRP £55.00GBP/€55.00.

“Our Irish whiskey journey is one that is truly obsessive in the creation of flavour,” said David. “We obsess to create those yet to be found and to recreate those flavours lost in time. With the launch of this new expression of Shortcross Irish Whiskey we believe we are showcasing this obsession and the quality of our whiskeys.”

Managing Director, Fiona Boyd-Armstrong, added: “These new Shortcross Irish Whiskeys are the first of a new range of releases and they are already on route to our key export markets for launch in Spring 2024 and are available now across the island of Ireland.”

To learn more about Shortcross Irish Whiskey, visit:  www.shortcrosswhiskey.com.

Alternatively, follow their social media on Facebook: Short Cross Gin and Whiskey / Instagram: @shortcrosswhiskey / Twitter/X: @shortcrossgin.

This Dementia Action Week (13th – 19th May), local charity Dementia NI has released a unique single and music video, written by Dementia NI members and local singer-songwriter Cora Kelly, giving those newly diagnosed with dementia hope that they aren’t alone and there is support available to help them live as well as possible.

The single and music video will raise funds for Dementia NI, a member-led charity which empowers local people with dementia to live well and drive positive change in dementia services and in the community.

Dementia NI members, all of whom are living with dementia, created the lyrics to ‘The Journey’, with singer-songwriter Cora Kelly putting their words to music. The message of the song is clear: life goes on after a diagnosis and with support it is possible to live will with dementia.

Dementia NI member Allison Batchelor, 64, from Belfast, who is living with Alzheimer’s disease, said: “Traditionally, music performers have released songs in the charts that have focused on family members or carers’ experiences and feelings about their loved ones with dementia. We, the Dementia NI members, wanted to turn the tables and take a stand on the stigma around dementia. We wanted the public to hear OUR voices through song to give those recently diagnosed some hope and help everyone understand what it’s like living with dementia from our perspectives.”

The song shines a light on what it feels like to receive a diagnosis, with each verse representing a different stage in the dementia journey, moving from shock and fear through to acceptance and hope.

A heart-warming video accompanies the track, starring Dementia NI members and giving insight into their day-to-day lives, showing that you can be active and keep doing the things you enjoy following your diagnosis.

Dementia NI member Martin McHugh, 72, from Belfast, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease aged 63, explained how the piece was composed: “Cora Kelly came to our Empowerment Groups and really listened as we each told our diagnosis stories. Then she went away and put our words and perspectives to music. It moves me to tears when I listen to it. It’s very true to what those of us who have received a diagnosis are going through.

“We named the song ‘The Journey’ because it describes the journey you go through when you receive a dementia diagnosis. I was in a bad place initially when I got my diagnosis. It takes time and strength to come to terms with it but there is help out there – from family, friends and organisations like Dementia NI. Their Empowerment Groups changed my life and helped me connect with other people with a diagnosis at a time when I felt very low. It gave me hope and a will to carry on and made me realise I could have a good life.”

Dementia NI currently has around 14 Dementia Empowerment Groups across Northern Ireland. These groups provide a place for local people who have been diagnosed with dementia – and are in the early to middle stages of the condition – to come together to provide life-changing peer support to one another and to drive positive change in dementia services and in the community.

Singer-songwriter Cora Kelly, from Killough, County Down, added: “It’s been a pleasure working with Dementia NI members across Northern Ireland. My meetings with them have challenged my own assumptions about dementia. It’s fantastic that Dementia NI members are so positive and are living happy and fulfilled lives. They’re doing an amazing job in bringing awareness to this condition.”

Dementia NI Communications Lead, Jane Gillow, said: “We hope everyone loves ‘The Journey’ as much as we do! We couldn’t be prouder of our members for creating such inspiring lyrics and sharing the message that there is still life to live following a diagnosis. Research shows that one in three of us will develop dementia in our lifetime. We want to highlight that our Empowerment Groups are here for those with a diagnosis of dementia, in the early to middle stages of the condition, to access life-changing peer support, make new friends and be part of their community. This Dementia Action Week, we’re calling on everyone to get behind ‘The Journey’ and donate vital funds to Dementia NI.”

To watch the music video and donate to Dementia NI, visit: www.dementiani.org.

Alternatively, the single is available to download on iTunes: https://music.apple.com/gb/album/the-journey-feat-dementia-ni/1545849484?i=1545849485.