A four-day action packed festival is set to take place in Belfast’s historic Sailortown later this week. Organised by Sailortown Regeneration, The Gathering will commence on Thursday, June 9 and run up until Sunday, June 12th.
In an effort to raise funds for reviving the urban village, this year’s festival will feature a number of live music events, headlined by artists like Brian Kennedy and Radio Ulster’s Hugo Duncan across the four-day stretch, but will also highlight other types of exciting events, from theatre, sport, and markets, outlined here below:
1. I’ll Tell My Ma
Thursday 9th June – St Joseph’s Church
7.00pm-10.00pm | £10
Patricia Gormley’s hilarious one-woman play starring Christina Nelson tells of four generations of women from a West Belfast family and their various adventures. Trisha (a 60-something with a passion for writing), Chelsea Marie (an air stewardess extraordinaire with a tangled love life), Davina Corrina (a 16-year-old schoolgirl with the taste for the high life and Russian vodka), and Granny Eileen (fighting the cruel blows of fate) are all struggling in their own ways to deal with changes in their lives and find a way forward.
To find tickets, go to: https://maritime-mile.com/events/ill-tell-my-ma-play-9-jun-2022-07-00/
2. Boxing Blasts From the Past
Friday 10th June – St Joseph’s Church
8.00pm | £5
Hosted by Patsy Quinn Gym, this fundraiser is also in aid of local boxer and coach at Patsy Quinn Gym, Stephen McMullan, who spent five weeks in ICU from December 2021. This is one of a number of these events which have been hosted by the gym this year, including sponsored walks in February, and will also contribute toward the Sailortown restoration.
Boxing Blasts from the Past will consist of 12 exhibition rounds recreating the historic St Joseph’s Boxing Club in Sailortown.
Tickets can be found by messaging the Newington ABC – Patsy Quinn Gym Boxing Club Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Newington-ABC-Patsy-Quinn-Gym-Boxing-Club-323089224534888/
3. Sailortown Fair
Saturday 11th June
Free admission
Saturday 11th June sees a family-friendly day of stalls, music, drama, drumming, samba and much more at the Sailortown Fair. The stalls will feature local crafts and produce throughout the day, while the market will also be showcasing Sailortown’s Heritage Archives.
4. Sunday on the Maritime Mile
Sunday 12th June 2022 | St Joseph’s Church
2:00pm- 3:30pm | Free Admission
Join songwriter, musician and guitarist Anthony Toner, John McCullogh and Clive Cuthbertson at St Joseph’s Church for an afternoon of Sailortown inspired songs and poems by local poet John Campbell.
5. Pet Pageant
Sunday 12th June – Barrow Square Sailortown
3.00pm – 5.00pm | Donations in aid of Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary
Sailortown welcomes back its tradition of the St Joseph’s Franciscan Friars’ ‘The Annual Blessing of the Animals’, fondly remembered by the St Joseph’s Community after the service provided by the Franciscans from 1984 to 1996.
This is a fantastic event for families and is an adorable opportunity to show off pets of any variety. This fundraiser is in aid of Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary who have been rescuing and looking after animals for over 25 years, with all donations going to the Sanctuary.
For more information, go to: https://maritime-mile.com/events/pet-pageant-as-part-of-st-josephs-church-150th-anniversary-celebrations-12-jun-2022-03-00/
6. Sailortown Exhibitions
Exhibitions will also run throughout the festival free of charge in a number of venues in the area, including:
- Discover the Sporting Characters of Belfast – American Bar
- Explore the Social Life of Sailortown – Dockers Club
- Learn About Life at Sea Past and Present – Flying Angel
- Past to Future: A New Life for Sailortown – St Joseph’s Church
These exhibitions focus on the historical legacy of Sailortown and its people in addition to the cultural and social aspects of Sailortown today, providing a wide variety of perspectives of life in Belfast and Sailortown from past, present, and future.
Catch these events all over Sailortown this coming weekend in aid of Sailortown Regeneration, in what is sure to be an exciting few days with something for everyone.
