Whites Tavern have a traditional session that I never knew about. We were out last Saturday night and Barry Kerr and a few others were playing in the corner. Magic, you don't get much more 'real' Belfast Irish than that. The BBQ outside was a nice touch as well. Madden's always have a great session on at the weekends, and it's right in the heart of Belfast's old Irish district - the area doesn't look very traditional now, nestled in the shadow of the Castle Court shopping complex, but somone there will no doubt be able to give you a run down on the history of the place.
But yeah, as Michelle says, ourselves and the Cultúrlann are the main Irish language spots in Belfast, and if you come around the 27th July you can check out the brilliant McCracken Summer School (27th July - 2nd August) - one of the highlights in the Belfast Irish calendar - in north Belfast before heading over to the west Belfast Féile in the first week of August. We're running south Belfast's first ever traditional music festival over here on the Ormeau Road at the end of August (27th - 30th August) as well, so there's plenty going on this summer!
An Droichead are currently developing packages to give visitors the all-round Belfast Irish experience, so if you have a group give me a shout and we'll do our best to sort you out with a day's activities and a night to remember. eolas@androichead.com www.androichead.com
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