Poet Glen Wilson leads of a great night @ Abbey Lane

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Created: 28 October 2023

Dispite heavy rain and ghosts running wild on the City streets, our Open Mic had a great turnout to welcome Glen Wilson for his first visit to Abbey Lane. 

A Richhill man Glen now resides in Portadown where he rubs shoulders with other fine bards in David Braziel and Anesu Mtowa, both of whom have guested here in recent times.

Other poets on the night  were Rachel Toner; John Henderson; and Malachi Kelly. Storytellers: Matthew Toner, Ellen McKenna, Brian Lamb and Kerry Clarke. Musicians and singers: Dennis McCloskey; Aislinn Whyte; Theo Sinton; Peter Kelly; Danny Doran; Frances Lavery and Fergal Donnelly. And then there was Dymphna!

Aislinn Whyte sang 'Gosford's fair Demesne' and got up again to the delight of the audience and sang her rendition of 'Roger the Miller' with the confidence of someone far beyond her young age. We finished off with Danny Doran singing the blues.

Thanks to all who attended, who contributed to the entertainment and those who helped out clearing all away for the youth group in the morning. But especially to our guest poet Glen it was an honour  to have you visit.

Next Open Mic is 24th November ( last of this year) We hope to have Dublin singer/sonwriter Colm Gavin as guest. An up and coming talent who has featured on RTE radio 1, recorded albums and played in Europe and America.

Also, if all goes well, a special invite to a local legend, himself a writer of numerous books and a record holder. So keep Friday night 24th Nov free for another great night's entertainment for £5!

T Rex appear in Dublin church....A roaring success!

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Created: 23 October 2023

Multi award winning poet Guest at Oct Open Mic

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Created: 18 October 2023

Abbey Lane Open Mic are delighted to announce our guest artist for October is Co Armagh poet Glen Wilson.

A native of Portadown, Glen is widely recognized by many as a leading light of the poetry scene, a poet

at the cutting edge of his craft. 

Do not miss the chance to hear Glen at Abbey Lane Theatre, Armagh City on 27th October. Doors open 7.45pm.

BYOB, £5 at door; limited seating; slots of 5mins available. All artists welcome. 

Glen Wilson is a multi-award winning and widely published Poet from Portadown. He won the Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing  in 2017, the Jonathan Swift Creative Writing Award in 2018 and The Trim Poetry competition in 2019.

He was commissioned by the Irish football Association to write poems for the Northern Ireland Football team, these have appeared on Sky sports. He has recently won the Padraic Fallon Poetry competition and Slipstream Open Poetry competition in 2021 and The Fosseway Writers Open Competiton and These 3 Streams Poetry competition in 2022. His poetry collection An Experience on the Tongue is out now with Doire Press. He is currently working towards his second collection.

Scenes from 'Impact' rehearsals for MPT in November

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Created: 15 October 2023

Strong run on tickets for these last preformances of our historical re-enactment  play IMPACT (Armagh Rail Disaster) on at Market Place Theatre Armagh

17/18th November. Tickets now on sale from the boxoffice. 

Scenes from rehearsals.

Tremendous talent at Open Mic

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Created: 30 September 2023

Against the backdrop of 7 Hills Blues festival starting, sellout shows in the MarketPlace Theatre, RyderCup and Patrick Kielty's

 Late Late show on TV among other distractions, we had another full house in Abbey Lane Theatre last Friday.

We were spoilt by the talent on stage throughout the evening from musicians and singers of the highest quality. Poets, writers and yarnspinners graced us with their insight, humour and wit. And an early surprise visit  from St Nicolas himself finished of the night with dreams of white a christmas.

Not only all that, but a wonderful raffle at half time of prizes the like has not been seen for a long time.

No! they wern't out of date or pre-used or recycled. We would like to thank all those who bought tickets on the night even if you didn't win. To the family who cleaned up on prizes......how lucky can you get!

Contributors on the night Terry Christian, wonderful singer songwriter (Downpatrick): Matthew Toner, poet, Armagh: Theo Sinton singer/guitar Tandragee; Byddi Lee, writer/playwrite/author Armagh; Kate McLaughlin solo singer/ techo comedian Armagh: John McAndrew, yarnspinner/storyteller Moira; Note this brilliant young duet, Ruby and Caitlin Quinn guitar and vocals, Co Tyrone; and Dermot McConaghy poet, Lurgan; 

Our guest artist for the evening Conchur White sang songs from his excellent forthcoming debut Album ' Swirling Violets' linktr.ee/ConchurWhite.

This young singer/songwriter regaled the audience with his exceptional voice and guitar playing to their collective delight. A pleasure to have Conchur visit us as our guest and we wish him well in his future musical career.

Hard act to follow but Malachi Kelly ,Armagh made the most of the dying applause for Conchur to start his poetry slot followed by Terry Christian, Matthew Toner, Theo Sinton on second runs the finally but not least Daniel Bacon as 'Santa' had us all singing ' I'm dreaming of a White Christmas' far too early! 

Thanks to all who helped with putting the evening together MC Rachel, Tim (door and bouncer) Raffle tickets (Byddi/Rachel/Malachi and the clean up crew to clear all away for ther Youth Group sessions next morning. 

Our next Open Mic last Friday October 27th, doors open 7.45pm £5 entry ,BYOB. All welcome.

Rehearsals in full flow for IMPACT in Nov @ MPT

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Created: 29 September 2023

Director Margery Quinn has been working hard over the last month with the large cast of thespians, young and not so,

in preparation of our performances of 'IMPACT' in Market Place Theatre Armagh  on 17th and 18th November.

Tickets are on sale now from the Market Place Theatre box office ,prices  £15  ( concessions £13student/child/senior citizen )

marketplacearmagh.ticketsolver.com 

After a successful run in The Studio last year we have enhanced the script, added brass band, children's dance troupe and all the members of Armagh Youth Theatre Group for this epic production.

Do not miss this moving historical depiction of the most devastating rail crash in Ireland which happened at Armagh City in 1889.

National Poetry Day 2023

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Created: 27 September 2023

Special Guest this Friday's Open Mic

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Created: 24 September 2023

Special guest Conchur White will be performing several songs from his forthcoming album at our 

monthly Open Mic in Abbey Lane Theatre this Friday night 29th. This highly talented local singer/songwriter

has just returned from a successful tour of Britain to great acclaim.  So don't miss your chance to see him up close and personal in Armagh before he shoots for the stars!

All usual Open Mic Night experiences - Music, poetry, songs, stories and yarns. Local entertainment at its best for £5, BYOB doors open 7.45pm.

5 minute slots on stage under lights to a lovely friendly audience. Still the best Open Mic in Co Armagh!

Special guest Artist for Sept 29th Open Mic announced

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Created: 31 August 2023

Conchúr has toured with the likes of Villagers, John Grant, Billie Marten and supported legendary artists such as John Cale (Velvet Underground) and Echo and The Bunnymen. 

Conchur first graced the Open Mic stage in July's John Hewitt Summer School taking a slot near the close of the evening and made an instant hit with the packed audience. So excited to have him back as Guest Artist and on this month's longer slot. Dont miss this guy on his way to stardom. 

 

 

'Woodbee's' buzzing at August's OMN

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Created: 26 August 2023

A rousing set from the wonderful 'Woodbees' got us all singing along at this month's Open Mic after an international flavour from our contributors.  Poland, France and England were all represented along with nearer to home Crossgar, Dungannon and the darker reaches of Umgola. 

MC on the night Rachel Toner called for contributions from poet John Henderson with his memories of home town Liverpool. Matthew Toner's short poem  'Over thinking'. CoDown's Joseph Conlon's yarn 'Time for Kindness' and poem 'Teachers'. Up next was Mark Brownlee with an excerpt from his forthcomming novelette themed on mental health ( www.bluemanic.com). This piece, chatting up a French student you fancy when your French is far from fancy .

The eagerly awaited return of Dymphna Ferran, after her lay-up last month, was enthusiastically applauded and she didn't disappoint. Yarns about 'Murphy' , Nuns and asses and doubledecker buses kept us all in laughter.

Malachi Kelly acknowledged the 10th anniversay of Seamus Heaney's passing with the bard's ' The Conway Stewart' and his own poems 'He has matured' and 'Armagh and Don't forget me Da'.

We broke for the much anticipated raffle with some unbelievable prizes being  snapped up by the lucky punters. Then our first Polish contributor swept to the stage. Agata Banc who sang, for the first time in public, a traditional Polish song ' Hey Teksanski'  and another star emerges from Abbey Lane. 

Hard to follow Agata but our guest artists 'The Woodbees' entertain us with golden oldies and sing-a-long tunes for the next few slots Pauline McDonald, Elma McEneaney ( vocals and Ukeleles) and 'Rocky' (guitar).

Dymphna returned and her poem about her own mother passing with dementia was very moving. Malachi's piece on the Art of Conversation and then 'The Woodbee's were enticed back to finish the night with their newly found lead singer Agata who's powerful voice belied her previous shyness. 

All in all another great wee night in Abbey Lane. Thanks go to all the audience who came, contributors and guests 'The Woodbees', ticket collectors, and members who 'cleared the stage' for the next rehearsals of 'Impact' coming to MPT in November. Last but not least Rachel Toner for her exquisite Master of Ceremonies talents.

Remember Flash Fiction Armagh on in the Long Meadow Cider brewery 7th Sept as part of the Armagh Food and Cider Festival . Tickets https://armagh-navancentre.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873634928 

Next Open Mic is on 29th September where we continue to give voice to talented poets, writers, musicians, and singers in the homely atmosphere of Abbey Lane Theatre.