Tourism NI has put together a list of 10 exciting things to do in Northern Ireland (May 15 – May 21)

  1. The Faerie Thorn, Co. Armagh, 17 May. The Market Place theatre welcomes back Big Telly Theatre Company. Based on a book by Jane Talbot, ‘The Faerie Thorn’ will recreate Talbot’s dark, imaginative and bewitching tales, propelling the audience into a world of devilish debts, trysts and trades, broken bargains and unjust trails; of magic, quick wittedness, hoodwinking and revenge. Tickets from £11.50 plus £1 per ticket booking fee.
  2. Ulster University Graduate Fashion Show, Belfast, 19 May. Northern Ireland is set for an evening of wonder as the future faces of fashion design to descend upon St Anne’s Cathedral for the highly anticipated Ulster Graduate Fashion Show. The event will showcase the creative and innovative flair of Ulster University’s fashion and textile design students. Tickets £15 and includes a cocktail.
    UUFashionShow
  3. Bushmills Food Tour, Co. Antrim, 19-20 May. This food tour takes you around Bushmills, learning how forward-thinking and innovative the people of this village were, and how much good food is now on offer. Meet outside Bushmills Visitor Information Centre. £40 per person (max 10 people), book at northcoastwalkingtours.com

  4. Performance Reflections on ‘Seeing Things’ by Seamus Heaney, Co. Londonderry, 20 May. Each month, HomePlace invites a leading artist to respond – in whatever way they choose – to one of Seamus Heaney’s celebrated poetry collections. This month, with the focus on Heaney’s 1991 collection, Seeing Things, HomePlace invites one of Ireland’s leading international visual artists, Dorothy Cross to respond to Heaney’s work. Tickets £10.
    HomePlace
  5. Mayor’s Carnival Parade and Family Fun Day, Lisburn, 20 May. Join the fun of the Mayor’s Carnival Parade with a host of international carnival performers, musicians and dancers as hundreds of participants from local schools and community groups take part. The parade leaves the Island Arts Centre at approx. 1pm.
    Carnival
  6. Woodland and Whiskey Tour, Co. Down, 20 May. This coach tour combines a guided walk along new trails in the estate farmland at Mount Stewart with a visit to the recently opened Echlinville Distillery. Tickets £20 from Ards Visitor Information Centre, Newtownards.
    Tartine
  7. Exploring the Cliffs of Magho, Co. Fermanagh, 20 May. A guided walk along the Magho Cliffs pathway, leading from the Shore Road to the Magho viewpoint. The view from the top is arguably one of the best vistas on the island of Ireland and the cliffs are also home to some of the rarest flora and fauna within the Geopark. Free event, booking essential – call Marble Arch Caves on 028 6634 8855.
  8. Belfast Community Gospel Choir at the Grand Opera House, Belfast, 20 May. Join the Belfast Community Gospel Choir for an uplifting evening of joy, music and craic at the Grand Opera House. Hailed as ‘the soul of Belfast’, the choir is known for energetic performances. Gospel classics and modern pop songs sit side-by-side in a show that will have you laughing, move you to tears, get you dancing and fill you with joy. Tickets £16.75 – £24.25.
    GospelChoir
  9. Crusoes Jazz Night with Shawn Jones, Co. Londonderry, 20 May. During jazz nights at Crusoes, patrons can enjoy sourdough breads with dips to start and have a choice of sirloin steak, salmon or a vegetarian option – topped off with Crusoes famous petit fours. £35.
  10. Continental Market, Co. Tyrone. 20-21 May. Cookstown goes continental when the food and flavours, sights and sounds of Europe and beyond come to the town centre for two days. As well as mouth-watering dishes, from freshly made Paella to delicious Bratwurst Sausages, visitors to the market will also be kept entertained with a variety of street entertainment and music. More information at https://www.midulstercouncil.org/market
Laura Caldwell

Author: Laura Caldwell

Hi, I'm Laura. I'm 30 years old and have a degree in Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, jazz, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. I've written for The Big List, Culture NI, Chatterbox and The Echo, as well as writing for BBC Across the Line.