Festical Venues, Schedule & Tickets

Wednesday March 11

Sionnaine Irish Dance Academy
8:30 PM

Murphy’s Lágh
9:00 PM

Sionnaine Irish Dance Academy & Murphy’s Lágh

This is Doolin’s UnOfficial CelticFest kick-off, and it launches with traditional and modern Irish dance from a talented troupe of young performers from the Sionnaine Irish Dance Academy.

Then it’s Murphy’s Lágh, with leader and Northern Ireland native Damian Brennan (vocals, guitar, tin whistle, bodhran), Shamma Sabir (vocals, fiddle), Mike "Magno" Magnusson (drums) and Cory Curtis (bass guitar). Together these four are a high-energy band that delivers Celtic and Irish pub favourites along with laugh-out-loud onstage routines.

Doolin's Irish Pub
654 Nelson St. @ Granville

Thursday March 12
9:00 PM

Halifax Wharf Rats

The Halifax Wharf Rats could be called the quintessential Celtic party band. Brian Flanagan, along with Michelle Carlisle, Rick Chapman and Tim Renaud put on a fun, Maritime-style show that makes you want to invite them to every ceili, and hear them again and again!

Doolin’s Irish Pub
654 Nelson St.@ Granville

Friday March 13
4:30 PM

Mark Downey

Vancouver favourite Mark Downey is a native of County Meath, Ireland. His solo show showcases his vocal, guitar and bodhran talents as he travels through the diverse landscape of Irish songs, from popular to little-known, ancient to modern, framed in his engaging banter and storytelling.

Doolin's Irish Pub
654 Nelson St. @ Granville

Saturday March 14
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Battle of the Bards - A Literary Pub Crawl and Grand Finale

Three cheers! The Battle of the Bards is back for 2009, whisking you along on a flying tour of Granville Street’s best Irish pubs.

Dynamic spoken word artists Sean McGarragle, Duncan Shields and Warren Dean Fulton channel W.B. Yeats, Oscar Wilde and Robbie Burns respectively as they duke it out to be crowned “top bard” in an on-the-move poetry slam-style contest, judged by members of the audience in each venue.

The crawl culminates at The Cellar, where the bards will do final “battle” with Vancouver’s first official poet laureate George McWhirter presiding over the event. Expect plenty of artistic license as the performers offer their own hilarious perspectives on the masters with the help of improv fiddler Caitlan Read.

Who will be this year’s “top bard”? Why don’t you be the judge!

Pub Crawl
Round 1 - 2:00 PM @ Doolin's Irish Pub
Round 2 – 2:45 PM @ Ceili’s Irish Pub
Round 3 – 3:30 PM @ Johnnie Fox's Irish Snug
No admission charge @ Pub Crawl venues

Open Mic & Finale Event
The Cellar, 1006 Granville St. @ Nelson
4:25 PM to 6:00 PM

FREE










$5.00 at the door for Open Mic & Finale

Sunday March 15
12:00 Noon

Murphy’s Lágh

Murphy’s Lágh, with leader and Northern Ireland native Damian Brennan (vocals, guitar, tin whistle, bodhran), Shamma Sabir (vocals, fiddle), Mike "Magno" Magnusson (drums) and Cory Curtis (bass guitar). Together these four are a high-energy band that delivers Celtic and Irish pub favourites along with laugh-out-loud onstage routines.

Doolin's Irish Pub
654 Nelson St. @ Granville

Sunday March 15
6:00 PM

Copper Sky

Talented all-rounders on the Vancouver music scene, multi-instrumentalist and singer Paul Evenden, Jennie Bice (vocals, fiddle) and Ernie Higgins (vocals, guitar, mandolin, bohdran) decided to pool their talents in 2002 and create a dynamic new trio. Ever since, Copper Sky has been pleasing audiences all around the Lower Mainland with their lively Maritime and Celtic-style music and more recently with their CD, ‘One for the Morning Glory’.

Doolin's Irish Pub
654 Nelson St.@ Granville