Name: Festival Opening Night
Start: 2025-10-17T19:00:00+01:00
Location: Tyneside Irish Centre, 41 - 43 Gallowgate

We begin the 2025 Tyneside Irish Festival with a special evening of reflection, music, and celebration. The night opens with a screening of a documentary originally produced for Tyne Tees Television by Heather Ging, capturing the atmosphere and community spirit of our second-ever festival in 1988. The film features appearances by Tim Healy and many familiar faces from the Irish Centre, offering a rare and heartfelt glimpse into the early days of what has become one of the North East’s most cherished cultural events.
Founded in 1987 by Tony Corcoran, who still serves as Festival Director, the Tyneside Irish Festival has grown from a weekend gathering into a week-long celebration of Irish heritage, music, and identity. This opening night honours that legacy while setting the tone for the week ahead. The first Tyneside Irish Festival was held as part of an effort among the diaspora to connect constructively with the broader Tyneside population. ‘We were trying to reach out and make connections with the wider community’, Tony Corcoran remembers. ‘There was a lot of anti-Irish feeling at the time, which was not surprising because there was a war going on’.

Following the screening, the evening continues with live traditional music, good craic, and a warm welcome for all. Whether you're a long-time supporter or a first-time visitor, join us in raising a glass—perhaps even a drop of poitín—to kick off the festival in true Irish style.
Tickets are free but limited so please apply to the office or via Eventbrite as soon as possible.