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A huge ‘Irish weekender’ is coming to Piccadilly Gardens for St Patrick’s Day

There'll be huge bars, street food stalls and live music on all weekend

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 10th March 2022

A huge Irish festival is coming to Manchester city centre this month as the city gears up to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.

Piccadilly Gardens will be paying homage to the Emerald Isle with a weekend full of live music and dance, free-flowing Irish stouts, street food and more.

Irish dancers, pipe bands and Irish folk musicians will take to the stage in the middle of the gardens throughout the long weekend, whilst huge bars will have all manner of Irish tipples – from dry Irish stouts and Irish coffees to hot toddies and fine whiskeys.

Free entertainment will be taking place in the gardens from 12-7pm every day throughout the long weekend, promising to get even the most reluctant toe-tappers up and dancing.

The free music and street food event will run from St Patrick’s Day, Thursday 17 March, through to Sunday 20 March on the boardwalk in Piccadilly Gardens.

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Read more: You can get bottomless Guinness and pizza at Crazy Pedro’s this St Patrick’s Day

Whilst Manchester already plays host to an annual community organised city-wide Irish Festival, this new additional event has been put together to help bring a taste of Ireland into the heart of the city centre.

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The event has been funded through the European Regional Development Fund and their Welcome Back Fund, which has provided councils across the country with a share of £56 million to support the safe return to high streets and help build back better from the pandemic. 

Councillor Pat Karney, city centre lead for Manchester City Council, said: “We all know that if you can’t be in the Emerald Isle itself then Manchester is the next best place to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. 

“We also know that one day alone isn’t nearly long enough to celebrate all that’s great about Ireland and its unique cultural heritage of music and dance – which is why we’ve put together the weekender event to share the love over four days and give everyone a chance to enjoy the craic.   

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“It’s brilliant to see so many people already coming back into the city centre to enjoy what it has to offer, and the Manchester Irish Weekender gives another good reason to come into town.  It’s going to be fantastic, so find a shamrock, wear something green, and come on down!” 

What else is happening in Manchester for St Patrick’s Day?

Other events to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Manchester include the annual parade organised by the Irish World Heritage Centre in Cheetham Hill which takes place this Sunday 13 March, and the Manchester Irish Festival which has events throughout the month up to 20 March. 

This weekend’s parade will start from the Irish World Heritage Centre on Queen’s Road in
Cheetham Hill at 12 noon on Sunday and will follow a route down Cheetham Hill Road as far as the AO Arena before turning round and following the same route back to where it started.   

Highlights of the Manchester Irish Festival include the award-winning Fianna Phadraig Pipe band who are coming up to their 75th anniversary and will be taking the festival on tour with visits to different locations across the city throughout this weekend, before touring Levenshulme, Burnage, and Fallowfield on St Patrick’s Day itself.

Feature image – Twitter

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Arrest made after 14-year-old boy found in critical condition on Market Street

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Arrest made after 14-year-old boy found in critical condition on Market Street

An arrest has been made after a teenage boy was found unresponsive on Market Street in Manchester city centre.

Detectives believe that the boy, 14, was approached by seven males who stole a designer jacket from him.

Following the altercation, he went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

Thankfully, the teenager is continuing to recover well.

Detectives from Manchester City Centre Criminal Investigation Department confirmed that an 18-year-old male was arrested yesterday, Thursday 20 February.

He has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remains in police custody.

Detective Inspector Mark Astbury of GMP’s City Centre Criminal Investigation Department, said: “We hope the victim can continue his recovery following what must have been a terrifying ordeal for him.

“Officers are fully investigating all aspects of this shocking incident that has left a man with serious injuries in hospital.

“Our work doesn’t stop here, we are continuing to investigate this incident and information from the public plays an incredibly important role in our investigations and I ask that the community keep talking to us and keep sharing their concerns with us so our teams can act.”

If you have any information, contact GMP 101 or 0161 856 4305 quoting log 2854 of 16/2/25.

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Featured image: Google Maps

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Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Trials are currently underway to see if comedy could be an alternative to antidepressants as a way to reduce NHS costs.

UK tech company Craic Health has secured important funding for its ‘comedy on prescription’ project that’s aimed at helping the Government work with the comedy industry, communities, and organisations on comedy-based social prescriptions in the hope that they can solve financial struggles within the NHS.

The groundbreaking scheme uses stand-up shows and workshops to help people who are isolated, lonely, and vulnerable.

Craic believes comedy is an ‘untapped opportunity’ to improve health and wellbeing, and has a goal to make comedy easier to access, so that it can help communities experience its mental health and social benefits.

To achieve this, the company has started trialling Comedy-on-Prescription experiences in the UK – starting in London, with the potential for expansion – which includes things like curated comedy panel game show events and workshops, and general stand-up comedy shows at some of the capital’s world-famous venues.

Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials / Credit: Wikimedia Commons

“Mental health issues like loneliness, isolation, and stress are more common than ever,” the company explains.

“So much so that it’s projected that by 2030, mental health problems, particularly depression, will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally, [but] in this challenging world, comedy stands out as a universal language that breaks barriers.

“Research shows that comedy and laughter have powerful effects – they bring people together, create positive connections, and make life more enjoyable.”

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Craic Health says that social prescribing, of which Comedy-on-Prescription is a part of, is all about inclusivity, which makes it making it suitable for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

Its focus is on personalised support, tailored to individual needs and preferences.

Featured Image – Laughterama (Supplied)

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