For anyone who's interested, The Lewisham Irish Festival kicks off tonight with a concert at The Albany in Deptford, with a cracking concert by veteran Irish trad outfit, Le Cheile.

Details of the Festival's highlights follow:

Saturday 10th March, 8pm. Le Cheile. Albany Centre, Deptford. Traditional music stalwarts reunited for this very special concert. Admission £10/£8 concessions.

Saturday 17th March, 7.30pm. St Patrick's Night Ceili, Lewisham Irish Centre. Dancing to the renowned Ivy Leaf Ceili Band. Admission £10/£8 concessions.

Saturday 24th March, 2.00pm. "From The Hearth". Lewisham Irish Centre. Songs, tunes, recitations, remininscences. Featuring local musicians and singers (plus a few specially invited guests), the afternoon promises to be a gentle, but lively, reminder of our cultural heritage. Admission TBC.

Saturday 24th March, 8.00pm. Dan Beimborn and Kevin Macleod. Lewisham Irish Centre. Dan and Kevin are two of the most highly-regarded traditional mandolinists. Dan's repertoire draws mainly on the Irish tradition; Kevin's repertoire features tunes from both the Scottish and Irish traditions. With special guests, PAddy Gallagher and Ewan MacPherson who will be providing backing for Dan and Kevin respectively. Admission £8/£5 concessions.

Sunday 25th March, 7.30pm. "Celtic Strands". Broadway Theatre, Catford. Gala concert featuring The London Irish Symphony Orchestra; Hungry Grass; country and western singer, Ursula; comedian Patrick O'Connell. Compered by Gerry Molumby. Admission £12.50.

Saturday 31st March, 8pm. Cran. Lewisham Irish Centre. Ronan Browne, Desi Wilkinson and Sean Corcoran will weave their magic and make the closing night concert an event to remember! Admission TBC. (NB Ronan, Desi and Sean will be running workshops on piping, the flute and singing respectively during the afternoon of 31st March. Details remain to be confirmed, but if you'd like to have the opportunity to hone your skills in the company of great musicians, keep a note in your diary!)

Fuller details of the festival programme are available at http://www.lewishamirish.plus.com/festival.htm Keep the link and handy and revisit. Events will be added/updated over time.

Enquiries to Chris Corbett, Manager, Lewisham Irish Centre on 0208 695 6264 or by email manager@lewishamirish.org.uk