Burns Night celebration event

The City Council will host a special event marking the traditional Ulster Scots celebration of Burns Night, on Friday, January 23, at Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin.

Organised by the Community Relations Team, the ‘Not So Serious Burns’ event will include lunch and entertainment celebrating Scottish culture and its links with the city.

Commending the event, Mayor Brenda Stevenson said: “I would encourage everyone to go along to this event to experience some Scottish culture and to find out a bit more about our historic links with Scotland. This will be a really fun event and an opportunity to rediscover some of the many traditions we share with our Scottish neighbours, as well as to enjoy the work of one of our greatest poets.”

Taking place between 10.30am and 12.30pm, the event marks one of the biggest nights in the Scottish calendar and will feature traditional food, dance, music and of course, the poetry of Robbie Burns, with a programme put together by James Kee.

As well as making original compositions, Burns also collected folk songs from across Scotland, often revising or adapting them. His poem (and song) ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is often sung at Hogmanay (the last day of the year), and ‘Scots Wha Hae’ served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of the country.

The event will include lunch and the serving of the traditional food neeps, tatties and of course haggis followed by tea and coffee.

To register or find out more information about this event contact Jenny McClelland on 02871 36515 ext 8225 or email [email protected].

The deadline for individual and group registrations is Friday, January 16 and there is a limit of five members per community group.

This event is delivered through Derry City Council’s Good Relations Strategy with funding from the Community Relations Unit, OFMDFM.