Young Dunloy musician to star in new trad show dubbed 'Belfast's answer to Riverdance'

Celtic Heart is a brand new production commissioned specially by the Waterfront Hall. It celebrates Belfast’s unique cultural story through traditional music, song, Irish dancing and story-telling.

Coined as “Belfast’s answer to Riverdance” the show aims to capture the energy of the trad music scene that every visitor hopes to find in a Belfast pub. It will run from April to September, offering visitors to the city an off-the-shelf local cultural experience, performed by some of Northern Ireland’s top trad music talent.

One of those performers is Lasairfhíona Nic Ruairí, who will be playing the fiddle and the harp. With a strong foundation across multiple instruments, she brings a rich blend of classical training and traditional Irish music to the production.

The 20-year-old from Dunloy first began playing the tin whistle and fiddle in primary school, initially training in classical violin before later transitioning to the trad scene. After reaching Grade 7 in classical violin, she chose to focus more fully on traditional music, where she found greater creative freedom in interpretation and ornamentation.

Her talent has already been recognised on a national stage, having won the All-Ireland slow air competition on tin whistle two years ago at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. She also took up the 36-string harp in her first year of secondary school and has now been playing for nine years, adding another layer to her musical versatility.

Celtic Heart has been created by the award-winning team at The Music Yard and local scriptwriter, Colin Urwin.

Colin Urwin’s narrative, set in early 1900’s industrial working class Belfast, tells a story of forbidden love, as two traditions collide, and a young woman struggles to follow her heart without defying family expectations. It combines history, Belfast humour and a sprinkling of local folklore.

The tale unfolds as a father reflects on his life from a quiet kitchen table, while his memories come alive through the music, and a breathtaking display of jigs and reels from champion Irish dancers. Fiddles, pipes, guitar, banjo, harp and bodhran combine with hauntingly beautiful Irish ballads and well-known pub favourites for the full live trad music experience.

For Lasairfhíona, the show represents a major milestone in her musical journey. She said: “This is my first time being part of something on this scale, a proper production on a big stage.

"Even just developing myself as a performer and building that identity as someone who plays music is a huge step.

"We’re also learning a lot from each other, building relationships as musicians. There’s a real need to communicate and read each other well on stage, and that’s been a really valuable skill to develop.”

Tickets for the 21-show Celtic Heart run are now on sale from the Waterfront Hall with performances scheduled throughout the spring and summer. Check out https://www.waterfront.co.uk/celtic-heart