Abbey Lane Theatre June Open Mic Night 
June's Open Mic Night at Abby Lane Theatre brought back our headliners, Liam Niall and Matthew of The Hughes Family Music, by popular demand. They opened the evening with "Spancil Hill" and "The Hills of Granemore," among others. Setting the tone for what would be a night filled with local talent.
Malachi Kelly took the stage with a selection of poems about Armagh, weaving in reflections on the war in Ukraine and how the years continue to pass. John Henderson followed with poetry inspired by our recent wet weather, also touching on current tensions between East and West. Tim Hannah brought humour to the mic as he looked back on the journey of our Open Mic nights over the past decade.
Mark Brownlee offered two historical perspectives through his poetry, covering both the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme. Joseph Conlon had the audience laughing as he explored oxymorons through the lens of Facebook forums. Harry Perrin shared his story "People Say Weird Things," leaving everyone pondering whether it's better to be a puncher or a liar.
Matthew Toner gave us a preview of his audio series "Mottul and the Snake," reading from Chapters 1 and 2. Frances Lavery got the whole room singing with her performance of "Belfast Mill," while Barry McKee highlighted deforestation through a selection of paintings that will be featured in an upcoming exhibition.
Theo Stinson kept the energy lit with his rendition of "The Spaniard That Blighted My Life."
Open Mic regular Dymphna Ferron delivered her trademark yarns before moving the audience with a poem about her father.
The Shambles, a exciting new young group, treated everyone to their redition of Dubliner's 'I'm the Lord's Disciple'
The Hughes Family Band returned to close out the evening with their final set.
Another night of diverse voices and talents coming together in our community space. 
We look forward to welcoming you back on 1st August to our Open Mic in association with The John Hewitt International Summer School, with the great spoken word poet, Colin Hassard.