Let's all hoist a pint to the Craic Fest, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with yet another killer bill that is bigger than anything they have staged in the past. Mercury Lounge will host the Craic Fest from March 6-8, with Damien Dempsey, Mr. North, David Kitt and soul chanteuse Laura Izibor among the luminaries performing that night.

For those of you eager to keep your pulse on the up and coming sounds from Ireland's blossoming rock resurgence, you can catch Mundy, Foy Vance, the Bleedin' Bleedins, and many other acts for the super low price of $10 ($15 the day of the show if you don't place your order at Ticketmaster in advance).

You might think that the Craic Fest is just another concert around the Big Green Holiday, and you would be wrong. Since 1998 the organizers have annually presented Irish cinematic and musical culture to the New York City and tri-state region.

The Film Fleadh, in its 10th year, presents Irish films, while the Craic Music Series focuses on bringing over emerging musical acts, as well as featuring Irish American bands. With cutting edge films, a kids' film festival, and this killer musical bill, it is no wonder why they are expecting 10,000 to attend the various Craic Fest events this time around..

For fans of the Pogues, there is an extra treat on closing night as an unflinching, music-driven documentary on Shane MacGowan makes its debut.

If I Should Fall From Grace is produced and directed by Sarah Share, and it provides the first real insight into the background and career of this legendary Irish artist. The film includes contemporary interviews (including a candid Nick Cave on his heroin addiction) interwoven with performance material stretching back to Shane's earliest work along with fly-on-the-wall footage from both London and Ireland.

For more information, log onto thecraicfest.com