Mayor shows off his cool moves with the kids at Rushmere's 40th birthday party

Slipping effortlessly between John Travolta in Grease and Michael Jackson, our Mayor Garath Keating has proved he really is the '˜Lord of the Dance'.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Sep 2016, 16:27 BST
Updated 5th Sep 2016, 18:31 BST
Rushmere Shopping Centre celebrate 40 years of trading this year. The Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon Borough Council, Garath Keating, went along to celebrate with them. Picture: Philip Magowan.Rushmere Shopping Centre celebrate 40 years of trading this year. The Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon Borough Council, Garath Keating, went along to celebrate with them. Picture: Philip Magowan.
Rushmere Shopping Centre celebrate 40 years of trading this year. The Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon Borough Council, Garath Keating, went along to celebrate with them. Picture: Philip Magowan.

Celebrating Rushmere’s 40th birthday the coolest mayor in the country stepped out of a 1970s VW Karman Ghia wearing full ‘70s gear and into a dance fest at the popular Craigavon shopping centre.

And within a day the video netted almost 40,000 views.

Shot on location at the centre, it shows Garath’s dramatic entrance taking the viewers on journey through the decades til the modern day with the help of local dance troupes from FADD, Pamela Cassells School of Performance, Kirstie Toman Dance Crew and Miss Mac Dance Studio. Many of the centres retailers were also keen to get involved and show off their dance skills, including several members of the security team who can be spotted strutting their stuff in several of the shots.

Rushmere Shopping Centre celebrate 40 years of trading this year. The Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon Borough Council, Garath Keating, went along to celebrate with them. Picture: Philip Magowan.Rushmere Shopping Centre celebrate 40 years of trading this year. The Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon Borough Council, Garath Keating, went along to celebrate with them. Picture: Philip Magowan.
Rushmere Shopping Centre celebrate 40 years of trading this year. The Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon Borough Council, Garath Keating, went along to celebrate with them. Picture: Philip Magowan.
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Lord Mayor Cllr Garath Keating, said: “Rushmere is an important part of the local community which creates hundreds of jobs, and brings visitors to the area. It was a fantastic day of filming and whilst my dance moves may not be ready for Strictly, I learnt a lot from the amazing young performers from the borough’s local dance schools who really helped me get into character. I hope viewers enjoy the video as much as I enjoyed being part of it.”

Centre Manager Martin Walsh, said, “This video really captures the fun and sense of community which exists at Rushmere and the excitement around the anniversary celebrations. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of the Lord Mayor who took everyone by surprise with his impressive dance moves, as well as the talented local dancers and our fantastic retailers and customer service staff who all helped make the video so much fun.”

To mark its 40th birthday, Rushmere has planned a series of free events starting on Friday 23rd September with Cool FM broadcasting live from the centre between 1pm and 4pm with a chance for one lucky customer to win a fantastic £1,000 Rushmere gift card. Followed by Rushmere’s very own “Singing Security Guard” John Carberry.

Later that evening, 3,000 people will enjoy an outdoor concert by renowned band “The Illegals” featuring Niamh Kavanagh, performing well known songs by legendary American rock band The Eagles. Gates open at 6pm sharp with the band on stage from 7pm.

Tickets for the outdoor concert are free of charge but must be collected at the customer service desk in advance.

Related topics:RushmereMayor