Mayo musicians see great success at All-Ireland Fleadh

County Mayo was well represented at last week’s All-Ireland Fleadh with 43 medals returning to the county from the Wexford festival.

There were 15 Mayo winners at the festival, including Castlebar native, Sal Heneghan.

Speaking to The Mayo News, Ms Heneghan said her win in the Fiddle Slow Airs category was ‘a total surprise’.

“I was fourth on the programme, so I was early on in the competition, I got to hear most of it, and I was blown away by all of [the other contestants], they were all amazing, so I was just really ecstatic when I heard the results,” she said.

No stranger to winning medals at the Fleadh, this marked the Mayo woman’s seventh All-Ireland Fleadh medal.

“Every time when it happens you’re just in total shock, you just know everyone who gets to the All-Ireland is at a good level especially in the senior competitions, everyone is a genuine musician and well established. If anything it gets better [every time], you're just amazed that someone thinks you're up there,” she commented.

This year’s All-Ireland Fleadh took place in Wexford last week and drew over 600,000 spectators, as well as pumping an estimated €60 million into the local economy.

Ms Heneghan said her favourite thing about the festival is the atmosphere.

“As I get older it gets better, I mean just the atmosphere, over 500,000 people go to the fleadh, in Mullingar last year and Wexford this year, there’s just such a buzz around the place and music fills the streets. It fills pubs, there's kids busking 24/7 during the week, it’s just really magical to hear all that.”

The seven time medal winner started her musical journey, similar to every Irish child, on the tin whistle.

She explained: “Mom taught me the tin whistle, and I moved on to the fiddle when I was seven. Mom and my sister Kate (Heneghan, former Mayo Rose of Tralee) taught me [the fiddle], and John Kilkenny, and I went on to play the harp when I was about 12.”

Ms Heneghan also plays classical music and began to do so to further her music theory education.

“I always took classical piano and the grades to get music theory, but I started doing classical violin when I was a bit older, around 17, and I studied in Sweden as well for a semester for an Erasmus,” she told The Mayo News.

Although she loves classical music, the 24-year-old admitted she ‘gets more of a buzz’ from playing traditional tunes.

“I genuinely love classical music, but I feel Irish music just can’t be topped in that it’s so social there’s a whole element there that you're always playing with someone, whereas with classical you’re always reading from a sheet, it’s not as freely interoperated and whereas Irish music,” she continued.

Commenting on the great success of Mayo musicians at this year’s All-Ireland Fleadh, Ms Heneghan gushed, and said the county talent has ‘blown [her] away’.

“At the Mayo Fleadh the standard is…it was always high, but it’s actually just phenomenal now. It’s so hard for anyone to get out of Mayo now on any instrument. 

“The standard is just getting better and better and every year for Fleadh winners, they have dinner in the Kiltimagh Park Hotel and last year. There were over sixty medals, and it was just phenomenal to hear everyone, it was just a magical concert that night,” she added.

“I’m sure this year will be the exact same thing, and it’s just a privilege, I can’t believe I get to play with such amazing musicians this year,” concluded Ms Heneghan.

See below the full list of Mayo medalists from this year’s All-Ireland Fleadh.

Mileoidean / Melodeon (18+), 3rd place. Chloe Mc Grath, CCÉ, Cleary/ Coyne, Maigh Eo, 

Tionlacan / Accompaniment (15-18), 1st place. Aoife Sherry, CCÉ, Bofield, Maigh Eo, 

Foinn Mhalla, Fidil / Fiddle Slow Airs (18+), 1st place. Sal Heneghan, CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo, 

Foinn Mhalla, Feadóg Mhór / Flute Slow Airs (u12), 3rd place. Mícheál Mac Éil, CCÉ, Admiral Brown, Maigh Eo, 

Foinn Mhalla, Feadóg Mhór / Flute Slow Airs (15-18), 1st place. Molly Pittendrigh, CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo, 

Foinn Mhalla, Feadóg / Whistle Slow Airs (12-15), 3rd place. Hannah Pittendrigh, CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo, 

Foinn Mhalla, Feadóg / Whistle Slow Airs (15-18), 1st place. Kellie Moran, CCÉ, Bofield, Maigh Eo, 

Foinn Mhalla, Feadóg / Whistle Slow Airs (18+), 1st place. Caoimhe Kilkenny, CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo, 

Foinn Mhalla, Cruit / Harp Slow Airs (u12), 2nd place. Freya Nic Suibhne, CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo, 

Foinn Mhalla, Cruit / Harp Slow Airs (12-15), 3rd place. Bríonna Kelly, CCÉ, Cleary Coyne, Maigh Eo, 

Foinn Mhalla, Cruit / Harp Slow Airs (15-18), 3rd place. Katie Kilkenny, CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo, 

Foinn Mhalla, Cruit / Harp Slow Airs (18+), 2nd place. John Devaney, CCÉ, Sheosamh Mhic Ghabhann, Maigh Eo, 

Bannaí Céilí / Céilí Band (18+), 2nd place. Glór na dTonn, CCÉ, Scoil Acla, Maigh Eo, 

Grúpaí Ceoil / Music group (u12), 3rd place. Rolling Waves, CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo, 

Grúpaí Ceoil / Music group (15-18), 2nd place. Rolling Waves, CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo, 

Amhránaíocht ar an Sean Nós (Mná) / Irish Singing (Ladies) (u12), 3rd place. Nell Ní Mhongáin, CCÉ, Clann Lir, Maigh Eo, 

Amhránaíocht ar an Sean Nós (Mná) / Irish Singing (Ladies) (18+), 3rd place. Cáitriona Ní Thiarnaín, CCÉ, Scoil Acla, Maigh Eo, 

Amhránaíocht ar an Sean Nós (Fir) / Irish Singing (Men) (u12), 2nd place. Fionn Ó hIarbháin, CCÉ, Clann Lir Iorrais, Maigh Eo, 

Amhránaíocht ar an Sean Nós (Fir) / Irish Singing (Men) (12-15), 2nd place. Jamie Ó Ciarán, CCÉ, Clann Lir, Maigh Eo, 

English Singing (Ladies) / Amhráin Bhéarla (Mná) (18+), 2nd place. Emily Rooney, CCÉ, Sheosamh Mhic Ghabhann, Maigh Eo, 

English Singing (Men) / Amhráin Bhéarla (Fir) (15-18), 1st place. Oisin O'Donnell, CCÉ, Bofield, Maigh Eo, 

Feadaíl / Whistling (u12), 2nd place. Gearóid Ó Dubhghaill, CCÉ, Admiral Brown, Maigh Eo, 

Portaireacht / Lilting (15-18), 3rd place. Emma Holmes, CCÉ, Bofield, Maigh Eo, 

Píosaí Ceoil Nuacheaptha / Newly Composed Tunes (Aon Aois/Any Age), 2nd place. Molly Granahan, CCÉ, Admiral Brown, Maigh Eo, 

Feadóg Mhór / Flute (15-18), 1st place. Molly Pittendrigh, CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo, 

Feadóg Mhór / Flute (18+), 2nd place. Conor Maheady, CCÉ, Bofield, Maigh Eo, 

Rince Seit, Measctha / Full Set, Mixed (u12), 3rd place. CCÉ, Cuilmore Newport, Maigh Eo, 

Rince Seit, Measctha / Full Set, Mixed (18+), 3rd place. CCÉ, Cr An Choisdellibhe/Roisin Bn Ui Cheallaigh, Maigh Eo, 

Rince Leathsheit Measctha / Half Set, Mixed (18+), 1st place. CCÉ, Team Fox_Cr An Choisdellibhe/Roisin Bn Ui Cheallaigh, Maigh Eo, 

Rince ar an Sean-Nós / Sean-Nós dancing (15-18), 1st place. Dean O'Toole, CCÉ, Admiral Brown, Maigh Eo, 

Rince ar an Sean-Nós / Sean-Nós dancing  (18+), 2nd place. Seamus de Fréine, CCÉ, Cr An Choisdellibhe/Roisin Bn Ui Cheallaigh, Maigh Eo, 

Comhrá Gaeilge / Irish conversation (u9), 1st place. Eimear de Róiste, CCÉ, Clann Lir Iorrais, Maigh Eo, 

49H Comhrá Gaeilge / Irish conversation (9-11), 2nd place. Muireann Nic Aodhgáin, CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo, 

4B Feadóg / Whistle (12-15), 1st place. Hannah Pittendrigh, CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo, 

4C Feadóg / Whistle (15-18), 1st place. Molly Pittendrigh, CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo, 

6B Consairtín / Concertina (12-15), 1st place. Croídhe Ní Dhochartaigh, CCÉ, Admiral Brown, Maigh Eo, 

6D Consairtín / Concertina (18+), 1st place. Chloe Mc Grath, CCÉ, Cleary/ Coyne, Maigh Eo, 

8A Cruit / Irish Harp (u12), 2nd place. Freya Nic Suibhne, CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo, 

8C Cruit / Irish Harp (15-18), 3rd place. Saoirse Moran, CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo, 

8D Cruit / Irish Harp (18+), 1st place. Hannah Lyons, CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo, 

9B Orgán Béil / Mouth Organ (12-15), 2nd place. Seán Holmes, CCÉ, Admiral Brown, Maigh Eo, 

9D Orgán Béil / Mouth Organ (18+), 3rd place. John Horkan, CCÉ, Michael Davitt, Maigh Eo, 

24A Ceol Trír / Trios (u12), 2nd place. CCÉ, Caisleán an Bharraigh, Maigh Eo - Eva Hynes, Freya Sweeney, Sarah McGrath, Maigh Eo.