Flyin' the Fleadh in Ballina

The Connacht Fleadh and inaugural Community Fleadh – or Fleadh an Phobail – kicked off in style last Friday evening in Ballina, with Irish traditional music and more enlivening a host of different venues around the North Mayo capital.
The heart of the fleadh – the competitions – take place this Saturday and Sunday, July 1 and 2, after Dr Labhrás Ó Murchú, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Ardstiúrthóir, officially launches the Fleadh at 7.30pm this Friday, June 30, in Ballina Arts Centre.
The weekend also featured a lively performance in Ballina Arts Centre by Máirtín O‘Connor, Cathal Hayden and Seamie O’Dowd, as well as the Mayo Teenage Trad Ensemble. Sunday was ‘uillean pipe day’, with workshops and a talk on the most-Irish of instruments – and of course a performance – taking place in the Merry Monk. And there’s plenty more to come in the run-up to the weekend and throughout.

What’s on
The weeklong series of events features a whole range of traditional events, including music sessions, Irish-language meet-ups, a Croagh Patrick climb, GAA matches, a Macra na Feirme quiz night and a singing club.
Tomorrow (Wednesday), Ballina Library will host ceol agus amhránaíocht le páisti ó Gaelscoil na gCeithre Maol, while a the Merry Monk will host step dancing workshop with Noel Devery. Éamonn Ceannt’s set of uilleann pipes will be on display at the Jackie Clarke Collection until Thursday, and his grandniece Mary Gallagher will deliver the Éamonn Ceannt Lecture at the same venue tommorrow evening at 7pm. Then it’s back to the Merry Monk, where acclaimed box player PJ Hernon will launch his latest CD and local trad musicians will join forces with special guests Paddy Tighe and Darren Regan for a music session.
Harp master classes will take place in Ballina Arts Centre on Thursday morning, followed by a recital with Bríd Harper and Dermot Byrne. The pair will also be on hand later that night to host a tribute night in memory of musicians who recently passed away, including Peter Gallagher (accordion), Mick Shannon (fiddle), Michael McCarrick (guitar) and John Cosgrove (accordion/guitar, singer).
Friday’s daytime event, a field trip to the Céide Fields, will be followed by the official opening in Ballina Arts Centre, then a Killala Bay Folk Club session in the Arkle Lounge, Rouse’s Bar.
While the competitions will dominate the rest of the weekend’s events, attendees can also enjoy a musical instrument showcase in St Mary’s Secondary School, a historical tour of Ballina with Terry Reilly, a ‘pop up Gaeltacht’ on Market Square, a céilí, a busking competition, an introduction to rowing, a handball match, set and sean-nós dancing, a fly casting demo on the River Moy or a wood turning demonstration in the Fleadh ‘Gig Rig and Marquee’ on Market Square. There’ll even be a boxty and potato-cake making demonstration with Marjorie Morrow from the weekly cookery page in Ireland’s Own magazine. And of course lots and lots of musical showcases.

‘Forever fresh’
CCÉ DG Dr O’Murchú is spending five days in Ballina to over-see this inaugural community Fleadh taking shape. Members of the Árd Comhairle from Comhaltas HQ in Dublin, who awarded the new community Fleadh to Ballina as a pilot scheme, are also travelling to Ballina to liaise with the local Fleadh committee, County Board and Connacht Council of Comhaltas throughout the week and identify ways in which the community Fleadh can be developed and further enhanced. With the success of this inaugural Fleadh an Phobail will ultimately deciding the event’s future, everyone is pulling out the stops to ensure it goes off without a hitch.
“This Provincial Fleadh will be Fleadh an Phobail – a community celebration,” O’Murchú explained. “All organisations in the community will have the opportunity to be part of this celebration of who we are as a people – a sense of place, nation and tradition. The local meitheal of volunteers have given of their time and talents to deliver this shopwindow of Irish cultural traditions.”
The CCÉ DG went on to reflect on the festival’s origins. “As we rejoice in the popularity of Irish traditional music worldwide today – Comhaltas now operates in 21 countries – it is perhaps timely to recall the deeds and the vision of those who sowed and cultivated the seed for this bountiful harvest. These are the men and the women who composed, played and passed on our musical heritage from generation to generation. Their enthusiasm inspired and guided many young virtuosos who in turn put their own unique stamp on an ancient music which is ever fresh and vibrant.”
Dr O’Murchú also wished the competitors ‘the very best of luck as they pace each on the road to excellence’. “Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí,” he said, adding: “We hope to meet them at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann next August.”
The national Fleadh Cheol continues to draw huge crowds, with half a million people attending last year’s event in Mullingar.

• For a full programme of events and booking details, visit www.connachtfleadh.ie.