Fleadh Cheoil Mhaigh Eo to make an exciting return to Westport

Fleadh Cheoil Mhaigh Eo will be returning to Westport this May. The traditional music festival will be held in the town on Saturday and Sunday, May 11 and 12.

Performances will be held in competition centres such as The Castlecourt Hotel, and, for the first time, Sacred Heart Secondary School. This year, there are also 'advanced plans' in place to take the tunes out onto the streets, namely a stage in the town's Octagon.

Last year, Westport hosted the Fleadh for the first time in 16 years. It was an outstanding success and saw over 900 competitors, some of whom progressed to the National Fleadh in Mullingar, where 120 medals were taken home to County Mayo. Chairperson of the Fleadh Cheoil Committee, Ann Knowles, said it was great to see young people passionate about music, song, and dance.

Speaking at the official Mayo Fleadh launch in The Wyatt Hotel in Westport on Tuesday evening, Comhaltas County Board Vice-Chairperson Cormac Ó Cionnaith says hosting the event “further promotes and raises the profile of Westport as a venue for all enthusiasts of Irish traditional culture.” Musicians entertained the guests at the launch (see video above).

The boost that the celebrations give to the tourism industry was discussed at the launch, with Ó Cionnaith calling it “great news for the sector and local economy”. As mentioned above, more than 900 people participated in the festival last year, most of whom brought along family, friends, and other supporters.

Ms Knowles reminisced about last year’s festival, calling it a “wonderful weekend” and saying it took “little persuasion” to convince the organisers to host the event again. Looking ahead to this year's plans, she explained ‘Fleadh’ as a festive occasion or banquet, and she says that is exactly “what [they] hope to bring to Westport town” and make it “even better than last year”.

The Comhaltas board thanked local businesses and services, saying they “would not be able to host without [their] support." Gratitude was also shown to the management staff of last year's five main venues: Scoil Phadraig, Westport Town Hall Theatre, Knockranny House Hotel, The Wyatt Hotel, and The Castlecourt Hotel.

The first event in the run up to the festival, the Fleadh concert, will take place at The Castlecourt Hotel on April 21.

See next week's issue of The Mayo News for more on the launch of Fleadh Cheoil Mhaigh Eo 2024.

Sisters Hannah and Molly Pittendrigh from Ballintubber pictured at the launch
of Fleadh Cheoil Mhaigh Eo 2024 in the Wyatt Hotel on Tuesday evening. 

Picture: Conor McKeown