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You are > Home > Fleadh Cheoil Chonnachta in Tubbercurry
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Wednesday, July 04, 2001
Fleadh Cheoil Chonnachta in Tubbercurry
Traditional music lovers from around the country will converge on Tubbercurry next weekend, 6th to 8th July, for the Connacht Fleadh Cheoil. The Tubbercurry branch is delighted to be chosen as hosts for this year's event, which coincides with the 50th anniversary celebrations of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann. The branch, which was revived in 1990, have organised three County Fleadhanna in 1991, 1992 and 1997 and an extremely successful Connacht Fleadh in 1996.
South Sligo is of course an area that is steeped in traditional Irish music and song and over the years the area has been fortunate to be the home of many talented musicians. The South Sligo Summer School celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. This festival of music will be held from July 15th to 21st and has become known to musicians all over the world. It is because of such traditions that the town of Tubbercurry, in South Sligo, seems the perfect place to host this year's Fleadh Chonnachta.
The weekend celebrations commence on Friday evening at 8.30pm in St. Brigid's hall with the official opening of the fleadh by Senator Labhrßs O'Murchu the Director General of the C.C.E. This will be followed by a tribute concert to the renowned flute and fiddle player Peter Horan. This will be an opportunity to listen and play with one of the great Sligo musicians who played at fleadhs and feishanna long before Comhaltas was founded.
Peter was born in Killavil, Co. Sligo, in 1926. His mother, Margaret, an excellent fiddle and melodeon player, taught Peter the tin-whistle from an early age. Peter won his first medal at a feis in Gurteen in 1939 playing on a borrowed flute. After Comhaltas was founded in 1951 Peter competed and won awards at All Ireland fleadhs throughout the country. Over the years he has played both flute and fiddle with many Ceili Bands and was recorded many times for radio and television programmes.
On Saturday, 7th, competitions start at 10am in the Marist Convent and there will be live music on the gig rig in the afternoon. Pub sessions usually start in the early afternoon continuing to the early hours. The day's entertainment will come to an end with a ceili in St Brigid's hall with the Matt Cummingham Ceili Band.
On Sunday, 8th, competitions start at 10.30am and finish with the Grupai Cheoil and Ceili band competitions in the late afternoon. All counties in the Province have bands competing and this year Sligo is fortunate to have 3 senior ceili bands competing - Colemans Cross, Inisfree and The Shannon Breeze. The band competition is regarded by many as the high light of the fleadh and always plays to a full house. Great credit is due to band members who put bands and grupai cheoil together and spend long hours practising to make the fleadh a success. On Sunday afternoon, there will be an open-air ceili with The Swallows Tail Band. The closing ceili takes place in St Brigid's hall at 10.30pm with The Swallow's Tail Ceili Band.
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