Ballina targeting All Ireland Fleadh as Connacht Fleadh features on TV

A special programme on the 2023 Connacht Fleadh in Ballina will be broadcast on television on Thursday evening as the town sets its sights on a bid to host the All-Ireland Fleadh.

The episode will feature musicians ,singers, dancers from all over the West of Ireland who travelled to Ballina last summer in the hope of winning Connaught Titles.

The TV programme will be presented by Henry McGlade on Thursday Jan 25, 2024 at 7pm on Sky Channel 186.

The Connacht Council of Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann (CCÉ) awarded the 2023 Connacht Fleadh to Ballina to coincide with the 300th centenary of the town.

The Moy Valley and Bofield branches of Comhaltas joined forces to stage the event which was held from June 23 to July 2 last year.

Around 2,000 competitors competed in the Fleadh competitions in St Mary’s Secondary school in a bid to qualify for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann - the All-Ireland Fleadh in Mullingar.

In addition to the competitions, a major Fleadh street programme of events took place in the centre of the town during the week leading into the Fleadh, which included workshops, céilíthe, street entertainment and pub sessions.

Ballina became the central focus of celebrations of Irish music and dance for a whole week.

The Connacht Fleadh and community Fleadh in Ballina was an opportunity to showcase the best of traditional music in the west and promote the tradition amongst young people and foster pride of culture and place and be a major cultural tourism attraction.

The Bonniconlon Drama Society performed a pageant in the Jackie Clarke Museum, based on the Great Famine in Bofield, as performed at the opening of the Hunger Museum in Manhattan in 2002.

Mary Gallagher, grandniece of Éamonn Ceannt, one of the leaders of the Easter 1916 rising gave a lecture on his life and commitment to the Irish tradition and to playing his Uilllean pipes.

The Jackie Clarke Collection secured the loan of the 1916 leaders pipes from the Curragh Military Museum and were was on display during the week of the Fleadh.

Uilleann piper Eamonn Walsh gave a rendition on Ceannt’s historical set of pipes which dates back to 1830.

John McDonnell Chairman of the Connacht Fleadh committee thanked Anne Marie Forbes Curator of the Jackie Clarke Collection for hosting the Eamonn Ceannt event.

He paid tribute to the many Fleadh sponsors, volunteers, local organisations, and individuals who worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the Connacht Fleadh in Ballina.

Mr McDonnell said the event was a huge success and it drew crowds from all over Ireland throughout the week including overseas visitors from San Francisco, New York and Philadelphia.

The 2024 Connacht Fleadh will be hosted in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon.

PRO, Eamonn Walsh said the recent Connacht Fleadh in Ballina is a stepping stone to another All-Ireland Fleadh for the town and county and he has paid tribute to Mayo County Council for their financial support down through the years.

“Without the financial support of Mayo County Council, there would never be a Fleadh in the county," he added.

Dr Labhrás O’Murchú former Senator and Director General of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann described the Connacht Fleadh in Ballina as the finest provincial Fleadh he has ever attended and he insisted “Ballina ticks all the boxes for an All-Ireland Fleadh".

It is understood Ballina is targeting the hosting of the 2027-2028 All Ireland Fleadh.

The All-Ireland Fleadh attracts over 500,000 visitors and generates in the region of €60 million to the local economy.

A meeting is set to take place between local Comhaltas groups, Mayo County Council and various organisations in Ballina in the coming weeks to discuss the feasibility of staging the mammoth event.

It is expected Knock Airport would also benefit hugely from the thousands of visitors to the Fleadh.