Legendary céilí bands will be recalled at Gurteen event
Philip Duffy (second from left) performs with musicians Emer Mayock, John Kilkenny, and Declan Courell, in 2020.
The original launch of the book (with two accompanying music CDs) called ‘On The Night’ in July 2023 tells the story of some of Ireland’s greatest céilí bands and is the subject of a special presentation at Ceoláras Coleman, Gurteen, Co Sligo on Wednesday, January 31st, at 8pm.
The presentation will have a special emphasis on the members of the 1966-winning Glenside Céilí Band, many of whom were from around the Gurteen area. Those musicians included Ted and Tommy McGowan, Eddie and Tommy Corcoran, John P. Carty, Roger Sherlock, Kevin and Michael Burke etc.
Written and presented by Sligo native and well-known fiddle player, Philip Duffy, originally from Tubbercurry, the publication ‘On The Night’ brings to the surface hundreds of musicians behind the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann Senior Céilí Band Competition over a 70-year period from 1951 to 2021.
Over the years, the All-Ireland Senior Céilí Band Competition has become one of the most sought-after accolades in traditional music circles, the winning bands featuring many of the most talented musicians of their generation. And while the names of the successful céilí bands have lived on and are remembered, many of the individual musicians that made up these ensembles have faded from memory, a situation which Philip Duffy sought to address when he began his research for the book in 2016.
“Traditional music lovers would be very familiar with the names of the more famous All-Ireland winning céilí bands such as The Kilfenora, The Tulla, The Liverpool, The Bridge but not so many, however, can recall the individual members of these bands, nor indeed the many other remarkable bands around Ireland and the UK who attained the same highest level of achievement.
“There was a sense that part of my research was a last-ditch attempt to capture an oral history, and so, to honour the individual musicians, I set out to contact and speak with every living member of every All-Ireland winning céilí band at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann between 1951 and 2021, and for the deceased musicians, each of their families was contacted in order to receive, as far as is possible, a first-hand account of that relevant band and the musician themselves."
In total, 38 céilí bands are featured within the book with 408 individual musicians brought to the fore within its 1,000 pages.
The book with its CDs will be available at the presentation of ‘On The Night' by Philip Duffy, on Wednesday, January 31st, at Ceoláras Coleman, Gurteen, Co. Sligo at 8pm.
