Fleadh Cheoil na hIarmhí 2012 - Discover Ireland

Press Release
Fleadh Cheoil na hIarmhí 2012
Ballymore Comhaltas 1987 - 2012
Fleadh Cheoil na hIarmhí (Westmeath County Fleadh) is being hosted by Ballymore Branch of
Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann on the June Bank Holiday 2012. This will be the second time the Branch
has hosted the Fleadh, after its successful hosting of its first ever County Fleadh last year.
Once again, the Fleadh promises a wide variety of entertainment, competitions and sessions in this,
the highlight of the Traditional Music calender in County Westmeath. It is a great honour for our
branch to be selected to host the Fleadh again this year, and we hope to capitalise on the success of
last years event.
The following is the main programme of events for the weekend:
Friday 1 st June:
Set & Figure Dancing Competitions,
Ballymore Community Centre. Commencing 7.30pm
Saturday 2 nd June:
Fleadh Charity Concert and Sean Nós Dancing Competitions,
Ballymore Community Centre, Commencing 8pm
The night will open with the Sean Nós Dancing Competitions for all age groups, followed by our
Fleadh Concert which will commemorate the 25 th Anniversary of Ballymore Comhaltas. The Concert
will incorporate a Sean Nós Dancing MasterClass given by All-Ireland Champion and All-Ireland
Talent Show Runner-up Emma O’Sullivan (Connemara). The Concert will feature musicians, singers,
dancers and storyteller from the recent Comhaltas Tour of North America including Conor Moriarty,
All-Ireland Accordion & Melodian Champion (Kerry), Rhona Lynch, Fiddler of Dooney Champion
(Offaly) and Breda Shannon, All-Ireland Concertina Champion (Roscommon). We will also have a
host of local artists portraying the rich tradition of Westmeath music and dancing.
The Proceeds on the night will go to South Westmeath Hospice and St. Vincent de Paul.
Sunday 3 rd June:
Fleadh Mass
Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, Ballymore
Commencing 11.30am
This special mass will be in memory of the deceased members of Ballymore Comhaltas, and will
commemorate the 25 th Anniversary of our Branch.
Music, Singing & Comhrá Gaeilge Competitions
Scoil Eoin Naofa, Ballymore
Commencing 1.30pm
All competitions are open to the public to come in and enjoy the music, singing and dancing on offer,
with a small fee payable.

Session Trail:
As a result of its success last year, we will be running our Fleadh Session Trail, where we have
organised a Fleadh Session to take place in pubs in the village, throughout the weekend. This years
Session Trail will be as follows:-
Thursday 31 st May:
Friday 1 st June:
Saturday 2 nd June:
Sunday 3 rd June:
Cassells
Rooney’s
Village Inn
Cunninghams
As with last year, Ballymore Comhaltas will be organising a session group on each night, with the
publicans supplying food for all patrons. All musicians, singers, dancers will be welcome to join in
each night.
Competition Information
Competitors in the Music, Singing, Comhrá Gaeilge and Set & Figure Dancing Competitions will take
part in Fleadh Cheoil na hIarmhí, with the hopes of making it through to the Leinster Fleadh which is
being held in Enniscorthy on 12-15 July, with some making it to the All-Ireland Fleadh in Cavan on
17-19 August 2012.
For all Music, Singing, Dancing and Comhrá Gaeilge Competitions, competitors must fill out an entry
form and post it to the Fleadh Secretary, Padraic Keena (44 Cois na hAbhainn, Station Road, Moate,
Co. Westmeath), no later than Friday 18 May 2012, i.e. 2 weeks before the Fleadh. Entry Forms can
be downloaded from the Comhaltas Website (www.comhaltas.ie or Google: “Fleadh Entry Form”) or
can be obtained from any of the committee.
Along with the usual competitions, we will also have special competitions for U10 Fiddle and U10
Whistle. These competitions are specially for beginners in Fiddle and Whistle and all competitors will
receive a Certificate for taking part. The winners will not go through to Leinster, but the competitors
are free to take part in the normal U12 Competitions as well, provided they have entered in advance
in the usual way.
Sean Nós Dancing
In a change to last year, due to the popularity of the Sean Nós Competition, we are requesting that
all competitors fill out the same Fleadh Entry form as for the Music Competitions and send it with
their entry fee to the Fleadh Secretary. There is a standard entry fee for the Sean Nós Dancing
Competitions for all ages: €2 for Members, €5 for non-members of Comhaltas. Age groups will be
the same as the music competitions, i.e. Under 12, 12-15, 15-18 and Over 18. No late entries will be
taken on the night. This is a special competition in that winners will not go forward to Leinster or All-
Ireland Competitions, but dancers can apply in advance to take part in those competitions.
The moving of the Sean Nós Dancing Competitions to Saturday Night, and to its new venue of
Ballymore Community Centre, reflects the popularity of this ancient dance art form in Westmeath at
this present time.

An Gaeilge
Comhaltas has designated 2012 as Bliain na Gaeilge an Chomhaltais, reflecting Comhaltas Ceoltóirí
Éireann’s specific commitment to the Irish Language. With this in mind, we are urging all primary
schools pupils in the county to consider taking part in the Comhrá Gaeilge competition. Full Details
will be made available on our facebook page in the coming weeks:
www.facebook.com/BallymoreComhaltas
Set & Figure Dancing Competition
Full Details of the Set Dancing and Figure Dancing Competitions will be made available on our
Facebook page also.
Fleadh Art Competition
As with last year, we will be holding our special Fleadh Art Competition, open to all Primary Schools
pupils in the County. All details will be posted out to schools during the week ending 20th April. This
years theme is “I Love the Fleadh Because…” Like last year, a selection of the entries will be on show
at the competition venues, the winners in each category will receive Art Supply vouchers and have
their entry featured in the souvenir programme, and the overall winner will have their entry
featured on the first page of the programme.
Seisiún na nÓg – Youth Session
Ballymore Comhaltas, in conjunction with Westmeath County Board, will be hosting Seisiún na nÓg
on the Sunday before the Fleadh weekend, i.e. Sunday 27 th May 2012, at 3pm in Ballymore
Community Centre. This is a chance for all young musicians, and beginners of any age, to take part
from all over County Westmeath, and to join with other musicians of the similar age and ability, in a
relaxed and informal atmosphere.
Ballymore Comhaltas would like to sincerely thank all those who helped with/contributed to our
fundraising efforts over the past few months, to Ballymore Community Centre and the Board of
Management of Scoil Eoin Naofa for the use of their premises for the Fleadh, and to Westmeath
County Board of Comhaltas and the other branches throughout the county for their continued
support.
We look forward to a very successful Fleadh Cheoil na hIarmhí 2012, and hope that it will be enjoyed
by all who visit Ballymore over the weekend.
Colette Glynn, PRO, Ballymore Comhaltas - 087 647 3277 coglynn@eircom.net
Padraic Keena, Chairmain, Ballymore Comhaltas – 087 647 1279 padraickeena@gmail.com