Íoslódáil (PDF) - Comhaltas Archive

Sloth na nOg:
The musical hope of youth
Listowel has become synonymous
with Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann,
hosting the event for a record 14 th
occasion this year. The 'Fleadh Capital'
of Ireland has given millions of people
unique musical memories and 2002
was no exception. Many would say
'the greatest of all time' but whatever
the verdict it is generally
acknowledged that this year's Fleadh
had some extra special ingredients
which permeated the mammoth
cultural extravaganza.
Michael Dowling, who has chaired 13
of Listowel's Fleadhanna, and Marie
O 'Gorman, the secretarial power
house, with their diligent committee
oversaw 10 days of unrivalled
musicmaking. From the opening notes
of the Scoil Eigse - 'a Fleadh within a
Fleadh' - to the tWilight notes 10 (or
I I or 12!) days later Listowel hit all
the right notes for a cultural feast.
There is nothing like it in the world!
10,000 performers and almost a
quarter of a million people in a town
with a population of less than 4,000 is
phenomenal by any standards. This
great family festival was noted for
excellence in culture, courtesy and
hospitality.
Competitions par excellence; vibrant
and varied sessions; dancing at the
drop of a hat; spectacles of cultural
richness; songs of celebration; all
these intermingled with the native
tongue gave us the essence of the
traditional renaissance which has been
witnessed over the last 50 years.
The Fleadh personifies voluntary
service and dedicated commitment -
the hundreds of people who give of
their time and talents to make the
Fleadh a source of national pride on
the world stage. It is also a
shopwindow of our traditional living
treasures as taught, practised and
appreciated year in and year out.
We salute Listowel once more on
their outstanding achievement - the
committee and the community
opened their hearts and their homes
to the visitors from all over the
world. They have earned an unrivalled
place in our cultural folklore and the
nation surely owes them a debt of
immense gratitude.
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