U - Comhaltas Archive

Eagarfhocal • • •The death of Billy Boylan came as a huge shock to his friends andcolleagues in Comhaltas. Billy's voluntary service in the culturalmovement was legendary. The dancing fraternity in particular arekeenly aware of the immense contribution which this quiet and modestgentleman made to the promotion of ceili and set-dancing downthrough the years. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam uasal.The selection of Padraig 6 Ceallaigh for Gradam an Chomhaltais 2007is another reminder of the extensive voluntary service which is availableto Comhaltas. Padraig epitomises this service in an unique way.Micheru 6 hEidhin will be the worthy recipient of this year's Ard-Ollamhaward at Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Tullamore. Micheru has made anexceptional contribution to the education programme of Comhaltas.Clar2 Huge Boost for Cultural Programme 4 Comhaltas.ie 6 Billy Boylan7 Tullamore set to welcome Trad world in style 8 For Whom the BellTolls 9 Clasac Sod Turning 12 Gort na mBa 12 Traditional MusicProgramme Goes World Wide 14 Celebrating 50 years of Tulla CCE17 A Salute to a Noble Lady 18 Baithrin na Smaointe - Sligo TownIris Oifigiuil ChomhaltasCeolt6irf EireannBranch of Comhaltas 20 2007 Concert Tour of Britain 21 MeithealSummer School 2007 22 A Musical Farewell to Gus23 Logainmneacha na Milaoise 24 Ceardlann Earraigh 25 MickRyan 1918 - 2007 27 World Bodhran Championship 2007Comhaltas Ceolt6iri EireannCearno.g BelgraveBa ile na ManachCo. Atha CliathIrelandFon: (+353-1) 280 0295Fax: (+353-1) 280 3759E-mail enquiries@comhaltas.comWebpage http://www.comhaltas.ieDesign GraftronaicCILidach An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern atthe turning of the sod ceremony for c losotIml 39 Uimhir 1 2007 1 SS No 790 004XTREOIR (1 SS 790 004X) is publishedquarterly by CcE, Belgrave Square,Monkstown, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Singlecopies €3; Subscription Rates: Ireland andEurope €12; Britain £9 Stg; Australia andNew Zealand $20. USA and Canadh, singlecopies €3 AUSAPO and at additionalmailing offices, USPS 062790. Postmaster:Please send address changes toAdministrator, TREOIR, 165 Fernly ParkDrive, Alpharetta, Georgia 30022 USA.28 Happy Birthday Mike 29 Matilda in Canadian Hall of Fame30 Celebrating 35 Years 31 Drumshanbo's Pakie Duignan Weekend33 Ballintogher Traditional Music Festival and Fiddler of Dooney35 Revival of the Jewsharp in Irish Traditional Music 35 Baithrin naSmaointe 36 The Perfect Recipe: Ireland in Dixie 38 North AmericaMourns the Passing of Paddy McElvaney 38 Comhmaltaslive Free forall World Wide 39 Trad is so trendy they can't keep it up 40 BillRothwell of Ottawa 41 Tom Rowsome 1906-1974 44 Lee ValleyLiterature Legacy Launched 45 Padraig to Receive Gradam46 A Fair in the Square 47 Ceiliuradh an Bhlascaoid Comartas Ceoil48 President Mary McAleese visits Dun illadh 48 M ulligan QuinnBranch 49 The Irish Minstrels Branch Glascow 51 Award for Molly52 A Musical Son of Dromore - Eoin Kelly Memorial Weekend54 Passing on the Tradition 54 Reflections on Comhaltas 197 2 - 200756 Florina Doyle 1989-2007 58 Masters of Irish Music59 JC Talty 1931- 2006 64 Bru Boni in China and Singapore1

S COMHALTASYoung Irish traditional fiddle playersfrom Scotland. During her recent visit toGlasgow President Mary McAleesecelebrated their 50th anniversary of theIrish Minstrels Branch at Comhaltaswill also be one in the North ofIreland. In addition, there will beseveral outreach centres.The Programme is rooted in thecommunity and will be sustainedand developed by a number ofimaginative and complementaryprojects. It will involve thedecentralisation of severalComhaltas elements i.e.education, archives, merchandiseand performance outlets. It willbe driven by region ally based'meitheal' teams.The mission statement for theComhaltas DevelopmentProgramme is that 'culturaltraditions should be an enrichingpart of the lives of Irish peopleeverywhere, particularly ouryoung people; these traditionsshould be a living, highly visiblepart of society; they should beeasily accessible to all; and theirunique social, cultural andeconomic benefits should be fullyrealised by communities andindividuals throughout the countryand in Irish communities abroad'.Comhaltas, which was founded in1951, has met with significantsuccess at home and abroad... ,!hoLtos ceC" ·- - IRI e IRe ,A blast from the past: Joe and Siobh6nDonovan step it out at the Garden ofRemembranceThere are now 400 branches in15 countries on 4 continents andprovides cultural services to 2mpeople each year. It has 1,000classes each week passing on ourcultural traditions to the younggeneration.Comhaltas makes a majorcontribution to the tourismindustry through 40 FleadhannaCeoil each year; the nationwideSeisiun network, ceilithe, concerttours and sessions. Comhaltasmakes a huge contribution to thecultural and social life of Ireland.It has an impressive youthprogramme and young peopleare involved at every level of themovement. Over 25,000 performCulturlann na hEireann, theheadquarters of Comhaltas, at BelgraveSquare, Monkstown, Co. Dublin withBoston based fiddle player L:arryReynolds in the foregroundat Fleadhanna Ceoil each year.The Director General ofComhaltas, Senator Labhras 6Murchu said: 'This is a new dawnfor Comhaltas. It is a huge boostfor our cultural identity as adistinctive nation. It willempower the meitheal ofvolunteers to develop culturalpotential at community level,which might otherwise remaindormant. The result of the newComhaltas DevelopmentProgramme will in time impacton every region of Ireland andthroughout the Irish Diaspora'The President of Comhaltas,Seamus 6 Teimheain, said 'Thisis an acknowledgement ofgenerous voluntary service andwill enable us to build on thesolid foundation bequeathed tous by the great men and womenof the past. This is good newsfor our cultural movement andwe look forward with confidenceto the future'.3

9 COMHALTASCOMHALTAS.IEF6t the first time the many Irish cultural events. sessions, festivals, music schools and competitionswill be brought to the same websites, giving tourists a very special local look at the 'real' Ireland.Comhaltas events attract hundreds of thousands every year - we can now connect those visitorswith timely and relevant information about the many opportunities to see Irish culture presentedat its best.Our commitment to the Irish language extends to the internet. To help fuel a growing internationalinterst in Irish, we've introduced an innovative Glossary function to our new site, allowing visitorstC) Instantly hear pronunciations of Irish words used in the text.And of course, the site can be readcompletely in Irish with the click of a single link at the top of every web page.Comhaltas members, journalists and teachers will appreciate the new Downlaods section or thesite, a one-stOp page for entry forms, logos and Comhaltas publications. Visitors can now listen toand order our COs from our online shop.And students of all ages will appreciate the growingaudio and sheet music online library.Comhaltas Ceolt6irf Eireann is the premier organisation devoted to the preservation andpromotion of the Irish cultural traditions. Founded in 1951 and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland,Comhaltas is perhaps best known for its annual 'Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann', in which thousands oftal * arti$ts compete for the coveted 'All-Ireland' titles in music and song. Our network ofbranches extends around the world, with hundreds of branches in 15 countries on 4 continents.5

Tullamore set to welcomeTrad world in stylePreparations for Fleadh 2007indicate that Tullamore will hostthe mother of all Fleadhanna thiscoming August. CathaoirleachAttracta Brady and her innovativecommittee are leaving no stoneunturned to make the thousandsof traditional music lovers, whowill converge on the Midlandsvenue, feel very much at home.Offaly is steeped in traditionalmusic lore. Names like theLongridge and Sean NormanCeili Bands come to mindtogether with a host of individualperformers who have kept Offalyfirmly on the cultural map.Padraig 6 Dufaigh, Ardchisteoirand one of the prime architectsof Comhaltas for many years andwho lives in Birr, is confidentthat Fleadh 2007 will live up tothe high standards set byprevious venues. 'The organisingcommittee,' Padraig says, 'has setabout the task with energy andenthusiasm and they intend toput their own stamp on this greatcultural event'.The Local Authorities andbusiness community have nailedtheir colours firmly to the mastin a partnership approach to thegreat opportunity which theFleadh presents to the region.The Church too has manifestedits community roots and offeredto host the Ceili Band Championshipin the beautiful local church.Innovative ventures beingconsidered include a Parade ofChampions featuring qualifiersfrom far and near. Then there isthe strong possibility of a bargesession at a watery venue! Lestwe distract from the surpriseelements planned for Tullamore,suffice to say innovation andinitiative are key words in thisyear's Fleadh vocabulary.With over 10,000 performers dueto visit the Tullamore Fleadh, itwill be a week of music, music,music. Added to this will be theScoil Eigse, Seachtain na hEigseand the camaraderie which is atthe heart of Fleadh Cheoil nahEireann. Tullamore is all set towelcome the world into its heartsand homes.For those who would like aforetaste of what is in store, tuneinto RTE 1 television on Friday,23 March, and for the followingfive Friday nights for a reminderof the Fleadh delights fromLetterkenny.7

Young musiFians of Craobh Chluain Tarbhlend a hand and a tune to An TaoiseachThe 'massed bands'of ClontarfComhaltas greetedthe Taoiseach BertieAhern, TO, when heturned the sod onthe 21 st October2006 on one of thecou ntry's la rgestever traditionalmusic projects.The C7 million CLASAC centreon the Alfie Byrne Road besidethe Clontarf Dart station is beingdeveloped by the Clontarf branchof Comhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireannfor the promotion andperformance of our CulturalTraditions in Dublin and theMeitheal Region.As a Regional Resource Centre ofComhaltas, it is being fundedunder the ComhaltasDevelopment Programme.CLASAC will promote Irishmusic, song, dance, drama andother art forms associated withour rich cultural heritage. TheJim McAllisternew centre will provide facilitiesfor performance and teaching,rehearsal, recreation andresearch. It will include a 280seat multi-purpose fullyequipped theatre and a 'TeachCeoil' community meeting area.The Taoiseach said he wasdelighted the Government wassupporting the CLASACdevelopment because he sharedthe aim of Comhaltas that ourunique traditional heritageshould be an enriching part ofthe lives of Irish peopleeverywhere, including in ourmajor cities. In congratulating9

$ COMHALTASBeating the drum for Comhaltas:An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern trying hishand at the bodhrdn with members ofCraobh Chluain Tarbh when he turnedthe sod of CLASA C the new regionalcentre of Comhaltasoutlines the exceptionalthe Comhaltas Development P(Qlorll'mnleand the plans forIn 1999 Senator Tony Kettarranged for Des Garvan and JimMcAllister to meet with theTaoiseach and we outlined ourplans for C LASAC and requestedhis support. This support wasforthcoming, not just with wordsof encouragement but moreimportantly by way of a specialallocation of €900,000 in theBudget of 2000. This ensured wehad credibility in Governmentcircles. We are indebted to BertieAllern for his continuing supportover the many years.As with all projects of this sizethe list of people to thankbecomes almost endless; TheClontarf members for theirsupport and encouragementwhether selling tickets for the'Beetle' (our first fundraiser) orthe 10 years of Concerts in theNational Concert Hall - all themusicians, singers and dancerswho have travelled with CLASACsince 1995 to numerous Festivalsaround the world - to friendsfrom all in the Comhaltas Familyfor their encouragement atdifficult times - J ohn Deaton ourArchitect, for his patience andgood advice and his talent inproducing a landmark building -Marie Connaughton and DerbhilGalldubh whose support andencouragement was unwaveringthrough the most difficult anddark times.11

S COMHALTASthe opposing camps. Greatstories are told about the goingson of that weekend. PaddyMoloney and Michael Tubridycycled to the Fleadh and couldnot find a bed for the night. Theyfound a window open inFortanne National School,approx 3 miles from Tulla andslept there for the night!7958 Clare County Fle.adh Cheoil in TullaVincent Griffin, the renownedEast Clare fiddle player, attendedthe very first Comhaltas meetingin Tulla and it is fitting thattoday he holds the position ofChairman. He teaches music toyoung musicians locally and inneighbouring counties. He wonthe Col em an Cup for the SeniorFiddle All-Ireland Championin 1973.We have the privilege in TullaComhaltas of having thewonderful musician andgentleman of music Paddy Cannyas President of our Branch;Paddy is also President of theClare County Board.Never a man to look for attentionor honours his name hasremained sacred in the collectiveconsciousness of the Irish musicfraternity. A founder memberof the Tulla CeiH Band in 1946,Paddy was the first All-IrelandTwo Clare men who enjoyed the Clare County Fleadh in Tulla in 7958 - Seamus MacMathUna and Chris Droneywinner of the Coleman Cupat Fleadh Cheoil na hEireannin 1953.Tulla also boasts such greatmusicians as Mary McNamaraand her brother Andrew, theirfather Andy was instrumental inkeeping traditional music alive15

S COMHALTASCOMHALTASon the gig rig. At 3pm a Fiddlerecital will take place in theCourthouse, Tulla. There is atreat in store here with artistsincluding Paddy Canny, VincentGriffin, Martin Hayes, SeamusConnolly and Michael O'Rourke.Ceili Mar on Sunday night.This is just a glimpse of what wehave in store for our weekend ofcelebration. Informal sessionswill take place in many venues inthe town. The Hill of Tulla will bealive with the sound of music.Message from the Chairman -Vincent Griffin: Where did thelast 50 years go? I attended thefirst Comhaltas meeting in Tullain 1957. It is indeed a greatprivilege for me to be Chairmanof Tulla Comhaltas at this veryimportant time in our history. Ihave seen many changes anddevelopments in music in Tullaand nationally over the past 50years. We have always promotedall that is good about music, songand dance in Tulla Comhaltas,and have produced our fair shareof All-Ireland Champions in thepast 50 years. I invite you all tojoin us in our 50 th Anniversarycelebrations in September 2007.I promise you will be treated to aweekend of music, song anddance to remember. Ceilithe withthe Tulla and Kilfenora, CeiliHouse, Concerts, Workshops andRecitals and add to that thehospitality of the local people.A warm welcome will be extendedto all visitors, musicians, singersand dancers who join us for ourweekend of Celebration. Here'sto the next 50!Enquiries:General: Breda McNamarabpmol@eircom.netTel: 087 835 0996Workshops: Mary MacNamaramacmary3@eircom.netTel: 087 237 8611Accommodation:Dorothy Landers -clondanaghcottage@eircom.net,Tel: 086 826 8862Katherine Skinner was a giantamong volunteers. For mostof her life she gave her serviceswillingly and lovingly to thepromotion of Ireland's culturaltraditions.Living in Luton, Katherineplayed a significant role inComhaltas. As an effective andconsistent officer at branch andregional level, she inspiredothers to greater effort. No taskwas too great or too small forthe formidable lady whosegenial disposition endearedher to all.It was fitting that Comhaltaswould honour KatherineSkinner for her service anddevotion to the culturalmovement.Our picture shows Katherinewith Vince Jordan, Chairmanof the Council of Britain, andSean McDonagh.We wish Katherine everyhappiness and contentmentin her retirement.17

marches and set dances on theIrish war pipes.Into the 1980'S and such was thesuccess and popularity of thesessions that a second weeklysession in the Strand Bar in thenearby village of StrandhiU wasorganised. The branch was bynow so strong and active that ithosted the Connacht FleadhCheoil in 1986.Finance in the Hotel Silver Swanto discuss Sligo's bid to hostFleadh Cheoil na hEireann inSligo in 1989. This eventually ledto the hosting of three verysuccessful AlI-Ireland's in Sligoin 1989, 1990 and 1991.The Town of Sligo branch isproud of the fact that itintroduced new high standards ofprofessionalism in organisation,S COMHALTASmanagement and hospitality tothe greatest traditional musicfestival in the world.At its peak the branch had morethan 100 members that includeda TD, a Mayor of Sligo and aBishop, and of course manywonderful Irishmen andIrishwomen who have givenunstintingly to their communityover the past thirty years or more.Sadly however, in August 1987founder member Joe O'Dowddied suddenly.Shortly after his death at ameeting to discuss the provisionof a memorial to his memoryseveral suggestions were made,Vince Hearns proposed that thegreatest memorial that could beprovided was to bring FleadhCheoil na hEireann to Sligo townand it was unanimously agreed toset in train the actions needed toaccomplish this. As part of a planto gain the necessary organisationalexperience, it was agreedto apply to host Fleadh na nGaeland to use it as a vehicle to reviveThe Fiddler of Dooney Competition.This was accomplishedwith great success in 1988.On February 3 rd 1988 PatsyHerron, Chairman ConnachtCouncil; Tommy Collis,Chairman of Sligo Co. Board;Branch officers Din Mannion,Chairman; John Tunney,Secretary; Martin Enright,Treasurer; Vince Hearns PRO ofThe Town of Sligo branch andCarmel Gunning Secretary of theFred Finn branch and others metwith Labhras 6 Murchu, ArdStiurth6ir of CCE and RayMcSharry the then Minister forB6 na LeathadhairceAmhran is ea e seo a bhaineanngo m6r le Barra na hlne ibPar6iste na Dromoda ach atacoitianta anois ar fud na tire.This is a song which is mainlyassociated with Barra na hlne inPar6iste na Dromoda but whichis sung throughout Ireland.(Thios cois na toinne) is ea abeathaiodh mo chaora,6, ag Diarmaid 6 Duilleain° Bharra na hine;Mar dearthar athar dom a chuirle faill i,Easpa tobac a bhi ar an gcladhaire!Curfa:B6, bo, bo na leathadhairce,Bo, bo 'si an tsean (chaora)adharcach!Bo, bo, b6 na leathadhairce,Bo, dhroimeann dearg is nifheadar ca bhfaighinn 1.B'fhearr liom na scillinggo bhfeicfinn mo chaora,Teacht go dti an doras ar maidinno istoiche,Thalfadh si bainne dhom,bheath6dh si uan dom,Fionan Mac ColuimChuirfeadh si jeaiceidin deasar mo bhuachaill.CurfaChonacsa beirithe i, chonaca roinnt i,Chuir mise duil inti, is bluire nibhfaighinn di,6 nar dheas i! 6 nar mheidhreach!6 nar dheas i an tsean (chaora)adharcach.CurfaDa mbeinnse in rachmas,i ngradam is in oidhreacht,Thabharfainnse guinea ar chuplaslice di,6 nar dheas i! 6 nar mheidhreach!6 nar dheas i an tsean (chaora)adharcach.CurfaD'iosfainn lan pice dhi,D'iosfainn lan oighinn di,D'iosfainnse sliosar den tsean(chaora) adharcach,6 nar dheas i! 6 nar mheidhreach!6 nar dheas i an tsean (chaora)adharcach.Curfa19

An impressive arrayof awards andscholarships arein store from July16 th to 20 th atMeitheal2007.This festival has takena novel approach fromits beginnings 4 yearsago. It is fast gainingin popularity and willstruggle toaccommodate thevolume of applicantsthis year.Awards on offer to '07A place on the CCEtour of Ireland '07.A performance at theNational Concert Hall(for best group)A performance at theNational Concert Hall(for best soloist)A performance atEnnis Trad Festival.A full scholarship toMeitheal '07 (value C600)A half scholarship to Meitheal '07(value C300)A weekend for two at CorofinTrad Festival.Some burgeoning new talent isemerging through the ranks atpresent and being nurtured atMeitheal, which is now a premierfixture in the trad calendar.The festival was held in Limericklast year and has established aloyal and ever-increasing basemainly comprising the moregifted older teens and youngadults on the trad music scene.Dynamic young outfit Ealucarried off the top award atMeitheal 2006. Despite somestiff opposition from various finegroups from other parts of thecountry, the 4 piece from Cork,Tipperary and Clare came out ontop with a fine set of wellarranged trad and newlycomposed material. Ealu areRyan Murphy pipes and flute,Cillian King concertina,Aoibheann Murphy and CiaraCallinan-Ryan multi-instrumentalistsand vocals. The group wonC800 and a performance at theNational Concert Hall.Exciting young flute Dublinplayer Christina Dolphin earneda place on the Comhaltas tour ofIreland where she was in thedistinguished company ofveteran performers such asMartin Donoghue (Cavan) andthe legendary Sean 6 Se ofCeolt6iri Chualann.Other talented award recipientswere Tara Breen (fiddle) from21

S COMHALTASLogainmneachana MilaoisenGaeilge amhain a bhi nahainmneacha, agus ullmhaiodhfreagrai da leitheid, ach is beagdamhsan a chualathas.Baineadh usaid as slite eagsulachun an mhilaois a cheiliuradh,se mbliana 6 shin. I Muileann anBhata i ndeisceart Contae ChillChainnigh, thosaigh an craobhaitiuil de Chomhaltas Ceolt6iriEireann tionscnamh a mbeidh arian le feiceail ar feadh namblianta. Ainm Gaeilge nambailte fearainn a chur suas argach teorainn sa phar6iste, a bhii gceist acu, agus cuireadh tusleis le breacadh an lae ar angcead la 'd'Eanair 2000.Priomh b6ithre an phar6iste abhi ar intinn acu ag an tus, achleanadh leis an obair go dti goraibh na logainmneacha ar gachb6ithrin (n6 b6isin, mar adeirtear i gcanuint ChillChainnigh). Bhi ainmneachaaitiuil nach raibh ar aon learscail,n6 nach raibh aistrithe go Bearlariamh, sa phar6iste agusTomas Mac Aodhbhufrinneadh iarracht iad san achaomhnu freisin. Baill denChomhaltas a bhi ag deanamh nahoibre ar dtus. Tar eis cupla mithosaigh an dream aitiuil a bhi agob air le FAs, ag cabhru leo. Leanan comhoibriu sea idir FM agusan Comhaltas, go dti go raibhgach teorainn sa phar6iste scriofai gdoch i nGaeilge amhain.Ar nd6igh bhi deacrachtai le cuidde na logainmneacha. Ar cheartdoi leis an leagan oifigiuil, a bhiar an learscail, agus a bhi scriofasa leabhar a d'fhoilsigh ansuirbheireacht ordanais 'Liostailogainmneacha Chill Chainnigh'n6 ar cheart leanacht leis an briaitiuil den ainm a bhi ag muintirna haite? Agus cad a dheanfainuair nach mbeadh na baill araon intinn? Ach rinneadhcinneadh agus doidh leis. Duradhgo mbeadh damhsan mar gur iBaineadh usaid ascheannlitreacha do nahainmneacha oifigiula agusbaineadh usaid as litreacha beagado na hainmneacha aitiuil nachraibh ar learscail riamh. Cloch lecuar a cuireadh ar na droichidchun ainm abhainn n6 sruthan athaispeaint. Bheadh cuid de nahainmneacha sea dearmadta godeo i gceann deich mbliana achgur caomhnaiodh iad sationscnamh seo.Ta a leitheid de thionscnamhcurtha i gcrich sna Gaeltachtai lefada an la. Ach is feidir e adheanamh in aon phar6iste. Tase nios tabhachtai na riamh gondeanfai a leitheid sa la ata inniuann, nuair ata eastait nuatithiochta ag preabadh aniosgach la, le ainmneacha Bearlaamhain orthu, fiu gan aonfreamh Gaelach ag baint leo.Tomas Mac AodhbhuiTreorai na Gaeilge CCEMuileann an Bhata23

S COMHALTASMick Ryan 1918 - 2006An AppreciationTomas 6 MaoldomhnaighOn Sunday, November 6 th 2006,we bade farewell to Mick Ryan,Rath, Murroe, Co. Limerick.Mick peacefully left this worldafter a period of illness, which hebore with dignity, surrounded byhis ever-loving wife Peig and hisimmediate family, Gerard,Paudie, Mairead and Michael.Born on 19 th September 1918,Mick lived for most of his life inRath, and will be fondlyremembered by neighbours andfriends as a generous, uprighttrue Irishman in every sense ofthe word. He had a passion forsport, especially hurling and forall aspects of Irish culture, moreparticularly traditional singingand set dancing.Mick emigrated to England whenhe was about 18 years old andworked in Leicester for a numberof years. When the Second WorldWar began he decided to returnand started work in Dublin as anemployee of CIE. During thistime he got involved withCommercials Hurling Club andno doubt enjoyed many an outingon the hurling field.Mick decided to return home andin 1951 married Peggy Carberryfrom Cappamore, who came froma background, steeped intraditional music which nodoubt, made his choice of wife allthe more pleasing.In fact both of them were neverthought of as separate entities -they were always 'Mick and Peig'.Their close loving relationshipblossomed and in due coursethey were instrumental inpassing on their deep respect forIreland and its native traditionsto their sons and daughters. Wewill always remember thevivacity and generosity of theireldest child and daughter Theo,who was always at the centre ofthe music session. Sheentertained many with thesweetness of her fiddle playingsurrounded by many musiciansfrom near and further afield.Theo was the magnet for so manylovers of traditional music thatthey often came from places as25

Dates Announced forWorld BodhranChampionships Festival 2007full-time office in Milltown ,County Kerry and major musicalacts have already been contactedto perform next year.The championships aim topromote the place of the bodhranin Irish traditional music byshowcasing the very bestbodhran players in the world.Competitions are also held tofind the best bodhran player inthe world. Neill Lyons fromDublin became Senior Championin 2006 and Col m Ph elan fromPortlaoise won the Junior title.The organisers are invitingbodhran players to enter thecompetition for 2007.The dates have beenannounced for the2007 World BodhranChampionships inMilltown, Co. Kerry.This year's festival will take placeon the June Bank HolidayWeekend from the 1 st to 4th June2007 and the organisers arepromising an even bigger andbetter festival, which will build onits enormous success of last yearwhen the event was held for thefirst time. The event is organisedby the Milltown-Listry Branch ofComhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireann.Plans are already being made forthe 2007 World BodhranChampionships with a 40-strongvoluntary committee workingcontinuously to putarrangements in place for one ofthe newest and most excitingevents in the cultural calendar.The committee has retained aApplication forms can beobtained by email frombodhranchampionship@eircom.net or from +353 (0) 66 979 5601.The festival will also featureworkshops and masterclasses inbodhran playing and making.Chairman of the festival, DanCronin said 'the reaction to thechampionships last June wasphenomenal and as soon as itwas over we began preparationsfor next year. There is hugeinterest already from abroad andmany who were not here last yearwill certainly be making the tripthis time round.'27

S COMHALTASMatildain CanadianHall of FameMatilda playing her compositionLogieville 2-stepOn Saturday November 4th inSaint John New Brunswick ,Canada East Region PresidentMrs Anne McConnell-Strong wason hand to present MatildaMurdoch with the 2006 CanadaEast Region Hall of Fame Award.Matilda, who is a currentmember of the Saint John branchof Comhaltas, resides in the townof Miramichi in New Brunswick.Matilda travelled to Saint Johnwith family and friends from allover the province of NewBrunswick to receive the award.Matilda received a warm andappreciative welcome fromnearly one hundred friends andfellow musicians at a local hotelfor a weekend gathering.Mayor of Saint John, Mr NormMcFarlane welcomed Matilda, asdid Helena Hook and LynneDoyle, representatives of the localand Miramichi branches of theIrish Canadian Cultural Society.Marion Beyea from the NewBrunswick, Provincial Archivespresented a CD of Matilda's tunesthat she had written over hermany years of playing the fiddle.Presented to Anne McConnell­Strong was a copy of the CD forthe Comhaltas Archives.Matilda was born in Logieville,New Brunswick in 1920. At theage of nine, she owned a copy ofa Stradivarius fiddle, a presentfrom her father and taughtherself to play from oldrecordings. At the age of 12, sheperformed her first concert andbegan formal training.Matilda's fondest memory wasappearing on CBC television withthe famous Don Messer of whichhe recorded many of her tunes.Matilda has won the NationalFiddling championships inGuelph Ontario.Jessica Munkittrick and KathleenMcSorley play with MatildaSaint John Mayor Norm McFarlane,Canada North East Region PresidentAnne McConnell-Strong with Hall ofFame recipient Matilda Murdoch.Has been inducted into the NewBrunswick Country music Hall ofFame and the North AmericanFiddling Hall of Fame, the CurtisHick's memorial award, theStompin' Tom Connors ECMAaward and has also received theprestigious 'Order of NewBrunswick'.29

Drumshanbo's PackieDrumshanbo,Co. Leitrim wouldbe best known inDuignan Week-endDeirdre Parnell, PRO Comhaltas Drumshanbomusical circles asthe home of the JoeMooney SummerSchool but it hasadded anotherstring to its bow inthe last few years.Every January for the past 2/3years there has been a gatheringof musicians taking place at theend of January started by MariaMurphy (Dublin) and SeanMcCrystal (Derry). Thesemusicians have come fromBelfast, Derry, Donegal,Fermanagh, Longford, Dublinand locally. It started off as afriendly gathering to have a fewtunes after Christmas but twoyears ago we decided to hold theFriday night Session in memoryof our local flute player PackieDuignan - known the length andbreadth of the country.In January 2006 there was sucha big gathering in J oe Gunningspub on Friday night that wethought this had the makings of aweekend. During 2006 theorganising committee of N ancyWoods, Padraig McManus, SvenPaetz and Tony Fahy and myselfall members of ComhaltasDrumshanbo put together aprogramme for a weekend ofmusic and workshops (thanks toComhaltas for funding) andbegan to spread the word. Theword spread and spread andthere was enormous interest inthe weekend.Now a bit of information aboutthe man himself.Packie Duignan (1922-1992) wasborn in Arigna, Co. Roscommon,close to the border with Co.Leitrim. Although his familyliked music, and some of themwere singers, none of themplayed music. The only musicianPackie could trace among hisancestors was his grandmother'sbrother a flute player namedJames Cawley.When Packie was about 12 yearsold he started to play the tinwhistle and, after some time, hemoved on to the concert flute,which he continued to playthroughout the rest of his life.The most important musicalinfluence in his life was thefamous flute player, JohnMcKenna (1880-1947) who wasborn and reared in Tents, in theparish of Tarmon, Co. Leitrim, justa few miles from Arigna. McKennahad emigrated to the United Statessome years before Packie wasborn, and it was through hisgramophone records that Packieheard his music. Packie developeda flute playing style similar toMcKenna, a breathy, rhythmicdriving style with plenty of lift. Hehad great admiration forMcKenna'a flute playing and hegot a lot of his repertoire fromMcKenna'a records.31

4 * n n r CV IF U r iJ I J DJ 1) I J J J JJ I J n q", IAg Deanamh CeoilDance tunes submitted by Brian Prior . Song submitted by Dan 6 LideadhaAround the Fairy FortBarn DanceThe two barn dances were composed by East Galway flute player, Vincent Broderick.Vincent has been based in Dublin for many years and is a prominent member of theCumann na bPiobairi Uilleann Branch of Comhaltas where he has taught flute andparticipated actively in their regular Saturday night sessions in Culturlann na hEireann.'The Turoe Stone - Traditional Irish Flute Solos' publication contains 68 tunes (reels,jigs, slip jigs, polkas, etc) all composed by Vincent and he is presently working onasecond volume!4~ ha la a JJjJ IJ J J :P IJ J fJjJ la J J n I4 ~ J J J JJ J I J J J ;p I er ltF £J JJ I i1 a a. ~ :11-----4 ~ 11: r r r er I F F F U I tU F1 Er U I Ei r r o ~ I4 ~ r r r er I F F F U I c:r 0 n JJ I J a_a. j :114 ~ 11: J n J ;p I J J1 J n I a n J ;p I J J J n I4 ~ a n J ;p I J J1 J ;p I er u £J 3J I a J j :11The New BroomBarn Dance34 * Fur U I E to E ErE r r I r J J. P :11: P t£ r a I r r r r F r I11 .-4*rCtiJ]IJJJo PIPUrtrltt:frrr IECtEftflr n :11124 * J J J J) I J n r U I Fur U lEd rr LE r I r J j 113a~)

Abair AmhranThe Boys of Mullaghbawn,-,-On ar F r F IF"Monday morning early, as my wandering steps did take me down~~r~IJ £la a I)]. F Ir F r F Iby a farmer's sta - tion of mea - dow and green lawn I heard great la-men-F r F fI I J J J fJ I ) )J. J. J I a ilr E fI::JJta - tion that the wee birds they were making saying we'll have no more en -. gagements with the boys of Mullaghbawn...J ' ;.On a Monday morning early as my wandering steps did take meDown by a farmer's station of meadow and green lawn,I heard a great lamentation that the wee birds they were makingSaying 'We'll have no more engagements with the boys of Mullaghbawn.'Squire J ackson was unequalled for honour and for reasonHe never turned a traitor nor betrayed the rights of man,But now we are in danger from a vile, deceiving strangerWho has ordered transportation for the boys of Mullaghbawn.For roving and for rambling, for sporting and for gambling,There was none could equal Francheen, young Neil or gallant JohnBut harsh, oppressive landlords, most cruelly they have actedAnd sent our boys in transport from the hills of Mullaghbawn.As those heroes crossed the ocean I'm told the ship in motionDid start in wild commotion, as if the seas ran dry,The trout and salmon gaping, as the cuckoo left his stationSaying 'Farewell to dear~oia Erin and the hills of Mullaghbawn'Now to end my lamentation, we are all in consternationFor want of education I now must end my song.Since without justification or due considerationThey were sent for transportation from the hills of Mullaghbawn.

ca COMHALTASBallintogher Traditional MusicFestival and Fiddler of DooneyFIDDLER OF DOONEY 2006Teresa McCormackcelebrate this event, the Feiscommittee decided to organise afestival on the weekend followingthe Feis.With the support of the FredFinn Branch of Comhaltasa programme of events wasarranged.Fiddler of Dooney Junior winners: (L -R) Rosie Ferguson, Caoimhe Kearns, MaireadHickey, Ruaidhrf Mac Aodhagain with committee members Teresa McCormack,Francis Taaffe, Martin Enright and Seam us McCormackIII Li' l{Fiddler of Dooney Senior winner: (L-R) Breege Harper (adj.); Seam us McCormack; TaroBreen, Ennis - Winner and Manus McGuire (adj.)The John Egan 9 th annualtraditional weekend commencedwith the Ballintogher 29 th annualFeis on the bank holidayweekend of October 2'1hj29th.The music and dancing Feisattracted a very large entrycompetitors coming from all overthe N orth West and NorthernIreland. The Feis has beenrunning since 1977 and over thepast 28 years it has become asignificant event i?;~e: culturalcalendar of the North East.In 1998 the Feis was 21 years inexistence and in order toIt was decided that the festivalwould also commemorate a localmusician, John Egan who wasborn in Ardlebeg, Ballintogher in1903. He started playing the fluteat a young age. He was involvedin the local fife and drum band inSooey before leaving the area towork in Donegal. He settled inDublin in 1937, joined the PipersClub where he met and playedmusic with many of the wellknown names from the NorthWest including John Joe Gardinerand Kathleen Harrington from theBallymote area. Tom and JoeLiddy from Killargue, JohnBrennan from Kilmacowen.He was a member of the KincoraCeili Band and recorded an LPwith this group.He was a major figure in thetraditional music world in theDublin area and his Sligo style offlute playing influenced manymusicians.In 1952 John and other musicalfriends established the st. Mary's33

S COMHALTASRevival of theJewsharpin Irish trad musicPer Helge AlnesLahelle 94631KristiansandNorwayIn Fintan Vallely's CompanionWe find that the oldest Jew'sharps found in Ireland is dated tobe from the fourteenth century.The instrument was widespreadand much used from 1600 -1900. In 1861 nine makers ofJ.hs. were registered in Ireland.'B Breathnach (Folk M and D ofI page 39) writes: 'They (theIrish) are at this day muchaddicted on holidays, after thebagpipe, Irish harp or Jew'sharp .. .' (Thomas Dinely, 1681)So - the J.h had a centralposition in Irish trad music forhundreds of years. Today itseems dead in your country. Incertain parts of Norway playingof J.h. still exists in unbrokentraditon. The playing techniqueis - against what one shouldbelieve - rather complicated.One also needs good,handmade harps.As a fiddler and J.h. player Ihave worked much both withNorwegian and Irish tradmusic. For some years one ofmy main interests has been totransfer fiddle tunes to the J.h.(Lots of melodies don't work,and some recomposing ofdetails in others has to bedone). I have given a course onthis subject in our NorwegianJ.h. Society (2004, for advancedplayers). Some of the Irish tunesare so well fitted for the J.h. thatone almost could believe theywere original Jew's harp - tunes.I have written a book on Irishtrad music for the Jew's harp.(13 pages, 31 transcr) and madea CD (homemade).2005 and 2006 I gave thecourse for advanced players.From the music of Ireland"on our little society's annualfestival.Are you interested in letting megive a course (courses) throughyour organisation? Harps,translated and ... booklets canbe made available.If you feel I have overestimated my abilities and thequality of my work, andtherefore have minimal interestfor my inquiry, I hope you willexcuse me.Further info can be sent ifyou wish.Yours sincerelyPer Helge Alnes~@tt~Ln1/G\ &mG\@tnteTreoir photographer EnaDoocey has for many yearsbeen capturing faces and placesat Comhaltas events at homeand abroad.Ena has selected this photofrom the collection for TheB6ithrin na Smaointe set.The three musical stalwartscome from the Traolach MacSuibhne Branch in Cork. Theyare O-r) Dick Tobin, TonyFlannery and Matt Tehan.The Dun Uladh Cultural Centrein Omagh recently had a mostwelcome visitor. This Ulsterbased Comhaltas Centre wasdelighted to welcome PresidentMary McAleese. She praised thegreat work of Dun Uladh overthe years and wished themevery success in the future.35

S COMHALTASIt was a privilegeto be at the'RememberingJ oan' memorialservice at theLondon IrishCentre, Camden,in honour of Joan Burke. JimMyers, a lifelong friend of Johnand Joan Burke, organised thisevening in honour of J oan,Chairman of the ComhaltasCeolt6iri Eireann (CCE) LondonRegion and West London BranchTreasurer, who died in October2006, RIP.Amongst those who attendedwere the new director of TheLondon Irish Centre, Mr PeterHammond, and the chairmanof the Trustees, Mr PhilipFitzpatrick.Also present were members ofthe Council of Irish CountyAssociations includingWaterford, Sligo, Offaly,Wexford, Galway and Cork aswell as the GAA, Gasra na nGael,and Comhaltas members fromBirmingham, Nottingham,Leicester, Northampton, Lutonand all the London Branches.Fr J erry Kivlehan, an old friendof Joan and John, came overspecially from Ireland tocelebrate the Mass and, at theoffertory, Joan's family andfriends presented itemssymbolizing some of Joan'spassions in life such as dancingshoes, a violin, a TipperaryHurling Shirt and an ArsenalFootball Jersey. Fr Jerry spokemovingly of J oan and of herTunney'sTeam CelebrateOn Friday 2 nd February 2007 Paddy Tunney and his team of Fleadhworkers celebrated having hosted two successful Fleadhanna. Thecelebration commenced at 8.30pm in the Glencar Inn, Letterkennywith a very tasty buffet thanks to the proprietor Martin Gibbons.Paddy thanked all the workers and organisations for their voluntarywork, which contributed in having two very successful Fleadhanna.Music on the night was by Paddy Tunney, Gerry McBrearty, JosephGibson, Mick Foy, Seamus McCullagh, Thomas Foy and Robert Close.Singers were Bridget Tunney, Seamus McCullagh, Mick Foy, GerryMcBrearty, Katy McLaughlin, Donal McMenamin, Noel Barron andMickey Gibbons.There were also a few steps from Katy McLaughlin and Evelyn Graham.Ardchomhairle was represented by Liam 6 Cuinneagain and JeannieMcGrath; Ulster Council by Eamonn Graham and County Board byBarney Slevin, Kathleen Rafferty and Carol Warnock. FrancieMcCormack represented Meitheal. A great night was had by all.great dedication to Comhaltas;he said that she wasinstrumental in passing on theIrish tradition to hundreds ofsecond and third generationchildren, and that she wouldalways be remembered for that.Music at the Mass wasperformed by the North LondonComhaltas Branch membersElaine Walsh, Colette Keaveney,Nuala Hayes, Etaoin Rowe, PatConnolly and John Myers, aswell as Joan's son Aidan.After mass, light refreshmentswere served followed by a sessionof traditional music and song,which went on till early morning.We felt sad at the loss of our dearfriend but we celebrated her lifein the way she would have liked itwith music, song, dance, a cup oftea and being surrounded by herfamily and friends.May J oan rest in peace.Tom Beaumont,London Region CCE.37

Trad is so trendy(eol is now the reelthing for well-ta-dokids who arethey can't keep upDaniel McConnell, 'Sunday Independent'learning to strumtheir stuff with thebest of them.It was once deemed sounfashionable that there werefears it could die out completely.But wealthy parents are rushingto sign up their children to thelatest must-enrol fadtraditionalIrish music lessons.Children from across the countryare flocking to learn trad, anddemand is so great in some areasthat long waiting lists now exist.Classes round the country arepacked to the brim and waitinglists, especially in Dublin, arenow reaching, 'ridiculous levels',according to organisers.As more and more parents aresending their children toGaelscoileanna, there has been asignificant surge in interest inIrish trad music.According to Comhaltas Ceolt6iriEireann, which runs lessons,parents from areas such asFoxrock, Blackrock, Clontarf andMonsktown in Dublin, and inwell-to-do areas in Cork andGalway, are struggling to landtheir child a place in the classes.'We now have over 400 branchesaround the world, but in Irelandwe have over 1,000 classes,'said Senator Labhras 6 Murchu.'It's wonderful to see such ahealthy, vibrant interest in ourtraditional music.'One Comhaltas official spokeyesterday of classes being held inhalls and on staircases, tofacilitate demand. Children fromfive to 18 are taught a wide rangeof instruments such as flute,harp, whistle, accordion, fiddle,bodhran, piano and guitar.Senator 6 Murchu also says thatthe increasing numbers ofplayers helps to sustain a healthyindustry in making instruments.Many of the children learn to playmany instruments, somethingactively encouraged byComhaltas. If a child takes classesin more than one instrument, inmany cases the secondinstrument is taught for free.Audrey Wilson from Clontarf hasbeen attending classes for fiveyears, and thinks playing39

Helena RowsomeSeated left to right: BrendanBreathnach, Leo Rowsome and DickNeill (pipes). Standing left to right: Johnand Tom Rowsome.(Other photos - see pages 8,9, & 12 ofThe Leo Rowsome Collection of IrishMusic - 428 Reels and Jigs - WaltonsPublishing)Tom Rowsome, piper,businessman and foundermember (with his brother Leo) ofComhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireann wasborn at 18 Armstrong Street,Harold's Cross, Dublin in 1906.He married Maureen O'Connell,the only child of BuildingContractor, John and Catherine(Heatley) O'Connell in 1932. Fora brief period after they weremarried, they lived over Tom'sclothing shop at 136 & 138Thomas Street.In 1933 they moved to LowerKimmage Road, where theireldest son, Sean was born thefollowing year, Sean, an Architectand a keen pianist, has alwaysCopy photo of Tom with pipes, Helena(Leos wife), Maureen O'Connell (Tomswife) and John playing the fiddle(summer 1930)been passionately interested inmusic. The houses in the areahad been built by Maureen'sfather, John O'Connell. In June1967, the family moved toSweetmount Avenue, Dundrum.Three years after Tom's death,Maureen and her son anddaughter, Tom and Gemmamoved to the house at BeechLawn, Dundrum. Maureen was akeen Irish dancer and Feis Cheoilwinner who enriched the lives ofeveryone with whom she cameinto contact. Her eldest son, Seanrecalled the moment when thefamily held a party for her inCiaran's house (youngest son) onthe occasion of her 90 thbirthday. As soon as she enteredthe room, she burst into song -her party piece - 'She was only abird in a gilded cage'. On thatoccasion she also danced a jig!Unfortunately, she became illduring the following year. Beforehaving to be hospitalised, shewas cared for by her eldestdaughter, Gemma and son Tomat the family home in Dundrum.Maureen died on 24 May 2006 inher 98 th year.Tom and Maureen Rowsome hadeight children, four sons and fourdaughters, Sean, Tomas, Gemma,Maureen, Paudge, Threse Celine,Deirdre and Ciaran.The many musical abilities inTom and Maureen's family areevident through the generations,some of whom are talented singersand musicians following musicalcareers. The saying 'what goesround, comes round' is very true inthe case of Tom and MaureenRowsome. Maureen looked afterher elderly parents for many yearsin her own home, then located atLavarna Grove, Terenure and sheherself was, in the autumn of heryears, lovingly cared for by herown grown up children and theirrespective families .Tom, like his brother Leo died inhis 6'1h year. They had much incommon.Tom was a versatile andtalented musician, playing pipes,fiddle and accordion.41

Brothers, (Thomas and Andrew)to part with such a superbinstrument, which was made bythem to order for ColonelVandalcar for his son. Sadly, hisson was involved in a shootingaccident and was unable to playthe instrument.Evidence of Tom's involvementin all aspects of the Irish Musicrevival is evident. There arephotographs of him playingfiddle alongside his brothersJohn (fiddle) and Leo (pipes).Brendan Breathnach (pipes) andDick Neill (pipes). Tom and Leowere often photographedtogether playing the pipes as aduet or as part of the originalRowsome Pipes Quartet - Leo,Tom, Michael Padian and EddiePotts. (See photos on pages 8 and9 of The Leo Rowsome Collectionof Irish Music, a book of 428Reels and Jigs - WaltonsPublishing)Betty Nevin, Christy Downes,Jack Sheery, Terry Byrne, LeonRowsome, Tom Nevin, ChristyMcEvoy, Robert Fulham andMichael Tuohey.Leo and Tom's brother John, theyoungest family member was aformidable man whose suddendeath at the age of 48years on hisway home from Mass onChristmas Day had a profoundaffect on the family circle. Johnin the company of Tom and otherfamily members shared a quietdrink on the night before(Christmas Eve) and ondeparting the company, John,most uncharacteristically shookthe hand of each person, as if tosay farewell. This was the lasttime they saw him alive. Johnplayed the fiddle and was, likehis brothers, a talented musician.S COMHALTASTom, like his brothers, Leo andSam was tutored from a veryyoung age by his father Williamand influenced by his uncles Tomand John, both excellent pipers.Tom and Leo used to have funplaying together, each with onehand on the same chanter, aswell as duets on two chanters,harmonising together beautifully.The ability to harmonise and toperform on various orchestralinstruments was a skill instilledin them by their father, Williamwho with his own brothers, Tomand John studied music underthe direction of Herr JacobBlowitz, a German professor wholived in Ferns, Co Wexford from1878 to 1885.Tom's generosity knew nobounds. From his Clothing andOutfitting shop at 136 & 138Thomas Street he providedstylish quality made to measuresuits for the young pipers (andLiam Rowsome, fiddle) who hadto look their best at theMullingar Fleadh, which becamethe launch pad for ComhaltasCeolt6iri Eireann in 1951. Thereis a photo of the group of Leo'spupils from the Dublin Pipers'Club and his son Liam (fiddle) onpage 12 of The Leo RowsomeCollection of Irish Music -Waltons Publishing) The namesare as follows : Paddy Maloney,Liam Rowsome, BernardFlanagan, Jim Dowling,O'Carolan Comhaltas Ceoltairi Eireann branch, Kilmainhamwood members, were presented withtheir SCT musical certificates. Back from left: Jude (Tierworker), Lydia O'Halloran (Nobber), RaisinMclntyre (Shercock), Aodhcin McEntee (Nobber), Niall Donohue (Kilmainhamwood) and Fiachra M(Nobber). Middle row: Danielle Moran (Cormeen), Mary and Lissy Corbally (Nobber), Sarah Clarke(Kilbeg), Brendan Argue (Tierworker), Ellen 0 (Kilmainhamwood), Joan Owens, Tony McEntee,Emily Jane O'Halloran and Shaunagh Carolan (all Nobber). Front row: Ciara Potts (Navan), Shauna(Cormeen) Noreen McManus (teacher), Sean 0 Laoire (Leinster CCE vice-chairman) and AnnMcDowell O'Carolan CcE chairperson.Two members of the Corduff Pipe Bandjoined young harpers Declan McGuinness(Lobinstown), Michael O'Neill (Ardee), andShane Taaffe (Lobinstown) as well asO'Carolan Harp Cultural and HeritageFestival chairperson, Ann Finnegan and CCEnational Trustee Padraig 0 Ceallaigh, at theO'Carolan monument wreath laying(pictured) during the festival.43

sa todhchai, leas a bhaint as anbailiuchan tabhachtach seo. Tamoladh mar tuilte ag Craobh Niall6 Cathasaigh, Bhaile anChollaigh, as an obairthabhachtach seo ata foilsithe acu.The compilation gives an insightinto some of the important localoccurrences over the centuries,as recorded by ordinary people.In an area of repression andlimited literacy events wereoriginally recorded in the onlyway they knew - orally - as partof their music, song and story.In this publication we find thebig songs of the area, (GleannCam, Cois a'Ghaoraidh, Erin'sLovely Lee, The Wandering Exileetc). The tunes of the area (manycollected by another great Corkmusician Frank O'Neill), thestories, poems and folklore of thepast all sitting comfortably withnew compositions frominfluential musicians and muchvalued music teachers like MartinPower, Caroline Ui Chathasaighand J ohnny McCarthy, each ofwhom are currently resident inthe local area. These new musiccompositions are testament to theintrinsic value and the vibrancy ofthe Irish traditional music scenein a world of global influences asis this wonderful publication.It is commendable andS COMHALTASappropriate to also record andacknowledge the influentialcontributions from personalitiessuch as Sean 6 Riordain, Micheal6 Murchu, Maire Ui Chrualaoiagus Philib 6 Laoire to the localtradition.The publication has been mainlyresearched and compiled byAssunta Ui Chathasaigh and DickBeamish and supported bymembers and published by Niall 6Cathasaigh Branch. Photographyby Brendan O'Sullivan.Padraigto receive GradamAn Taoiseach Bertie Aherncongratulating Padraig 6Ceallaigh on his selection forGRADAM AN CHOMHALTAIS2007. The award will bepresented at Tional LeoRowsome at Culturlann nahEireann on the ~ September.Clare man Padraig has devotedhis life to the promotion ofIrish cultural traditions. He hasserved at every level of theComhaltas movement and is aformer Uachtaran. For severalyears now he has held the postof Trustee-General. He is amember of the Pipers ClubBranch of Comhaltas.Padraig 6 Ceallaigh's family areall exponents of Irishtraditional music and dance.The Comhaltas movement athome and abroad congratulatesPadraig on his new distinctionand wishes him and his wifeMai a memorable ceremony onthe ~ September.45

Cheiliuradh anBhlascaoid i mblianaagus an teama,/CuisleCeoil an Oileain' aige,beartafodh com6rtasceoil nua-chumtha a rith,bunaithe ar aon ghnedon Oilean le duais€2,OOO ag dui leis.Fograiodh an comortas sea snameain go luath sa bhliain agusbhi go dti an 31 Lunasa do nahiontralaithe le bheith istigh.Roghnaiodh Stiofan 6 Cuanaighagus Peadar 6 Riada marmholtoiri agus cuireadh na piosaiar fad, 22 ina n-iomlan, araghaidh chucu ar dhiosca, ganainm aon duine luaite ach iadliostalta a A go v.Ar abharai an tsaoil, agus gan iada bheith i dteagmhaillen a cMile,roghnaigh an bheirt acu an piosaceanna laithreach, agus b'shinpiosa de chuid Kevin Rowsome,piobaire. Mac le Leon Rowsomeis ea Kevin agus 'si Nora NiFhlatharta a Bhaile Bhoithin,Baile an Fheirtearaigh a mhathair.Bronnadh an duais ar Kevin lelinn an Cheiliurtha muair a sheinnse an piosa nuachumtha dUinn.Ag fogairt an bhuaiteora, sea mara labhair Peadar 6 Riada:'Is e ar dtuairim gurb' e an FonnMall 'P' (Cuisle Ceoil na nOileain,le Kevin Rowsome) seinnte arphiob uillinn - an ceann ata gomar chun tosaigh ar an-chuideile acu - an buaiteoir. Tastruchtur iomlan criochnaitheann. Ta nathanna on dtraidisiunaitiuil ann. Leirionn an ceoltoir achuid abaltachta le misneachagus d'eirigh leis. Piosa iomlancriochnuil ann fein, lonnaithe golaidir i sruth an chultuir.Ta.imid ag moladh go speisialtacuig cinn eile ach nilimid ag ra ceacu ata i gceist mar go bhfuil anduais go leir da bhronnadhagainn ar an gcead duine. Ta sesea da dManamh againn chun gombeadh duil ag daoine ancomortas do bhuachaint, masann do aris, agus chun nachmbeadh lagmhisneach ar aonduine a bhi ag iomaiocht mar satsli sea ni fios doibh ach gobhfuilid i measc an chuigearspeisialta. Taimid beirt sastalabhairt le aon iomaitheoir agusar moltoireacht is moltai dothabhairt doibh.Stiofan 6 Cuanaigh:caint@face.iePeadar 6 Riada: dord@iol.ie47

The Irish Minstrels Branch Glasgow50 Bliain ag FasIn the beginningthere was the music,and an idea and acommittee!Based on articles by Pat McAleerand Joe Mullarkey.In the mid fifties Owen Kellypurchased a copy of the AngloCelt every week.Being a great follower of theCavan football team, he not onlywanted to know all there was toknow about the team but also allabout what was happening inCavan. Increasingly he noticedarticles about the great stepsbeing taken in promotingtraditional music largely as aresult of the formation ofComhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireann inIreland in 1951.Owen discussed the rise of CCEwith his friend, Jimmy McHugh,himself a well known and wellrespected fiddler, and the two ofthem decided to look into thematter, which ended up in theformation of the Irish MinstrelsBranch in January 1957 - thefirst branch of CCE to be formedoutside Ireland.Jimmy encouraged otherGlasgow-Irish musicians to join,notably Pat McNulty, and thefirst meeting was set up at whichthe following committee waselected: Jimmy McHugh(Chairman), Donal Boyle (ViceChairman), Annie McGrath(Secretary), Owen Kelly(Treasurer), Anne McHugh(Assistant Secretary), ChristyDarby, Pat McCusker and PatHetherson were also present atthat first meeting. Pat McNultyand Liam McCabe were involvedvery early in the branch, followedshortly afterwards by LenaTierney.Rose Friel put in an earlyappearance in the first concertheld by the branch and wasinvolved for many years after.Indeed, now in her eighties, shestill manages to give us a welldeliveredsong when she attendsone of our functions. 'Round thefires' were held every week in theearly months in a small hall nearthe Gorbals and moved within afew months to the AOH Hall inRoyston Road. In addition topromoting traditional music andballad singing, ceilithe were heldregularly.On the 6 th October 1957 the IrishMinstrels held their first annualconcert in the Govan Town Hallwith some leading visiting49

S COMHALTASAwardfor Mollyin attendance. Over 600 peopleattended the Fleadh Ceili.This was a turning point for thebranch (at 10/- a ticket the bankbalance was looking good!).Seisiuns were held every Tuesdaynight in the Diocesan Centre atCharing Cross and a Ceili once amonth, Jimmy McHugh was athis peak and his son, Brendan,was well on his way to becominga very good fiddler also.In the late seventies there was avery welcome newcomer to theBranch, Frank McArdle joinedand encouraged youngsters fromthe secondary school where hetaught, to join the branch. Andso, St Roch's Ceili Band wasformed and remained the nameof the ceili bands for youngpeople within the branch.The focus of the Irish Minstrelsbecame the teaching of Irishtraditional music to the youngergeneration and so it hadcontinued. Under Frank'sleadership, Irish traditionalmusic has progressed inGlasgow. For more that twentyyears and with lots of hard workand enthusiasm. Frank hasguided young and old towardsimproving their musicalexpertise and increasing theirrepertoire and is now ablyassisted by many other volunteertutors without whose help theBranch could not move forward.Special Irish Music Award:The Murphy Roche Irish MusicClub is pleased to announceMs. Molly Griffin as therecipient of the EdmondMurphyCup.This honours the club's mostpromising young musician. Asa teenager, Ms. Griffin alreadyproficient on both fiddle andbanjo, qualified for the 2006All-Ireland music competitionon banjo.The Edmond Murphy Cup,to be presented to a youngmusician each year, was aspecial gift to Murphy Rochefrom the West LondonBranch of Comhaltas.The Cup honours EdmondMurphy, an esteemed Sligofiddler who was a prominentmember and officer ofComhaltas in Britain for aquarter century.Murphy Roche chair Kell Cholecomments, 'Our deepestappreciation to the WestLondon Branch for theEdmond Murphy Cup and itslasting encouragement foryoung musicians.'Founded in 1997, the MurphyRoche Irish Music Club (BurrRidge, Illinois) is anorganisation for musicians of allages and skill levels whoperform, want to learn, or justenjoy Irish traditional music(630662 - 8611) The Club isaffiliated with ComhaltasCeolt6iri Eireann.51

heaven as the members of hischerished Dromore Branch ceiliband demonstrated why they areworthy current UlsterChampions.Eoin had a passion for groupplaying, believing that youngmusicians developed betterwithin ensembles. As night gaveway to morning, still they cameon stage from Offaly, Tipperary,Sligo, Monaghan, Tyrone,Fermanagh, Donegal and ofcourse the Irish Minstrels fromGlasgow.At the interval Eoin's close friendand leader of the Minstrels CeiliBand, St Roch's Frank McArdlespoke fondly of the man who forso long epitomised everythingIrish in Glasgow.Adorning the walls beside thestage and throughout the foyer amontage of photographs chartedEoin's life long cultural journey.These were arranged by hisdaughter Patricia and werecollected from the family,branches and friends throughBritain. Again, this exhibitionbore witness to the trulyinternational dimension withinEoin's life and its portrayalthroughout his memorialweekend.In addressing the audienceCathaoirleach Uladh Pat Beagan,paid tribute to the contributionthat Eoin had selflessly made toComhaltas throughout his life.By September the Fleadh seasonhas passed but that Saturday sawall the trappings of the FleadhCheoil re-enacted in Dromore.No less than eleven workshopscatered for a disparate range ofparticipants with tutors in thepersonage of Ned Kelly, BridHarpur, Ryan Molloy, AidanO'Neill, June McCormack,Sharon McDermott, ClionaCostello, Michael Rooney andTadhg Maher.The pubs played host toimpromptu sessions all day ascrowds again gathered for theevening's revelry.The vigil mass was celebrated byCanon Breen who being a nativethrough and through brought adelicate tinge of Comhaltasnostalgia to the occasion inremembrance of all those likeEoin Kelly who made their markon the local musical landscape.During his homily, he describedEoin as a man of deep faith wholoved his country dearly and gavelife long service to Irish culture.The strains of our nativelanguage and musical heritagewhich back-dropped thismemorial mass were indeed afitting tribute to the man thatwas Eoin Kelly.The music of Glasgow's IrishMinstrels and the singing ofTadhg Maher in both Irish andEnglish brought rapturousapplause from a packedcongregation.Following mass the Minstrelsformed the nucleus of an openairsession in Main Street. Thecrowds were really flocking in bynow as daylight surrendered tonight and I met many of Eoin'sfriends from far and near.It was great to meet MickGorman who had travelled fromS COMHALTASMullingar to remember his greatfriend for all those years workingtogether in Glasgow.As the Copperplate Ceili Bandkept the dancers busy in StPatrick's Hall, the pubs packed tocapacity with local musicians andthose from afar pouring out anendless feast of music that I haveno doubt had the feet of those,remembered earlier by CanonBreen, tapping tunefully inheaven.The Sunday was County Finalday in Tyrone but thedisappointment in Dromore froma defeat in the semi-final wassomewhat offset by the ongoingmusic, song and dance thatengulfed the village.The Irish Minstrels fielded foran open-air ceili while again thecrowds flocked to the pubswhere it seemed like nothing hadstopped from the previousevening.For all the pleasure that themusic, singing and dancinggenerated during this memorialweekend it is undoubtedly therevealing of the real Eoin Kellythat will be remembered. Such afitting and appropriate tribute toa humble Irish man who left hisnative Fermanagh in 1947 notby choice but out of necessity toseek survival. Convention mightdeem it ironic that people likeEoin Kelly gave everything forIreland's well being at a timewhen all that Ireland couldoffer them was emigration.53

contempory Irish Trad music.Little did we think back then, asthe moon shone in a clear sky ona glorious Leitrim night in July,that this would be Florina's swansong? Little did we know thatsuch a session would be nomore? Shortly after returningfrom Co. Leitrim she took ill andwas diagnosed with a seriousillness. That night will forever beetched in my memory as I recalla talented young musician calledhome in her prime. She had somuch to offer. She had so muchpromise. Who was it said that theripest fruit first fall? But the waysof God are strange and one canonly conclude that He was shortof a good box player up above.But there was more to Florinathan music. Her care and concernfor others were always to the fore.She never complained throughouther illness and her concerns werealways for others. She always hadthe word of support for everybodyand was forever in a jovial andpositive humour. Other people'sworries and difficulties were ofmore concern to her than herown illness. Her own illnesswas secondary.I last met Florina three weeksbefore she died. As we partedcompany that Sunday eveninglittle did we realise that this wasto be our last meeting. Thesuddenness of her death in thefinish has numbed us all. Shewas her usual bubbly self thatday. Full oflife and humour. Shespoke of her preparations forentry to Training College in theautumn. She had been offered aplace in the Training College lastautumn but had to defer itbecause of her illness.As we gathered together for herfuneral Mass in Breaffy Churchto celebrate eighteen years spentto the full, our minds werecharged with reminiscences.Though numbed we could notbut see the light. Many of theleading fraternity of IrishTraditional music were presentto say their last goodbyes.Thepresence of such luminaries asJoe and Ann Burke, Nuala Hehir,Eileen O'Brien, Pat Early andMichael Searson among others,playing at the funeral Mass onceagain reflects the high regard inwhich she was held by the musicfraternity in Ireland as a whole.Fr Michael Nohilly, in histhought provoking sermon,summed her up to a tee. Hespoke for all of us. We are in awethat so much could be fitted intothat short eighteen years. Onefeels privileged to have knownher. One feels privileged that shehad influenced your offspring.One felt proud of the fact. For aparent to know that their childwas under her influence wasreassuring. And so it was.The box is now silent. The fiddleis idle. A box and a fiddle thatspread joy and entertainmentthroughout the island of Ireland.A light has been quenched in thewest. A light that was there foreverybody. But all is not lost. A

As I stood at the grave side asJ.C. Talty was laid to rest atQuilty, Co. Clare overlooking theAtlantic Ocean with it's beautifulsetting and rugged coastline,many thoughts came rushingthrough my mind. Surroundedby J.C. Talty's loyal friends andfamily, I thought of the firm andloyal friendship he engendered inpeople. His modestly and histalents, all so self-effacing. Isuppose that was why he wasadmired by the widercommunity. The same qualitieswere certainly appreciated by hismusical friends; Martin Talty,Paddy Joe McMahon, JimmyWard, Michael Falsey, PeterO'Loughlin and Willie Clancy. Onthe occasion of Willie Clancy'smarriage, J.C. was his best man.For the rest of Willie's short lifeJ.C. was part of that inner circle.J.C.'s life touched on so manyaspects of the tradition; he wasan accomplished whistle player,flute player, piper and a memberof two premier bands in Clare:the Laictin Naofa Ceili Bandand Tulla C€@ Band. He was alsoinvolved in the foundation ofComhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireannin Clare and Scoil SamhraidhWillie Clancy.Musical BackgroundJ.C. Talty grew up in a musicalenvironment when set danceswere all the rage. Indeed, theQuilty area was famous for setdancersand musicians. TheBoyle family were renowneddancers and whistle player, JoeCuneen, and Michael Falsey aresome of the names thatimmediately spring to mind. J.C.Talty's house at Caherush, was ahouse of music situated literallyon the edge of the AtlanticOcean, a beautiful inspiring spot.J .C. became known as a talentedwhistle player and later as a fluteplayer from playing at local59

hEireann in Ennis in 1956 was aresounding success and a definingmoment in the development ofthis new organisation. Paddy J oeMcMahon and Sean Reid wereregional delegates up to themid 1970S.The Laictin Naofa (eili BandJ .C. Talty and most of the samegroup named above formed thenucleus of the Laictin Naofa CeiliBand and as such competed atthe fleadhanna with success. In1958 Fleadh Cheoil na hEireannwas held in Longford and theMunster Ceili Band Competitionwas held on the same weekend.During the earlier fleadhanna thewinners would compete thefollowing day with the otherfinalists on the Monday of theBank holiday. The Laictin NaofaCeili Band won the Munster withthe Kilfenora and Tulla bandstaking second and third placesrespectivetily. The Kilfenora andTulla bands were in their hay dayat the time and to win theMunster alone was a greatachievement against suchtalented bands. The followingyear the Laictin Naofa Ceili Bandrecorded an LIP titled An IrishDance Party.selections. They played 'The OldGrey Goose' and 'The Humoursof Clonmel' as their jig selection.However, it was during the finalselection of reels finishing upwith 'The Bucks of Orranmore'that the drummer who wasplaying with them on thatoccasion got a bit excited andused the full drum kit includingthe symbol, top hat with anaccompanying offbeat rhythm. Iwas fascinated with thisperformance as I saw similaritieswith the style of set dancing andthe type of drumming with Clarebands. But J.C., the experiencedbandsman, instantly knew they

S COMHALTASLast FarewellMusicians and friends provided aguard of honour at the removalof the remains to Quilty Church.At the funeral service on thefollowing day Brid and her familyprovided the main musical itemswith additional selections RonanBrowne and Peter O'Loughlin onflat pipes and fiddle.Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, 7974Standing, left to right: Junior Crehan, Peter O'Loughlin, Muiris 6 R6chdin, Paddy JoeMcMahon and J.c. Ta/ty.Seated on platform: Willie Reynolds, unidentified piper, Wilbert Garvin (wearing hat),Bill Ochs, Pat Lavin, Liam 6 Floinn playing pipes with Ronnie Wathem (standing).Photo courtesy of Clare Library, Michael John Glynn Collection.Peter O'Loughlin were majorguiding influences on Muiris 6R6chain and Harry Hughes. J.C.was and remained up till hisdeath an important figure headand musical icon for the Scoil.J.C. Talty and Tommy ReekIn 1988 after Tommy Reck's wifedied, Tommy travelled with meto various events including AnFleadh Nua and Scoil SamhraidhWillie Clancy. In Miltown Iobserved that Tommy Reck spentmost days in the company of J.C.Apart from their life-long interestin piping they had similar gentlepersonalities and were well-regardedby the musical community.Brid O'Donohue & FamilyJ.C was very proud of his niece,Brid O'Brien (nee O'Donohue)and the achievements of hertalented family and in particular,the continuation of the pipingtradition. His interest and activeencouragement of Brid's familycertainly was awarded withsuccess. They have exceptionaltalent and are multiinstrumentalistswith Deirdre onharp and pipes, Eibhlis on pipes,Sean on flute, Liam playingconcertina and Sinead on fiddle.On my last visit to J.C. in thecompany of Michael Murphy,fiddle player from Ennistymon, wespent a very pleasant eveningreminiscing over old times. Onthat occasion J.c. was very keenfor me to photograph his pipes. Hemaintained his interest in musicup the end playing at sessions withMichael Murphy in Cree.At the graveside a song 'TheClogher Road' was sung byMartin Burke and his son,Ronan. This song was composedby Martin Burke, a native ofLimerick, who built a house onthe Clogher Road which is thename of the road into J.C.'shouse. The song containedreferences to the shipwreck of'The Leon' off Quilty and thebrave Quilty fishermen whorescued the sailors. A hauntingair, 'The Dear Irish Boy' wasplayed by Michael Falsey, an oldfriend from the Laictin N aofaCeili Band. Peter O'Loughlin,John Kelly and Mick O'Connorpaid a final tribute with 'TheBattle of Aughrim.' There was alarge attendance at both serviceswith many musicians includinghis former comrades from theTulla Ceili Band.J.C. Talty has left a large void inour lives. He will be missed byhis many friends and we offerour sincere sympathy to hisrelatives. They will be comfortedby the knowledge that J .C. madea lasting and distinctivecontribution to traditional music.Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.- Mick O'Connor

cl asac The new Comhaltas Regional Centrenow under construction at Dulbin's northside. See full story inside.

Bru Baruin China and SingaporeComhaltas CeoltOirl £Ireann prese ntsIre/ond's Premlel Festival of TraditIonal/fish EntertammontFleat>17 Nua1:\tI9 20 th - 28 th May 2007 ~\f.. Inls, Co. an Chlalr \lBru Boru received twoprestigious invitations to performfor the St. Patrick's weekcelebrations this year. One wasfrom the Irish Consulate inShanghai and the other from theIrish Embassy in Singapore.While both engagements were atthe same time, the Cashel-basedcultural ambassadors pulled outall the stops and provided twogroups for this internationalmISSIOn.From their cultural centre at St.Patrick's Road at the foot of theRock of Cashel, Bru Boru havenow become the pre-eminentperforming group in Ireland forofficial engagements abroad. LastSt. Patrick's Day they acceptedan invitation from the IrishAmbassador in Latvia to performat the first official Reception ofthe new Irish Embassy in Riga.They have made several trips toChina including one last yearwhere they represented Irelandat the European Showcase ofCulture. They have alsorepresented Ireland three timesat the World Expo - twice inJapan and once in Spain. Theyaccompanied President MaryMcAleese to perform for theSultan of Oman.There are several other pendingengagements for Bru Boruincluding one in Beijing and alsonext Summer at the Asian Gamesin Singapore. A Royal summonsis also expected when the groupsbusy schedule allows!Una 6 Murchu, Director of BruBoru, said: 'It is most gratifyingthat the traditional culture ofIreland is so much in demandand appreciated throughout theworld. We are pleased to be ableto play a role in responding tothis global interest. It issignificant that Bru Boru islocated at such a hallowed sitewhich has a direct connectionwith St. Patrick and that ourgroup are enabled to visit severalworld locations for festivities andceremonies related to Ireland'sPatron Saint.'Bru Boru is an affiliate ofComhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireannwhich was founded in 1951 andto-day has 400 branches in 15countries on 4 continents. Thisworldwide movement providescultural services to over 2mpeople each year.Bru Boru will be back at the footof the Rock of Cashel for theirSummer season this year. Herethey will have the opportunity towelcome visitors from far andnear to the City of the Kings.IHftlges of 195r ...COllllllemorallllfJ tile first Ctarr countyfleadh held 111 Mlllown Mafbay 111 1 '157www.fleadhnua.com-ceoltrad@ei rcom.nete COMHALTASSEISIUNA Music Trail Through IrelandEvenings of Music, Song,Dance & StorytellingJuly - August 2007

TULLA(EILIBANDThe Tulla Ceili Band at the Ceili Band Reunion - Saturday 26 May 2007, West County Hotel, Ennis, Co. ClareStanding, back row, left to right: Jennifer Lenihan, Mark Donnellan, Pat Hayes, Michael Murphy, Pat O'Connor, Michael McKee, JimCorry and Pddraig Mac Suibhne, Uachtardn an Chomhaltais.Seated: Pat Flanagan, Sedn Donnelly, JC Talty and JJ Con way. Photo courtesy of CCE.forged lifelong friendships withthe members of tIns band overthe decades. It was while he wason tour in London with the TullaCeili Band in 1962 that he boughtthe ivory-headed flute which heused until his demise.Na Piobairi UilleannJ.C.Talty's name was included inthe list of known pipers compiledby the sub-committee whichconvened the first Tion61 atBettystown, Co. Meath in 1968.He was not in the groupphotograph taken at this eventand it is reasonable to assumethat he was not present on theoccasion. He was present,however, at the next Tion61 atLongford. I recall that heattended subsequent gatheringsparticularly when they were62located at the Falls Hotel,Ennistymon, County Clare.(eili Band Reunion 2001During the 50 th anniversary ofthe foundation of ComhaltasCeolt6iri Eireann, a highlight ofthe year was the Ceili BandReunion in Ennis. I washonoured to be involved with theorganisation of this event. It wasa formidable event with 14 bandsand accompanying presentationsto each band. We were worriedthat event would run way overtime. The Tulla Ceili Band weresecond on stage after theAughrim Slopes Ceili Band andwe needed each band to get onstage, perform their selection anddepart with extreme efficiency. Iapproached J .C. and asked forhis assistance in this endeavour.I need not have worried, J.Cdelivered for us. The Tulla CeiliBand set the scene; they playedtheir hearts out. P.J. Hayes, theirleader had died a few weeks priorto the event and they gave a verymoving performance dedicated totheir late leader.Scoil Samhraidh Willie (IancyAfter Willie Clancy's untimelydeath in 1973 a group of friendsdecided that the best way tocommemorate Willie would be tohave an annual summer schooldedicated to teaching traditionalmusic with a special emphasis onuilleann pipes. Because of hisfriendship with Willie Clancy, J.C.was one of the founders of ScoilSamhraidh Willie Clancy. Healong with Martin Talty, PaddyJoe McMahon, Junior Crehan,

house dances. His father ,Michael J oe, played the fife in afife and drum band in nearbyCoore. On his mother's side ofthe family there was also amusical heritage. Mary (Cissie)Woulfe and her brother Joeie ,had a keen interest in traditionalmusic. Joeie Woulfe was marriedto Willie Clancy's sister, Mary. Itwas at Woulfe's in Lahinch,distant relatives of J .C.'s mother,that he met Andy Keane, theLimerick piper. J .c. lateracquired Andy's set of pipesmade by Leo Rowsome with aWilliam Rowsome chanter.The Laictin Naofa Ceili BandSta~ding" back row: Paddy Joe McMahon, Michael Sexton, Junior Crehan, Paddy GalvinChnsty D,xon and Angela Merry ,Front row, le,ft to right: Willie Clancy, Jimmy Ward, Martin Malone, JC Talty, MichaelFalsey, Martm Talty and Colm O'Connor. Photo courtesy of Brfd O'Donohue.The Clare PipersAlthough J.C. was better knownas a flute player he was also anaccomplished piper. In 1960 atFleadh Cheoil na hEireann inBoyle, J.C. won the intermediateuilleann pipe competition. J .C.was like many of the Clare pipersprincipally Martin Talty, MichaelFalsey and Willie Clancyinfluenced by the brilliance ofJ ohnny Doran, the travellingpiper who camped in the vicinityin the 1940S. During the late1950S and early 1960s J.C. was ofthe circle of pipers who travelledto compete at the Oireachtascompetitions held at the time inDublin. The other pipersinvolved were: Willie Clancy,Martin Talty, Michael Falsey,Peter O'Loughlin, PaddyO'Donoghue and Sean Reid. Thelatter was a pivotal figure in thisgroup, he organised for theirtravel and was the contact withLeo Rowsome and the Pipers'Club. Invariably there were 5 or 6entries from Sraid na Cathrach(Miltown Malbay) listed in theOireachtas programme. Theyalso competed in the otherinstrumental competitions. TheClare contingent stood out fromthe other competitors. They weremulti-instrumentalists which wasrarer in those days and themajority were physically tall men.Willie, Martin and Junior Crehanwore distinctive cloth caps which,in my opinion, added to theirstature. On one occasion, PeterO'Loughlin won the fiddle, fluteand pipes. I recall when J .C.competed and won the flutecompetition which was held in theOak Room in the Mansion House ,Dublin. He played 'The FloggingReel' as his final piece and I knewhe was the clear winner at thisstage, he played masterfully.The Pipers' ClubWhenever the Clare pipers werein Dublin for competitions orbroadcasts, they invariably visitedthe Pipers' Club then located at 14Thomas Street where LeoRowsome was teaching on aSaturday night. It was Leo'spractice to play afterwards at thegeneral session along with hispupils. Needless to say, there wasalways a welcome for visitingmusicians, particularly pipers.Comhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireannin Clare 1954The first branch of ComhaltasCeolt6iri Eireann was formed in1954. The Miltown contingentconsisting of J.C. Talty, WillieClancy, Martin Talty, JuniorCrehan, Paddy Joe McMahon ,Sean Reid, along with others,including Peter O'Loughlin, andMrs. Crotty were activelyinvolved in the early days ofComhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireann inClare. It was largely due to theirefforts that Fleadh Cheoil na60

MastersofIrish Music•Liam GaulMasters of Irish Musicis a collection of 30profiles which covermany genres of musicin Ireland. Theseprofiles were originallypublished in Ireland'sOwn magazine. Theycover twenty ninepresonalities fromTurlough O'Carolan theblind harper, MichaelWilliam Balfe operaticcomposer, PJ McCallauthor of Boolavogue, Dr TJ Walsh founder of Wexford Festival Operato a national organisation, Comhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireann. A book thatthe reader might just dip in and out of as the humour takes them. Itmay also be used as a work of reference by students or those writing orpreparing programme notes for a concert or talk to their local musicalor historical society. Well researched it is a fund of interseting factsillustrated throughout with many pictures which create a visual aspectto the publication. Published by Nonsuch Ireland this book will be onsale nationwide in all good book shops from 1 December.Masters of Irish Music by Liam Gaul. Published by NonsuchIreland. Soft cover 128 pps ISBN 1-84588-563-5. RRP €18.99Liam GaulAboutthe authorA native ofWexford town,Liam Gaul has alife-long interestin music andhistory with a special interest inIrish traditional music. A multiinstrumentalistincluding piano,organ, tin-whistle, flute, buttonand piano-accordions. Liam haswon numerous AlI-Irelandawards at Fleadhanna Cheoil andOireachtais na Gaeilge as well asFeis Garman. A collector of notehe recorded and produced analbum of Wexford musicians andsingers entitled 'From the Banksof the Slaney'. In recent yearshe has taken to musicalcomposition with many of hisjigs, reels, hornpipes andarrangements of traditionaltunes and airs being played bymany traditional musicians.An academic, Liam is a researchstudent at the University ofLimerick, and was awarded aDiploma of Music from theOpen University and a Diplomain Local History Studies fromUniversity College Maynooth.A contributor to severalhistorical journals, periodicalsand newspapers this presentcollection of musical profiles onmasters of Irish Music wer firstpublished in Ireland's Own.S8

Shoot for the moon.Even if you miss itLester Louis Brown (American Journalist)You will/and amongthe stars.As we bade farewell to Florina onthe side of a bleak hillside inBreaffy in early February ourfingers were numbed by a bitterwind from the east. But thenumbness in our fingers couldnot compare with the numbnessin our souls as we contemplateda young life, full of energy andzest, snuffed out in its prime.Sitting on the cold clay, JoeBurke, her mentor, played a finalfarewell to someone very specialto all of us and the sweet notes ofRaisin Dubh crept down over thehillside and into the villagebelow. The tall beach treeslooked down on us in sorrow.The budding crocuses peered uptearfully- their sprouting buds indirect contradiction to a life cutshort as it was in bloom.Florina was special to all of us.Someone who lived life to thefull. She was full of energy and56zest for life. She filled in more inthat short eighteen years thananother person would achieve insixty odd years or more. She wasfull of love and kindness, joy andenthusiasm, care andconsideration for others. Herfaith and hope were lived out tothe end. Those last six months ofher life, when she was ravaged bya cruel illness, were lived outwith dignity and courage,fortitude and good humour. Notfor her to sit back and acceptlife's cruel hand. Life had to belived. Other people had to bethought of. And that is what shedid. Throughout her illness shenever complained and herforemost thoughts were alwaysof others.Our thoughts and memories ofFlorina are many and varied. ButI suppose we will first andforemost remember her as amusician. A musician of thehighest calibre. A young womanwho possessed enormous talentand used that talent for her ownenjoyment and the enjoyment ofothers. In our mind's eye we willalways see her as she strode thehighways and byways of Irelandcompeting at Fleadhanna,Feiseanna, attending summerschools, being part of the action.From the high street inDrumshambo to the hills ofDonegal, from Tubbercurry toClonmel, from Ballinamore towherever you wish to mention,Florina was there. She sharedsessions with the cream of IrishTraditional music. We willalways cherish memories of themany fine sessions on brightsunny evenings on the high streetin Drumshambo.Indeed her last big session wasin that town last July some twoweeks before she received herheartbreaking news. In the foyerof the beautiful Ramada Hotel,on the shores of Lough AlIen, shejoined the front runners of IrishTrad as the music played on intothe early hours. It was testamentto the high regard in which shewas held, for one of so tenderyears, by the frontrunners of

Passing on theTraditionEducation has a high priority in teach outstanding youngthe Comhaltas programme. The musicians and meet up withTeastas Teagaisc Ceolta Tire friends for a few tunes.Diploma Course (TTCT) for I am lucky enough to say that theteachers of traditional music is friends I have made throughheld in Dublin in July each year. music and particularly those inKatie Boyle and Maireadthe Irish Minstrels are the peopleMcManus graduated withI know I will be friends with fordistinction in 2006.the rest of my life. Comhaltas in'I started fiddle lessons in the Glasgow has offered so manyIrish Minstrels Branch ofopportunities to the IrishComhaltas in Glasgow in 1994 Diaspora as well as otherwhen I was 10 years old. Twelve communities and is now a veryyears later, I am now a fiddle influential cultural movement inteacher and I go up to St Roch's Scotland. It has taught me theSecondary School where the importance of cherishing ourclasses are held every Tuesday to roots and sharing our heritage. Itmakes it a lot easier to knowwhere you are going in life if youremember from where you came.Qualifying as a teacher this yearthrough the Comhaltas runTeastas Teagaisc Ceolta Tire(TTCT) has meant recognitionwithin our Branch that theteachers in Glasgow match thecalibre of those across in Ireland.We are very lucky that we havehad such excellent mentorshipfrom Frank McArdle over theyears and he has encouraged andpromoted a very keen sense ofthe tradition in all the youngpeople that are teachingtraditional music in the IrishMinstrels today.It is an absolute delight to beable to pass on that gift to all thechildren and young people whoare now attending classes. Toknow that they will be followingin our footsteps andstrengthening the tradition in theyears to come is as exciting for usas teachers as it is for them, thestars of the traditional scene ofthe future.'- Katie Boyle (Fiddle Tutor).By Frank McArdle / MusicDirector, Irish Minstrels CCEI first heardof CC£. in1972, when Iwas atStrathclydeUniversity, Isaw a posteradvertising a bus to the AllBritain Fleadh in Leeds. A fewof us went and had a greatReflections on Comhaltas(1972 - 2007)weekend, especially the 4-hourjourney home, with non-stopmusic. I then decided to go tothe All Ireland, which wasbeing held in Listowel. I wasamazed at the amount of musicin the streets. I took in thesenior fiddle competition, wonby our old friend AntoinMacGabhann, and the U 18fiddle, won by Paddy Glackin.On my return home I wrote toLena Tierney to find out aboutthe branch in Glasgow. Lena54

A Musical Son of DromoreEoin Kelly Memorial Weekend -Recognising AchievementHarry MullanThe traditional Irishwake provides anapt forum forrevelations aboutour past deeds oncewe have departedour earthly domain.However, in all my time of wakegoing I have yet to witnessanything other than a glowingappraisal of the deceased, even tothe extent that one could beforgiven for seeking reassurancethat we were at the right wake.Such is the generosity of Irishsociety in lavishing respect onour dead and indeed long maywe continue to cherish all ourgracious traditions associatedwith death and bereavement.Irrespective of the reassurance ofneighbours and friends withregard to the deceased's piety onearth it is often by way of52subsequent remembrance thatthe real significance of one'sachievements in life truly unfold.I recently was afforded the greathonour to contribute to amemorial event over theweekend of September 22nd to24th in remembrance of the lateEoin Kelly who died just overtwelve months ago. I was invitedto act as fear a' ti at the openingconcert ahead of a packedweekend of events organised bythe Comhaltas Branch inDromore, Co. Tyrone.Much has been written aboutEoin and his some sixty years oftotal dedication and selflesscommitment to the cause ofIreland's cultural traditionsparticularly amongst ouremigrant community in Scotland.AB I reflect on that weekend ofindigenous revelry I amchallenged to aptly capture thepoignancy that radiated acrossthe village. Eoin becamechairman of Dromore Branchshortly after coming to live in thevillage on returning from a life inGlasgow where he wasinstrumental in founding the firstBranch of Comhaltas outsideIreland, The Irish Minstrels. Hispioneering endeavours withComhaltas were only matched byhis commitment to our nativegames, which inspired him tojointly acquire what is nowknown as Pearse Park atCumbuslang. All of this he wasundertaking in the early fifties,ironically at a time when theembryonic Comhaltas movementin Ulster was putting down rootsin Dromore where it hasflourished ever since.That weekend had a structureabout it that epitomisedeverything Eoin valued in termsof our cultural heritage. OnFriday night the capacityaudience in St Patrick's Hall wastreated to an array of talent thatcould have entertained all ofTyrone until the early hours ofMonday. AB an avid concert-goercommented 'there's enough herefor three concerts', and howright she was.The first part would have madeEoin Kelly the proudest man in

artistes: Sean 6 Siochain (Cork),Margaret O'Reilly (Cavan),Martin Mulhare (Galway), SeanSeery (Dublin), Robert McMahon(Clare), John J Sheridan and ourown Jimmy McHugh (Fiddle)who went on to win All Irelandhonours, Paddy Carr(Accordion), Rose Friel (BalladSinger) and Pat McNulty(Uilleann Pipes). The CharlieKelly School of Irish Dancinggave dancing displays.Ceili dancing was very popular atthis time in Glasgow and waspromoted by the Fianna FailBranch in Glasgow (again theonly branch outside Ireland)under the enthusiasticorganisation of Fred Sweeney.Knowing that Ceili dancing wassafe in the hands of 'Big Fred',the Irish Minstrels focused theirattention on the promotion ofmusic and singing, movingvenues as the branch grew inpopularity. When JimmyMcHugh won the All Irelandfiddle in Dungarvan (1957) thebranch celebrated! A very welldeserved honour for Jimmy!Then, in Longford the followingyear Owen Kelly came second inthe men's ballad competitionwith his now well-known 'BonnyWhite Hare'.Despite difficulties in those early,lean years, the branch held theirfirst All Britain Fleadh in thePatrick Burgh Halls in 1964.Three branches entered London,Birmingham and Glasgow. TheFleadh programme makesinteresting reading!In 1968, the branch was asked tohost the All Britain Fleadh again50but by this time the competitionwas bigger. Expenses for fiveadjudicators had to be paid andthe coffers were empty. OwenKelly was involved with the GAA,which had makeshift huts at theirfootball ground.Events were held to build up funds- not without some interventionfrom the local 'polis' who, whenthey paid a visit to the late nightproceedings at the GAA parkaccused our 'pioneers' of running a'shebeen'. (As if they would!).However, the target was achievedand events were well organisedby founder members and anothermuch loved and respectedmember of the branch, LenaTierney, who acted as Secretaryfor many years. Sadly, both LenaTierney and Jimmy McHughdied in recent years.The 1968 All Britain Fleadh washeld in St. Mary's, AbercrombyStreet in the Calton area ofGlasgow and was a memorableone with many musicians of note

President Mary McAleesevisits Dun UladhPresident Mary McAleese visitedDun Uladh as part of her whistlestop tour of Tyrone in January.President McAleese visitedCookstown, Killyclogher,Carrickrnore and Fintona as sheenjoyed a tour of Tyrone onThursday 18 th of January.At the Dun Uladh CulturalHeritage Centre in Killyclogher,where the GAA, Comhaltas, andBunscoil are located, thePresident expressed her delightat visiting, 'A Place where Irishculture is so strong and the pulseof the future can be felt.'The Ballinamullan site is uniquefor housing three aspects of Irishculture together. She applaudedthe work that went into buildingthe Dun Uladh centre, which hasmade, 'Irish culture accessible,reachable and showcased.'The President described thespread of Irish speaking primaryschools, in Tyrone as'extraordinary', creating 'ageneration who will know what itis like to live in an Ireland wherethe focus is on making it the bestIreland for everyone.'The President was entertainedby the Killyclogher Scar balladand set dancing groups, withmusic provided by membersof Comhaltas. Speaking on behalfof the Comhaltas group, HughQuinn said that the Dun Uladhcentre 'secured the longevity ofculture, creating pride in allaspects of Irishness.' MaryMcAleese is the first IrishPresident to visit the area.New found ConfidenceAddressing the large audiencegathered in Dun Uladh, thePresident spoke of Ireland's newfound confidence, and the impactit would have on futuregenerations.''Confidence can change Ireland.We need to take the chance onourselves to make this future thebest we can make it, wherechildren immersed in culture aregrowing up in a world wherethere is 'a community'.Using experience from her ownprivate life to talk about thecurrent political debates in thenorth she urged those involved indecisions about power sharingand policing to, 'Take a chanceon one another because thelandscape we want to get to issuch a wonderful place.Mulligan Quinn BranchWould you be so kind as to publish the enclosed picture in an issue ofTREOIR. Pictured with Saint Patrick keeping watch over them, fromthe Mulligan Quinn Branch Long Island New York, are Pat Kearneybranch chairman with last year's service recognition award winnersDenis O'Sullivan and Lily McEvoy. It is because of dedicated memberslike Denis and Lilly that Comhaltas has grown and spread around theworld in the past fifty years. I would also like to give some of thatcredit to the rest of the branch for selecting and supportingoutstanding members like Denis and Lily.- Pat Kearney, Chairman Mulligan QuinnBranch, CC£.

--------------------- ---_._---A Fair in theSquareA Fair in the Square is the thirdin a trilogy by Thurles writerTom Ryan and it was officiallylaunched by Senator Labhnls6 Murchu.This book, which is packed fullof humour; social observation;dreams - fulfilled and notfulfilled; and nostalgia is at oncean engaging read and a veryuseful reference journal.The 50'S and 60'S in Irelandseem to have a reference pointimplication on issues such asliving standards, entertainment,dress code, social behaviour andromances. Tom Ryan skilfullycaptures this mood in his book.He turns the stones to find thehidden and colourful nuancesand connotations.This is an 'as we were', book but,needless to say, Tom hasemployed to good use his years ofexperience and exposureobserving, analysing andchronicling the lives and times ofthe ordinary but extraordinarypeople. He bridges generationswith inherited anecdotes, deeplyheld beliefs and colourfulcharacters who have entered therealms of the local folklore.The 400 pages of A Fair in theSquare bring to vivid life timespast with relevance for thepresent. These timeswere energised withpositive philosophy,sound faith and theindomitable nature ofthe human spirit.Tom Ryan is no mereobserver of peopleand events. Hisobvious empathy with hissubjects assists them to revealwithout inhibition their treasuredsecrets, heartfelt ambitions andthe lows and the highs of theirlives. He is akin to a culturaland social confessor.Tom is keenly aware that noperson is an island and thatcommunity in Ireland - thoughmuch has changed from the50'S and 60'S - is like theextended family.Neighbours lived in the shadowof neighbour - together theycelebrated, commemorated,sympathised and supported; asocial order that harmonisedand controlled many of theforces, which to-day dominatethe negative and destructivelandscape.A Fair in the Square will promptmuch debate and reminiscence:it will rekindle old memories andspawn new ones. It will remindus gently from the whence wecame and thegreat challenges previousgenerations overcame. It will alsoalert us to how lucky we are todayin so many ways but also thegreat treasures we lost withchanges that couldn'tdifferentiate between substanceand style.We owe Tom Ryan a debt ofgratitude. His is a positivemessage. He inspires affectionfor the people and times whensimplicity and concern werehallmarks of decency. Oneexpects no less from Tom whohas served his profession andhis readers so diligently andsincerely down through thedecades.Bail 6 Dhia ort, a Thomais, agusgo raibh rath De ar do shaothar.Contact: tomryan@eircom.net

Lee ValleyLiterature Legacy LaunchedThe book GI6r naLaoi / Lore of theLee Valley waslaunched on Sundayafternoon 3 rd Dec.The book was launched by theArd Runai of Comhaltas Tomas6 Maoldomhnaigh, also presentMinister of State Batt O'Keeffein packed GAA Pavi11ion inBa11incollig.The Ard Runai and JuniorMinister complemented CraobhNiall 6 Cathasaigh on theproduction of such a wonderfulpublication and said it would beof great value to futuregenerations. During theafternoon some songs from thebook were sung by singers,Maire Ni Chei11eachair, Diarmuid6 Cathasaigh, Carol Ni Chuiminand Peggy Lynch. Jerry Ahernsang his newly composed songabout Gl6r na Laoi.Music from the book was playedbeautifully by 6 Corragain familyand Catherine Carey and LouiseCronin.There was a special performanceof music and dance by Ceolt6iriMhuscrai, the group that broughtAssunta ur Chathasaigh presenting a copy of GI6r na Laoi to Minister of State BattO'Keeffe, Tadhg 6 Maolcatha (Chairman Munster Council Cet), Dick Beamish (Baile anChol/aigh). Tomds 6 Maoldomhnaigh (Ard Runa!, Comhaltas), Eddie O'Sullivan(Cathaoirleach - Baile an Chol/aigh), Pddraig 6 Flanagdin (Sec. Bru Boru Meitheal Region)great acclaim to Craobh Niall 6Cathasaigh by winning the SeniorGrupa Cheoil at Fleadh Cheoil nahEireann in Letterkenny.Their music teachers MartinPower, Caroline Ui Chathasaigh,Brian McGi11icuddy and MarionCollins entertained us with aselection of reels, hornpipes and abarn dance. The senior musiciansplayed for the sean-n6s dancingdisplay by Suzanne Leahy andbranch members who also dancedthe Ba1lyvourney jig set.In his opening addressCathaoirleach, Eddie O'Su11ivan,referred to the weekly events ofthe Comhaltas Branch andthanked Comhaltas for thenecessary funding to make thepublication possible. Thisfunding was received, throughthe Development Plan ofComhaltas from the Governmentduring the year.'G16r na Laoi', as the titlesuggests, presents to the readerthe wealth of Irish traditionallore in folk literature, song,music, story and poetry fromM uscrai Ui Fhloinn - EastMuskerry, - covering thehinterland between Macroomand Ballinco11ig.This book dips into the richtreasury of music, song and storyof the East Muskerry region ofCounty Cork and gives atantalising selection thatencourages the reader to delvefurther into the varies andcolourful heritage of the area.Ta saibhreas ar leith ag baint letraidisiun Mhuscrai agus ta setrathuil an saibhreas seo a roinntle muintir na haite agus godeimhin le muintir na hEireanni gcoitinne. Tugann se deis doscolairi, amhranaithe agusceolt6iri ar linne, agus ar nd6igh44

The influence of their father,William and uncles Tom andJohn was obvious.Tom and Leo were hugelycommitted to traditional Irishmusic and spared no effort inhelping young players in allaspects of their musical education.Apart from their constantinvolvement in the practicalmatters of music, they were verymuch involved in fund-raising atthe Pipers' Club which includedthe purchasing of practice sets ofpipes for children and sendingthem for lessons either at the'Club' or the Municipal School ofMusic, Chatham Row, (now adepartment of the DublinInstitute of Technology).Finally their efforts wererewarded when in 1950 CumannCeolt6iri Eireann was formedwith Tom being its firstSecretary. The name waschanged to Comhaltas Ceolt6iriEireann in the following year andthat organisation was 'launched'at its first fleadh, in Mullingar.On that very day, Tom's youngestson Ciaran was born. At birth,Ciaran was quite ill and was on alife-support machine. Tomrealised that there was nothinghe could do and went to theMullingar Fleadh!Ciaran confirmed to me that hehad been called 'Comhaltas' foryears after and thank God lives totell the tale!Few people had cars at that timeand Tom put his car at thedisposal of the Pipers' Club,transporting students andparents as required.In a photo taken at the back ofHayes Hotel (Thurles Fleadh1955) Tom's youngest son Ciaran(,Comhaltas') and the writer arehappily 'sandwiched' betweenLeo and Tom listening to someserious piping.Copy photo of Leo, Tom, Ciaran andHelena at Thurles Fleadh, back of HayesHotel 7956Tom and Leo decided that thereshould be a Comhaltas emblemand designed one with the helpof an artist friend of Leo's sonLiam, Martin Forristal. The crestwas then affixed to numerousgreen Comhaltas blazers tailoredby Tom Rowsome's staff at theshop, strategically positionedalmost opposite the premises ofthe Pipers' Club at 14 ThomasStreet. Many a good night washad with those great gentlemenwho kept the pipers club goingfor years, some of whom havesadly become part of a forgottengeneration.Jim Nolan, in his greenComhaltas blazer was awelcoming sight for allenthusiasts as they entered thehallway of The Pipers' Club at 14Thomas Street. Jim's assurancethat 'a bird never flew on onewing' guaranteed an encore on alloccasions, much to the delight ofall those present. Ger Tuohey,Paddy McElvaney, Jim Seery,Criost6ir 6 Cearnaigh, JimCrystal Maggie & Peter Flynn,Tom, Leo, Leon and Liam and somany more ... Go ndeana Diatr6caire orthu go leir.Tom played the pipes in theColmcille Ceili Band in the1920'S. Tom, like Leo spent timein their father's workshop wherethey heard the playing andtuning of many fine instruments,including the then century old setof pipes made by the MaloneyBrothers of Kilrush, Co. Clare in1834 approx. This instrumenthad been unused but kept safe byProf. O'Leary and later given toWilliam Rowsome whocompletely overhauled them tomake them look and sound likenew. A lecture, broadcast onradio in 1940 was given byWilliam's son Leo on 'TheAntiquity and Development ofthe Uilleann Pipes'. This wasillustrated by selections on thethen century old Maloney set, thekeys of which were made ofcrowns and half crowns! The truescale of this robust instrumentwas evident as one observes thephoto of Leo playing what wasdescribed as 'a hive of honeyedsounds'. On that occasion, Leoconcluded his broadcast on hisown favourite instrument, madeby himself in 1922. It was thefamine in 1847 that forced theMaloney's to part with the pipes,which sold to Mr O'Carroll, afarmer of Miltown Malbay andthen acquired by Prof. O'Leary in1906, the year Tom Rowsomewas born. It must have beendifficult for the Maloney42

traditional music is 'cool andimpressive', going against themindset of older generations.Speaking at her class in Fairviewyesterday, she said: 'Well, it'skinda cool to be able to playsomething, and when foreignstudents come over in thesummer, and they see us playingtraditional music, they warm tous immediately.Barbara O'Connor from Baysidein Dublin, who has been going tolessons for the flute for six years,say the classes are a great socialoutlet. 'While I love the music,it's mainly to see my friends whoshare the same interest as I do,so it's great'.In addition to the classes,Comhaltas is looking to launcha video teaching package thatprimary teachers can use in theirclassrooms.You can download a series ofspecial performances atwww.comhaltaslive.ieA website which offers weeklyTV and Audio Programmes.Bill Rothwellof OttawaIt is with sadness that we mark January 30 th ,2007 as the first anniversary of the passing ofBill Rothwell, long-time member and former executive member ofthe Ottawa (Canada) CCE Branch.Born in Dublin in 1928, Bill immigrated to Canada and chose Ottawaas his new home where he and his family put down roots and madea significant contribution to the Irish community already establishedthere.He was proud of his Irish roots and passed along this love to his family.At his Funeral Mass, it was fitting that his granddaughter Allysonplayed the harp for her Granddad. Bill would have been so proud!Bill joined the Ottawa CCE Branch in 1985 and was an active memberand keen supporter of the activities sponsored by the Branch. Heserved as both the Ottawa Branch Treasurer as well as the CanadianRegion Treasurer for a number of years and was held in esteem bymany for his dedication. Bill McEvoy praised his work by commentingthat no one submitted more precise reports than did Bill Rothwell.Bill is survived by his wife Lorraine, his daughter Joan, her childrenAaron, Jeff and Emilo Kisko; daughter Carrolle and her daughtersAllyson Green; stepchildren Bruce, Brent and Joan Daly (Fleury) andstep grandchildren Stephanie Fleury and Sarah Daly.Bill's warm smile and enthusiasm for the dance are missed at ourmonthly ceili's.Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.- Maureen MaherBru na Sf in Youghal is one of thelatest additions to the ComhaltasCultural centres network. It isheaded up by the indomitableMicheal de Buitleir. The Bru na Sfperforming group have acceptedan invitation to perform at aWelsh Assembly function andafter that they have their eye seton Mexico. Watch this space forfurther news on this up-andcomingstar attraction.C1uain TarbhChairman MauriceMullen presentsa bodhr6n toAn TaoiseachBertie Ahern40

North America Mournsthe Passing ofPaddy McElvaneyIt is with profound sense ofsorrow and deep regret that Ilearn of the passing of PaddyMcElvaney RIP. While hisname might not be a householdword here in the United Statesand Canada, it is importantthat we acknowledge andrecognize the role that Paddyplayed in the survival of ournative Irish tradition.Born in 1916 in CountyMonaghan, he was the lastsurviving member of the valiantgroup of cultural visionarieswho met at the Midland Hotel,Mullingar on February 4, 1950.It was the dream of the UilleannPipers Club at 14 ThomasStreet, Dublin (of which Paddywas a lifelong member) to dosomething to preserve thetraditional music of Ireland,which was fading away at thattime.Blessed with remarkablelongevity, Paddy lived on to seetheir dream become a reality.Comhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireanncontinued to grow and expandto 400 branches spread acrossa huge territory to fourContinents and 15 Countriesincluding Moscow, Tokyo andBill McEvoySardinia. North America was byfar the greatest beneficiary ofthis cultural legacy.I am grieved that Paddy haspassed away; we were veryclose personal friends.I always valued his inspiringwords of wisdom, especiallyduring the crucial period whenwe were working to getComhaltas started here inNorth America.Thank you, Paddy; you havegone to join old friends andcomrades, men and womenwho served with you here onearth. The many hours that wasspent in the meeting rooms atCulturlann na hEireann andelsewhere will ensure that ournative Irish tradition willcontinue to prosper and beenjoyed by generations to come.On behalf of North America, Iextend our deepest sympathy tothe McElvaney family on thedeath of a wonderful husband,father and grandfather.May the green sod of Irish soilrest lightly on your kind andnoble heart.AI dheis De go raibh a anamuasal.Comhaltaslive freefor all Worldwide!A youthful WillieFogarty demonstrateshis prowess on theaccordeon during aComhaltas show.Willie went on toestablish a verysuccessful productioncompany. COMHALTASLIVE,the weekly tv programme onthe internet, was Willie'sbrainchild and under his expertdirection has established aparticular niche for itself inthe traditional music world.The good news now is thatCOMHALTASLIVE will in thefuture be available free of chargeon the new Comhaltas web sitewww.comhaltas.ieGrayevineThe Comhaltas National Archivewill be making an historicannouncement in the nearfuture regarding their futureplans which will be related to thenew Development Programmeand Regional Centres. Alreadyover 16,000 original music itemsand over 8,000 photos havebeen digitised and it is plannedto provide a service to the worldof Irish cultural traditions via theinternet.Do you know of any taperecordings or photos that couldbe made available to theComhaltas National Archive?Already several privatecollections have been donatedto Comhaltas where they will berevered and used to perpetuateour traditions.

Ah, the PerfectRecipe for a 'GrandTime' - now, whatwould that be? It'squite simple, really:it's a magnificentdish called 'Irelandin Dixie~Basically, our Perfect Recipe is ablend of two separate dishes,each of which is wonderful in itsown right. The fish dish is called'Irish Music', and is knownworldwide for the nourishmentof the human spirit it provides,not only to the native Irish and tothose of Irish heritage, but topeople everywhere who have afeel for joyous music and for therhythm of life. The second dish iscalled 'Dude, the AmericanSouth', which is home to a richcultural tradition of its own, onewhich is filled with great music,and food, and zest for life, andwhere a warm and friendlywelcome is bestowed on friendand stranger alike.These two dishes will be blendedinto one magnificent servingcome this April, when themembers and friends of theNorth American Province ofComhaltas gather in Atlanta,Georgia for the 2007 annualConvention. These many Irishand lovers of all things Irish willtrek to Atlanta, a modern citysituated in the heart of Dude, inthe American Old South. Atlantain the springtime is a beautifulplace, with warm weather, andflowers in bloom everywhere.This blend of things Irish andthings of the Old South willresult in 'Ireland in Dixie', anevent, which will fully satisfy thecravings of all who attend for ahearty and delicious helping of a'Grand Time'.Some of the detailed ingredientsgoing into the 'Grand Time' dishinclude music from the fabulousbands Green Fields of America,and Fingal. Not only can youlisten to the great sounds comingfrom these two bands, you alsohave the opportunity to takeinstruction from their members,who will be teaching workshopsin their instruments. Here arejust a few examples: Fiddle withRandal Bays; Button Accordionwith J ames Keane; Mandolin andBanjo with Mick Moloney;Uilleann Pipes with JerryO'Sullivan. Then again, youmight appreciate the set danceworkshops to be taught by dancemaster Tony Ryan, and at nightenjoy Tony again as he calls thesets to the music of Fingal or ofGreen Fields of America. Therewill be wonderful Old TimeSouthern music, which has itsroots in Irish music, from thegroup Georgia Mudcats.There will be informativelectures, such as one by MickMoloney on 'Irish-AppalachianMusic Connections'.Some of the many otherattractions will be: a deliciousbanquet, with live entertainment;genuine Irish Mummers; achallenging pub crawl; twodifferent interesting tours ofAtlanta; and much more. And ofcourse, we cannot forget tomention the wonderfulimpromptu seisiun's, which willpop up all over the various nooksand corners of the hotel.'Ireland in Dixie' will take placefrom April 12 - 15, 2007, at theWestin Atlanta Airport Hotel inAtlanta, Georgia. Rooms arefilling up fast, so don't delay.For full details and registration,go to our website:www.irelandindixie.com

Traditional Music Club, ChurchStreet, Dublin. He played thereshortly before he died in January1989·This year was the 9 th AnnualBallintogher Traditional MusicFestival. The event commencedon Friday 3 rd November, in theAbbey Manor Hotel, Dromahairwith the official opening by MrJim McGarry, Chairman SligoCo. Council.Jim spoke of the importanceof festivals of this nature inpreserving and promoting ourIrish traditional culture and paidgreat tribute to festivalorganisers for their continuedwork in this area.Martin Enright, Chairman SligoCounty Board Comhaltas Ceolt6iriEireann also addressed a fullgathering of people at the concert.He stated how important suchevents were in promoting theaims and objectives of Comhaltas.Fr. John Egan son of the lateJohn Egan, whom the festivalcommemorates, played a tune onthe whistle and he spoke of theinvolvement of his late father inmusic and his love for traditionalmusic.Master of the ceremonies for theconcert was Seamus McCormack,Chairman of the Fred FinnBranch of CCE. He thanked allthe sponsors, especially SligoCounty Council, ComhaltasCeolt6iri Eireann, Foras naGaeilge for their financialsupport. He also acknowledgedthe support of all the othersponsors who provided fundingfor the festival. The opening wasfollowed by a TraditionalConcert, which featured wellknownartists - Michael 6Raghallaigh, Catherine McEvoy,Lindsay Moynagh, MartinDonoghue, Colm O'Donnell andFrank Finn.Eleven workshops were held inBallintogher, on Saturday 4thNovember in fiddle, flute,whistle, harp, button accordion,concertina, banjo, drums, Gaeilgesinging and sean-n6s dancing.A very enjoyable ceili took placeon Saturday 4th November in theAbbey Manor Hotel, with musicprovided by the Swallows TailCeili Band.On Sunday 5th N ov a specialevent was held - The Fiddler ofDooney competition, revivedafter a lapse of 9 years. Thiscompetition was sponsored byComhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireann.There was a large entry ofcompetitors from all overIreland. In the juniorcompetition there were twentyentrants, while twelve competedin the senior competition.Adjudicators for the competitionwere themselves previousprizewinners of the fiddler ofDooney - Manus McGuire Canative of Sligo) Scariff, Co. Clare- winner in 1970, and BreegeHarper, Tyrone winner in 1988.Martin Enright acted as MC forthe evening. In his introductionhe stated that Ballintogher was avery fitting venue for this event,as it was located in the heart ofthe Yeats Country and in closeproximity to Dooney Rock andthe Lake Isle of Inisfree. Martinensured the smooth running ofthe event, which was coordinatedby SeamusMcCormack and Francis Taaffe.Winners of the Fiddler of Dooneycompetition - Junior Winners -1st - Mairead Hickey, 6 ValentineVillas, Cork, 2nd - Ruadhri MacAodhagain, Raheny Dublin, Joint3rd - Caoimhe Kearns,Ballinabole, Ballymote and RosieFerguson, Tower Lodge,Downshire, Newry, Co Down.Senior Winners - 1st prize TaraBreen, Ruan, Co. Clare, 2nd prizeMichael Harrison, Nenagh, Co.Tipperary, 3rd - prize RonanGreene, Milltown, Co. Galway.At the conclusion of the festival -Seamus McCormack and FrancisTaaffe, Chairman of the Festivalthanked the Abbey Manor Hotel,Dromahair for providing thevenue for the Feis and part of thefestival programme and all thelocal people involved inorganising the event.-,( / ~$ GrayevineFebruary 15 th , 2007, will long beremembered for the launch ofthe new website Comhaltas.ie.This is a state-of-the-art, fullybi-lingual site which is alreadyattracting huge interest. As anadded bonus, the weeklyprogramme ComhaltasLive isnow accessible free of charge onthe new site. Please visit us atyour convenience.34

Abair AmhranNa Conneriesc rr ESetting by Tomas 6 CanainnA Choimthin mhallai- the ghuidhimse deachair ort agus grain Mhic-IFDe 'S ar an ghasr(a) lid eta ceangail - te go dllith led' thaobh 'Siad dodhearbhaigh i8l tysr F 17 [?llathair Coisdealbha ar an dtrilir fear seimh Is a chuir na Conner-fEr f- --r I r r j r I J. /jJJ I Jthar na far-rai - gi go 'dtis na New South Wales.t 11A Choimthin mhallaithe ghuidhim-se deaehair ort agus grain Mhie De'S ar an ghasr(a) ud 'ta eeangailte go dluth led' thaobh'Siad do dhearbhaigh i lathair Coisdealbha ar an dtriur fear seimhIs a ehuir na Connerys thar na farraigi 'dtis na New South WalesDon te bheadh na seasamh ann is a dheanfhadh maenamh ar ar geuis da phleMar do sheasfhadh si on a seaeht ar maidin go dti tar eis a naoiChrith an talamh minn le linn na labhartha da dtabhairt sna mbreagMo ghreidhn-se an t-anam boeht, ta si damanta mas fior do'n ehleirTa jaieead gairid a dheanamh 0 mhaidin duinn agus trusar da reirCulaith farraige nar thaithiomar i dtuis ar saolMaraeh feabhas ar gearad dUinn bhi ar muineil enagaithe,sinn go doimhin san aolAeh gur easadh sinn ehun tearma eatheamh ins na New South WalesA Bhanrion bheannaithe 's a Ri na bhFlaitheas geal tabhair fuaseailt orainn araonIs ar ar mbanaltra ata sa bhaile go dubhaeh 'nar ndheidhLe linn an Aifrinn bigi ag aehaini is ag ghui ehun DeAr na Connerys thabhairt saor abhaile eughainn dti Botha'Dhun na gCraobh.

These three reels form a set from Foinn Seisiun Book 3, currently under preparation,and which should be available later in 2007. Joe Bane's is just one of many tunesnamed after this noted East Clare musician while Lucy Campbell's is more oftenassociated with the great Sligo tradition of Coleman and his contemporaries. The twotunes were combined to great effect on a Stockton's Wing album released back in themid eighties. The third reel is taken from the Kilfenora Ceili Band's 'Set on Stone' CDwhich was recorded in 1995.Joe Bane's Reel11 " 2 14' j mrJjJJ IJ aaa IfflJJjJJ 13n JJ n :ll3nJJ I114'cHr F a It ann lroa t a IcFFrECrr 13Lucy Campbell's34 ~ 1 1]oWJ er I JJJmj I #;loW FfEr I fflOil]J I 1]oWJ er I mi.f3~j I4 ~ 1]00 [EEr I @1]J 11 Ef!fjrrr I r craj I Ef!fjrrr I @1]J I3 34 ~ Ef!fjrrt I er 41 cr41 I Ef!fjEITE I fflJJOJ lit ~rerr IE~€rE I4 ~ t ~Frrr IgillJ It ~rrrr 17~frrr I L' H U Igil]J 114~u[rrjITEF lucrrEcrr IjHrf" ~3 31£4lJ]illJ I4 ~ U [r re Er r I U Er re Er r I r pr U I B J] lJ J 113 3The Boys of '454' e pJjpJJllI a JjpmJ I r CJaJ I€t1CJfflJ I pJi;JJllI34 ' a Jjj J J J J I r er a J I ttt er J, ~ :11 L' ~ IT j j E I IT j E r U r 134' L' ~Efu I JEEd' ~ I ttrEfu I r amJ I r CJaJ I€t1CJJ. , :113

MusicPackie started learning to play ona Clarkes whistle while listeningto the 78's of John McKenna. Hisdeep diaphragm driven rhythmwas strongly influenced byMcKenna. From 1958 to 1973 heplayed in Drumshanbo basedceili band 'Shannon Star'.Members of this band were NedMcGowan, Tony McGowan,Kevin Dowler, James Earley andPackie Euignan.In his later years Packie mostlyplayed in and around Drumshanbo,Keadue and Arigna with SeamusHoran and Ciaran Emmett.Packie made some recordings fortopic in the late 1970'S, whichlater appeared on a compilationCD, 'Irish Traditional Music' byTemple Records. Packie alsomade many TV and radioappearances.As PRO of ComhaltasDrumshanbo it fell to me tospread the word but as time wenton I began to find it easy topromote the week-end due in themain to the admiration this manPackie Duignan engendered ineveryone I spoke with.I never met him personally as Istarted to come to Drumshanbothe year after he died but as themonths went I began to get a realsense of a wonderful characterwith a wry sense of humour, wellloved and respected by his fellowmusicians.My PR campaign ended with anhour's slot on our localShannonside Radio programmewith Charlie McGettigan whoalso knew and loved Packie.32We had a host of musiciansplaying on the programmeincluding Tommy Guihan, PatsyHanly, Mick Mulvey, MossieMartin, Padraig Sweeney and hisyoung flute pupils fromDrumshanbo and everyone had astory about Packie.The weekend started on Friday26th January with an openingceremony at the Plaque to Packieby Paddy Ryan, Oifigeach CeoilCCEjShannonside Radio.Paddy then set the weekend inmotion with a few tunes on thefiddle in Gunnings.On Saturday we ran workshopsin Flute (Dave Sheridan), Whistle(Padraig Sweeney), Fiddle(Mossie Martin), Bodhran(Junior Davey), Accordion(Rachel McGovern; Sean-nosDancing (Edwina Guckian).We kept the tutors local as Packiewas a local and there is a hugepool of talent in the area.Numbers were high for theworkshops with people comingform as far away as Williamstownand Dublin to participate.Saturday evening was thehighlight of the weekend with thePackie Duignan Flute Gatheringin Berry's Tavern. We had askedsome musicians who knew Packieto attend and perhaps say a wordabout him but we wereastounded at the huge numbersof musicians (mostly fluters) whoturned up. At one stage half ofBallinagleara was on the stage!And what wonderful music frommasters of their craft. Thegathering featured DrumshanboCCE Group - Padraig, Francie,Sven, Deirdre, Tony, Maria,Sean, Mairead and Eamon.After that we had music fromDrumshanbo CCE Flute Groupwith tutor Padraig Sweeney andAisling Hearan, Sinead O'Malley,Aileen Mulvey, Orla Gordon, EdelFeeley and Gavin Sweeney. TheWards of Ballinamore, Orla,Yvonne, Lisa and Niamh thentook the stage followed by theDrumkerrin group of Louise Davitt(relation of Packie) and CaitrionaHoran (relation of Seamus Horan)and Catherine Gallagher.After that we had variousgroupings taken from DaveSheridan, Sean Gilraine andfriends, Mossie Martin, MickMulvey, Rachel McGovern,Lorraine Sweeney, Mairead Kelly,Eamon Dunne, Noel Sweeney,Sean and Nora Thompson, PatsyHanly Tommy Guihan, JohnWynne, Padraig Sweeney,Seamus Sweeney, Paul Wynne,Tom Gleeson, Fiachra 6 Torna,Frank Jordan, Dan Healy, JuniorDavey and if I forgot anyone, wellthere were just so many there itwas difficult to keep track.There was a wonderful, evenemotional feeling to theGathering and for me thehighlight was at the end whenDan Healy and assembled fluteplayers played a set of tunes inmemory of Packie preceded by alovely air from Dan.Sunday was a relaxed day with aBoxty Brunch in the Chariot Innand a big session led by Marcas6 Murchu. Sessions aboundedthroughout the town for theweekend.All in all a wonderful weekendand will definitely be repeated.

Bill McEvoyOn behalf ofthe Mulligan-QuinnBranch, we extend a hearty CeadMile Failte to all who join us thisevening for the annual Hall ofFame celebration. We extend veryspecial congratulations to JoannieMadden on being inducted to theHall of Fame. She will join her veryillustrious father for thisprestigious honour. It will be thefirst time that we will have a fatherand daughter sharing thisdistinguished achievement.We also commemorate thememories of the late Jim Cooganand Dermot Grogan RIP. Weremember with fondness theirmassive contributions totraditional Irish music and ournative Irish heritage. It is withsadness that we extend to theCoogan and Grogan families ourheartfelt sorrow on their passing.They have left us a rich heritage onwhich to build a future, theirvaliant contributions will foreverserve as an inspiration to all whofollow them.Joannie Madden's contribution totraditional Irish music and herincomparable achievements on theworld stage need no elaborationfrom me. Suffice to say that aboveall others in recent years shebrought a sense of passion,vibrance and glamour to our nativetraditional music. In doing so shenever lost sight of her beginnings.Whenever possible J oannie cameto support the local sessions or togive her support to some worthycause. With her fine dispositionshe brought joy to many an Irish30heart both on and off the concertstage. Congratulations Joannie,you have truly earned this greathonour.As we assemble in the IrishAmerican Centre tonight tocelebrate 35 years of Comhaltashistory here in North America, it isimportant that we recognize therole that this Centre has played inthe life of Comhaltas here inAmerica and Canada. In March of1972 three people came together tomake plans for the first everconcert tour to America. MineolaIrish Centre was the first to accept.The late Tom Connolly ofLindenhurst was serving asPresident back then.The farewell concert for that initialtour took place here on SaturdayOctober 21 st , 1972, to a packedhouse and standing room onlyaudience. It is still rememberedas one of the greatest concertsever staged.Later that year in 1972 Comhaltaswas founded here. The first everqualifyingFleadh Cheoil was heldhere in this Irish Centre in 1974.The very fact that we are all heretonight is attributable to the visionof one man, Sean 6 Faolain (JohnWhelan), the Miltown Malbay borncultural leader who introduced amotion at a meeting here in 1990that we create a Hall of Fame tohonour musicians who hadrendered distinguishedcontributions to Irish TraditionalMusic in the New York area beheld annually.The late Tom Doherty of Brooklynand Donegal was the first to beinducted in 1990. Since then theHall of Fame has spread to allRegions in the United States andCanada. The precious gift of onecultural visionary from MiltownMalbay.It is true to state that this IrishAmerican Centre has long been ahome to Comhaltas. A successionof great Presidents and Board ofDirectors has always supportedComhaltas, but none more so thanthe man who serves in thathonoured position tonight, MikeQuinn. He is the Tulla bornneighbour of Paddy Canny and thelate P.J.Hayes RIP. We thank himfor all he has done for ComhaltasCeolt6iri Eireann. This area of richtradition in County Clare is a clearindicator of the climate in whichMike Quinn was raised.Hence, tonight we congratulatethose who will be inducted to theHall of Fame, and we thank allwho came to support this greatannual event.These sentiments were expressedin a letter to the Mid-AtlanticRegional Board by Senator Labhras6 Murchu, Director GeneralComhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireann. Dueto prior commitment in Scotlandhe could not be here tonight.We are the inheritors of a rich andancient heritage. Our music, oursongs, our dances, our nativelanguage, and the games of the Gaelare components of that rich legacy.They are the fibre from which thenationhood of Ireland is woven.

Happy Birthday MikeOn September 2'1h 2006Mike Rafferty celebratedhis 80 th Birthday.Mike, well known in themusic circle all across theStates was surprised byhis wife Terry at theirmonthly ceili with a littlecelebration. Family,friends and fellowmusicians spent theevening celebrating with Mike and later erupted into a huge seisiun.A native of Ballinakill, Co. Galway, Mike emigrated to the Statessome years ago and has made an impact on Irish music in America.His daughter, Mary, also a well-known musician has appeared onmany of Mike's recordings.Both musicians bring a certain quality to Irish music and are alsopassing on their playing and knowledge to others.Fergal O'Halloran,Bronx, New York.,*h ~GrayevineThe global nature and acceptance ofIrish cultural traditions is underlinedby the recent wandering of the BruBoru group during St Patrick's Week.This group, whose home is at thefoot of the Rock of Cashel, servicedtwo invitations, sending one groupto the Irish Consulate in Shanghaiand the other to the Irish Embassy inSingapore. Next stop the Asiangames next Summer!Fleadh Cheoil Uladh this year willcommemorate The Flight of theEarls. To this end they will have avaried and attractive programme.Eamonn Campbell, Cathaoirleach ofthe Fleadh last year and this year,together with an energeticcommittee, have been expandingand enhancing the ProvincialFleadh. Well done to all concerned.Chairman Helen Gannonof St Louis Irish Arts branch ofComhaltas, held a little party to saythank you to the many volunteerswho had worked so hard on theirrecent Feis Cheoil. The Feisattracted 1009 competitors and wasrated the most successful Feis todate. To show her appreciationHelen presented each committeemember a first day of issue new Nickel commemorating the signing of the Louisiana Purchase which tookplace right here in St. Louis in 1804.Prior to the Louisiana Purchase, The United States extended from the Atlantic Ocean to the MississippiRiver. This is a big Year for St. Louis also celebrating the World's Fair of 1904 where the Irish Village wasthe seat of entertainment.John McCormack sang, Patsy Tuohy danced and William Butler Yeats visited and read from his Books.28

far away as Northern Ireland toMurroe during the 1970'S and allwere welcomed to stay in theirhome in Rath for extendedperiods. Mick and Peig'shospitality knew no bounds onthese occasions and the produceof his beloved garden providedmuch needed sustenance. Hisskill and talent in the garden waslearned during his time workingwith the Benedictines in GlenstalAbbey in his teens.Having settled in Rath, Mick wasemployed as Station Master inDromkeen Railway Stationduring the '50'S and '60'S. In theearly '70'S the Ferenka Plantopened and soon Mick foundemployment there until itsuddenly ceased operations. Hesubsequently worked for a periodwith Walsh Aluminium installingwindows and doors.Comhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireannfeatured hugely in Mick's life. Heand Peig joined the movement inthe mid '50'S in KilnamanaghBranch, Cappawhite on theinvitation of Mr. SylvesterConway, former Uachtanin ofComhaltas. Both he and Peigwere central to the activities ofthe branch, notably inparticipating in ScoraiochtCompetitions. In January 1972they decided to found a branch inMurroe to continue the work ofpreserving and promoting Irishtraditional culture. Both took anactive part in the branchprogramme of activities and heldvarious officer positions duringthe years and represented thebranch as delegates to CountyBoard and Munster Council.26Mick has had the distinction ofleading the annual culturalparade at Fleadh Nua in Ennis,Co. Clare as national flag bearer.He always undertook the taskwith a great sense of honour andpride and was the flag bearer fornearly 30 years, until recently,when he could no longer fulfilthis because of declining health.Mick was a big man in everysense, big in stature and big inheart, who enjoyed the companyof fellow citizens to the full. Hewas always very relaxed andcomfortable in the presence ofpeople, who appreciated his loveof everything native. Many willfondly recall the many wonderfulmusical sessions in the TeachCeoil, in Murroe. Mick loved toentertain the listeners with hismusical renditions of such songsas 'Mary from Murroe', 'The Boysof Barr na Sraide', 'The DearLittle Isle', 'A St6r mo Chroi' andmany more.His interpretation of 'Mary fromMurroe', recorded on a numberof occasions by Ciaran MacMathuna for RTE, is regarded asdefinitive and has never beenperformed to the same standardby other singers. He lovednothing better than to performthis song on the occasion of theselection of 'Mary from Murroe'from among the manycontestants at the annual festival.'The Dear Little Isle', with itsevocative sentiments of nationalpride, was certainly very close tohis heart as it was always sung asa duet with Peig.The affection and respect theyeach portrayed for one anotherwas always evident during theseperformances and would movemany a listener.Family, relatives and friends willsadly miss Mick. He has nowassuredly joined many musicaland sporting friends in heavenand especially his beloved daughterTheo, who was taken from usprematurely in 1997. Her deathcaused great heartbreak for bothhim and Peig, family and friends.Go ndeana Dia grasta agus tr6cairear a anam uasal agus go mbeidhcuimhne againn go deo air.- ---",.. I iIH~ GrayevineThe Irish Minstrels Branch ofComhaltas in Glasgow shouldtake a bow on theirachievements. This year theycelebrate their 50 th anniversary.This was acknowledged by theLord Provost of Glasgow whoprovided a Civic Reception forthis excellent branch. Theachievements of the branchwere also lauded by PresidentMary McAleese when she metwith the branch during herScottish visit. A fine example,indeed, for all branches.

CeardIannEarraigpBord Chill Dara CCEMaster Classesin Traditional Music,Song, Dance and StorytellingSaturday 31 st March 2007Celbridge, Co. KildareTutors:John Regan Accordi onNoel Hill ConcertinaSeam us 6 Mongain ConcertinaBrid Harper FiddleKathleen Nesbitt Fiddleliam 0' Connor Fiddlelouise Mulcahy FluteSarah Jane Woods FluteCarmel Gunning Tin WhistleMeabh Ni lochlainn Tin WhistleMick O'Brien Uilleann PipesMarcus Moloney BanjoMichelle Mulcahy HarpBrian McGrath Piano AccompanimentJunior Davey BodhranTadhg Maher Traditional SingingEddie lenihan StorytellingMaureen Culleton Two Hand DancesFollowed by Concertin Glenroyal Hotel, MaynoothFeaturing Tutors & SpecialGuestsInformation:Phone Nuala 01-627 3274or N6irin 01-627 1559Class Numbers limited,Advanced Booking Ess entialS COMHALTASConcert and Workshops in Music, Song, Dance and Storytelling3 1 st March 2007, Celbridge, Co. KildareCelebrating 10 YearsWorkshops in music, song, dance and storytelling come no better than in 'CeardlannEarraigh', Celbridge, Co. Kildare, celebrating 10 years in existence.Established by the Kildare County Board of Comhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireann, this year's eventtakes place on the 31 st March, 2007 and promises to be the best and most varied todate with an all-star line up of tutorsStorytellingIn the past the Seanachai and Storytelling always held a hugely important place in Irishculture. In an effort to revive this great art 'Ceardlann Earraigh' introduces, for the firsttime, a workshop in storytelling and who better to deliver this than the renowned EddieLenihan. Eddie, a native of Kerry, but now living in Crusheen, Co. Clare is not only astoryteller but also a folklorist and author of numerous books and recordings. Aftertwenty-eight years of collecting stories of bygone days Eddie possesses probably thelargest tape library in private hands in Ireland, a unique resource of irreplaceablematerial that would have been lost but for his diligence. Eddie is looking forward tosharing his stories and of course having fun with those attending 'Ceardlann Earraigh'.DancingDancers will be catered for at 'Ceardlann' with tuition in Two-Hand dances under thestewardship of the well-known set dance teacher from Laois, Maureen Culleton. Two-Handdances have become very popular at ceili's and this is an opportunity to brush up onthe steps for future gatherings. On the experience of last year a most enjoyable dayis assured.Music and ConcertThe line-up of excellent music tutors speaks for itself. Present will be 'ConcertinaMaestro' Noel Hill, the current Ceoltoir Og na Bliana TG4 2006, Michelle Mulcahy, aformer recipient of this award, fiddler Liam O'Connor and 'Mr Uilleann Pipes' himselfMick O'Brien among others. A first this year for 'Ceardlann Earraigh' will be the inclusionof piano accompaniment with accompanist supreme Brian McGrath. All these greatmusicians along with aforementioned list of tutors, and other special guests, will performin the 'Ceardlann Earraigh lOth Anniversary Grand Concert' in the Glenroyal Hotel at8pm following the workshops.Directions and TimetableThe workshops will be held in Scoil na Mainistreach, Celbridge, Co. Kildare.Celbridge is situated 12 miles from Dublin city centre and is easily accessible from theN4. N7 and M50, with the 67 bus running directly to the village from Dublin city centre.Registration and grading takes place at 10.4 5am with the classes following fromII.lOam to 4.lOpm. The fee for the workshops is €20. which allows free entry, forjunior participants. to 'The Grand Concert' at 8p!11 on the night.Celbridge is adjacent to the village of Straffan. which recently played host to a ­prestigious golf event. Join us in Celbridge for the music, singing. dancing. storytelling.craic and Grand Concert in what should prove to be 'The Ryder Cup of all Workshops'.Bigi linn!r24

Clare who earned a solo concertat Corofin trad festival at 250seat venue and Eimear Howley(banjo and fiddle) who wasinvited to play solo at theNational Concert Hall in August.Meitheal encourages youngcomposers to develop theirtalents and fiddler Eamonn Belltook the top award in thissection. His composition canbe downloaded from theexcellent Meitheal websitewww.tradweek.com - as canthe runner up in the composeraward, Niamh O'Sullivan( concertina).Other young musicians of note tobe honoured were Katie Cullen(fiddle) and Ryan Murphy(uilleann pipes) who earned aninvitation to perform at Ennistrad festival in October. Ryanalso was part of the ComhaltasTour of Ireland in the Autumn.This year, the festival will runfrom July 16 th to 20 th . Everythingincluding accommodation willbe on campus.Various other scholarships andawards to be announced. Seewebsite for details.Forms available by contactingGarry Shannon 087 6704465 oremail meitheal2@eircom.netAlso download application formfrom the websitewww.tradweek.comThe site is available this yearin German, French, Japaneseand English.A MusicalFarewell to GusSean Quinn'Traditionalmusicians and hismany fansthroughout NorthernIreland weresaddened recently atthe death of fiddlerJames (Gus) McElroyof Drumnaquoile,Castlewellan, CoDown. Gus was amember of the well-known musical family whose ceili bandentertained dancers around Co Down and further afield since the1930'S. Gus's father, James McElroy Snr, was one of the mostinfluential Ulster fiddlers of his generation. Members of Newcastleand Belfast Comhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireann branches played at theroadside along the route of the cortege, and in Clanvaraghan chapelduring the funeral Mass. The celebrant, Fr Moley, commented on thehigh standing in which the fiddler was held in both traditional musicand GAA circles (he was an honorary life member of St. John's GAC,Drumnaquoile) and also thanked the musicians for their 'happymusic on such a sad day'.Gus McElroy was a jolly, fun-loving character who endeared himselfto all whom he came in contact. As a fiddler, he had a large repertoireof tunes and great rhythm. For many years, with brother Dan, heplayed for dancing competitions at Feis an Duin.Gus who received a lifetime achievement award in 2004 from Co.Down Comhaltas, is survived by his brothers Dan and Tony, whoboth play accordion. John, the former Down county footballer and asister, Philomena.Gus was unable to play in the McElroy Ceili Band for the last fewyears and the band itself has now retired after playing a farewell setsceili in St Malachy's Hall, Kilcoo in November 2006.'22

2007 COMHALTASCONCERT TOUR OF BRITAINThe 2007 Concert Tour of Britain had a top class line-up of musicians, singers anddancers. Following their farewell concert at CultUrlann na hEireann, the group visitedLiverpool, Bradford, Motherwell, Birmingham, Nottingham, London and Newport.The talented performers selected for this tour are:Sean 0 Se [Cork) - Fear aTfjSinger • Clodagh Buckley [Cork) - FiddleMichael Harrison [Tipperary) - Fiddle • Nadia Markey [Monaghan) - HarpDean Warner [Armagh) - Piano Accordion • Martin Donohoe [Cavan) - AccordionMairead Corridan [Kerry) - Concertina • Siobhan Hogan [Clare) - FluteRyan Murphy [Cork) - Uilleann Pipes • Christina Dolphin [Dublin) - Flute • Padraig Swift[Fermanagh) - FluteChannelle Moynagh [Dublin) - Banjo • Elle Marie O'Dwyer [Cork) - SingerAishling Prendergast [Tipperary) - Dancer • Eamonn Moloney [Tipperary) DancerTeresa Sheehan [Limerick) Dancer • Cathal McGarrigle [Offaly) - DancerSonny McDermott [Fermanagh) - Manager • McElligotts [Kerry) - SoundComhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, Ireland's cultural movement, was founded in 1851 to promote Irish traditionalmusic, song, dance and language. Today there are 400 branches worldwide and up to two million peopleattend Comhaltas functions each year. For further information, contact Comhaltas at:9 COMHALTAS32 Belgrave Square, Monkstown, Co. Dublin, IrelandTel: [+3531) 280 0285 Fax: [+3531) 280 3758enquiries@comhaltas.com www.comhaltas.ieSee the Best Irish Traditional Entertainment on the InternetVisit Comhaltaslive at www.comhaltaslive.ie

Uinsionn 6 hEarainThere was a strong anddistinctive traditional musicalstyle associated with CountySligo going back for centuries;this tradition did not penetratethe urban area of Sligo town untilthe latter part of the 20 th century.According to contemporaryreports one would have found italmost impossible to locate atraditional session in the town upto 1950 or even later.However, in 1948 the late JoeO'Dowd (1913-1987) came toreside in Sligo town, Joe'sinfluence on traditional Irishmusic was profound throughoutIreland and even in England andAmerica; but nowhere was hisbrilliance and skill as a fiddleplayer more appreciated than inhis native Sligo. He was one ofthe driving forces behind theestablishment of a branch of18Comhaltas in the town in 1958.This branch held sessions in theKelly's Hotel in Bridge Street.Among the regular attendees atthe branch sessions at that timewas Jimmy Higgins, JimMulholland, Bro. Flannan, TommyCollis, Martin Stenson, PaddyMaguire, Joe Callaghan and NoelStrange and Manus O'Donnellwould drive up from Longford andJohn Joe Gordon would comedown from Kiltyclogher.To put things into perspective itshould be noted that ComhairleConnacht was only established ata meeting in Castlerea on May13 th 1960. The first ConnachtFleadh took placed inconjunction with Fleadh Cheoilna hEireann in Carrick-on­Shannon in 1962. Within fiveyears the Connacht Fleadharrived in Sligo, when in 1967 itwas held in Grange.Sadly the activities of the SligoTown branch waned andeventually the branch ceased tofunction about this time.It was inevitable that thetradition would break throughand in February 1974 the branchof Comhaltas was reformed.Among those who wereinstrumental in re-establishingthe branch, were J oe O'Dowd,Martin Enright, Carmel Gunning,Declan Bree, Carmel Mc Manus,Din Mannion, Katherine Bree,Paul Jennings, Rick Epping (aUS citizen member of the groupPumpkin Head) and others.A weekly session was held everyTuesday night in the Sligo UnitedTrades Club and before longword spread that some of thebest of Irish traditional musiccould be experienced at thisvenue. Visitors from all over theworld called in when in the area.The folk group Pumpkin Headarrived in Sligo around this timeand musicians such as RickEpping, Thorn Moore and otherssuch as Andy Irvine, MauriceLennon, Loretta Reid and BrianTaheny would call in to play withsuch crafts persons as J oeO'Dowd, J osie McDermott,Tommy Collis, Verona Ryan andCarmel Gunning.One cannot refer to this periodwithout recalling characters suchas Alphie Bree who constantlykept order and demanded silenceand respect for the music, themusicians and the singers.Another character was piperLarry O'Dowd who enthralledaudiences with his renditions of

amongst the younger generation,encouraging young musicians tolisten to the music of such greatEast Clare Musicians as JoeBane, Bill Malley, MartinRochford and John Naughton,all now deceased.Vincent GriffinAnother East Clare musician whois hale and hearty and who willbe heard playing the best ofmusic at our festival is PaddyO'Donoghue, the great fluteplayer from Ballinahinch. Paddyhas composed some beautifultunes and has produced a book ofhis own compositions.Mary McN amara runs her ownmusic school in the Music Room,Tulla and leads a traditionalmusic session for youngmusicians run by Comhaltastwice a month, giving youngmusicians an opportunity to playmusic together in a relaxed andenjoyable atmosphere.One cannot speak of youngmusicians in the East Clare areawithout mentioning accordionplayer Seamus Bolger, who givesso much time and effort toencouraging young musicians tojoin sessions. He has kept many ayoung musician playing musicwhen their days as musicstudents were finished.16His praise and encouragementhave kept young lads and ladiesplaying music and hiscontribution to the growth ofIrish traditional music amongstthe youth of East Clare cannotbe overstated.To mark the occasion of our 50 thAnniversary, a celebration ofmusic, song and dance will takeplace in Tulla on the weekend of14th - 1~ September 2007.The official opening will takeplace on Friday evening 14thSeptember at 7Pm followed byCeili House with the Tulla CeiliBand and All-Ireland Championwinners from Tulla ComhaltasBranch down through the years.This will be followed by theopening Ceili of the weekendwith our own Tulla Ceili Band.On Saturday, events will includeindoor and outdoor musicsessions, concerts and ceilithe.We are producing an Archive onTulla Comhaltas and music inEast Clare over the past 50 years,which will include recordings,photographs and writtenmaterial. Ceili House with theTulla Ceili Band and Ceilithewith the Tulla and Kilfenora willbe the highlights of our weekend.We are also running workshopsin a variety of musicalinstruments, sean-nos singing asGaeilge and Bearla, sean-nosdancing, singing workshops inIrish and English and we arelaunching our Irish languageclasses which we intend to runfor ten weeks up to Christmas,aimed at improving the level ofconversational Irish amongst theordinary people.Mary NcNamaraWe are delighted that twowonderful fiddle players andformer members of TullaComhaltas are able to join us forthe weekend, both now residentin the United States. MartinHayes and Seamus Connolly willcome back to Tulla for theweekend to take part inWorkshops and Recitals. We arelooking forward to having bothmusicians in our midst for theweekend.On Saturday evening we intendto present our Archive as a slideshow with interviews with formermembers and musicians. A roll ofhonour, recognising thecontribution of musicians,dancers and singers to thepromotion of Irish culture,locally, nationally andinternationally will be unveiled.Music for Saturday night Ceiliwill be by the Kilfenora CeiliBand. Sunday morning startswith Aifreann as Gaeilge withmusic arranged specially for theoccasion by Mary McN amara.Immediately after Mass music

Breda McNamaraCelebrations willPaddy Cannytake place in Tullaon the weekendof 14 th -17 th ofSeptember 2007to mark the 50 thAnniversary ofTulla Comhaltas.Tulla has a reputationworldwide as being the home oftraditional Irish music. This is inno small part due to the greatTulla Ceili Band led by P. J oeHayes who have brought setdancers to their feet all over theworld. The Tulla Band celebratedtheir 60th Anniversary last year,long more may they continue toentertain us with great music.Back in the 1950'S there wasgreat rivalry between the TullaBand and another great Co Clareband, the Kilfenora. These twobands competed against eachother at County Fleadh Cheoiland the rivalry was as fierce ason All-Ireland hurling final day.Tulla Comhaltas was establishedon the 4th September 1957 at ameeting in the Courthouse, inresponse to a wish from thepeople of Tulla, who wereinterested in Irish music, songand dance, to host the CountyFleadh Cheoil in 1958. ThatCounty Fleadh went down inhistory as one of the greatestFleadh Cheoils of all time. TheTulla Band competed against theKilfenora, their archrivalsthroughout the 1950'S and '60'S.The streets of Tulla were burstingat the seams with supporters of14

An Taoiseach addressing the attendanceat the CU\SAC ceremonyJim McAllister dances a step for AnTaoiseach, watched by Senator CyprianBrady and Maurice MullenBualadh bos and well done: An TaoiseachBertie Ahern and Senator Labhras 6MurchU applaud Craobh Chluain Tarbhon their cultural work down through theyearsClontarf Comhaltas for leadingthe CLASAC development, theTaoiseach said;'More than ever toady our youngpeople should have access to ourheritage and I look forward toCLASAC making this a reality inDublin. I also want to thankClontarf Comhaltas for the greatwork it has been doing for over40 years in helping Dubliners tolearn and enjoy our uniquemusic, song and dance'.He also quipped that being soclose to home, he looked forwardto dropping in on manyoccasions for a session.CLASAC will also produce highquality shows geared towardsoverseas and domestic patrons.Clontarf Comhaltas has a proudrecord of excellence and todaythere are over 200 youngstudents attending classes in alltraditional music instruments.CU\SAC will open the traditionsto a wide audience throughinnovative educationprogrammes, out reach toschools, and support for localartists and communityparticipation.Senator Labhra.s 6 Murchu,Ardstiurth6ir of Comhaltas, alsocongratulated Clontarf branch onthe launch of CLASAC. He saidCLASAC is one of 8 regionalresource centres being developedby Comhaltas throughoutIreland, with generous assistancefrom the Government, to deliveron its Development Programmeof making our CulturalTraditions visible and accessiblein our daily lives.Senator 6 Murchu said 'CLASACis an example of how Comhaltasbranches throughout Ireland andabroad are making an enormouscontribution to their localcommunities. We are pleasedthat it is possible for Comhaltasto include this exciting newcentre for funding under ourDevelopment Programme'.Maurice Mullen, Chairman ofClontarf Comhaltas thanked theTaoiseach for the fundingsupport and he also thankedDublin City Council and inparticular the then City ManagerFrank Feely for making the siteavailable. Maurice said 'Turningthe sod is the culmination of over12 years hard work, but it is onlythe start of great thingshappening to enable Dubliners toreclaim their heritage'.The history of the CLASACdevelopment goes back to 1995when a committee wasestablished to examine thepossibility of purchasing abuilding as a Teach Ceoilsomewhere in the Clontarf area,an idea put forward by TomCorbett, our current Presidentand a Chairman of many yearsstanding. This committeeconsisted of Branch ChairpersonMaire Mhic Aogain, AidanPunch, Marie Connaughton,Derbhil Galldubh, MauriceMullen and Jim McAllister. Anumber of sites were offeredaround North Dublin, andeventually through the goodoffices of Frank Feely, the thenCity Manager, the site on theAlfie Byrne Road was secured.Despite receiving initial planningpermission in 1997, the projecthas been delayed due to the PortTunnel works. This in turn hasled to a number of site moves onthe Alfie Byrne Road and anumber of failed planningapplications. This culminated inus moving back to our originalsite in 2003 and receivingcomplete and total planningpermission in November 2004.10

Kilrush will be a majorbeneficiary under the newDevelopment Programmeof Comhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireann,which is being funded by theGovernment. Making thisannouncement, Senator Labhras6 Murchu, Ardstiurth6ir ofComhaltas said 'our cultural assetsshould be an enriching part of thelives of Irish people everywhere,particularly our young people; theyshould be a living, highly visibleand vibrant part of society; theyshould be easily accessible to all;and their unique social, culturaland economic benefits should befully realised by communities andindividuals throughout the countryand in Irish communities abroad'.St, Senan's Church, Kilrush now tobe known as 'Teach Ceoil ChillRois' will have a central role in thiscultural vision.Kilrush Community DevelopmentLtd (KCDL) operated in Kilrushas a voluntary sectordevelopment organisation for15 years. One of the strategicprojects they undertook duringthose years was the restoration ofSt. Senan's Church of Ireland, offGrace Street in Kilrush. KCDLacquired St. Senan's Church ofIreland building from therepresentative Church Body ofthe Church of Ireland for thebenefit of the community.Restoration work wasundertaken on this building overa number of years through a FAsCommunity Youth Training8Project, sponsoerd by KCDL.This Project came to an end in2004 and since that time thisprotected structure has remainedunoccupied.However, this building will notremain unoccupied for muchlonger and Kilrush and indeedthe entire community of WestClare will soon benefit from anadditional community resource.KCDL have signed over the leaseof this building to ComhaltasCeolt6iri Eireann and Comhaltascontractors are on site at presentcarrying out the remainder ofthe required works, includingthe restoration of the stainglass window.At the recent inaugural meetingof the board of Teach Ceoil ChillRois, Senator Labhnls 6 Murchu,Ardstiurth6ir ComhaltasCeolt6iri Eireann confirmed thatthe venue will serve as anoutreach centre for Cois nahAbhna, the Comhaltas RegionalResource Centre in Ennis. Sen.Labhnls 6 Murchu went on tooutline the type of activities thatComhaltas would welcome takingplace in the venue such as livetraditional music performancesand seisiuns, activities that havean educational element,appropriate lectures andexhibitions. Senator 6 Murchustated 'that while Comhaltas areconscious of respecting theintegrity of this building I feel itis equally important that thefacility will be embraced by thelocal community of Kilrush andWest Clare and that appropriatecommunity groups will haveaccess to it'.This development is particularlyopportune with the recentestablishment of a new branchof Comhaltas in Kilrush 'InisCatbaigh Chill Rois' and alsopresents great opportunities fornetworking and linkages withother Comhaltas centres aroundthe county.The building will have a capacityof 130/140 seated, will have astage area and a small tea/coffeefacility. The board of Teach CeoilChill Rois are now planning aprogramme of events forSummer 2007 so watch outfor advance publicity in thecoming months.For further information pleasecontact Siobhfm Curran,Secretary, Teach Ceoil Chill Rois,c/o Town Hall, Kilrush 065-9051047 or emailscurran@clarecoco.ie

Ireland have lost oneof their greatestadvocates. The deathof Billy Boylan hasnumbed the culturalmovement and leftan unfillable void.Billy was a 'doer' in the besttradition of volunteerism. Whenasked to undertake any task hisresponse would never be 'why'but 'when'.This proud Dublin man wascentral to many of the Comhaltasachievements of the last 40years. He was a member of thefirst Coiste Ceili of Comhaltas inthe 1970S together with Donncha6 Muineachain, Conchubhar6 Riain and Tomas MacEoin.As Cathaoirleach of the CoisteRince up to the time of his death,Billy spearheaded many of thedancing projects throughout themovement. For many years heorganised and acted as Fear an Tiat the Friday night ceili at theCulrurlann. He taught ceili andset dances at pre-ceili classes. Asan observer from the CoisteRince, Billy sat on theArdchomhairle of Comhaltas formany years where his wisdomwas appreciated and hisenthusiasm infectious.Billy Boylan was widelyacknowledged at home andabroad as a master craftsman.He erected many of the altars inIrish churches, also in Britainand the Southern States of NorthAmerica. Coincidentally, the altarof Clonaskeagh Church - whereBilly's funeral Mass wascelebrated - is also a testimonyto his artistic craftsmanship andwill, as the Parish Priestreminded the congregation, serveas a monument to this modestand inspiring Irishman.Billy's craftsmanship is alsoevident in Comhaltas. Hedesigned and crafted the plaquesfor the 50 th anniversary ofComhaltas which are to be seenon 14 Thomas Street, Dublin,and in Mullingar, significant sitesrelating to Comhaltas.One of Billy's last works wasthe plaque in memory of JohnKeenan, Comhaltas and AITMSecretary, which was unveiledat the Culturlann by Billy andUachtaran an Chomhaltais,Seamus 6 Teimheain lastDecember.Huge crowds attended Billy'sfuneral - a testimony to the highregard and respect in which hewas held near and far. Music wasprovided by members of theF6dhla Ceili Band and songsprovided by Seamus MacMathuna, N6ra Butler andLarry Mason.Speaking at Billy's funeral Mass,the Ardstiurth6ir of ComhaltasSenator Labhras 6 M urchu saidthat Billy had inspired us all byhis sincerity and example. Hewas motivated by a spiritualmission which found expressionin his many acts of kindness,service and charity.Comhaltas has expressedprofound sympathy to Murieland to Billy's brothers andsisters. Ar dheis De go raibha anam uasal.6

THE EXCITING Ne:~.1, , ..l.JEBSITE OF COMHAL TAS CEOL TOlk:I EIREANN«( III,., -.. . .,On February IS, 2007 at 21.00 GMT. Comhaltas Ceolt6irf Eireann launched the brand-newcomhaltas.ie in a webcast event staged simultaneously in 8 locations. The website is a componentof Comhaltas Development Programme, a multi-year programme of work made possible byGovernment funding. The site was developed by Happy Cog (happycog.com) a world leader increating accessible websites. Journalists and music-lovers are invited to tune into the webcast ofthe launch at: http://comhaltas.ie/bloglpostlllaunch/Our new website brings together the people and ideas of this unique cultural movement, shin'naa spotlight on the thousands of Comhaltas volunteers around the world working to keep thecultural traditions of Ireland alive and vibrant. Emphasising the distributed nature of the movement,the new site gives space to the events, classes and photographs of each of our hundreds ofbranches world-wide.Our new site features the re-launch of the ComhaltasLive weekly video programme. This uniquevideo service broadcasts from Irish music festivals, summer schools and sessions all around Ireland.allowing people all over the world to participate in Irish culture. Each week we'll be bringing youa new 20-minute programme, free to view on the internet.4

is to receive Statefunding of €7.5mfor the promotionof Ireland's culturaltraditions,particularly atcommunity level.The good news was delivered tothe worldwide movement inrecent weeks. The funding willcome through two departments:Minister John O'Donoghue'sDepartment of Arts, Sport andTourism and Minister Eamon6 CUlV'S Department ofCommunity Rural and GaeltachtAffairs. This is an officialacknowledgment of thesuccessful and valuable workdone by the thousands ofComhaltas volunteers atcommunity level for over half acentury and a vote of confidencein the new DevelopmentProgramme. The Programme atthis early stage has already madeexceptional progress and willimpact on every region in Irelandand on the Irish Diasporaworldwide.Minister forArts, Sport andTourism,JohnO'DonoghueThe generous Governmentfunding for Comhaltas will helpresource the new DevelopmentProgramme of Comhaltas athome and abroad. TheProgramme includes theprovision of Regional ResourceCentres based in Dundalk,t!Meithea/ Chairmen (standing) Tom6so Mao/domhnaigh, Pddraig ODufaigh,Seamus Mac Cormaic, (centre) MauriceMullen and Pddraig Don/on, picturedwith Or Tomds 0 Canainn (Ardollamh2005) and Or Catha/O Lionndin(Ardollamh 2006)Dublin (Monkstown andClontarf), Ennis, Cashel, Gurteen(Co. Sligo) and Mullingar. There2