R - Comhaltas Archive

Gaeltachtai Q fuair bassachead sea· ••. :....':=;I liIiII. ~ :..Se6n Ua Cearnaighs uafasach go deo an meath atatagtha ar na limisteir Gaeltachta~ taobh istigh de cheithre sca rbliain . I lathair na hau ire is ar eigean gobhfeadfai nios mo na 30,000 a aireamhmar fhiorchai nteo iri Gaeilge a dhLichas.lad siLid scaptha thar seacht gcontae(no ocht, b'fheidir, ma chuirtea r - agusis coi r go gcuirfi - Gaeltacht Bhea lFei rste san aireamh).Ochto eigin bliain a shin, Mach, nuaira bhi na sasa naigh fos i reim sa tir gohiomlan, bh i teacht ar suas le 200, 000arbh fheidir cai nteoiri a dhLichas athabhai rt orthu.Bhi ca inteoi ri a dhLicas i se cinn deagde na 32 Chontae - is e sin le ra, gachuile chontae i gConnachta, gach uilechontae i gCLiige Mumhan ce is moite. de Luimneach, Tir Chonaill, LLi, ArdM hacha, Tir Eoghain agus M uineachana thuaidh. Go deimhin, nilim rochinntenach bhfeadfai Co. Aontroma a chur ar .an liosta sea freisin, air is cinnte goraibh corrchainteo ir a dhLi chas beD agan am ar O ilean Reachlainne, gantracht ar na Gleannta.Mas fe idir le lucht na polaitiochtacreidi Li int airithe a ghl acad h chu cu feincionn is gur bhunaiodh Gaeltachturnua i gCo. na Mi sna 1930ai, ni thiglea a sheanad h ach oiread go bhfuairan Ghaeilge bas mar ghnaththeangalabharth a i ndeich gcinn de nacontaetha in a mbiodh si a labhairt, abheag no a mhor, i dtLisbhlianta ancheid sea agus gur thit an tubaist sinamach i nd iaidh 1920. Ta cuimhne agcuid mhaith aga inn no ag ar gcairde noa gcairde siLid ar na laethanta orga Lidnuair a bhi teacht ar chainteo iri adhLichas i gCo. an Chlair, i dTi obraidArann, i gCo. LLi.Raidi6 na Caeltachta ag an bhFleadh Cheoil in Inis Ch6rthaidhD'a inneoin dhea-thoil Dev donGhaeilge is i gCo. an Chl air a th arl a anmeath is mo. Ce ithre scar bliain a shinbhi thart faoi 4,000 ca inteo iri adhLichas sa chontae sin agus an teangaa bhi a cleachtad h 'acu ar na ca nLi intiba shaibhre a labhraiodh ri am h.Ni ga ac h dha imleabhar an Atharseoirse M ac CILiin, 'Caint an Chlair' noan saothar brea Lid 'Leabhar stiofain UiEalao ire' a leamh chun e sin adhei mhniLi .sna 1940ai, fiLi, bhi teacht ar chainteoiria dhLi chas i mbeagnach gach uilepharoiste in iarthuaiscea rt an chontaeagus i gcorrait sa n iardheisceart. Achconas mar ata an sceal anois? Taco ilineacht bheag amhain fagtha inGleann Eidhneach i dtuaisceart anchontae (nach bhfuil gradamGae ltachta aici le fada) ina bhfuil,b'fheidir, nios ILi na leathscor a bhfuilan teanga ar a toil acu ach nachlabhraionn i ach anois is aris.Nil oiread agus ca inteoir amhain adhLichas fagtha san iardheisceart a d'eagAnrai de Bl aca, seanchai Chill Bheatha, i1974. Is mo idir e sea agus na sluaite ara ibh an Ghaeilge mar cheadthea ngaacu ochto eigin bli ain a shin.Maidir le Co. Thiobraid Arann iscuimhin liom fe in (agus ni duine roaostaar fad me) nuair a bhi teac ht archai nteo iri a dhLicas sa Chaislea n Nua,aitin bheag alainn faoi bhun na gCnocM haol Donn thart faoi leathscor milesia r a dheas a Chluain M ea la. Bhiteanga na dLii che sea ar na canLi inti babhinne dar chuala me ri amh . Ta teachtar chuid eigin di i leabhar alainnsheamais Ui Maolchathaigh, 'AnGleann agus a raibh ann .'Bimis faireachD'eag Seam as in 1968 agus aois mhorair. Ach is mo na Seam as ata imithe,faraoi r. D'eag an Ghaei lge fein, diaidhar ndiaidh, sa Chaislean Nua agus nfdhearna aon pholaiteo ir no aon duineei le fa ic na fride chun an tragoid achose.11

lmportantArchive necordingsof traditional musicplayed in old trad style are loud/doversin their praise of a newComh altas CD and cassette which hasjust been released . The McDonaghs ofBallinafad we re musicians whose lovelySligo style playing on flutes and fiddleswas cherished in memory by thoselu cky enough to have heard them intheir heydays back in the 50's and 60's.From the co ll ected recordings ofseveral fri ends and ad mirers Comhaltashas now issued a CD/Cassette of over50 minutes music played by theMcDonaghs and their musicalcomrades.We believe that these recordin gs capturethe unforgettable spirit, atmosphere andspontaneity of the McDonaghs and theirfriends in full sessions.The sleeve notes for thi s CD - by PaddyRyan and Seamus Mac Mathuna aregiven here.The McDonaghs of BallinafadWhen we think about Sligo musiciansand their music, the names that cometo mind most readily are those of thegreat masters of Sligo fiddling such asMichael Coleman, lames Morrison,John joe Gardiner and Paddy Killoran.Th ese people, through their ownmusical genius, streamlined and refinedthe playi ng style they grew up with atthe turn of the century. Theirrecordings, particularly those ofColeman and Morrison, had animmediate and powerful effect on thatstyle as other musicians becamecapitivated with the new idiom, andturned away from their old, simpleways of playing in order to imitate it.Let us pause fora moment andask ourselveshow muchactual evidencedo we have ofw hat the musicof South Sli gosounded likebefore therevolutionw hich wasThe CDcDonaghs of &11fnafadand FRiendsplay T 1tGdItIonaJ

Convention 2000in WashingtonIrish Music and Dance Festival at Glen Echo park, Glen Echo, Maryland2he Was,hington, DC Branch willhost CCE Convention 2000, tobe held M arch 31, Apri I 1 st and2 nd at the Hyatt Regency Hotel inCrysta l City, Virginia, overl ooking theWashington DC skyline. TheMillennium Convention promises to beone of the most exciting destinati ons forconventio(l goers in recent years. Inaddition the Convention will ta ke pl aceduring the world famous CherryBlossom Festival. The hotel is minutes'away from the Washington Monument,the Lin coln Jefferson, and VietnamMemori als, the many museums of theSmithsonian Institution, the WhiteHouse, the US Capital, Union Stationand other places of interest. The HyattRegency is located nea r the ReaganNational Airport, close to M etrorail andconven ient to major hi ghways.The CCE 2000 Convention Committeeanti cipates a se ll-out crowd and suggestthat reservati ons be made ea rl y andallow extra time for sightseeing w hile intown. Please note, separate reserva ti onsare requ ired for the ConventionProgram and the Hyatt Regency Hotel.The O' Neill Malcom Branch wasfounded in 1995 to bring severalcommittees and groups operatingindependently in the Washington areaunder a single organisational umbrella.The Branch took over the operati ons ofthe Irish Dance Festi va l of NorthernVirginia, w hi ch was founded in 1975 byM aureen M alcom. The new Branchbecame the sponsor of a major EastCoast Feis held at the end of May atGlen Echo Park in Maryland. TheBranch also assumed sponsorship of ahighly successful monthly ((:~ ili originallystarted in 1976, and held every secondSaturday of the month in Fairfax, VAFrom the early 1970's Peggy O'Neill(RIP) and Maureen M alcom ran theonly two area dance schools, and heldregular ce iHs. The Branch was namedin honour of these two women whowere vital to the estab lishment andcontinuation of trad itional Irish musicand dance in the Washington DC areaover the past several decades.Five active yearsIn the five yea rs sin ce its inception, theO'Neill M alcom Branch has institutedthe CCE Irish Festiva l held the lastSunday in May at Glen Echo Park inMaryland. This festival showcases loca lmusicians, dance schools, and bandsand is free to the Community. TheBranch also sponsors concerts andspecial events and annually hosts theNorth America n Comhaltas Tour inOctober. Classes a're an importantactivity in th e Branch, and the setdance cl asses, taught by M arilyn Moorein Virginia, and Jim Keenan inMaryland, are usually filled to capacity.The Branch award s an annual $1000scho larship. In 1998 it was awarded tobanjo player Betsy O'Malley, w hofounded Music in the Glen, a school oftraditional Irish mu sic, and, in 1999 therecipients were fiddler Tes Slominskiand uillean piper Eliot Grasso w hoeach wanted to spend time in Irelandworking on their mu sic.In addition, members of the O'NeillMalcom Branch have applied for andwon the coveted Aer LingusScholarship, awarded annually to twodeserving members from each NorthAmerican Region . Patrick Olwell, theflutemaker from Nellysford, VA was thefirst recipient from the loca l Branch.Patri ck ca me back from his trip toIreland and gave a workshop at theCCE Irish Festival on the history of theflute in Irish music. The next yearGraham DeZarn, a young fiddler whosits in at all the ceilis, wanted to attendScoil Eigse and was award ed the AerLingus scholarship.And this yea r Marilyn Moore and TesSlominski won w ith requests to studysean-n6s step dancing, and SliabhSession in Fa irfax, VA. Matgot Herrmann(piano), Brendan Ca llahan (fiddle), JimEgan (fiddle), Eliot Grasso (uilleannp ipes), Paddy League (bodhran)15

Celtic Chreadsexploring the Wisdom of Our HeritagePadraigin Clancy(Veritas, Dublin 1999)~reland in the late twentiethcentury sees a new turningtowards matters 'Celtic'. It isbeing liberally applied to describeeverything, from the mundanity of'Celtic Laundries' to the sublimity of theCeltic Soul '. Its ambit extends over oureconomy - the Ce ltic Ti ger, ou r music­Ce ltic Rock, Ce ltic Perfume, Celticheli copters, Celtic Birds, Ce lticChocolates - you name it we have itand it is Ce ltic!Part of what is happening is a markedinterst in 'Celtic Spirituality'. This bookis a co llection of essays on that subject.Edited by Irish folklorist (and Comhaltasmember) Padraigfn Clancy, it fea turescon tributions from well knownscholars and personalities including: afema le politician and MEP, aBenedictine monk, a Methodistminister, a noted femal e voca li st, aJesuit pri est, a feminist theo logian, apsychotherap ist, a philospher-gardener,a Ce ltic priest, a Church of Irelandclergyman, a stress managementcounse ll or, a Redemptorist mi ss ionary,a Brigitine sister, a native Irish spea kerand a returned ex ile. Each author is tothe forefront of the fi eld and draws onthe Ce ltic sp iritual trad ition in theirwork.Describing the pre-Christian andChristian 'Celtic' story, the co llectionmoves through the wonders and thedarknesses of the Celtic trad ition. Itasks: How can Celtic spirituality be ofva lue today? Why is the archetype ofwar pre-dominant in the Irish psyche?What about the quality of mercy? Howcan Ce ltic spirituality contribute to aprocess for peace?Celticldn d h Padraigln ClancyadsContributorsexplore the lives of the ea rl y Irishsa ints; why was the practice of ex ile/pilgrimage of such importance to them?Who is Colm Cille? What about Brigit ­why is there a return to her story? Howcan the legacy of Ce ltic prayer, song,and folk tradition enrich our liturgy andworship? What ca n modern Irishsociety relea rn through the typica llyCeltic values of hospitality and respectfor the divine immanent in creation?What projects are happening nowadaysin places of ancient sa nctity such asGlendalough and Kildare?Entitled 'Celtic Threads' each essay inthi s collection is simply that; a threadin the sp iritual wisdom of our heritage.As we ce lebrate 2,000 yea rs of theChristian story this is an ideal Christmasgift for anyone interested in theChristian heritage in Ireland .A keen set-dancer and tin-whistleplayer, editor Padraigfn Clancy is along-standing member of CraobhChualainn, Comh altas Ceo lt6irfEireann, Monkstown, Dublin. Sheparticipated in this year's Asgard- CCE Atlantic Musical odyssey(cf. Pages 4/5)Celtic Threads retails at £6.99 andis ava ilable in most bookshopscountrywide from VeritasPublications and Booksellers, 7Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1.Tel: (01) 8788177. (The co llectionincludes an extensive resource li ston Celtic Spirituality in Ireland).11-

Cion6l Leo UowsomeJoe Doyle's WorkshopHelena 'Rowsome GrimesLouise Mu!cahy agus Mfchea! Mac Cabhann ag seinm ag Tion6! Leo RowsomeDoyle opened theproceedings with a superb so lo:l0eperformance as he spoke to aninterested gathering telling us about thedifferent syles of piping that were instore for us. He spoke of the styles ofFelix Doran, Leo Rowsome, SeamusEnnis, and Tommy Reck .Joe provided us with a feast of pipingfrom a young generation of piperswhich included a namesake - youngJoe Doyle from Shankill w ho told methat he started learning the pipes fromwell known piper, Mick Q 'Brien . AoifeCarty and Eamon Galduff provided uswith a most interesting performance ofsome of his most innovativearrangement while Mikey Bryne gaveus a feast of sp lendidly mature pipingafter which he reiterated the opinionthat 'if you can play the regulators halfwell, you are half way to becoming agood piper'. He indeed proved that hewas far more than half way! It was mostpleasant to hea r Mickey acknowledgingthe fact that Andy Co nroy took aspecial interest in him as a young piper.Andy won the hearts of all whose liveswere enriched by knowing him. I bestremember Andy for his gentle smileand his playing of the 'Grouse in theBog'. He was a frequent and mostwelcome visitor to our home in Dublinfrom the 1940's. His brother Mickaccompanied him on occasions. Andydied in July last - Go ndeana Diatr6caire ar a anam uasa l ceolmhar.Joe's vast amount of knowledgeregarding al l aspects of piping isphenomenal. Unfortunately, theproceedings had to be brought to aswift end since we were runningbehind sched ule.19--------------~--------------------------------------------------------------------

procured a permit for the Renagownhall but an objection was lodged to thegranting of a licence to run theFahad uff Hall.Mr T O'Neill, Soli citor representedArchdeacon Casey and the pri ests ofthe Castl eisland pari sh at the hea ring.Mr RDF johnson, Dj refu sed Dan'srequest for a licence. In givi ng hisdecision on the application he sa id, 'infuture where applicati ons were grantedthey would be confined to the peopleof the pari sh'. Dan was fined £4 forhavi ng run two dances w ithout alicence. He demolished the FahaduffDancehall in September 1935 .Dan Paddy Andy died w here he wasbo rn, at the family home at Renagownon the 25 th March 1966 at the age of66. His remains are interred inKi lbannivane Cemetery, with hisbe loved sons Andrew and Danieljunior, w ho died in 1942. Followinghis death, hi s w ife Kate went to li vewith her children in Ameri ca. She diedon the 28 th day of March 1973 andwas lai d to rest in the 'Gate of Heaven'Cemetry, Valhalla, New York. TheO'Sulliva n family have erectedidentica l black granite headstones onthe graves of their parents, Dan PaddyAndy and Kate.Antecubital Fossa Petechiaein Country DancersThe following was published in the medical journal 'The Lancet' of November23,1985:Even dancing can produce a dermatological curiosity, we report here transientlocalised petechise of the ante-cubital fossae in three of four adults after Scottishcountry dancing.Twelve hours after four adults attended the Scottish National Orchestra ball inGlasgow, one of them noticed multiple perechiae in the antecubital fossae. Allfour dancers were immediately examined by a dermatoligist, a generalpractitioner, and a nurse. The two women had multiple petechiae in both fossae.One man had minor petechiae bilaterally and there were none in the secondman. The petechiae faded within 24 hours. Six weeks later one of the womenhad similar lesions again after a further evening of Scottish country dancing.Although dancing is generally considered to be a safe recreation, it is in factfraught with hazards. Specialised dances carry their own danger, such as thespecific injuries associated with roller discos, breast disease in tassel dancers,and subconjunctival haemorrhages after 'pogo' dancing, which requires repeatedbouncing movements for long periods. However, despite the sever physicaldemands that folk dancing makes we are unaware of problems having beenpreviously noted with Scottish country dancing.Contact purpura has been described in asociation with clothing, and theunprotected skin of the women did contact the rough tween of their partners'jackets. However, it is more likely that the petechiae were directly related totrauma sustained by unprotected skin: both the women wore short-sleeve dressesand the man who was slightly affected wore a shirt without a jacket, while theman without petechiae wore a jacket.was most madashing white sergeant, and an eight-some reel, dances where there is repeated'birling' (swirling around of couples with antecubital fossa as a pivot). The effectsof alcohol on the small vessels of the skin may have played a part too. Thelesions could be avoided by using a different linking grip when birling or bywearing thicker clothing. Dancing naked would remove the risk of contactpurpura, but we are not necessarily recommending that course.This picture of 'A Dancing School at Ballinaboreen' was first published in 'ThelIustrated Sporting Dramatic News' of October 30, 1880. It is not known if thedancer suffered multiple petechiae in his antecubital fossae! His long coat andhat may have saved him! This is a precaution that might also be considered byset dancers.------------------------------------------------------------------------21

'Fleadh '99 -L\ Celebration thatwas deeply edifying'-.~•• Mlll=.Padraig Riain, Oifigeach Ceoil; 0 6nal Minnock, Tom Clerk; Assumta urChathasa igh, Ardchomhairle; Tomas 6 Maoldomhnaigh, Ardrunaf agus Niall Wa ll,CathaoirleachThe St. Aidan's Parish EnniscorthyNewsletter view of Fleadh '99:Few, if any, are the pos it ive word s th atcoul d be added, to th e chorus of praisethat has gone up from so many, as theyreflect upon this year's Fl eadh. Youngand old, loca l and stranger, participan tand spectator - all joined together in ace lebration that was deep ly ed ify ingand trul y memorable. Ma ny spo ke of aFlead h that surpassed all others, w hileall apoke of a public festi va l th at wasas ma rked by its spirit of friendli nessand good humour, as it was by itssmoothness of operation and itsopenness to all.Enniscorthy yet aga in proved howw idespread is the vast pool of talentand abil ity that it has at its disposa l. Atthe heart of the town exists a vastnumbr of peopl e w hose ability is onlyoutmatched by their w illingness to helpvoluntarily.Fl eadh weekend is something of w hichwe ca n all be ri ghtly proud. Th eorgan isin g committee did an exce llenttask - one that was ab ly ass isted by aviSibly competent and helpful Ga rdafo rce. People w ho offered bed andbreakfast were our finest ambassadors,as were th ose w ho served in shops andpublic houses, petrol stations andtourist attractions.No word is big enough for those w horan events or competitions, those w hoprepared and staffed ven ues, liftingchairs, offering advice or information,checking that events ran on time, andthat no one fe lt excl uded or passed over.Each mornin g an army of workerscleaned the streets, a monumental task,but one, that was nonetheless donew ith both efficiency and thoroughness.Ensuring th at we looked our bestrequired many to leave th ei r beds earl yand to work hard before the rest of ussurfaced. To you we owe muchgratitude.The pri ests of the Pari sh w ish to th ankall w ho helped in the Cathedra l overthe weekend - A lta r Soc iety members,Reade rs, Euchari st M inisters, M usicians,Ushers, Basket Co llectors and Serve rs.Spec ial thanks also go to Larry Ke hoeand to his ass ista nts, to Larry conno ll yand to the staff of th e Presbytery, fortheir co-ordin ati on and attention todetail. The Christian Community sa idwelcome as much, and more, by itsdeeds, than it did by its words.The Pu gin Committee deserves spec ialcredit for a very upli fting exhi bition andthe very generous way in w hich theyWexford Failteoir{, Chris jordan, AnneBerry and Ann Ooyle who helped tomake the Fleadhgoers at home inEnniscorth y------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 23

L\g Dean am h CeoilThe Old BlackthornA we ll-know n ree l. Al so known as The Iri shman's Bl ackthorn, or simplyThe Bl ackthorn Sti ck. Pl ayed by Coleman, Cooley ete.,~# J J J J L [ [f I raJ J ] J Ij J :J J.\ f r f r I,~# G d fJ d I J J J J J ps 11 E r F r [ ~ ~ r Ir' ~,~# J J). j 3J I LE F LE El le El 0 E C E J I'#ft LE [rE fF f IJ iJJ fJ:o ICC cri" P lEE g E [[ r 11The Humours of CarrigaholtWe got this reel from John Kell y about th irty yea rs ago. It wasone of the tun es he pl ayed on an LP titled Seoda Ceoil No. 7.'#fte er IEr q" j:J JJ IJ ~Jn n IqEj 3D j ~ I$1 I 2 I## F FEr r f r r :11 F r r f f" 11 r I r r erE r g r I,## r Err r r [ r IQ r F r r r lEE r r F" P I,## r CC re rf r IEr rE re r F IEr j' r lftr If rr re 11

The lovely Four Green Fields,~ ! t.e ~ If"+ JThe words were pri nted in Treoir just twenty yea rs ago. In the mea ntimeit has been w idely sung, so we felt it w as time to publish words andmusic together. Some singers drop lines 5 and 6 from verses 2 and 4,and thi s helps to shorten the song sli ghtl y w hilst retaining the essenti als.Last ni ght as lay fa r from home in Ph il - a - del - phi aJ 7 J Id. J t21 IF "'" r ;~ ~ ~ If"Ltown, drea med stood on Ta-Ra's hill to view the plains a-L; ~ ~ ~ EJf Jl7J Id. J t21 IF "'" rLIf" J j- round thought the hosts of Erin's sons, and daughters fai r andtrue From South and East, from) -= I IF ~i 3 J. JJ JNorth and West ca me marching intoview Some ca me w ith hum of pipe and drum, some ca me w ith sword andJ *. Jj\lf F BrOil j8JdlJ.~-o.tI ~shi eld, And they sa ng the praise ofGra inne Mhao l and her lovely four green fields.Last ni ght as I lay fa r from home in Philade lphia town,I dreamed I stood on Tara's hill to view the pl ains around.I thought the hosts of Erin 's sons and daughters fair and trueFrom South and East, from North and West, came marching intoviewSome came with hum of pipe and drum, some came w ithsword and shie ldAnd they sang the praise of Grainne Mhaol, and her love ly fo urgree n Fields.From Munster came great bard s of fame, and scholars of renownWith brave M acSweeney in the lead, from Cork's own rebel townThere was mu sic rare from the men of Clare, and from Kerry'shappy throngThe fa ir maids from the Deise and men of Sl iabh na mBanSome came w ith hum of pipe and drum, some came w ithsword and shi eldAnd they sang the praise of Grainne Mhaol, and her lovely fourgreen Fields.From Roscom mon side there marched w ith pri de, th e legions ofthe WestThe Sli go men w ith fiddles keen, w ith love of music blest.Men from Mayo, who'd faced the foe and braved the tyrant'sfrownWith lads so true from Leitrim too, and girls from Ga lway town.Some came w ith hum of pi pe and drum, some came withsword and shieldAnd they sang the praise of Grainne Mhaol, and her love ly fourgreen Fie lds.The Leinster throng, all brave and strong, ca me fo rwa rd in th eirturnWith brave 0 Moore, and Michael Dwyer, and Fi ach M ac Hugho Byrn eI saw brave Piearse and Connolly, all young and in their prideAnd the Wexford men from hill and glen, came marching side bysideSome came with hum of pipe and drum, some ca me w ithsword and shieldAnd they sang the praise of Grainne Mhaol, and her love ly fo urgreen Fi eld s.From Foyle and Ba nn, came many a man to sing of Ul ster's pri deOf Colmcille, and sweet Cave Hill, and famed Bl ackwater SideOwen Roe 0 Neill he led the field with 0 Donnell to the fo reAnd the fair maids all from Belfast Fall s to Swilley's lovely shoreSome ca me w ith hum of pi pe and drum, some ca me w ithsword and shieldAnd they sa ng the praise of Grainne Mhao l, and her lovelyfo ur green Fields.; , -,

Yes, itsEnniscorthy again!/van Yates, TO, Oerek Keofih, Chairman ofMillennium Festivals Lld and SenatorLabhr,ls 6 Murchti focus on Fleadh 2000 inEnniscorthy, Co. Wexfordwas a group of dedicated peopl e w ho a few short weeksbefore had just completed a years' hard work organisingthe Fl ead h and now w illing shoulders were already tothe whee l for 2000.Fl eadh 2000, the first of the new millennium, promisesto be even bigger and better than Fl eadh '99 ('if this ishumanl y possible', queri ed one Fleadhgoerl.Cathao irleach Niall Wall predicts th at 'it w ill be aneven greater success than thi s year's has been.'The Fleadh w ill be preceded by the Scoil Eigse w hichthi s year had up to 600 parti cipants.Fl ead h week 2000 is the 20-27 August.Buiochas le DiaEnni scorth y were the unanimouschoice of the ComhaltasArdchomhairle when they met fortheir September meeting atCultu rl ann na hEireann to selectthe Flead h Town for the year2000. W hen the news wasconveyed from the meeting to thelarge contingent from Co. Wexfordwho had travelled to Dublin forthe occasion there were loudcheers. Thi s enthusiastic receptionof the news is indicative of thespirit w hichprevailed inEnni scorth yat Fl eadh'99: hereWexfords Ballad maker.Paddy Berry /As we approach the end of 1999 and prepare for the Holy Season of Christmas, itis understandable that a sense of nostalgia arrests our attention. It is part of ourmake-up - as much a part of our tradition as our music.We are deeply spiritual people. We thank God for a 'soft day'; implore his blessingon the homes visit and the crops we grow; we ask him to save the company weenter and daily request his protection for those we who have departed this life.We in Ireland are keenly aware of the close relationship between faith and nativeculture. In many way they have become .synonymous. Perhaps that is one reasonwhy our music appeals so much to the spirit and transcends barriers of manykinds. It is certainly a classless music which denotes worth rather than wealth.At this time of year we remember in a special way those who have enriched usby their friendship. Even memories of sadness have an enriching quality: this ispart of our inheritance which does not allow for a brooding sorrow which canonly erode and distort.It is a time to thank all those who have worked with us in the last year: those whohave encouraged us by their selfless example and those who gave of themselvesin the cause of others. We wish you a traditional Irish Christmas - consolation,hope and joy. We think in a special way of those who are 'far from the land' andsend them special greetings and look forward to their company in the not toodistant future.Go mbeirimid beo ag an anseo aris.The Ballad ofSean 6 Murchu(A ir: The Felons of our Land)'Tis sad to say this October dayHis voice we'll hear no more,This artist fair from near BelclareWho.was Irish to the core,On RTf for you and meHe played such music grandOn that programme fineWhich was you rs and mineWith many a ceilf band.He loved Knockma in his gentle wayWith its store of legend strong,The Gaelic tongue and sean-nos songThat he heard when he was young,The warm tone of his voice aloneWill live in many a heart,Both here at home and acro ss the foamFor those who are apart.He had words at will and ourhomes did fillWith th e songs our fathers loved.Th ose ballads great about ninety-eighrAnd va lour often proved.His scripts were bright every wordwas rightAs you pictured a vivid scene,That he would portray in hismagic wayWith a mind that was sharp and keen.As fear-a-tf with a golden keyHe opened many a door,With jigs and reels you couldalways feelHis precious music store.His comments grand on someceilf bandA piper or bosca ceoi l,Were picked with care as gems so rareAnd touched at your very sou l.At the church th at day in a moving wayTh ere were hymns and music grand,For ou r noble Sean to hisGod now goneTo join that heavenly band,And friends go lear will be at the door'Cead Failte Isteach' they' ll sing'When down below we lovedyour showSuri of Ceilf House your're King' .------------------------------------------------------------------------------------25

Sing us a song PaddySeamus beag 6 Murchu/""""7"1 addy Berry, one of Ireland's( IJ best known and much lovedJTraditional Singers had his longawaited latest record in g 'Sing us asong, Paddy' launched during FleadhCheoi l na hEireann 1999. Held inEnniscorthy, Co. Wexford the tape/CDwas formally launched by Fleadh '99Chairman, Niall Wall himself a si ngerof note.Very much a 'greatest hits' thisretrospective co ll ection featuresrecordings made since the early 1960'slovi ngly remastered by producerPadraig Sinnott in both his BoolavogueSutd ios a'nd in col laboration w ith IvanLevingstone's John Street Studios inEnniscorthy, Drawing from archivematerial and from Paddy Berry's privateco llection the 23 songs feature Paddy athis best sing in g the full spectrum oftraditional songs. From the moving andhaunting 'Ballyshannon Lane'to thesongs like 'a Duffy's Grand Parade' allbeautifully sung with the voca l variety,ornamentation and the atte ntion todetail that have been Pa.ddy Berry'strademarks for nearly half a century.Other tracks included are suchfavourites as 'Bagnal Harvey'sFarewell', 'The May Morning Dew','Moorlough Mary', Thi s album is a'must buy' for anyone w ith any interestin the Iri sh Folk tradition.In his address, FleadhChairman Niall Wallpaid tribute to PaddyBerry describing himas one of the mostremarkableWexfordmen of hisgeneration . Comi ngfrom a family whohave always beento the fore inpromoting allthings Irish, MrWall praisedPaddy'scontribution toIri sh culturewhich, he sa id 'given Paddy'shumility would always be understated'but which, he said, needed to beacknowledged' for the important part ithad played in the elevation of thetradition to new heights'.Praising all invo lved, Niall Wallthanked them for bringing thecoll ection to the wider audience thatwi ll undoubted ly enjoy this CD/Tapefor the delightful songs and thebeautiful singing which it contain s.Of the tracks themselves the FleadhChairman stated that there was 'beautyin the singin g, respect in the treatmentof the tradition, love in theinterpretation and artistry in theperformances' wh ich, he said, ' was asclose to perfection as he could find'.The acid test, Mr Wall stated, as hechallenged the audience, was to try tosing along with any of the tracks, whichMr Wall promised would be beyondthe ability of all except the very best.Finally, rather than launch the tapehimse lf, the Fleadh Chairman cal led onPaddy Berry, using the title of thealbum 'Sing us a song, Paddy', towhich Paddy ob li ged and brought thehouse down.231RlshCRad1tlona'Son{)sBuy it, I isten toit, enjoy itTape £8.00, CD£12 .00, fromPaddy Berry,Drinagh,Wexford.-Sully's Banjos:• Finest qualitybanjos• Banjo makers'parts• Accessories• Strings• Tutors• Irish MusicBooksHalshawMusic37 Catherine Street, MacclesfieldCheshire SKll 6ET. UK.Tel: 01625 610849Fax: 01625 267136email: sully@hatshawmusic.co.ukwebsite: www.halshawmusic.co.uk21-

Done Fiddlin'edmond Murphy 1922-1999neg Hallac k in those( / austere days justJ~7]after the war,Edmond Murphy and hismate Gerry Wimsey playedthe fiddle and flute - justthe two of them - for theSunday night dances forthe nurses from Canehi llHospital at the CatholicChurch hall in the depthsof su rburban Purley. 'Ifyou stayed to play 'TheSoldiers' Song you missedthe last tra in,' The paywas probabl y no morethan a cup of tea, butweek after week theymissed that last train, slept on thefloor of Higgins and Hill's workmen'shut, and rolled into work on the firsttrain in the morning.Great fun perhaps but enthusi asm,loya lty, generosity and dedication allroll ed into one, w hi ch characterised hi slater life w ith his family, his business as acivil engineering contractor and his lifelongrelationship w ith traditional music.Edmond was born in Li slea, Aclare, Co.Sligo in 1922, at a time w hen there wasa fiddle or flute in almost every cottageand w hen there were still sixpennysubscription dances held in thekitchens. Peter Tuohy, the last of a lineof travelling dancing teachers, used tostay w ith th e Murphys for a few ni ghtseach year, and, as a child, Edmond hadsome fidd le lessons ri ght there in thehouse from him - sixpence for a coupleof hours and the tune written out. Thenas a 12 yea r old he used to go over to aneighbour's house to li sten to M artinWalsh pl aying the fiddle. He'd keep thetunes in his head as he left, w histlingthem over and over, ti II he cou Id grabthe fiddle w hen he got home.Around the same time th e new MichaelColemanand PaddyKilloranrecord s werecoming out,and atDevine'sgeneral shopin Tubbercurryth ey playedthem all day tocustomers.Edmond wasamong thoseyoungsters w hohung aboutoutside to pickup the newtunes like Tarbolton and Jenny'sCh ickens.During the war he was recruited inIreland to work on constructingairbases in Suffolk and Norfolk. Unlikeso many others, he took hi s fiddle w ithhim, and in an area w here the loca lsstepdanced in th e pubs on a Saturdaynight, Edmond amazed th em bystepdancing and playing the fiddle atthe same time.He arri ved in London in 1944, lodgedw ith the musical Taylor family inHammersmith, and thereby had a readyintroduction to all th e nooks andcrannies in th e hidden world of Irishmu sic-making in London at th e time.ComhaltasIn 1957, he was right at the beginningof the Comhaltas Ceo lt6iri Eireannmovement in London, w hen th e WestLondon branch was first formed at theKing's Head in Fulham, and he went onto regular attendance - rai n or shine -at all the music sess ions, branch,reg ional and provincial committee....'=__ Ill Et::Meitheal an Mhuilinnsite handed overNew Teach Ceoilexpected by 2001An area of 2.995 acres of land atLynnbury Mullingar has been acquiredfrom Westmeath County Council byMeitheal an Mhuilinn for £50,000.The matter was officially finalised atthe monthly meeting of the Council inMullingar on September 6, whenmembers agreed to dispos~1 of theland to the Mullingar group.Meitheal an Mhuilinn was set up inMullingar in 1966 with representativesfrom Comhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireann,Gaelscoil an Mhuilinn, GI6r na nGaeland Cumann na bhFiann, workingtogether to promote Irish language,music, culture and heritage.The first phase, the building of a newGaelscoil in Mullingar, at an estimatedcost of £1 million, is expected to goahead in the near future.The second phase of the work willinvolve the provision of a Teach Ceoilor Ceolarus, which will incorporate ameeting room, an Irish music studycentre, practice room, archive, etc.When the Minister of State for theGealtacht, Eamon 6 Cuiv, TO, visitedthe town in June last, he was shownthe site of the proposed building byCol man 6 Muimhneachain,Cathaoirleach of Meitheal an Mhuilinnand was told the group is confident itcan provide the building for the 50 thanniversary of Comhaltas Ceolt6iriEireann, in 2001. (Comhaltas wasfounded in Mullingar in 1951).meetin gs, and all the AII-lrelands.He was the treasurer of Provin cialCouncil of Britain of CCE for 28 years,w hi ch put him ri ght in the centre of thew hole organisation.He would have been the first to haveacknowledged he wasn't the world'sgreatest fiddle player, but he was a verygood one, a so lid pl ayer w ith punch anddrive and a great foot for keep ing time.His finest ac hievements in music,however, were his duet partn erships,first w ith Mick Gorman on the fluteand late r w ith Con Curtin on thefiddle. Fortun ate ly, arch ive recordingsex ist of both duets, w hich support th eview of many that in their time therewere none better.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------=g9

Where to? Padraig 6 Dufaigh andCear6id Mac an Ultaigh planningstrategy courtesy of SKODAKieran Hanrahan of RTf's Ceilr HouseA screwdriver in time saves ...Uachtaran Clement Mac Suibhnecongratulating members of the TainCeilr BandDoireann Nr Bhriain, Managing Director of Millennium Festivals Ltd, and itschairman Derek Keogh (second from right) pictured with Ivan Yates TO, and Fleadhorricials in Enniscorthy51

• • • and now SwedenThe guitar class moved outside in the lovely weather and brought some banjos as well~ fter many years of playingmusic and about four years of7iIrish 'pub music' with the band'Oneapoe', I found my way intotraditional music and with specialinterest for the Bodhran.Like many other tourists I bought oneas a souvenior the first time I visitedIreland and started banging like mostpeople do. But quite soon I got aninterest of learning to play it properly.I found out that the best way was totake a course at one of thesummerschools. I called my friend B.G.the banjo player, and asked him if hewanted to go to Ireland and he said'yes' with no hesitation.At the time we knew nothing about thedifferences of the summershcools so wemade the choice out of what was mostsocially convenient.We called the joe MooneySummerschool and got all theinformation we needed. Now we try togo to ireland and joe MooneySummerschool every year to see new'old friends' and enjoy the music.The idea of a summer-schoolin SwedenTwo years ago we got the idea ofstarting a summer-school of our own.We presented the idea to the Swedish­Irish Traditional Music Association whoalready organises weekly open sessionsat the pub Galway Inn. They thought itwas a good idea and a project teamstarted the work to organise the OrebroInternational Summer-school ofTraditional Irish Music.We had the idea of having th same highstandard of the teachers as the irishsummer-schools and from the verybeginning we all agreed to get allteachers from Ireland. I called byBodhran teacher and good friend juniorDavy and asked him for help. Hepromised to get all the teachers weneeded and bring them over to oursummer-school.Starting a school like this costs quite anamount of money and we weregenerously supported by the countycouncil and the local government, plusthat, some of the pubs in townsponsored the school to get sessionsduring the evenings.Ready for take offAs soon as we found out that theeconomy was OK, we were ready fortake off. I must admit that I hadbutterflies in my stomach passing thepoint of no return. Buying tickets forthe teachers and advertising thesummer-school is a kind of work that'sreally enjoyable, but what wouldhappen if there were no pupils? Thatwas a scary thought. Well, in the endwe got 110 pupi Is and the summerschoolturned into a great success.33------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bronx Box Brilliancelistening, tunes both antique andrecently composed, all played w ithtechnical brilliance, infectious goodhumour and impeccable traditionaltaste.Don Meadef you wanted to learn to playg,: traditional Irish music in the1970's, Th e Bronx was the rightplace at the right time. The boroughwas full of Irish-America ns youngsters,the daughters and sons of post-WorldWar II immigration wave. Many of thesekids got a head start on the music fromparents who played fiddle, buttonaccordion or flute. Others tookadvantage of the instruction offered byMartin Mulvihill (RIP), a wonderful oldtimeLimeri ck fiddler who served asmusical mentor to a whole generation ofyoung players in the Bronx and beyond.Patty Furlong stands out as one of thecream of the bumper crop of BronxIrish musicians. Her late father JimmyConway got her started on her own.Martin Mulvihill then took her in handand helped Patty develop the skills andstyle that won her three All-Irelandchampionships, including a solo title.Martin gave Patty her first recordingexperience on an LP of his studentsrecorded by folklorist Mick Moloney.Mick also called on Patty to take part inthe original 'Cherish the Ladies'. Now aprofessional touring group, 'Cherish'started as a concert series andrecording featuring Patty together withflute player Joanie Madden, fiddlesEi leen Ivers and Liz Carroll and othertop Irish-American female musicians.On the debut solo album by PattyFurlong, the life and fluidity of herbutton accordion playing are bothdistinctive and impressive. Her choiceof tunes is tasty and unerring, and themusicians, and in one instance, dancerwho perform with her expertlycomplement her playing. It's a solorecording to cherish, a cause forcelebration, from one of New York'sfinest Irish musicians.Earle HitchnerThroughout the 1980's and 90's ~~~:;==::;:7~~~~-----:-;-:--=:--__Patty has been a regularperformer at traditional musicfestivals, concerts, sessions andce ili dances. Her mostmemorable gig was surely aseries of 1995 concerts inwhich she performed withIreland's world renownedChieftains and their guestsinger, pop star MarianneFaithful I.Unlike most contemporaryIrish button accordionists inNew York, Patty prefers theC#/D tuning, a systemchampioned by the lateGalway great Joe Cooleythat lost favour in the1960's. But as Patty proveson th is, her fi rst solo disc, ~~~...",,,,,,,;;;;;;;.,~~~~!!~!!!!~!![~""""~there's still plenty of life in the oldschool'press and draw' style!, thisrecording is music for dancing or forJq------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- 'After supper, I for the first time drankwhisky punch, the taste of which isharsh and austere, and the smell worsethan the taste .. . The spirit was veryfierce and wi ld, requiring not less thanseven times its own quantity of water totame and subdue it'. It seems the pipesimpressed him more than the drink!Now who could have written this? ' ....arrive late at Ballinasloe, and get bedswith great difficulty ... victuals bad;wine poisonous; bed execrable;generally badly off; fall asleep in spiteof ten thousand noises; wish gentlemanover my head would leave off thebagpipes, and the gentlemen who aredrinking in the next room would leaveoff singing, and the two gentlemen whoare in bed together in the closet wouldleave off snoring; sad, sad. All quiet atlast and be hanged! 'And the fo llowing night after a dreary,frustrating day - ' bed at nine o'clock,in a crib about five feet square; damnthose bagpipes'Wolfe ToneThe writer of these forthright commentsin his diary for the 6 th and 7 th October,1792 was the 29 year old Wolfe Tone.He had gone to Connacht as assistantsecretary to the Catholic where is yourconscience? All wi ll not do. 11 fautpayer. Well (sings) 'Tis but in vain forsoldiers to complain'. Tone had thehappy abi lity to retai n his sense ofhumour and to see the funny side ofthings even in the most unpleasantsituations. It is this sense of fun whichfor me, makes him a human being, aswell as a great Irishman.Sir John Carr, a Devonshire man camein 1805 as a tourist. He, of Committeeto organise Galway and Mayo forCatholic Emancipation andParliamentary Reform . After a terriblejourney, during which their coach washeld up by footpads and broke down inthe mud, eventuall y he and TomBraughall arrived in Ballinasloe ' sickfor want of sleep'. And then the pipesand the singing and the snoring until theearly hours. No wonder he complained.Breakfast in the inn was beefsteak 'friedwith a great quantity of onions', thesame again on the following morning.Wolfe Tone's first day there wascompletely frustrating, the second lessso and the third day, that the fair ofBallinas loe, more rewarding withcontacts made and meetings organised .The dinners at the inn were very bad,he says, and 'our bill monstrous! Aguinea for my crib, without window orfirep lace, for two nights. Oh Lord! OhLord! What will this world come to?Oh, Miss Cu lahaun, mill Culahaun,course, vis ited Dublin, Cork andKillarney. He admired the ingenuity of'the lower Irish' remarking how theycould do so much with so little, -bridles, stirrups, cruppers and ropesfrom hay, and their cabins from whatwas available around them. He praisedtheir well formed bodies and theirhospita lity. He mentioned that ' theharp is yet in use; but the Irish bagpipeis the favourite instrument'.In 1828 a German nobleman PrinceHermann Ludwig Heinrich von Puckler­Muskau, a traveller par excel lence,visited Ireland. He was a man of highspirits, a practical joker, and a 'divil forthe women', he travelled in Italy,Switzerland and Southern France onone tour and later, Italy, France,England, Ireland and Scotland. His lastbig tour was through North Africa,Greece and As ia Minor.He was a tall, distinguished-lookingman and he travelled in style. InLimerick he was taken for the illegitimateson of Napoleon, and in Derrynane hewas the guest of O'Connell. In Cahir itwas believed he had come to thiscountry on a secret mission from theKing of France to the Liberator. While inSouth Tipperary he received lavishhospitality and was invited on two harehunts. He returned the compliment bythrowing a dinner party in Cashel. Heprovided lavish fare for his guests,engaging an Irish piper to play for them.This musi cian, he said, a handsome oldman with a fine head of snow-white hair.A less savoury entertainment he paid forwas a cock fight.Fourteen years later, another Germantraveller and writer appeard on the Irishscene, Johann Geog Kohl from Bremen.He toured widely in Europe andpublished numerous travel books on hisexperiences.In Kilrush he attended one of FrMatthew's temperance meetings andwas very impressed by him and hiswork. He arrived in Kilkenny during theraces - 'this great crowd of peoplewandering about I know not whystanding,sauntering, singing andperforming music in the streets. ' Itsounds rather like Fleadh Cheoil na31-

ehe Uowsome eraditionKevin nowsome's new CDSeamus ConnollyKevin Rowsome p laying w ith LorraineHickey at the Tion61 Leo Rowsome ofComhaltas Ceolt6irf Eirea nn2he name Rowsome has alwaysbeen revered in the Connollyhousehold. It just seems likeyesterday but it's almost 50 years nowsince I first heard the music of KevinRowsome's grandfather, Leo.I remember so vividly my fatherproudly holding in his hands arecording of 'The Maestro' (as hereferred to Leo). He then carefullyplaced the 78 rpm record on theturntable of our wind up gramophoneand slowly lowered the needle on tothe groove. It was then that I saw thesmile on my father's face as our kitchenfilled with sounds of the master atwork, playing the haunting air, 'TheDark Woman of the Glen'.Reflecting now on the music of LeoRowsome, his command of theinstrument, his use of the chanter,regulators and drones brings to mindthe following lines: 'You can makemusic of a sort with white keys only,but for true harmony you need theblack keys also' . Leo, with hisinimitable style of playing certainly putsthe words of lames E Kwegyir intope rspecti ve.Almost a half-century has gone by sincemy father told me, with pride, stories ofLeo Rowsome. It gives me greatpleasure now to write about the newgeneration of Rowsome piping that hasemerged to the forefront. KevinRowsome proudly perpetuates, with hisown creative playing, the long pipingtradition of his forefathers. A master inhis own right, Kevin 's assuredrenditions of tunes once recorded byhis grandfather, along with the otherselections on this lovely compact diskare a credit to him and to the musicalRowsome family. Today, I proudly holdin my hand Kevin 's recording, which 'no doubt will further enhance theworld of Irish traditional music anduilleann piping. Congratulations toKevin, a job well done! I hope it's thefirst of many.Leo Rowsome (1903-1970)Leo's name is synonymous withuilleann piping and traditional Irishmusic in general. He was a foundermember of Comhaltas Ceolt6iriEireann. He devoted his life to theuilleann pipes and excelled in everyaspect of the instrument. His name isknown the length and breadth of thecountry as a master piper, pipemakerand pipe teacher. To this day Leo iscommonly regarded in uilleann pipingcircles as the best ever maker of widebore concert pitch uilleann pipes. Hepassed on his musical skills to the nextgeneration of pipers. This is of greatersignificance when you bear in mindthat he lived in an age when traditionalmusic was in serious decline anduilleann pipes in particular were inTheRowsomeTRadi'Ciondanger of dying out, as teachers ofthe instrument were practically nonexistent.The list of pipers who weretaught by Leo is extensive. Theyinclude Liam O'Flynn, Willie Clanc ~,Sean Seery, jo McKenna, PaddyMoloney, Gay McKeon, Peter Browne,and AI Purcell. Most of today's pipingstudents have been influenced by atleast one of Leo Rowso.me's students.Leon Rowsome (1936-1994)Leon, Kevin's father made two recordson the uilleann pipes (Glenside &Dolphin) labes) and featured on manyother albums as a guest musician. Heperformed as a solo piper throughoutEurope and the USNCanada. Much indemand as an accompanist pianist inCE~ili bands, Leon played piano andpiano accordion with the Ballinamereand the Blackthorn Ceili Bandsrespectively. Like his father Leon alsotaught the pipes for some years at theCollege of Music.39

Winter. His talent is a showcase for theSli go style of fiddling populari sed byM ichae l Coleman. Conway credits histeacher, Martin Wynn, and mentorAndy McGann, for their influence.Conway, himself, is a teacher of thetradition and notes that his mostpromising student, Patri ck Mangan, w illbe featured along w ith McGann onConway's upcoming CD. Theconvenience of Dunne's hospitality toCon way's job resulted in the birth ofthe Wednesday night seisiun atDunne's Pub in December 1997.Conway stresses th at the se isiun is nota performance where the tunes are ·announced; rather, it is more like a jamsession where mu sicians of all levels oftalent join in. Conway explains 'Thegoal is to fa ithfully mimic or imitate anauthentic Irish seisiun as if one were inDoolin, Clare. That's why there isminimal amplification. The objective isto create an acousti c sound.'On a recent Wednesday night,music ians joining Conway includedJoEllen Bosson on fiddle, Dan Milneron guitar, Paddy Shields on bodhran,Muriel Eaton on harp, and KiraSherwood, a classica l violinist fromMontana who is also a student ofConway's. The musicians vary eachweek and the group can grow to adozen or so when the seisiun gets intofull gear. Other mu sical guests have .included Mike Rafferty, Don Meade,Andy McGann, and Jerry O'Sullivan.Uilleann PiperO'Sullivan, a Grammy nominee, islauded as the bets uileann piper inNorth Ameri ca. He recently offeredDunne's seisiun-goers a taste of hiscriti ca lly acclaimed CD. The Gift.O'Sulliva n is enthusiastic about theDunne's seisiun. He comments'Because of Bri an, the musica l standardis a lot better than in other se isiuns.Sean is incredibly welcoming and veryrespectful of the musicians. That degreeof hosp itality is rare. Sean goes theextra mile. The atmosphere is veryfriendly and everyone is welcome evenif they're rank beginners. Dunne's is agood social scene where friendships areforged.' .Each musician signs Dunrie's guestbook so that th ey might all be invited ·back at some time in the future for aDunne's reunion seisiun. Conway ispleased w ith the feedback he hadreceived about his co llaboration w ithDunne. He laughs w hen he notes th atthe Dunne's se isiun has more of areputation in Ireland than it does inWhite Pl ains; but, he is quick to pointout th at the crowd at Dunne's is themost apprec iative he has everexperienced in his 27 years of playingthe fidde. He suggests this might bebecause the music is new toWestchester.Jea nnie Mchale of White Pl ains wasenjoying dinner at a table of otherWednesday night regulars. She notedthat the Wednesday night experi ence atDunne's w as 'a great outlet for soc ialand cultural interaction.' FrancisHarri gan of Rye added 'You don't havetQ go the city anymore to hear livetraditional music. Sean is a great hostand the talent is terrific. The variety ofpeople attracted to the music includesa mix of age and not everyone is Irish.'He recounted how a baseball teamcame in one Wednesday evening torelive the highlights of their game.Rather than relegating the mu sic to thebackground with their excitedcommentari es, the ball players paid thehightes compliment to the musicians byplacing the music in the foregroundwhile their conversations provided thebackground noise.Westchester resident Kathleen Bi ggins,host of WFUV's A Thousand Welcomesa noted authority on traditional Irishand Celtic music, agrees withHarri gan's assessment. She comments'It's a real treat walking into Dunne's fora topflight seisiun with some of the bestmusicians the Irish tradition offers.Normally, you 'd have to go intoManhattan for that type of atmosphere,but Sea n and his staff and Bri an and theother musicians bring the 'craic' ri ght tomy own backya rd . It's incrediblyimportant to have thi s type of outlet sonearby. It's an early enough night sothat parents can bring the kids fordinner and let the[ll w itness thecamaraderie the musicians and seisiungoersshare. It may inspire the childrento learn music, thereby keeping thetradition alive and thriving.'For some 'ca int, craic, agus ceo l'(conversation, fun, and music), stopinto Dunne's Pub any Wednesdayevening you are in Westchester.Betty Commins was an activemember of the Coventry branch ofCC E. At any functi on involving thebranch or Midland reg ion. Betty wasalways there helping out, providingher home made soda bread andcakes. She put all her efforts into themany interests she was involved in.Betty was a life long member of thePioneer assoc iati on and when herremains was brought to St ThomasMoors Church w here she attendeddaily mass, the loca l pioneers formeda guard-of-honour. One of the pastspiritual directors Father DanO 'Connor now living in Cork madehis way back to Coventry for thefuneral.Betty wi ll be greatl y missed by allwho knew her. She has left atremendous legacy to Comhaltasnamely Ca rmel, Eilish and Verenawho do trojan w ork for theorganisation. To them and herhusband Pat we extend our sinceresympathy on behalf of the MidlandRegion of Comhaltas.D6nal

M ick himse lf reca ll ed tri ps from Dublinto Clare in th e earl y-to-mid 60's for thegreat trad itional concerts organi sed byClare County Board CCE. Th e Castl eCe ili Ba nd had made the tri p on morethan one occasion; on another visitthey shared the limeli ght w ith Se{ln 6Riada and Ceolt6iri Chualainn. As we llas the great music he looked back w ithparti cular -apprec iati on on theded ica ti on and generos ity of sp irit ofthe Clare Comh altas people. He hadgone w ith Sean Kea ne and othermusicians to play at further greatconcerts in Cork in the 60's and 70'safter Seam us had moved there to workfor Conrad h na Gaeilge.M ick, through skillfu l use of recordingand slides, fo ll owed hi s fri ends journeyfrom Clare to the Cu il Aod ha Gaeltachtw here a host of new fri en ds were m a d ~incl uding the great sean-n6s sin gerPad raig 6 Tua ma, Diarmuid 6Riordain, M ichea l 6 Suilleabhain ete.,not to men ti on musica l co mrades suchas Connie O'Connell of Kilnamartyraand Deni s Murphy, Jul ia Clifford andJohnny O'Lea ry of Sli abh Lu achra. Avi deo of a sess ion at an Chulturl ann inthe mid 70's showed another greatsinging comrade, the late Darach 6Cathain at his brillian t best; there was aduet w ith Den is Murphy, a marbhna forPaddy Joe McMahon ete.Nights of Sean-N6s and apple tartAn important and pleasa nt reco llecti onwas of Mac Math una's days in Craobhna hln se, w hi ch he joined in 1957 ongoing to work in th e County Library inEnni s. The branch wee kl y sess ion washe ld on Tuesday nights in the house ofMartin and Bri die Byrn es and themembe rshi p at that time (late 50's)in cl uded (i n addition to Martin andBridie Byrn es) Sean Reid, John andBri die O'Sullivan, Louis Preston (ofSI igo), Sonny M urray, Margaret Murphy(s ister of Paddy's of Kilmaley), GusTierney (Kil fenora), Paddy O'Donohueand Peadar O'Loughlin (twooutsta nding flute pl aye rs), Brendan andChristy McMahon (b rothers of Tony),and Robbi e McMahon. Sometimesthere woul d be heated discuss ions, andfrequ ently there were lovely sessions,but the thing th at ensured a goodattendance eac h week was the fact thatBridie Byrn es served up the mostscrumptous home-baked apple tart atOr Charlie and Ben Lennon with Michael Rooney at Tion61 Leo Rowsomethe tea break eac h night. Nobodywould ever drea m of leav ing before theapp le tart was se rved, no matter howurgent the reaso n.Responding to th e many tributesSeamus Mac Mathuna sa id th at he hadbecome involved in Com haltas as atee nager in an era of great chall engeand of great in sp irati on. The foundersof Comh altas had placed th is challengeon th e agenda for those w ho professedto cheri sh Ire land 's old culturalheri tage, and th ey had found in Clare asterling community of music loversw ho discussed and accepted thechall enges of th e ti me w ith courageand ded ication. He pa id tribute to theleadershi p and insp iration of peop lesuch as Paddy Joe M cM ahon andM artin Talty of M iltown Malbay, PaddyM urphy, Peadar O'Loughlin andM ickey Hanrahan of Kilmaley, JimmyWard and the Linnanes of KilfenoraSean Reid, Paddy Canny and PJ H a~es .Continuing he sa id that to work in andw ith those foun ding figures ofComh altas, w hether in Dublin Pi pers'Club or in Clare had been a spec ialpri vilege. O ld fashioned patriotism andpride in one's culture had bee n theprim ary motivations in those earl y days,and he hoped and beli eved th at theywere still to be found in the ranks ofour young mu sicians. W hen in 1969 hewas chosen to be the first full-timeTimire Ceoil it was the highest honourComhaltas coul d give him. Not alonewas he given the opportunity to workw ith, and in many cases, record some ofthe greatest mu sicians of our times, butalso he became part of a greatComh altas team of workers, w ho inmany cases gave better and more selflessservice to the movement than he himselfcould ever do. He li sted the outstandingservice and tireless ded ication of peoplesuch as La~ hr as 6 M urchu, Kit Hodge,Diarmui d 0 Cathain and JohnMcCracken. Looking around he couldsee many more deserving of theaccolades he was rece iving. He cou ldonl y hope that in the years to comemany of th ese would be similarl yhonoured as he had been to night.John Keenan and Paddy MacElvaneyHe knew that, li ke himse lf, everyonepresent lamented the sad fact th e JohnKee nan, a man w ho had given suchoutstanding service, could not be thereto join in the ce lebrati ons; no one coul drep lace John in the affecti ons of hi slegion of admirers. He was overj oyed tosee another of Comh altas's mostce lebrated and most inspirati onal figurespresent - Paddy M ac El vaney, a goodfriend and an in sp iring motivator. Tohim and to many others Paddy Mackep itomi sed the idea lism, courage,in tegri ty and ded ication of the foundersof CCE; and we came back to him againand again for advice and for inspiration.The Thursday night pa rt of th e Ti on61was rounded off w ith some songs frommembers of the Mac Mathuna familyfoll owed by th e usual sess ion of piping.The Friday ni ght ceili featured theKil fenora G ili Band and the music andatmosphere of the ni ght showed how------------------------------------------ ~)

Fleadh Champions '99' "....... ';:;:--.EVEIDHLlN: Fe 12: 1 st CaitrionaSears, Cluain Tarbh ccI'., BaileAtha Cli ath; 2nd ThomasFitzgerald, Tra U, Co. Chiarrai; 3rdSea n O ' Farrell, Craobh · naComaraigh ccI'., Co. Phort Lairge;12/15: 1 st Patrick Manga n,Michael Coleman ccI'., USA; 2ndAine Ni Eanna, Ci ll Deaglaiil ccI'.,Co. na Mi; 3rd Kara n Ni Id,Ca isl ea n a'B harraigh ccI'., Co.Mhaigh Eo; 15/18: 1 st Li am 6Conchubhair, Cluain Tarbh ccI'.,Baile Atha Cliath; 2nd Padraig 6Neill, Clua in Tarbh ccI'., BaileAtha Cliath; 3rd Brendan Callahan,O'Neill-Malcom ccI'., USA; Snr:1 st O isin Mac Diarmada, Cr, FredFinn ccI'., Co. Shligigh; 2nd Ferga l6 Neill, Cluain Tarbh ccI'., Bail eAtha Cliath; 3rd Justin Toner,Cam lough ccI'., Ard Mhaca;Bosca Ceoil: Fe 12: 1 st MaeveMcSweeney, Sciobairin ccI'., Co.Chorcai; 2nd Sea n 6 Cu imin,Naomh Mhichil ccI'., co.Luimnigh; 3rd Susan Millar, MountMell ick ccI'., Co. Laois; 12-15; 1 stDara 6 Coisdealbha, Roscrea ccI'.,co. Thiobraid Arann; 2nd PaulMadden, Doora-Barefield ccI'., Co.an Chlai r; 3rd Belinda Ni Longain,Bannow ccI'., Loch Garman; 15-18: 1 st D6nal 6 Riagain, SeanTreacy ccI'., Baile Atha Cliath;2 ndClive Earley, Doora Barefield ccI'.,co. an Ch lair; 3rd Ade le Farrell,O'Carolan ccI'., Manchester; Snr:1st James Kinsella, Birr ccI'., UibhFh ai lli; 2nd O ilifear 6Duibheannaigh, Uaran M6r ccI'.,co. na Gai llimhe; 3rd Sean Bass,Carraig Teabhra ccI'., Loch GarmanFEADOG MHOR: Fe 12: 1 st SeanTi ern ey, Michae l Rafferty ccI'.,USA; 2nd Maeve McSweeney, AnScioba irin ccI'., Co. Chorcai; 3rdNico la Gillan, Bea l Feirste ccI'.,Co. Aontroma; 12-15: 1 st Emer deBurca, Gord na mB6 ccI'., Co.Mhaigh Eo;2ndAine M aire NiGhru again, Cill Deagla in ccI'., Co.na Mi; 3rd Micheal Mac an Ri, tuarna Fola ccI'., Co. Luimnigh; 15-18:1 st Louise Ni Mhaolcathaigh,Teampall a Ghleanntain ccI'., Co.Luimnigh; 2nd Barra McAllister,Cluain Tarbh ccI'., Baile AthaCliath; 3rd Mariah Reilly, MartinMulvihill ccI'., USA; Snr: 1 st TomO'Connor, Baile an Mhuillin/Liostrai ccI'., Co. Chiarrai; 2nd SeanRyan, Irish Musicians AssociationsccI'., USA; 3rd Ciaran McG uinness,Granard ccI'., LongfortFeadog: Fe 12: 1 st RuthMcKiernan, Sean Treacy ccI'.,Ba ile Atha Cli ath; 2nd JamesHughes, Ca mlough ccI'., ArdMhacha; 3rd Aoife Ni hUaithne,Baile an Daighin ccI'., Co. MhaighEo; 12-15: 1st Aidan O' Nei ll,Dromore ccI'., Tir Eoghain; 2ndCaro line Ni Shuilleabha in, Sraid a'Mhuillinn ccI'., Co. Chorcai; 3rdEmer de Burca, Gort na mB6 ccI'.,Co. Mhaigh Eo; 15-18: 1 st Loui seNi Mhaolchathaigh, Teampall a'Ghl eanntain ccI'., Co. Luimnigh;2nd Adele Farrell, O'Carolan ccI'.,Manchester; 3rd R6isinPadalyachee, Sean Treacy ccI'.,Bail e Atha Cl iath; Snr: 1 st EmmaO' Leary, Scartaglin ccI'., Co.Chiarrai; 2nd Adrian Brady, Kill eighccI'., Uibh Fhaili; 3rd Tomas 6Conchubhair, Baile an Mhuillinn/Liostrai CcE, co. ChiarraiCAIRDiN PIANO: Fe 12: 1stPatricia O'Grady, St Wilfrids ccI'.,Manchester; 2nd Sinead Nic Ealar,Caislean a' Bharraigh ccI'., Co.Mhaigh Eo; 3rd Ciara Cunningham,Milnaleck, An Cabhan; 12-15: 1stMaire Ni Ghamhnain, Atha LuainccI'., Co. Roscomain; 2nd EdelMcLoughlin, S. Mac Giolla BhrideccI'., Dun na nGall ; 3rd Sean 6hUaithne, Baile an Daighin ccI'.,co. Mhaigh Eo; 15-18: 1 st GaryMcGeown, Aughnamullen ccI'.,Muineachan; 2nd Ronan Warnock,Dromore ccI'., Tir Eoghain; 3rd Li saMaher, Baile Ui Choimin ccI'., Co.Thiobraid Arann; Snr: 1 st MichelleO'Leary, St. Wilfrids ccI'.,Manchester; 2nd Peadar 6Dubhthaigh, Cr. An ChoisdeilbheccI'., Co. Mhaigh Eo; 3rd BrendanWard, Au ghnamullen ccI'.;MuineachanCONSAIRTiN: Fe 12: 1 st CaitlinBrid Nic Gabhann, Ci ll DeaglainccI'., Co. na Mi; 2nd Jacqueline NiChbnchui r, Ard acha/Carra igChiarrai CCE, Co. Luimnigh; 3rdMelissa Ni Cheallaigh, Tu ar naFola Ce, Co. Luimnigh; 12-15: 1 stAidan Rynne, Ennistymon ccI'.,Co. an Chlair; 2nd Michelle NiMhaolchath aigh, Teampa ll a'Ghleanntain CCE, Co. Luimnigh;3rd David Mac Uilleag6id, CCE,Ceatharlach; 15-18: 1 st Triona NiAod ha, Tr ~ U ccI'., Co. Chiarrai;2nd Aoileann Nic Aogain, CluainTarbh CCE, Baile Atha Cliath; 3rdide Nic Mhathuna, Craobh NaithiccI'., Baile Atha Cliath; Snr: 1 stSeamu s 6 Mongain, CraobhChriost6ir Ui Chea rnaigh ccI'., co.Mhaigh Eo; 2nd fde NiChuinneagain, Ath Cinn CCE, Co.na Gaillimhe; 3rd Sharon NiChearbhaill, Kilcormac CCE, UibhFhailiPiOB UILLEANN: Fe 12: 1 st KevinO' Farrell, Craobh na Comaraigh,Co. Phort Lairge; 2nd Chi ostoisMac Maolin, Strabane, TirEoghain; 3rd Eanna 6 Cr6inin,Rathcairn ccI'., co. na Mi; 12-15:1 st Tyl er Duncan, Crotty-DoranccI'., USA; 2nd Jarlath Henderson,Doire Teasc ccI'., Tir Eoghain; 3rdSean McKeon, Sean Treacy ccI'.,Bai le Atha Cl iath; 15-18: 1 st ConorMcKeon, Sean Treacy ccI'., BaileAtha Cliath; 2nd Darragh Murphy,Newcastl e CCE, An Dun; 3rdLoui se Ni Mhaolcathaigh ,Teampai ll a'G hl eanntain ccI'., Co.Luimnigh; Snr: 1 st AudreyCunningham, Roundwood ccI'.,Cill Mhantain; 2nd Sean Ryan, IrishMusicians Association CCE, USA;3rd Rick Lines, Chris Langan CCE,Toronto, Canada;CRUIT: Fe 12: 1 st Nadia Markey,Aughnamu llen ccI'., Muineachan;2nd Grainne O'Neill, LoughbegCCE, Co. Aontroma; 3rd Mairtin 6Tu athaigh, Cill M6ibhi CCE, co.Mhaigh Eo; 12-15: 1 st Michelle NiMhaolchathaigh, Teampalla'Ghl eanntain ccI'., Co. Luimnigh;2nd Barbra Haugh, Beal FeirsteccI'., Co. Aontroma; 3rd Ca itrionaFawl, Doora-Barefield CC 1'., Co. anChlair; 15-18: 1 st Una Monaghan,Loch Lao CC 1'., Co. Aontroma; 2ndN ico la Ni Chath ail, Gort In seGuaire ccI'., Co. na Gaillimhe; 3rdHelen Lyons, Beaumont ccI'., BaileAtha Cliath; Snr: 1st Freda NicGhiolla Chathain, Moate ccI'., Co.na hlarmhi; 2nd Eil een Gannon, St.Loui s Irish Arts ccI'., USA; 3rdEleanor Meehan, Eamon 6 MuiriccI'., MuineachanORGAN BElL: Fe 12: 1st Ai leenGeoghegan, ccI'., An Cabhan; 2ndDanielle Armstrong, Aughrim CCE,Cill Mhantai n; 12-15: 1 st LorraineNi Orcain, Beal Atha na MuiceccI'., Co. Mhaigh Eo; 2nd LorcanO'Hara, Leeds ccI'.; 3rd ColmCanning, Irish Minstrels ccI'.,Glasgow; 15-18: 1 st PatrickHarrington, Ath Chaoire ccI'., Co.Chorcai; Snr: 1 st Tomas 6 Tu athai l,Cr. Chaislean a' Bharraigh ccI'.,co. Mhaigh Eo; 2nd PaulineCallinan, Crusheen ccI'., Co. anCh lair; 3rd Noel Battle, MullingarccI'., Co. na hlarmhiBANJO: Fe 12: 1 st Steph enMadden, Doora-Barefi eld ccI'., Co.an Chlair; 2nd R6nan 6Domhnallain, Gort na mB6 ccI'.,co. Mhaigh Eo; 3rd Sean 6 Broin,Maeve McSweeney, Skibbereencc£: 1st U-12 B/Accordeon,2nd U-12 ClFluteSean BassAll-Ireland Champion onMelodeonSenior6 Mhuimhneachain ccI'., larmhl;12-15: 1 st Daire McGeown,Clanbrassil ccI'., Ard Mhacha; 2ndAisling Neville, Ballydonoghue/Lisselton ccI'., Co. Chiarrai; 3rdP61 'ac an Ultaigh, Beal Atha naMuice ccI'., Co. Mhaigh Eo; 15-18:1 st Sean Mac Fhinn, Ma Rua/ AnCheapach Mh6r ccI'., Co .Luimnigh; 2nd Cliona NiChoisdealbha, Roscrea ccI'., Co.Thiobraid Arann; 3rd Sean 6Maolchr6in, Gort na mB6 ccI'.,co. Mhaigh Eo; Snr: 1 st BrianKelly, Selly Oak, Bermingham; 2ndKerrie Herrity, South Luton ccI'.,3rd Bernadette Connaughton,Cluain Tarbh ccI'., BAcMANDOLiN: Fe 12: 1st MichaelGaughan, West London CCE; 2ndEdward Whelan, Birr ccI'., UibhFhailli, 3rd R6nan 6 Domhnallain,Gort na mB6 ccI'., co. Mhaigh Eo;12-15: 1 st Mathew Griffin, StAlbans ccI'., Britain; 2nd Daire_______________________________________ 15

Eibhlin Ni Mhaille, Carn a cct Co.na Gaillimhe; 2nd RioghnachConnell y, Baile Mhic Aba CCE, ArdMhacha; 3rd Lau ra Deegan,Kilcormac CCE, Uibh Fhailli; Snr:1 st Emma O'Leary, Sca rtaglin CCE,CO. Chiarrai; 2nd Kate Marquis,Aughnamu llen CCE, Muineachan;3rd Eibhlfn Nic Aodhagain, AnCreagan cct Co. na Gaillimhe. CEOL BEIRTE: Fe 12: 1 st R6nan &Aoife Ni hUa ithne, Bail e anDaighin, Co. Mhaigh Eo; 2nd Sean& Kev in O'Farrell, Craobh naComaraigh CCE, CO. Phort Lairge;3rd John Neville & Katie Lu cey,Ball ydonoghue/Li sselton, Co .Chiarrai 12-15: 1 st Maebh Boyd &Edel Fox, Doora-Barefi eld CCE,CO. and Chlair; 2nd Sinead NiGhormain & Anne Grogan, CillDeaglain cct Co. na Mi; 3rd TylerMuncan & Jeremy Kittel, Crotty­Doran cct USA; 15-18: 1 st LoretoMoloney & Thomas Slattery, BaileUi Choimin cct Co. Thi obraidAran n; 2nd Padraig O'Neill &D6na l Regan, Cluain Tarbh & SeanTreacy cct Baile Atha Cliath; 3rdAran Olwell & Brendan Callahan,O'Neill-Malcom cct USA; Snr:1 st Cath al & Ca ithri6na NiCh lochasaigh, Ca islea-UiCh./Ahane/Baile forbiart cct Co.Luimnigh; 2nd Ferga l O'Neill &Maurice Egan, C1uain Tarbh cctBai le Atha Cliath; 3rd Peadar 6Dubhthaigh & Sean 'ac a Mhfle,Coisdeilbhe/C. a' Bharraigh CCE,CO. Mhaigh EoCEOL TR[R: Fe 12: 1 st Muiris &Darach Mac Mathuna & Eanna 6Cr6inin, Rath Cairn CCE, CO. naM i; 2nd Ann Doyle, PatriciaO'Grady & R6isin Rabbit, StWilfrids CCE, Manchester; 3rdGrainne Ni Neill, Joseph Murray &Nicola Gi llan, Loughbeg cct Co.Aontroma; 12-15: 1 st Aine NiGhruagain, Aine Ni Mheal6id &Sinead Ni Ghorma in, Cill DeaglanCCE, CO. na Mi; 2nd CiaraBrennan, Loui se Moloney & JoeDoyl e, Cumann na bPiobairfUileann CCE, BAc; 3rd Mairead &Sean Graham & Sea na Agnew,Portgl enone CCE, CO. Aontroma;15-18: 1 st Erin, Eimear & DaireMcGeown, Clanbrasil cct ArdMhacha; 2nd Paidrigin de Brun,Su san Conlon & Patrick 6Buachalla, Moate cct larmhi; 3rdCli ve Earl ey, Ciara O'Sullivan &Claire Doohan, Doora-Barefield/StCeci lias CCE, CO. an Chlair; Snr:1 st Tomas Keegan, Pat Bass & JohnBass, Carraig Teabhra cct LochGarman; 2nd Cathal, Caitriona &Mairin Ni Chlochaisaigh, CaisleanUi Ch./Ahane/Bai le forbairt CCE,CO. Luimnigh; 3rd Breandan 6Neidhe, Cait Webster & Padraig 6Domhnallain, Dun Dea lgan CCE,CO. LuBufoN CHEOIL cEILI: Fe 12: 1 stCeili Band, Bannow CCE, LochGarman; 2nd Barefield/C raobh naCoradh CCE, CO. an Chlair; 3rdGort na mB6 cct Co. Mhaigh Eo;12-15: 1 st Buion Cheo il Ceil iCrosskeys, Co. Aontroma; 2ndBuion Cheoil Ce ilf CCE, CO .Cabhan; 3rd Cairdeas Ceili Band,cia Brendan McCabe, Baile AthaCliath; 15-18: 1 st Maureen Glynn,Memorial Band, Co. an Ch lair; 2ndCluain Tarbh Ceili Band, CluainTarbh CCE, Baile Atha Cliath; 3rdCeolas Cei li Band, GortletteraghCCE, Col Liatroma; Snr: 1 st TainCeili Band, Dun Dealgan cct Co.Lu ; 2nd Naomh Padraig Cei lfBand, Baile Atha Troim CCE, CO.na Mi; 3rd Th e Bridge Cei lf Band,Co. LaoisGRUPA[ CHEOIL: Fe 12: 1 st Tuarna Fola CCE, CO. Luimnigh; 2ndCeolt6iri Bhaile an Daighin cctCo. Mhaigh Eo; 3rd StDeirdreslTradraighe CCE, CO. anCh lair; 12-15: 1st St Wiilfrids cctManchester; 2nd Craobh NaomhMhichfl CCf, Co. Luimnigh; 3rdBarefield/Craobh na Corad h CCE,CO. an Chlair; 15-18: 1 st GrupaCeoil Baile Ui Choimin, Co.Thiobraid Arann; 2nd Grupa Ceoi lCrotty-Doran, Crotty-Doran CCE,USA; 3rd Grupa Ceoil Baile anDaighin, Baile an Daighin CCE,CO. Mhaigh Eo; Snr: 1 st GrupaCeo il Ballydonoghue/ Li sse ltonCCE, CO. Chi arrai; 2nd GrupaCeoi l Eamon 6 Muiri cct Co.Mhuineachain; 3rd Gru pa CeoilCaislean Ui Chonaill/Ahane/Bai leforbairt CCE, CO. LuimnighBU[ON CHEOIL CAIRO[N: Fe 18:1 st Castletara Youth Band,Castletara, Co. Cavan; 2nd SI.Patricks Junior Accordion Band,Carnan, Coal island, Co. Tyrone; 3rdK & 5 Accordion Band, An Uaimhcct Co. na Mi; Snr: 1 stMayobridge Youth Band cct Co.Down; 2nd SI. Miguels Band,Downpatrick, Co. Down; 3rd FanadAccordion Band, Fanad, Co. DownBufoN CHEOIL FEAOOG MHOR:Fe 18: 1 st Naomh Mochuas JuniorFlute Band, Ard MhachaSnr: 1 st Mulladuff Flute Band,Mulladuff, Co. Dhun na nGall; 2ndMaghery Fife & Drum, Dungloe,Co. Dhun na nGall; 3rd CraicheachM6r Senior Flute Band, CraicheachM6r, Co. Dhun na nGa l1BU[ON ROGHA GHLEAS: Fe 18:1 st Rame lton Youth Band,Ramelton, Dun na nGall, 2nd Harp& Shamrock Miscellaneous Band,Uibh Fhaili; 3rd SI. Patrick's JuniorMise. Youth Band, Augher, Co.Tyrone; Snr: 1 st St Mary's Mise.Band, Broomfield, Co.Mhuineachain; 2nd Cloich CheannFhaola Band, Co. Dhun na nGallBuion Cheoil Phiob: Aon Aois: 1 stCloughfin, Co. Thir Eoghain; 2ndAughnamullen East CommunityPipe Band, Co. MhuineachainAMHRAN GAEILGE (MNA): Fe12: 1 st Naisrin Elsafty, Bearna cctCo. na Gaillimhe; 2nd DeniseFulham, Mullingar, Co. na hlarmhi;3rd Mariead Mulkern, AughrimCCE, CO. Chill Mhantain; 12-15:1 st Aibhril Ni Luachra, Cill M6ibhicct Co. Mhaigh Eo; 2nd NollaigNi Laoire, Dun Doire cct Co. naMi; 3rd Oit Ni Ghamhnain, AthLuain CCE, CO. Ros Comain; 15-18: 1 st fde Nic Mhathuna, CraobhNaithi CCE, Baile Atha Cliath; 2ndDawn Ni Dhochartaigh, Caisleana' Bharraigh cct Co. Mhaigh Eo;3rd Naomi Ni Fhiachra, ClarChloinne Mhuiris CCE, CO.Mhaigh Eo; Snr: 1 st Caitriona NiLaoire, Dun Doire CCf, Co. na Mi;2nd Mairead Ni Fhl atharta, CarnaCCf, Co. na Gaillimhe; 3rd EmerFoley, Cr. Thraolaigh Mhic Suibhnecct Co. ChorcaiAMHRAN GAEILGE (FIR): Fe 12:1 st Proinsias 6 Gallch6ir, Min naCraise cct Co. Dhun na nGall;2nd Cian 6 Ciarain, Baile anMh6ta CCe, Co. Shligigh; 3rdRuarai 6 Gaibhin, Caislean a'Bharraigh cct Co. Mhaigh Eo; 12-15: 1 st Ferdia 6 Mongain, Cr.Chriost6ir Ui Chearnaigh CCE, CO.Mhaigh Eo; 2nd Aodh Breathnach,Min na Craise CCf, Co. Dhun nanGall; 3rd Alan 6 Murchu, Dr.Thomais Rua, Co. Chiarrai; 15-18:1 st Ciaran 6 Concheanainn, AnSpideal cct Co. na Gaillimhe;2nd John Ryan, Caiseal MumhanCCE, CO. Thiobraid Arann; 3rdDaithi 6 Cearnaigh, Craobh ThraLi CCE, CO. Chiarrai; Snr: 1 stNaoise 6 Mongain, Cr. Chriost6irUi Chearnaigh CCf, Co. MhaighEo; 2nd Clive Powell, TynesideCCf, Sasana; 3rd Dick O' Neill,Ferns CCE, CO. Loch GarmanAMHRAN BEARLA (MNA): Fe 12:1 st Linda Ni Rinn, Atha Caoirecct Co. Chorcai; 2nd DeniseFulham, Rathowen, Mullingar,larmhi; 3rd Muireann Nic Aodha,Woodfield House, Baile Atha___________________________________________ 4~

John Furlong; 1st Singing in EnglishCliath; 12-15: 1st Eme r NiDhunlaing, Craobh Osrai CCE, CillChainnigh; 2nd Catherin eGriml ey, Nao mh Moehua CCE,Ard Mhaeha; 3rd Ann-MarieKavanagh, Borrisoleigh CCE, CO.Thiobraid Arann; 15-18: 1 st [deNie Mhathuna, Craobh NaithiCCE, Baile Atha Cliath; 2ndSharon Buek ley, Moyvane/Knoekanure CCE, CO. Chi arrai; 3rdMairead Ni Shioehain, Teampalla'Ghleanntain cd, Co. Luimnigh:Snr: 1st Maire Ni Che illeaeha ir, Cr.Thraolaigh Mhie Shu ibh ne CCE,Co. Choreai; 2nd Ciara Brannigan,Tullaeh Sarain CCE, Ard Mhaeha;3 rd Ei leen Barry, Stradba ll y, Co.Phort LairgeAMHRAN BEARLA (FIR): Fe 12:1st Miehael O'Brien, Caislean naMainge CCE, Co. Chiarrai; 2ndMiehael O'Toole, Greystones CCE,Ci ll Mhantain; 3rd KillianMeNally, Sean Ui Chea ll ana inCCE, CO. Thiobraid Arann; 12-15:1st Tadhg 6 Mheaehair, RoscreaCCE, CO. Thiobraid Arann; 2ndD6nal Kavanagh, Emyvale CCE,CO. Mhuineaehain; 3rd Philb 6Cleirigh, Clane CCE, CO. Ch illDara; 15-18: 1st Ciaran 6Co neheanai nn, An Spideal CCE,CO. na Ga illimhe; 2nd LinusO'Donnell, Castlederg, Co. ThirEoghain; 3rd Miehael McLoughlin,Leitir Cea nnai n CCE, Dun nanGa ll; Snr: 1st John Furlong, FernsCCE, CO. Loeh Garman; 2nd TeddyBarry, Stradbally, Co. Phort Lairge;3rd Seamus Brady, Cr. ChathairPhort Lai rge CCEFEADAiL: Fe 12: 1st Bri an 6Maoldomhnaigh, Uaran M6r CCE,CO. na Gaillimhe; 2nd Oonagh NiPhaolain, Mount Melliek CCE, CO.Lao is; 3rd Robaird Harvey,Camross CCE, Co. Laois; 12-15:1st Tadhg 6 Meaehai r, RosereaCCE, CO. Thiobraid Arann; 2ndPeter Cosgrave, Bannow CCE,Loeh Garman; 15-18: 1st TonyCurtin, Seipea l na Carraige CCE,Co. Choreai; Snr: 1st Sean White,Bannow CCE, CO. Loeh Garman;2nd Juiliann e Barry, CraobhChr6nain CCE, CO. Choreai; 3rdLiam 6 Caoimh, Aughrim CCE,CO. Chill MhantainPORTAIREACHT: Fe 12: 1st Anne­Marie Ca rty, Bannow CCE, CO.Loeh Garman; 2nd Lorraine NiArgai n, Ballybunion CCE, CO.Chiarrai; 3rd Mairead NiChorradain, Teampaill a'Ghleanntain CCE, CO. Luimnigh;12-15: 1st Tadhg 6 Meaehair,Roserea CCE, CO. ThiobraidArann; 2nd Ceili Ni Ghaibhin,Caislean a'Bharraigh CCE, CO.Mhaigh Eo; 3rd Raehelle NiMhioehain, Leixlip CCE, CO. ChillDara; 15-18: 1st Deirdre Call inan,Cloeh Liath CCE, CO. an Chlair;Snr: 1st Bernadette Coi l ins, Seipealna Carraige CCE, CO. Choreai; 2ndClare Do herty, Be ll aghy CCE,Doire; 3rd Liam 6 Caoimh,Aughrim CCE, CO. Chi ll MhantainAMHRAN NUA CEAPTHA(GAEILGE): Aon Aois: 1st Ciaran6 Coneheanai nn, An Spideal CCE,CO. na Ga illimhe; 2nd KathrynMeKiernan, Ratheoole, Baile AthaCliath; 3rd Tadhg 6 Muiris, ChrisLangan CCE, USAAMHRAN NUA CEAPTHA(BEARLA): Aon Aois/Any Age: 1stDan Keane, Moyvane/KnoekanureCCE, CO. Chi arrai; 2nd BrueeSeott, Liverpool CCE; 3rd NiekKinsella, Piereestown CCE, CO.Loeh Ga rmanComortas Comhra Gaeilge: Fe 9:1st Eoin 6 Suilleabhain, Cor naM6na CCE, CO. na Gai ll im he; 2ndRuairi 6 Gribin, Ard Mhaeha; 3rdCarol de Lasa, Inis C6rthaidh CCE,Loeh Garman; 9-11: 1st Sile NieGhalleh6ir, Min na Croise CCE,Dun na nGa ll; 2nd Majella NiePhaidin, Dun na nGa ll; 3rd6dharn a O' Donovan, DunGa rbh ain, Co. Phort Lairge; 11-13:1st Si nead Breathnaeh, Min naCroise CCE, Dun na nGa ll; 2ndAibhril Ni Luaehra, Cill M6ibhiCCE, CO. Mhaigh Eo; 3rd CiaraCo ndon, Ba ile Ui Choimin CCE,Co. Thiobraid Ara nn; 13-15: 1stAodh Breathnaeh, Min na CroiseCCE, Dun na nGall; 2nd Maire NiChoirbin, Corr na M6na CCE, CO.na Gai llimhe; 3rd Ala nn a NiMhioehain; Leix lip CCE, CO. Chi llDara; 15-18: 1st Laura Ni Nunain,Mostrim, Longfort; 2nd Maire NiLiain, Teampa ll a'Ghl eanntai ncd, Co. Luimnigh; 3rd Aisling deC6ga in, Gaelcholaiste ChoreaiCCE, Co. ChoreaiSET DANCING COMPETITIONS:Fe 12: 1st Ballydonoghue/L isselton, Co. Chi arrai; 2ndCladdagh Set, Longfort12-15: 1st St John's, Co. an Chlair;2nd Emerald Set, Co. Longfort; 3rdMiehael O'B rien Set, Co. Chiarrai;15-18: 1st Kilcummin CCE, CO.Chi arrai; 2nd Teaeh Set, Co.Luimnigh; 3rd St Miehael's Set, Co.an Chl a ir; Snr. (Mmi): 1stKil eummin Set, Killarn ey, Co.Chi arrai; 2nd Galbally/Ballyhogue,Co. Loeh Garman; 3rd GleneagleLadies Set, Killarney, Co. Chi arrai;Snr (Mixed): 1st Elphin Set, Co.Roseoman; 2nd AbbeyknoeknoySet, Co. na Gaillimhe; 3rd TullaSenior Set, Ennis, Co. an Chlair.

.S:::=~Sean Tiern ey, USA, U- 12 Con cert Flute, receiving his trophy from JoeNeedhamMcGeawn, Clanbrassil cc I'., ArdMmhacha; 3rd P61 'ac an Ultaigh,Bea l Ath a na Muice cc I'., Ca.Mhaigh Ea; 15-18: 1 st Sean 6Maalchr6in, Gart na mB6 cc I'.,Ca. Mhaigh Ea; 2nd AaranMcSorley, Galbally cc I'., TfrEaghain; 3rd Tammy O'Danavan,Ballydanaghue/Li sse ltan, Ca.Chiarrai; Snr: 1 st Kate Marqui s,Aughnamullen ccI'., Muineachain;2nd Bernadette Cannaugtan,Cluain Tarbh ccI'., Baile AthaCliath; 3rd Mfcheal Mac Reamann,Carraig Teabhra ccI'., Lach GarmanPIANO: Fe 12: 1 st PatriciaO'Grady, SI. Wilfrids ccI'.,Manchester; 2nd Paidrigin NiThu airisg, Craabh Mhaalaaisecc I'., Sli geach; 3rd AdrainCannally,Castl ederg ccI'., TirEaghain; 12-15: 1 st Michelle NiMhaalcathaigh, Teampall a'Ghleanntain ccI'., Ca. Luimnigh;2nd Sarcha Ni Ruanai, Craabh FredFinn cc I'., Ca. Shligigh; 3rd BelindaNi Langain, Bannaw cc I'., LachGarman; 15-18: 1 st Adele Farrell,O'Caralan cc I'., Manchester; 2ndRanan Warnack, Dramare ccI'., TirEaghain; 3rd Michelle 6 Meachair,Inis C6rthaidh ccI'., Lacli Garman;Snr: 1 st Caitriana Cullivan, cc I'., AnCabhan; 2nd Sinead Ni Dhughaill,Inis C6rthaidh cc I'., Lach Garman;3rd Michelle O'Leary SI. WilfridsCC,,, ManchesterMELODEON: Fe 12: 1 st AileenGeaghegan, Cabh an ccI'., AnCabhan; 2nd Michelle Curtin, CillBhealain ccI'., Ca. Charcai; 3rdRuairi Taner, Baile Mhic an AbaccI'., Ard Mhaca; 12-15: 1 stStephen Carrall, Kilcummin ccI'.,Ca. Ch arca i; 2nd Michelle NiMhaalcath aigh, Teampall a'Ghleanntain cc I'., Ca. Luimnigh;3rd Jeanie Redmand, CraabhNaithi CCf., Baile Atha Cliath; 15-18: 1 st Clive Earl ey,Daara/Barefi eld ccI'., Ca. anChlair; 2nd Ca ral NiDhamhnallain, Gart na mB6 CC f.,Ca. Mhaigh Ea; 3rd CaitrianaO'Brien, Au ghrim CCf., CillMhantain; Snr: 1 st Sea n Bass,Carraig Teabhra cc I'., LachGarm an, 2nd Kate M arqui s,Aughnamullen ccI'., Muineachan,3rd O li ve r Kea rney, Allenwaad,Cill DaraBODHRAN: Fe 12: 1 st MichaelFlannery, West Landan cc I'.; 2ndPatrick Harkin, Clan many, Dun nanGall; 3rd Seairlin Nic Dhanncha,Cara Finne cc I'., Ca. na Gaillimhe;12-15: 1st P61 6 Damhnallain,Gart na mB6 ccI'., Ca. Mhaigh Ea;2nd f.aman Murray, Lau ghbegcc I'., Ca. Aantroma; 3rd PadraigHarti gan, Pawerstawn/ Li sran aghccI'., Ca. Thi abraid Arann ; 15-18:1 st Christaph er McGlane,Laughbeg ccI'., Ca. Aantrama; 2ndEaghan 6 Bruachain, Beaumantcc I'., Baile Atha Cliath; 3rd R6nanMac O isdealbhaigh, Osrai ccI'.,Cill Chainnigh; Snr: 1 st AindriasMac Daibhi, Craabh Bhaile anMhasta CC f., Ca. Shligigh; 2ndMichae l Telfer, Tyn eside CC f.,Newcastle, Britain; 3rd AnthanyCaalahan, Rahan cc I'., Uibh FhailiPIOB MHOR: 12-15: 1 st DavidMarkey, Scatshau se, Muineachan;2nd Daniel McCann, Irvinstaw n,Fearm anach; Snr: 1 st DannyHaulihan, Ballydanaghue/Li sseltan CCf., Ca. Chiarrai; 2ndCalin Meaghar, Cartin MulvihillCCf., USA; 3rd Patrick Marris,Drumquinn CC f., Tir EaghainROGHA GHLEAS: Fe 12: 1 stEdward Whelan, Birr CCf., UibhFhailli 2nd R6nan 6 Damhnallain,Gart na mB6 CcE, Ca. Mhaigh Ea;3rd Garry Stephens,Kilmuckridge/Manamalin cc I'.,Lach Garman; 12-15: 1 st SeanaAgnew, Laughbeg CCf., Ca.Aantrama; 2nd Paula McG lane,Laughbeg ccI'., Ca. Aantroma; 3rdBelinda 6 Langain, Bannaw CC f.,Lach Garman; 15-18: 1 st Ai slingMcP hillips, Enni skillen CC f.,Fearm anach; 2nd Dawn NiDhachartaigh, Caislean a'Bharraigh CCf., Ca. Mhaigh Ea; 3rdPadraig 6 Damhnaill, Ma Ru a/AnCheapac h Mh6r CC f., Ca.Luimnigh; Snr: 1 st Sean 6 Murchu,Beal Atha na Muice CC f., Ca.Mhaigh Ea; 2nd Trudy O'Dannell,Leitir Cea nn ain, CCf., Dun nanGall; 3rd M ichael Griffin,Pi ercetawn cc I'., Ca. Lach GarmanDRUMAI cEILI: Fe 12: 1 st Laui seGilray, Li snaskea cc I'.,Fea rm anach; 2nd M fc hea l 6Garm ain, Ca islean Ui Ch./Ahane/Baile farbairt CC f., Ca. Luimnigh;3rd D6nal McCague, f.aman 6Muiri CC f., Muineachan; 12-15:1 st Ciaran Maher, Sean TreacyCCf., Baile Atha Cliath; 2nd AdamGeagheagan, Aughnamullen cc I'.,Muineachan; 3rd P61 6Damhnallain, Gart na mB6 CC f.,Ca. Mhaigh Ea; 15-18: 1 st DerekRyan, Ceath arl ach CCf.; 2nd BarryGeaghegan, Aughnamullen CCf.,Muineachan; 3rd SharonMcCarth y, Ballydanaghue/Li sseltanCC f., Ca. Chiarrai; Snr: 1 st AidanFlaad, Edgesworth stawn ccI'.,Langfart; 2nd Kev in O'Neill, IrishMinstrels ccI'., Glasgaw; 3rdDarach 6 Ceallaigh, Fred FinnCC f., Ca. ShligighTionlacan: Fe12: 1 st MartinSlattery, Paddy O'Brien OrmandCCf., Ca. Thi abraid Arann; 2ndNadia Markey, Au ghnamullencc I'., Muineachan; 3rd SusanMillar, Maunt Mellick ccI'., Laais;12-15: 1 st Patrick McEvay, SauthBirmingham cc I'.; 2nd RabertCastella, St Wilfrids CC f. ,Manchester; 3rd Michell e NiMhaalchath aigh, Teampall a'Ghleanntain ccI'., Ca. Luimnigh;15-18: 1 st D6nal Rega n, SeanTreacy CC f., Baile Atha Cliath; 2ndEim ear Hannan, Bannaw ccI'.,Lach Garm an; 3rd Michea lO' Raurke, Tulla CC f., Ca. an ChlairSnr: 1 st Aisling Ni Chaisdealbha,Rascrea CCf., Ca. Thiabraid Arann;2nd Caitriana Ni Chlachasa igh,Ca islean Ui Ch./Ah ane/Bailefarbairt cct Ca. Luimnigh; 3rd fdeNi Chuinneagain, Ath Cinn cc I'.,Ca. na GaillimheVEIDHLIN (FOINN MALLA): Fe12: 1 st Sean Daherty, Derry CityCC f., Daire; 2nd R6nan 6hUaithne, Baile an Daighin ccI'.,Ca. Mhaigh Ea; 3rd AnnetteO'Bayle, Partglenane ccI'., Ca.Aantroma; 12-15: 1 st CiaraHackett, Galbally CCf., TfrEaghain; 2nd Naaimi Dunleavy,Cumannna bPiabairi Uil eannCCf., Bai le Ath a Cliath; 3rd CiaraBrennan, Cumann na bPi abairiUileann ccI'., Baile Atha Cliath;15-18: 1 st Li am f Canchubhair,Cluain Tarbh ccI'., Bail e Ath aCli ath; 2nd Brendan Ca ll ahan,O' Neill-Malcam CC f., USA; 3rdPadraig 6 Neill, Cluain Tarbh ccI'.,Baile Ath a Cliath; Snr: 1 st EmmaO'Lea ry, Sca rtag lin CCf., Ca.Chi arrai; 2nd Cath al 6Clachasaigh, Caislean Ui Chanail l/Ahane/Ba ile faba irt CCf., Ca.Luimnigh; 3rd Aaife Nic Lachlainn,Falcarrach, Dun na nGallPIOB UILEANN (FOINN MALLA):Fe 12: 1 st Diarmuid 6 Buachall a,Dul eek, Ca. na Mi; 2nd Rya nMurphy, Craabh Fhearmai cc I'.,Ca. Chorcai; 3rd Kevin O'Farrell ,Cr. na Camaraigh cc I'., Ca. PhartLairge; 12-15: 1 st Jarl athHendersan, Derrytresk CC f., TirEaghain; 2nd Ciaran 6Maaldamhnaigh, Uaran M6r CC f.,Ca. na Gaillimhe; 3rd SeanMcKean, Sean Treacy CC f., BaileAtha Cliath; 15-18: 1st Lauise NiMhaa lchathaigh, Teampall a'Ghl eanntain cct Ca. Luimnigh;2nd Canor McKean, Sean TreacyCC f., Baile Atha Cliath; 3rd PatrickO'Hare, Bea l Feirste cc I'., Ca.Aantrama; Snr: 1 st AudreyCunningham, Raundwaad CC f. ,Cill Mhantain; 2nd Sean Rya n, IrishMusicians Assaciati ans ccI'., USAFEADOG MHOR (FOINNMALLA): Fe 12: 1 st Ciaran Carlin,Derry City ccI'., Daire; 2nd JacintaNi Changhaile, Baile na hAbhannCcE, Ca. na Gaillimhe; 3rd CathalMac an Ri, Ma Ru a/CheapachMh6r cct Ca. Luimnigh; 12-15:1 st Cait Ni Ru ain, Craabh Fred FinnCC f., Ca. Shligigh; 2nd Jae Dayle,Craabh Chualann cct Baile AthaCl iath ; 3rd Julie Reid, Iri shMinstrels cct Glasgaw; 15-18: 1 stAine Dee, Ballydanaghue/LisseltanCC f., Ca. Chiarrai; 2nd Ai slingMcPhillips, Enniskillen CCf.,Fearm anach; 3rd Lauise NiMhaalchath aigh, Teampall a'Ghl eanntain, Ca. Luimnigh; Snr:1 st Ciaran McGuinness, GranardccI'., Langfort, 2nd Paul a NiDhunlaing, Osrai cc I'., Ci llChainnigh; 3rd Kate Marqui s,Aughnamullen ccI'., MuineachanFEADOG (FOINN MALLA): Fe 12:1 st Laui se McKinney, S. MacGialla Bhride CC f., Dun na nGall;2nd Ciarain Carlin, Derry CityccI'., Daire; 3rd Caitriana Ni Ealai,Ath a Luain ccI'., Ca. Rascamain;12-15: 1 st M fc heal 6 Se, Nead anlalair CCf., Ca. Ch arca i; 2ndAlisan Ryan, Claghan ccI'., l)ibhFhaili; 3rd Aidan O' Neill, DromareCCf., Tir Eaghain; 15-18: 1 st

Sea III liS Mac Malhllna aglls an tEaspagFiachra 0 Ceal/aighthis great band - three-in-a-rowchampions at Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann- can put lift and exc itement into a ceiliwhen they tu ck up their sleeves to it. Itwas reminiscent of the glory days of theold Kilfenora who in their time wonthree-in-a-row also and four in all.Could anyone give higher praise?On Saturday morning there were someve ry enjoyable piping recitals andsess ions with Joe Doyle, Eamon Lane,Loui se Mulcahy and (young) Joe Doyle,and on Saturd ay afternoon HelenaRowsome paid tribute to the memory ofher fath er, Leo with a session ofmemories illustrated w ith rev iews andother data from old newspaper cuttings.More than any other person Helena hasbeen instrumental in treasuring thememory of Leo Rowsome. She stillspea ks of him with the undiminishedenthusiasm and affection of a teenager,of his kindness, his boyish optimism hiseasy relaxed way w ith his pipils hiswillingness to pl ay for ca llers at anyhour, and so on. Helena would havegone on to pl ay some of Leo's mostfamous recordings, but a delayed starthad put the evening schedule underpressure and Labhras wound up thi ssession w ith glowing tributes to Leo'smemory and to Helena for her verypainstak ing work in assembling themateri al for this workshop.Most Reverend Bishop Fi achra 6Cea ll aigh assisted by Fr Pat SweeneyO.F.M. ce lebrated Aifrea nn i nGae ilgeat 6 o'cl ock. Bi shop Fi achra is ofcourse a Clare man, Gael go smioragus sean-chara a laetha an tionail, iRinn Mhic Gormain. He and Fr PatSweeney remained for tea and late rasked to hear a few ve rses of 'Come onthe Banner'; for Bi shop Fi ach ra is likethe famed Croke of Cashel aconnoisseur of the hurling game and anardent follower of th e Ban ner county.Fra nk Whelan of the Cois na hAbhna(Enni s) archive Committee had arri vedw ith a newly-made video showingmembers of the M ac Mathuna family,and fri ends reminisc ing of bygone daysin West Clare. There was just time toview snatches from thi s video betweentea and the Tional Conce rt. Present alsoat this stage were Padraig MacMathuna, well-known to Fl eadh Nuapatrons - Michael Mc Mahon w hota ught Seamus hi s first tun es on thewhistle, and many other old fri end s ofboth the Rowsome arid M ac Mathunafamilies.The Ti onal Concert once aga insurpassed all expectation s. Th !=re wereoutstanding items from the Rowsomefamily, from Ben and Charlie Lennon ofthe great Leitrim tradition; from AntainMac Gabh ann, Paddy Ryan, Kathl eenNesbitt, Maeve O' Loughlin and MickTubrid y, musica l comrades of SeamusM ac Mathuna in many a session downthrough the years. There was a specialspot for Joey Doyle, Li am O'Connor,Louise Mulca hy, [de Nic Mhathuna andMikie Smyth all of whom have beenpart of recent Aosag Concerts at theFl eadh Nua in recent years. M ickO'Connor and his very musica l familydid their usual exciting session and thelovely Clare-style fiddling of Joe Ryanbrought back memories of greatfiddling nights w ith John Kell y. PaddyTunney was in rare form also roundingoff w ith a typica l Maggie Picking whichhe sa ng and lilted and finall y batteredout to his own lilting accompa niment.Ther was a lovely duet fromRockchapel/Brosna, Donna M ul cahyand Martin O'Connell with great musicon box and concertina, and the usualfine session of piping from EamonWa lsh, Joe Doyle and Eamon Lane.Then seve ral members of the MacMathlma family singing in turn, solo,duets and in groups have us sp lendidrenditions of songs such as Cath Cheiman Fhi a, Bean Dubh a' Ghl ea nn a,Aililiu na Gamhna and An Bhuata is.The talented M ichae l Roo ney, who hadCeol beirte: M ichael TubridyandMaeve N f Lochlainn at Tion61 LeoRowsomealready accompanied many of thefo regoing items now gave us a coupleof exce ll ent so los on the harp . Andfinally, it was very reminiscent of JimNolan and the Halcyon days of the oldCumann na bPiobairi w hen bur Bean a'Ti of the night, th at Queen of all M naTi Muirea nn Duignan introduced the'Loyal Heroes' of the present dayPi pers' Club for a ri ght rousing fi nale. Itwas great music, bringing the curtaindown on a most enjoyabl e night and amemorable Ti onal.

Seamus Feted at Cion6l2hiS yea r's Tion61 Leo Rowsomewas held in An Chulturfann overthe days September 9-11th. TheTion61 is a spec ial fun ction heldannuall y, and organi sed by the ArdChom hai rl e, w ith a special input fromthe Pipers Club (Cum ann na bPiobairiUilleann) of which Leo had been afou nder member.-Leo Rowsome was born in 1903 anddevoted his entire life to manufacturing,playing, and promoting the UilleannPipes. The twin traditions of makingand playing the pipes had been in theRowsome family for at least twogenerati ons, and before Leo waseighteen yea rs of age he was alreadyplay ing, manufacturing and teachingthe pipes. Th rough the 1920's, 30's and40's he provided instruments, service,and inspiration to all who w ished toplay the pipes in Ireland or overseas.Leo, w ith his brother Tom, pl ayed amajor part in the famed Thomas StreetPiper's Club, and both were alsoprimary movers in the founding ofCom haltas in 1951. W hen Leo diedunexpectedly in 1970 he had given fiftyyears devoted service to the Irish musictrad ition .Now in its fifth year, thi s year's AnnualTion61 Leo Rowsome lived up to the. high standard of previous yea rs. Whenit was founded in 1995 the Ti on61 setout to commemorate Leo Rowsome thelegendary piper and founder member ofComhaltas, and also to ce lebrate andcommemorate the work 'of othermusicians and mu sic-lovers .. During theintervening years the music andmusica l times of John Kelly, W illieReynolds and Paddy Mac Elva ney havebeen celebrated. This year the spotlightwas turned on the music and work ofSeamus Mac Mathuna w ho recentlycompleted 42 years membership and30 yea rs as Timire Ceoil of CC E.Mick O'Connor orthe Coiste Ceo il hadbeen given the task of presenting hispersonal review of Seam us MacMathuna's work for Irish traditionalmusic down the years. M ick has in factbeen one of the principal contributorsat workshops and ~ ect ur es at Tion61 LeoRowsome since its inception. M ick ishimself of course an outstanding flutepl ayer, veteran of both Pipers Club andChurch Street Club, founder and mainorgani ser of the famed Castl e CeiliBand (60's to earl y 70's) and has mademonumenta l contri butions to the workof the Coiste Ceo il and the ComhaltasArch ive Committee.As a long standing (36 years plus)friend Mick was the ideal person topresent this review of Seamus MacMathuna's work, and he hadapproached his task in his usualthorough fashion combining snippetson audio and video w ith slides, songs,and poems, and embe llishing all w ithhis own personal recollections of themany mu sica l events he had sharedwith Seamus. Sessions shared w ith suchlegendary figures as Patri ck Kelly ofCree, M rs El izabeth Crotty of Kilrush,Joe Ryan, Bobby Casey, ete. werereca lled, and anecdotes telling of theexploits of these and of other'characters' of the fifties and sixtieswere reca lled with gleeful relish.42 ________________________________________________ _

'~=_n~ ••• IIJust Like Homein White PlainsMary HartnettWhite Plains - If you thought you hadto book a flight to Doolin, CountyClare, just to hear good live traditionalIrish music, think twice before you callyour travel agent. It may be the bestkept secret in White Plains, New Yorkbut, on any given Wednesday evening,you don't have to look any farther thanDunne's Pub, 15 Shapham Place, for anauthentic seisiun of traditional Irish andCeltic music.A Monaghan native, Sean Dunne cameto the United States almost 25 yearsago. Having grown up listening to theChieftains, he sought out the traditionalIrish music scene in New York. I-! isfavourite musicians include Planxty, theDubliners, Cherish the ladies, JerryO'Sullivan, Clannad, Altan, Sol as,Dervish, and Moving Cloud. In additionto being a member of ComhaltasCeolt6iri Eireann (Gathering of IrishMusicians), an internationalorganisation that promotes traditionalIrish music, Dunne is also a fan of arelated musical genre, Americanbluegrass.When he bought the bar, formerlyknown as Cooke's Tavern, more thaneight years ago, Dunne's goal was toturn the place"into a neighbourhoodIrish pub. He wanted to promote Irishculture to those already steeped in thetradition as well as to those who werenot even Irish. A Celtic cross hangsprominently over the bar. The cosyarrangement of tables and chairs arecomplemented by Edmund O'Sullivanlandscapes, and signs proclaimingbrands such as Guinness, Harp,Murphy's and Foster's dot the walls. Inthe back corner, the dartboards providea home to the Tuesday night DartsLeague as well as a halo to theWednesday night musicians.Dunne's vision of hosting a seisiun athis pub was realised when he metBronx native Brian Conway afterfollowing Con way's musical career atfestivals. In addition to being anAssistant District Attorney forWestchester County (north of New YorkCity) working in the office of JeanninePirro, Westchester County DA, Conwayis a world class fiddler. He earned hisfirst All Ireland title in 1973 at the ageof 12 and went on to capture theSenior All Ireland title in 1986. Afterretiring from competition, Conwayrecorded Green Linnet's Apple in40 __________________________________________________ __

hEirea nn ! In every corn er of th e mainstreet, he sa id' bagpipes weresnuffling, violins squ ea king,melancholy flutes blow ing and raggedPaddi es dancing'. Large numbers ofball ad singers were singing and se llingbroadsheets aof their songs.It was at Killarn ey races in 1843 th atTh ackeray mentions having heard thepipes. Thackeray's 'Irish Sketchbook' isfull of hi s preconceived ideas andprejudices but the actual drawings makethe book for me. 'Behind thi s campwere the ca rts of the poor peopl e, w hichwere not allowed to penetrate into thequarter w here the quality ca rs stood.And a little way from the huts aga in, youmi ght see (for you coul d scarcely hear)certain pipers executing their melodiesand inviting peopl e to dance.Toes in Toes outAnything more lugubrious than thedrone of the pipe, or the jig danced toit, or the countenances of th e dancers,and mu sicians, I never saw .... The toeswent in and th e toes went out; th enthere ca me ce rtain mysti c figures ofhands across, and so forth. I never sawless grace, or seemingly less enjoyment,no, not even in a qu adrille. Th e peopl e,however, took a great interest, and it was'Well done, tim ! Step out M iss Brady!'and so fo rth during th e dance. It wascertainly a foreign land to Th ac keray,neither understood nor apprec iated.But the strangest reference to all ot theuse, or misuse of Irish pipe music,appea rs in a sc holarl y work by Ca nonW illiam P. Burke -' The Irish Pri ests inthe Penal Times' . He is referring to astrange man indeed, a Franciscanturned pri est-hunter, l ames Geogheganby name. He appea red as a w itness forth e 'Popi sh Pl ot' before the PrivyCounci l. In November 1680 he landedin Youghal w ith a Government mandateto make arrests in Ireland of theprincipal 'conspirators'. Th ere he sworeinformations w holesa le aga inst theWaterfo rd cl ergy and gentry. The Dukeof O rm ond provided him w ith moneyand a guard of horsemen.'james Fi tzge rald being sworn etc 22ndDecember 1680, sayeth Th at l amesGeoghegan formerl y a ffryer came to hishouse at Maddistown the 11 th instant ina violent manner w ith eight horsemenand a piper pl aying before him late inthe evening.' He threatened Mrs38Fitzgera ld w ith a carbin e, but findingthe man of the house away, went offand returned next day, w ith a pri est hehad captured en route. The priest wasreleased by Geoghegan on payment of32/6d and his chalice and sac red oilswere returned.Fitzgerald also sa id th at Geoghega ntook a horse, saddle and bridle fromhim 'on pretence th at he looked li ke ayou ng ffryer' . Geoghega n th en so ld thehorse for a guinea in Ath y. Anotheraccount from one of his own guard oftroopers says 'On Friday night atKildare he lay at the Inn and directedth e Horsmen to be w ith him by 70'c inthe mornin g and accordingly theyattended him from th at howre on horsebac ke untill about 3 or 4 a Clock onthe aftern oon, all w hich time he thesa id Geoghega n was drinking w ithseve rall persons of the Towne and hada piper pl aying to him'.The music-l oving villain brought twopri ests before a justi ce of the Peace andgot a gaol order for them. Then heblotted out the name of one of themand released him on hi s payment of 40shillings. He se ized books in a desertedfri ary nea r Tullamore and so ld them atKilleigh for 15/-. In another fri ary w hereth e monks had fled he took £2 0 of £30sayi ng , it was a free pri ze'.Greed seems to have been thi s stra ngeperson's main moti vati on. I have afee ling th at going to catch a pri est w itha piper in full blast to announce hisarri val was hi s way of saying 'get outfast, or if you cannot, have your bri be inyour fist w hen I get there' ..... Were thepipes ever put to a more degrading use?-----­DANCINGt~~CROSSROADSOver 30 Champion who are also from the cast of"Riverdance the Show ", perform for you 30 favoriteCeili Dances. Perfect for those planning to take theirTCRG and TMRF.Music performed by somemost popular Irish musicians today.Such as Alan Kelly, Jim Higgins, Eilish Egan, Tony Davoren, and more!To Obtain a copy call Toll Free 1-877-609·0944 Or E-Mail USAtThomondgat@aol.comVideo will soon be available in pal format.

Che Pipes, the Pipes are callingD6irin Mhic MhuTChuI,- recent delve into literature,especially from the pens ofJ}vis itors to Ireland, revealedmany different reactions to the pipesand pipe music down the centuries. Itwas something completely alien tomost visitors to our shores and theirreactions varied, depending on theirhumour at the time or on theirperception, or lack of it.John Dunton, a slightly loopy Englishbookseller, came to Ireland in 1699. Hehad a bookshop in London 'The BlackRaven' and published hundreds ofbooks. He also published a weeklypaper the' Athenian Gazette'. But hebecame beset by debts, and took towandering, first to America, then toHolland and Germany. In 1697 after hiswife died, he went travelling agai n andcame to Ireland in 1698 to auctionbooks in Dublin. After he had a disputewith an Irish bookseller, he wrote ascu rril ous account of thi s man in the'Dublin Scuffle', adding his Irishexperiences on to the end of it. He alsowrote a long essay on the death of hisown Madge who had caught mice forhim for 30 years!He said he had stud ied the Indians inAmerica and now wanted to do thesame for the 'Irish savages' and so wentto Connemara. He visited a chief of theO'Flahertys who took him stag huntingand to a christening where the musicwas, he said, melancholy 'as su itin g thehumours of a people always insubjection'. On his way back to Dublinhe went to a wake, and to a farmer'swedding. He seems to have enjoyedthe wedding very much.There was much piping and dancing,he remarked. The bridegroom was 'astrapping young fellow with a greyfrieze su it on', the bride wore a 'redfrieze petticoat and waist coat withgreen tape about the skirts', and awhite linen hood on her head .He also went to a hurling match,played between parishes. The prize wasa barrel of ale, and 'the conquerorswere attended by pipers who playedthe victors off the field '. Poor oldDunton died in London, mad and everybit as poverty-stricken as the worst'savages' he had described in Ireland.Dr Campbel l, a very astute observer,travelled this country mostly onhorseback in 1777. His first experienceof the pipes was at MacCarthy's ofSpringhill, near Tipperary, where he wasstaying. 'Here we were at meals, evenon Sunday, rega led with the bag-pipe,which, to my uncultivated ear, is not aninstrument so unpleasant as the lovers ofItalian music represent it'. He continues56 ____________________________________________________ _

The teachers Rob Stafford, fiddle;Tommie Finn, ba njo; Pat Coyne, guitar;Carmel Gunning, Tinwhistle; ChristyO'Leary, singi ng; Junior Davy, bodhranand Coj ie M ulling, dance werewonderfu l and they real ly workedhared to supply the students with theirknowledge.They started with courses for beginnersin the morning at l Oam. One hourlunch and then adva nced from 2pmuntil Spm. A couple of hours rest andthen sessions til 3 or 4 in the mornings.To get the beginners to play in thesess ions we had two songs that were incommon in all classes. Th is is a goodida and for next yea r we w ill put thosetwo songs on our homesite on internetand then there w i II be a sort ofornamen tation during the school.The ConcertAt Saturday noon we had a free concertin the city centre. Performing was thelocal band 'Tull amore Brothers' ChristyO 'Leary, former member of 'The Boysof the Loch' and all the teachersplaying together. Lots of peoplestrolling around in the sun stopped andappreciated the traditional Iri sh Music.This yea r the summer-school was forthree days. We have already started theplanning for next year and then we wi llexpand to four days and some moreinstruments.Many of the students told us that theyare coming back next year and bringingsome friends so hopefu lly there wi ll beat least 200 persons who will fil l up thetown with traditional Irish music, andwe also hope that there w ill be studentscoming from abroad.CCE branch in SwedenThe Swedish-Irish trad itional musicassoc iation is now trying to be the CCEbranch in Sweden and we rea lly arelooking forward to cooperation w ithComhaltas.CH€CLAll€MANDue to overwhelming demand and massive response to thequality and price of instruments, I have decided not toadvertise in the medium term, as I am inundated withorders. Your order will be processe(as soon as possible ifyou order within the next month, on, from Ireland00-44-207-792-1993 or write to:44 Blenheim Cr, London W111NYMany thanks, Jim ShielsI would like to take the opportunity tothank Carmel, Rob, Colie, Pat, Christyand Tommie for an excellent work andturning the Orebro InternationalSummer-school of Traditional Irish Musicinto success, and a special thanks toJunior for getting these wonderfu lpersons together in our schoo l.See you next year!Leif JohannessonChairman of the Swed ish-Iri shTraditional Music AssociationJland- GraftedVio//nsRestored Older ViolinsQuality RepairsViolins, Violas & 'CellosEfficient Bow Rehairing ServiceBows, Cases, Strings and FittingsAll other string instrument repairsKevin Sykes,Killeen, Ballyvary,Co. Mayo.Ballybritt, Galway.By appointment)1 ______________________________________________ __

·s •• nll ....l=. lilllllllillli.'99 were repeated ly told by Irish,European, British and North American(a nd indeed Far Eastern and other)guests that the ab iding memory, apartfrom the great music (and greatweather), is of the local people'sextreme helpfulness, friendliness andopenness to anyone w ho sought anykind of help,Such stori es we re legend, with onevisitor specifica lly ca lling to the Fl ead hoffice the Monday even ing after thefestival's closing week-end to expressamazement at his own experience ofthe generosity of spirit he encounteredin Enniscorthy.At present, members of the executivecommittee invo lved in the Fl ead h'sorganising are recovering, bothphysically and mentally, after the weekCeilf Band leaders in Enniscorthy SeanNorman and Matt Cunningham--- ~;'-of intense activity, preceded by monthsof planning.PRO Eddi e Nangle states thatcommittee members confess to findingthe event called on much more of theirstamina than antiCipated . Whileforewarned of th e hecti c demands,notably regarding accommodation, theystill 'found themselves stretched in tendifferent ways when the first majorwaves of people arrived on the Fridayafternoon .. . and all at the same time'.The absence of casual street trad ing inthe Enniscorthy Fleadh, one of thetraditional images associated with theevent, is said to be favourablycommented on by the organisingcommittee.According to the committee,Enniscorthy UDC's decision in thisrespect was 'a major step forward inreturning the streets to musicians'.In the view of the loca l orga ni sers, thi sdecision meant 'mu sicians did not haveto compete w ith generators, loud nontraditionalmusi c and large numbersstanding around sta lls'.Counting the CostFl eadh treasurer Sean Og Doyle,Chairman of Wexford Co. Council andalso treasurer of the 1967 Fleadh inEnniscorthy, with his co lleagues are notcounting the cost of this mammothcultural undertaking. The Fleadh in1967 cost in the region of £3,000;today thiswould hardly cover the costof stationery!Being designated a flagship MillenniumAn t-amhranaf ca iliClil Paddy Tunn ey leh-amhranaf ca iliClil eile Rita Ca llagherFesti va l, the Fleadh this yea r received afinancial subsc ription from MillenniumFesti va ls Ltd . What does 2000 hold instore? All that's for another day.Nothing is going to distract from thi syear's ce lebration of success .Ballad maker Paddy Berry, leaschathaoirleachof the Fl ead h, will nodoubt, when time permits immortaliseFl ead h '99 in song and as on ly he cando it. Sing us a song, Paddy!Anlaraitheoir anChomhaltais Mfcheal 6 hAllmhain.Ta Mfcheal ina ch6naf ar Inis Oirr52 ________________________________________________ _

Che 200,000Millennium Fleadh Cheoil!2he 1999 Fleadh Cheoil nahEireann in Enniscorthy, Co.Wexford, may have established arecord as the largest Fleadh Cheoil ofall time. Estimates have put theattendance in the region of 200,000exceeding even the great Fleadh '98 inBallina, Co. Mayo.However, all are agreed thatEnniscorthy hosted one of the greatestand most enjoyable Fleadhanna in thehistory of the festival. Th is is attributedto a number of factors: excellentorganistation, warm hearted people,support for the traditional arts, a senseof history and, of course, fine weather.Over 10,000 performers provided thegreatest 'traditional show on earth' asone Fleadhgoer termed the exciting andcolourful extravaganza which wasFleadh '99 in the historic town ofEnniscorthy. It had something foreveryone - music, song, dance,pageantry, camaraderie. Here was acelebration of Irish men perhaps neverbefore experienced.The young people did us proud. Theywere there in their tens of thousandsamodel of decorum, participating tothe fullest and extending courtesy andco-operation to all.Languages from all the world could beheard in this huge gathering and nonemore so than the Irish Language whichresulted from the conduciveatmosphere of this traditional event.The 'beagan', the 'cupla focal ', the'seanfhocal' were all broughtenthusiastically and effectively into use.The organising committee were calm,cool and collected but ever soinnovative and professional. Thiscoupled with a generous input from theUrban Council and County Council; asupportive and encouraging clergy; acomplementary Garda Siochana; openhearts and open doors gave us, as theParish Newsletter put it, ' ... someinkling of what we can achieve together.It shows us that little, if anything, isbeyond our reach. Such a lesson is agood one, as we stand on the verge ofthe year 2000, a year when hopefullywe will fully grasp all of theopportunities we are offered to becomeever closer as a community of God'sPeople. ',Streets of MusicAccording to organising commiteeCathaoirleach Niall Wall the group isMaestro 06 I dna e Barra at the Fleadh'delightedat the enjoyment and happinessgenerated, and relieved that everythinghad gone so smoothly'.The 'Enniscorthy Echo' puts it this way- If some people might feel that, ofcourse, the eulogising of the town andits people might not be unexpected, itshould be pointed out that the universalopinion of visitors was that Enniscorthyand its people were 's imply the best'when it came to hosting the event.Those involved in organising Fleadh50 ______________________________ ~------------~------

....'....=Eo-r-..-"-..A Heritage of all the PeopleThe Chai rperson and a delegation from Newry and Mourne Distri ct Councilcame to the Flead h in 1999 and very much liked w hat they saw andexperienced . They were there in support of bringing the Fl eadh north of theborder for the first time ever in 2001 - the 50 th annive rsary of the found ing ofComhaltas.The delegation met thestanding committee ofComhaltas and expressed theimportance of having theFl eadh in the North . Theysaw the event as ce lebratinga heritage of all the peopleand they were veryimpressed with th e fratern alinclusive spirit w hichprevai led at the Fl eadh inEnniscorthy.The delegation indicated thestrong support which wouldbe ava ilabl e if the Fleadhcame to their area. Manypeople would view it as anCamhaltas representativesevent w hich would attractfavourable worl d attention. Itwould have a positive and co-operative impact in Ulster w here traditionalmusic, song and dance have always had a large cross-community follOWing.Sweet Sounds Down SouthMembers of Irish Music Traditions, the Atlanta, Georgia branch of Comhaltas areshown at one of their regular Monday evening sess ions at The Fad6, in thehistori c Buckhead area of the city. The Branch is spearheaded by KathleenDonohue, a traditional singer from County Cavan and Jim Pogge, a digitalsystems engineer who pl ays a variety of musica l instruments. North Ameri caSecretary Jack Pendergast and hi s wife Vicki recently vi sited one of the sessionsand report that these folks in Atl anta rea lly know thei r jigs and reels, and aregrowing the Irish tradition in the South. Many of the musicians indiated that theyare looking forward to joining the rest of Comhaltas North America in a grandsess ion at the April 2000 Millennium Convention in Washington, DC.Granard Harp CompetitionsGranard, Co. LongfordOver thirty competitors from all overIreland and overseas took part in theHarp competitions held in theCommunity Centre, Granard onAugust 7 th . Th is year the emphas iswas on the Harp Competitions.The competitions were organised andrun by a ded icated committee of sixmembers who worked hard over sixmonths to have everything in order.Cormac De Barra proved a verypopular adjudicator w ith everyoneand the atmosphere was friendly andsociable. The top pri ze 'The Ca nonGilfinnan Cup' plus a cheque for£500 went to Ms Marie Wambergue,Brittany/France. Th is is the fi rst timein a number of years the cup hasgone abroad.Josie O' Rourke,Competitions SecretaryA Millennium FleadhRecord?At the UlsterFleadh Cheoil inCootehill, did KateMarquis establisha new all timeComhaltas recordby qualifying torepresent herProvince in 14seniorcompetitions at Kate Marquis,the All IrelandCa rrickmacrossFleadh Cheoil?with the JohnIn Enniscorthy, South wellneither the varied Memorial Trophylocation of the for Senior Concertvenues, nor the Flute in Ulstersteepness of thehills proved to be an obstacle forKate, as she succeeded incompeting in all 14 competitions!Kate won 1 st place on the Mandolin,2 nd place on the Melodeon, 2 ndplace on the Tin Whistle Airs and3 rd place on the Concert Flute Airs.It was indeed a wonderfulachievement for Kate in her LeavingCert year and a year in which shewas part of the Echoes of Erin,Comhaltas Concert Tour of Ireland.i6

Oakum a phriosuinl2 IJ J'l~ ~ B J JJ1 4i2~~ r ~ IF' ~6 '~ u s molai m 56 na h-eor - nan g? deo deoor om de di dil 6 - - rum se oa - - kum a~ jft ~ :; a ItJ )1 )J J 14i2#~r vE fUi,~ jBchoi - ch - e Nach e ' n trua nach t6ir ag Ri5 go bhfaga 56 na h-eor - - nan na~r±rSeoirse ,P aIJJdheana mh.h6g-laigh dha spionadh.~ ~ft l£j# r V IF ~l~ #ft a Jl Jghi6 istis go gcom hairleach~la)e ch uir mise (a) foghl ai m arlr7JlIj )'~usSean Ford a bhei th nae ~I~ J~ aJ~lJlse na daoi - ne, gurb~ IF' e ~IJ J IIan oakum a spionadh6 'gus molaim su na h-eorn an go deo deo 'gus choicheNach e'n trua nach bhfuil toir ag Ri Seoirse ar a dheanam h.Se{m Ford a bhei dh ' na ghi uistis go gcomh ai rl each se nadaoineGurb e chu ir mise (a) foghlai m ar an oakum a spionadhFor-om de-di-d il o-rom, se oakum a phriosuin,Is go bhfaga su na h-eo rn an na h-oglaigh dha spionadh.Oiche (a) ra ibh Mac Ui Lochrainn 'na chod hl adh gosuaimhneach,D' ionsaigh na lu achain a chuir oa kum san oicheAch ar mhaidn la'r na mhaireach bhi an warder a innseail.By dad, a dei r an Gabharnoir ta' n deabhal uileag deanta.Forom de di-d il srI.6'5 nach mise bhionns go bronach gach Domhnach is lasaoireA si ubhail amu igh sa ngairdin 'stigh i bhfa inne '5 me goilti mpeall'5 go si leann mo chuid su ile i gconai nu air a chuimhnimGur deas an oba ir Domhnaigh bh eith i gconai ar a' gcaoiseo.For-om de di-dil srI.Is nach mi se bhionns go tuirseach a' tochrad h '5 agsniomhadhAg obai r dhon eochroir a bhfuil ochrair aige's mi le.'5 go ndu nann se doirse is glaise na hEireann'5 go gcui rfeadh se na stileiri '5 na ti nceiri i ngeibhinnForom de di-dil srI.Trathnoi nin 'sa Samhradh is mo leaba deanta sios agam.D'eirigh me ' mo sheasamh no go mbreithnuighin in mothimpeall6 chu ala me' n 'hello', is ce n deabhal ata tu 'dheanamhDo dha laimh in do phocai '5 do chu id oakum le spionadh.Foram de di-d il srI.

Anthony Frawley's SlideSlide or jig?: I got thi s tune from the late Patrick Kelly of Cree (in West Clare) andhave never been sure w hether it should be written in 6/8 or 12/8 time. Patri ck hadfour or fi ve tun es in 12/8, w hi ch he pl ayed in a styl e not unlike the Sliabh Lu achraslide styl e - though at a somewhat slower tempo. He believed that those tun es hadcome from George Whelan, a Kerry fiddl er w ho taught music in West Cl are about acentury ago.,·, Blm j :J330 J ~130DJ(fJ'r )1,. fJ J nJ eEl r FltU r rE EfJ JJ :llg I,. f" C (J c er r r r If" E F:r E E r ~ go I,. C" to c Cl r F It (; {{re E F:r JJ :1112 -f'- • to finish ~ . I,. C(;r r Er rJ] 1].11Ril gan ainmAn old ' Ri! gan ainm' : I was surpri sed to discover recentl y that the first part is veryclose to a little known reel ca lled An Gliomach {The Lobster} published in Tacar Port .and also in Ceol Rince na hEireann, Vol. 2,. j J J J J R It] 3 J {J J Id J J J J :J J ] I,j fo] 3 J J J J J I J J J J J :llj IF U U ~,j j J J J j J J. :J IF C1 J ] ] J I E [ r r~" ~,. Ft re EJ ~ IjJ J J H J ] 1_ jJ J J Ijj JJ J :11

Th e Comhaltas ladies: Assunta UfChathasa igh, Noreen Tray and M arieMcCormack being welcomed at theParish ChurchB6ithrin na SmaointeOn this cover of TREOIR in 1986Joe Burke and Tony McMahon,two of Ireland's greatestaccordeonists, were featuredtesting the new Frenchaccordions which had just comeon the scene. The location wasListowel, Co. Kerry, and theevent was Fleadh Cheoil nahEireann . The instrumentmanufacturers are seated in thebackground. 'Ta an cead slim'is a reference to the hundredthissue of TREOIR.Paddy Berry sings a song of welcomeA cead mfle failte fram Fleadhchairman Niall Wa ll (right)staffed their project.Fleadh '99 gave us some inkling of. what we can achieve together. It showsus that little, if anything is beyond ourreach. Such a lesson is a good one, aswe stand on the verge of the year2000, a year when hopefully we willfully grasp all of the opportunities weare offered, to become ever closer as acommunity of God's People.Co raibh mfle matih agaibh go leir. Combeirimid beo ar an am seo (ag anbhFleadh) ads.Carraig GuaireOne of Gorey's most prolific musical exponents recently launched his first CD.Pat Fitzpartick, formerly of Cluainin and son of Michael and Bridget Fitzpatrick,is a member of the Garda band and a musician of long standing.He began his musical tuition under Gorey pipe major John Lacey and was, froman early age, a member of Gorey Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann. He was a memberof St Michael's Pipe Band when they won an All-Ireland title. As a drummer withthe Comhaltas junior band he won an All-Ireland title in 1977 and playedconcert flute with the Gorey group when they won the All-Ireland Grupai Cheoilin 1979. At age 18 Pat won four senior All-Ireland titles, the Senior concet flutefor dance music at Ceol an Gheimhridh held in Gort, Co. Galway, and three AII­Ireland titles on concert flute slow airs, whistle and pipes at Fleadh Cheoil NahEireann in Listowel in 1981 .In 1982 he joined with Pat Flood to win the Senior All-Ireland duet competitionon flute and fiddle at Fleadh Cheoil Na hEireann in Listowel. He was alsoinvolved in the Gorey Seisuin group playing bodhran, whistle and flute. Pat hastoured all over Ireland and in the UK and America as part of the Comhaltasconcert tour.He is the only resident piper with the Garda band at present and is a member ofthe St. Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band in Dublin. He continues to play with manymusical groups and teaches music to children in Scoil Culainn in Bray. Heproduced a tape of the work of his junior musicians two years ago. FormerComhaltas President Padraig 6 Ceallaigh officially launched Pat's CD in theTennis Club in Greystones.Titled 'Carraig Guaire' the CD is a compliation of Pat's work over many years andshows his versatility as a musician playing a variety of instruments, includingconcert fluet, clarinet and pipes.2~ ____________ ~ __________________________________ _

Che Embers of Cois CineKath leen and Kevin Han lon7l""'l::aofew yea rs ago two sisters werewa lking along a va lley in theWest of Ireland. At the top of ahillside townland (Kinletter) they couldsee the old fa rmhouse cottage in whichthey grew up. Although they now livein an affluent environment they bothagreed that they would not have missedfor anything those wonderful days onthe hillside farm. They were carefreedays never to be forgotten.Mick, whose life spanned eighty-threeyears of the twentieth century, lived onthe Kinletter (head of the sloping land)fa rm for fifty yea rs. The visitor ornewcomer was always welcomed w ithan offer of a glass of the cratur, the tae,or both. Two or three rounds ofrefres hments would be given over thenext few hours. Those we re the days oflegendary home hospitality.The flagged kitchen floor of thefa rmh ouse meant there was apermanent 'dance floor' avai lab le.Dance steps were practised at teno'clock in the morning to a variety ofrecords. Someone would have to keeprushing to w ind up the gramophone tokeep the required music speed onwhi ch the dancing depended.'Of an evening' the family sat cois natine (rou nd the fire) - round the kitchenran ge which had rep laced the openfire . People sat in a semi-circle whichkept expa nding as rakers (visi tors)arri ved. Television had not brought itsdistruptive distraction even in the earl ysixties. Outlying farms were justbeginning to have water pipes laid onrepl acing the well. Those who had theprivilege of drinking good well waterstill remember its quality remarking thattap water has never had the samequal ity taste.Fast ranging chat marked the initialperiod of round the fire . Those 'slow offthe mark' would not get a word in . If anewspaper had to be read out theperson read ing might suddenly say: ' Bigword I' ll pass ye.' This referred to a longor new word. It was a useful phrase toavoid getting 'entangled' w ith it.Singing and dancing would not beginuntil rakers had been given sufficient'welcoming refreshment'. Thi s was amark of hosp itality in times w henrakers walked some distance to visitneighbours - sometimes having totraverse difficult terrain. In boglandareas it was not unknown for people todi sappear w hen mist spread throughthe darkness ac ross moors andmountains. The squelching boglandclaimed victims. Sometimes the 'hosthouse' would hear peopl e ca lling out inthe misty darkn ess, and they would go. out w ith ca rragen lamps to guide them.Singing and DancingBack in the cottage newsgathering jokesand story telling moved into singing.Mick, w ho didn't sing himself, loved tohea r other people sing. Like a comperehe would call on somebody to 'give usa song'. Once singing started it wasround the circle encouraging others tosing. Some took a lot of coaxing andflattering before they would render atraditional air. The singing was generallyunaccompanied 'sean nos style, wl)ichis currently undergoing a reviva l.Some singers would render a few versesof a song, others the complete songwhich might be quite long. Applause(' Good on ye') would always be givenno matter what the quality of singing.The person singing and their chosensong was w hat mattered. Some peoplewould be prepared to 'si ng away' allnight!Song moved into dance. Chairs andtables were pushed to the walls tomake as big a 'dance floor' as possible.Mich would be the first on his feet. Heloved to dance. In his younger days inthe ear ly part of th e century he wouldgo to ce ilithe finishing at 3am. Thenback to the farm by 4am for 'fortyw inks' and ploughing at 6am!The O ld Time Waltz was the favouritedance round the kitchen floor but barndances featured as well - Shoe theDonkey, The Hyland, Stack of Barleyand more. Good dancers would dotheir 'turn ' - a jig, hornpipe or march.At seventy Mick could dance all the'young ones' off their feet!The carpetted floors of modern affluentliving and 'the box' (television) have, ingeneral, destroyed raking and dancingin houses. In recent years we havedanced in ca rpetted homes sometimesw ith boards placed over ·the carpet.High quality recordings enab le the bestof traditional Irish music to be used force ilf and set danci ng in peop le'shomes. A good sized room is the mainrequi remen t. It is important to have a'fair' mix of sets, w hich can take up totwenty minutes, and ce ilf dances sothat all are in vo lved . Lea rning 'as yougo' is very mu ch part of the traditionalIrish dance scene.Irish culture is unique - it is a fullyinclusive culture (culture being the wayof life of a particular people in aparticular place). It is not a culture of'watch ers'. Thi s is one reason why'newcomers' find it such an exileratingexperience. All involved is ve ry mu chin the traditional danCing steps of Mickround his fire in the Hills of Dhun nanGal1.22 ____________________________________________ __

'Che Matchmaker"Researched by Kay LyonsThe Renagowl1 Dancehall 1928-19581939. Back row: Dan Paddy Andy, Mary, Kate, Front row: Patrick, Daniel Jnt;Andrew, Johnny, Jimmyfrom the cl ergy, especially for holdingdances during Lent. Fr William Ferri s,Clogher, did his utmost to close the hallbut 'an independence of thought'preva iled with the people of the StacksMountains and they continued tosuppo rt Dan Paddy Andy. Th eRenagown Dancehall was a verysuccessful venture and many aromance blossomed there. From time toti me plays and films were also staged inthe hall .'The ro le of the match maker in irelandin days gone by was a very importantsoc ial service w hich is at timesunderesti mated. 'Thi s was stated by Senator Labhras 6Murchu when he offi cially opened TheDan Paddy Andy Festiva l inLyreacrompa ne on September 17. DanPaddy Andy O'Sullivan, who was bornin 1899, was .. the 'LyrecrompaneMatchmaker.'Senator 6 Murchu sa id that it wasfitting th at peopl e like Dan Paddy Andywould be remembered and his work forhi s community ce lebrated: He was aman of great vision and estab li shed anumber of dancehalls in his time. Hewas a very co lourful character and wasa central focus for mu ch of the folkloreof the area.The skill of the matchm aker was oftenca lled upon when people w ho li vedmiles apart had little chance ofmeeting. The matchmaker might beapproached by either a young manlooking for a 'good woman' or a girl'sfather looking for a 'suitable partner' forhis daughter.Crossroads dancing was popular inLyreacrompane distri ct and Dan PaddyAndy, being a man of great vision sawan opportunity of introducing a dancehall . in 1928 he opened his first hall atRenagow n Cross. Here he ran danceson Sundays and holidays fro m 6.30pmuntil 1 0.30pm during the w inter and7.00pm until 11 .00 in the summer.The entry charge to the hall was 3d(1. 25p). it was mainly loca l musiciansw ho pl ayed there, Dan Brosnan, DanCanty, Tom Doran, and Ebbie Somers.Paddy, Dan's Son also played there onoccasions. The fee paid for a night'smusic was normally 5s (25p). The mostpopular dances at the time were theHalf Set, the North Kerry Polka set theO ld Time Waltz, Hornpipes and Reels.Dan came under strong oppos itionDance Hallsin 1934 Dan Paddy purchased someground at Fahad uff from JuliePembroke. Fahaduff in CastleislandPari sh, is seven miles from RenagownCross on the LyreacrompaneCastleisland/Limeri ck road. Here heerected his second dance hall alongw ith a shop. Thi s hall was forty feet bytwenty feet, it had six w indows andthree doors. Th e first dance was heldon June 9 th 1935, the second and lastdance was run on June 16 th of thesame yea r. The hall was not a successfo r Dan because of the opposition ofthe loca l clergy.O n the 19 th Feb ruary 1935 a Pu blicDance Hall order was enacted by theO ireachtas of Saorstat Eireann . Allvenu es used fo r pu bli c dancing had tobe li censed.Dan applied for a dance licence to runboth dancehall s. He successfully20 ____________________________________________________ _

L\ House of Musicand Happinesshe death of Mary Kelly ofMoone, Co. Kildare on 5th~ November 1998 at the age ofeighty-one caused a great sadness andloss particularly to her family and to thecommunity at large and much fartherafield among her many friends andamong lovers of traditional music.Mary was pre-deceased some years ageby her husband Owen, a very popularand well known traditional fiddleplayer in the area, who gavegenerously of his time to pass on hislove and store of music to youngaspiring musicians. Both Mary andOwen were founder members in 1965of the loca l Moone Branch of CCE,known as the Sean Dempsey Branch.The branch has continued to this daywith Mary, until the time of her illenss,playing an active and important part atvarious times filling the positions ofSecretary Treasurer and Chairperson.Mary was well known and is fondlyremembered by those she met andhelped at many traditional musicsessions all over Leinster.Mary, along with her friends Jack andMarie Dowling, two surviving foundermembers of the Branch were presentedwith CCE certificates some years ago,in recognition of their long and loyalservice to Comhaltas.Kelly's house will be remembered bymany people as a house filled withmusic, happiness and friendliness. Thewarmth of its welcome added by itslarge open blazing winter fires. It wasthere, for many years that people wentafter the local monthly sessions in theSportsman Inn. Locals found themselvesenjoying the ceol agus craic with peoplefrom all parts of Ireland and sometimesfrom England, America, New Zealand18and Australia, as the entries in the 'Bookof Welcomes' at the door will testify. Nomatter how numerous the visitors, theywere all treated to a cupan tae (orsomething stronger) and Mary's famouscurrant cake, of which there was alwaysan endless supply at odd times of theday or night. All kinds of people wouldcall in when passing to enjoy a fewhours of music, song and story.Mary's contribution to the workings ofComhaltas at County Board level wasimmense. At Fleadhanna and Ceol anCheimhridh Mary would always ensurethat there was a full representation fromthe branch . Her prowess at fund-raisingwas renowned, with her charm and witno one could refuse to contribute, andnot just to Comhaltas, and otherorganisations dear to her heart alsobenefitted from her trojan work.Mary was a delegate to County Boardfor many years and her contributionwas always worthwhile, particularly inthe early '70s when Comhaltas wasbeing established in Kildare.She is sadly missed, not least by herfamily, but by all her friends and fellowlovers of traditional music, song anddance. We hope that Mary has foundtrue contentment in that great Kingdomand we feel sure that she is walkingbeside us all as we strive to continuethe aims and objects of CCE which sheheld so dear to her heart.Some time after Owen's death Marymoved into a new Bungalow with herdaughter Alice and son-in-law 'Ned, onlya few yards behind the old homestead.The stones from the walls of the oldhouse are now surrounding the gardenof the new one, and we would like tothink that they will stay as a reminderto those of us who pass, that they areguarding the customs and traditionsassociated with that piece of ground.Mary had two grand-daughters, Ann­Marie and Martina in whom sheencouraged 'a love of all thingstraditional. Mary was very proud of thegirls and in a fitting tribute to theirbeloved grandmother, Anne-Marieplayed the tin whistle and Martina sangat her Requiem mass. It is hoped theywill carry on the tradition.The Moone Branch and Kildare CountyBoard of CCE offers its deepestsympathy to her daughter Alice and sonJim, brothers Ned, John and Eugene,son-in-law Ned, daughter-in-law Anne,grandchildren and great grand-daughter.Mfcheal 6 Dubhlaich, Moone, cctBreeda Cul/en-Shortt, Kildare, Co. Board

With President and Mrs Ciinton are from left to right: Myron Bretholz, DominickMurray, Grace Griffith, David Abe, Billy McComiskey, Sean McComiskey, GrahamDeZam, jeremy Bass, Lydia Martin, Arjuna Balaranjan.Lu chra fiddling, respecti ve ly, and bringback enough material to teach classesfor the Branch.In conjunction with the City of Fairfax,Virginia, the O'Neill Malcom Branchparticipates in the annual Spotlight onthe Arts, a two week ce lebrati on of themusic, dance, and drama in the City ofFairfax. CCEsponsored eventshave includedDann y Doyle andCe ltic Thunder inconcert, and lastyear a stepdancespectacu larfeaturing localdance schools andmusicians ca lled'Potomac RiverDance Revue waspresented. Thisspring a grant wasawarded to CCE bythe City of FairfaxCaitrrona NI Laoireto sponsor a classon Irish Cultureand Music. The class was taught byjesse Winch, a charter member of theBranch and founder of the band CelticThunder.The White HouseO'Nei ll Malcom CCE musicians haveplayed for Ireland's Ambassador to theUS, Sean 6 hUigins Chri stmas and StPartick's Day parties. President Clintonhas in vited Branch mu sicians anddancers to the White House manytimes incl uding Ce ltic Thunder forseveral rainy St Patrick's Dayreceptions. Thi s past year a group ofyoung musicians was honoured to beasked to play at the White House forPres ident Clinton's St Patri ck's Dayreception. They played in the mainreception area, while another group ofadu lt Branch musicians provided musicfor the gala w hich also featured l amesGa lway and Phil Coulter.The Washington DC Branch of CCEextends a warm welcome to one andall planning to attend this yea r's NorthAmeri ca n Convention. One lastreminder to book the hotel reservationea rl y by ca lling 1-800-233-1234.CCE 2000 North American ConventionProgramme(Subject to changes)Thursday, March 31, 2000Welcome Ceili featuring O ' NeillMalcom CCE musiciansLobby Session (ongoing)Friday, March 31, 2000Set Dance Workshop featuring TheBrooks Academy(Terry Moylan, Terry Cullen, jerryO'Reilly, Eil een O'Doherty, Mary Fri el,and Irene Martin)Ceili featuring Shaskeen Ceili BandSpecial Millennium Concert - The IrishAmerican Contribution to the Musicand Dance, a 100 year restrospectivewith Dr Mick Moloney and theGreenfields of Ameri ca with some veryspecial guests.Provincial and regional meetings w ill alltake place on Friday leaving Saturdayfree for participation in workshops!Saturday, April 1, 2000Morning and afternoon workshopsFiddle, Flute, Beginning and AdvancedTin Whistle, Hammered Dulcimer,Harp, Singing, Uilleann Pipes, Guitar,Accordion, Stepdance with Regan andLinane Wick, Set Dance w ith theBrooks Academy, Bodhran, Ceili Bandand others. Special all day workshop inIrish Genea logy at the NationalArchives.Evening banquet w ith specialentertainment followed by a Ceili Marwith Shaskeen ceili Band.The Bogwanderers Ceilr Band andfriends. (L to R): Aran Olwell (flute), jesseWinch (ceilr drums), Brendan Ca l/ahan(fiddle), Betsy O 'Mal/ey (ba njo), ReganWick (Keyboards), joe De Zam (fiddle),Tabby Finch (Keyboards)Sunday, April 2, 2000Set Dance Workshop w ith BrooksAcademyceili featuring world Shaskeen cei liBandSpecial concert/lecture offering(The Convention w ill also offer thece lebrati on of the Mass and otherevents at times yet to be determined).Visit the website:http://www.cce2000.comPre-register for Convention:Send: $10 which w ill be applied toyou r convention registration plusName, Address, Branch Membership.And e-mail address.To: CCE 2000, PO Box 1703, Si lverSprin g, MD 20915-1 703, USARegister separately for the Hotel: 1-800-233-1234, outside US 703-418- 123416_, ______________________________________________ __

It was most likely because of theirunusual repertoire, and unique style ofplaying, that their music was valued byfellow musi cians and their homebecame, in its own way, a mecca forvisitors including such eminentmusic ians as Matt Molloy and SeanMaguire.It was a great experience to visit theMcDonaghs in their pleasani hospitablehome on the hill above Ballinafad. Anyvisitor who called in connection withmusic was made most welcome. Theywould talk continuously about music, asubject on which they were veryknowledgeable, and as far as playingwas co ncerned, they could keepplaying for a week and never repeat atune. They were very open andgenerous with their music and theynever objected to anybody recordingthem. They got great enjoyment fromplaying and they were always delightedto share that enjoyment with others.The music played by the McDonaghsconsisted largely of short pieces ofdance music, mostly reels, but theyalso include the odd jig" hornpipe,fling and maybe a waltz or two. Theywere also quite fond of O'Carolan'smusic which they played in their ownunique way. They had a portrait ofO'Carolan displayed on the chimneybreast over the kitchen fireplace.A noticeable feature of their playing wasthat they played each tune on its own.They didn't group the tunes togetherlike the musicians of more moderntimes. I have found this on a number ofoccasions among older musicians, so itseems it was common practice, in thepre Coleman/Morrison era, formusicians to play each tune separately.Every tune was played in that lovelyold hearty style which wascharacteristic of their playing. It was asimple style insofar as the melody ofthe tune and the amount ofornamentation used was concerned,but they produced great I ift and heartand vitality, and a wonderful sense ofexcitement in their playing.Larry used to provide a peculiar andinteresting type of percussionaccompaniment to the music,particularly the reels, with his rightfoot. He didn't tap his foot in theordinary way. Instead he lifted the footcompletely off the floor an'd smacked itback again . He tapped the foot four11times to the bar in a reel, as opposed totwice per bar as is normal. He neverwent out of time but he used to missbeats at random. He seemed to have adifferent set of beats for each tune

Tomas 6 Duibhir ag insint scealta le Tim agus Phil Lane (Luxembourg) agus FrankKennedy (Boston), ag an bhFleadh Cheoil in Inis Ch6rthaidhEibhlfn Uf Mhaoldomhnaigh a dheinsAr-obair ar an lonad Gaeilge ag anbhFleadh Cheoil in Inis Ch6rthaidh,agus Tomas 6 Maoldomhnaigh, Ardrunafan Chomhaltais le Mfcheal 6Dualaing, Lios TuathailAr nd6igh, bhf teacht ar Ghaeilgeoirf 6dhuchas in aiteanna eile sa chontaefreisin sna 19 30ai. Fuair MaireBairnibhil 6 Chill Ostaigh, faoi bhunShliabh na mBan, bas sa bhliain 1956in aois a 102. B'f Maire an chainteoirduchais deireannach de chuid naduiche sin.Bhf roinnt mhaith seandaoine im'phar6iste duchasach fein (Beal AthaP6irfn) aimsir m'6ige a raibh an teangaacu 6n gcliabhan, mo sheanathair inameasc. Ach chun filleadh ar iar­Ghaeltacht an Chaisleain Nua - breisagus sc6r bliain 6 shin rinne mecomhra fada le duine de bhunadh naduiche sin in Ospideal Chluain Meala.Him f6s ag deanamh iontaisd'fheabhas a chuid Gaeilge.Ceard faoi Ghaeltacht 6 Meith i gCo.alainn Lu ata imithe as le fada agus abhf mar thearmann agus mar ait naofaag Gaeilgeoirf 6 thuaidh, go hairithe agdaoine ar n6s Sheamais Mac Maolainagus muintir Bheal Feirste! An ndearnaduine ar bith iarracht ionraic anGhaeltacht sea a shlanu nuair a bhf sfinslanaithe! lar-Ghaeltacht ShliabhgCua na nDeise, Baile Mhic 6da,Cunga Fheichfn, an Caislean Gearr,Mionlach! Nach raibh polaiteoirf,eaglaisigh agus ceannairf pobail agfreastal ar na ceantair sea Ceard a rinnesiad? Dada, is eagal liom.Na reimf Gaeltachta a thainig slan, anbhfuil an drochfde cheanna i ndand6ibh? Braitheann se sin go hiomlan arphobal na gceantar fein agus ar luchtna Gaeilge i gcoitinne agus, ganamhras, ar na polaiteoirf agus ar angcleir. Mura mbfonn siad siud sastatacu le slanG nateanga sa Ghaeltacht(agus is r6mhinicnach mbfonn) beidhbriseadh eile i ndando Chlanna Gael.Bfmis faireach.Seamas 6 Maolchathaigh(T BB4 - 796B)Like Father like SonFollowing in his father's musicalfootsteps Donal O' Regan of the SeanTreacy Comhaltas Branch, Dublin,won the under 18 button accordeonchampionship at the Fleadh inEnniscorthy. Donal's father is JohnRegan a former senior all-Irelandchampion on the accordeon and oneof the most respected traditionalmusicians of this generation.IrishWooden FlutesLtd(Tom Ganley)Manufacturers of:v' Wooden Concert FlutestI Wooden Whihstles & FifesLoughIynnCastlerea, Co. RoscommonTeI: (0907) 8011512 __________________________________________________ __

Che Coin Coke C woThe Tain Ceilf Band at Fleadh '99r:hhe Ta.in CE~iliband were againpopu lar winner at this year's AII­Ireland Ceili Band championshipin Enniscorthy, making it two in a row.The Tain Ceili Band, centered inDundalk since 1994, was the brainchildof the wel l known Roscommon fluteplayer Peig Needham, and the Longfordpiper, Padraig Donion.The town of Dundalk although wellknown for its indigenous musicians, hasover the past numer of years becomethe home of many traditional players.Some of these musicians who eitherworked, lived or played music in thePlains of Muirtheimhne came togetherand formed the Band which theynamed after the legend of Tain B6Cuailaigne. The original band membersin 1992 were Ursula Byrne, GeraldineSmyth, and Brendan Needham (Fidd le),Peig Needham and Kay Webster (flute);Padraig Donlon (uileann pipes);Michael 6 Raghallaigh (concertina);Seamus Bellew (button acc.); FidelmaBellew (piano) and Tommy Flood(drums).In 1994 on their first attempt at the AllIreland Senior Ce il i Band title the Tainwas placed 2nd. Over the next coupleof years the Dundalk band continued toknock on the door. In 1998 they madethe big break-through to take the AII­Ireland Laurels at the Fleadh in Ballina.The Band members continued to meetand play together featuring at theInterceltic Festival in Lorient, Brittanyfor two festiva ls, and playing on RTE'sCeili House. The Band reached newheights when they recorded for RTE onthe roof of the Civic Offices overlooking10Jubilation as Th e Tain Ceilf Band makeit two in a row at th e Fleadh inEnniscorth ythe Liffey in Dublin! They also won theSenior Band at Oireachtas '95.To Fulfil a DreamThe tragic death of Peig Needham inJanuary 1995 left a huge void in theTain. However the band agreed to staytogether and fulfil Peig's dream of anAll-Ireland title. Flute player CatherineMcGorman agreed to come on board .and has remained with the Tain to thisday.The music of the Tain is a mix ofregional styles with membersemanating from Louth, Roscommon,Longford, South Armagh, Westmeathand Tipperary. The tunes played by theband are drawn from a repertoire ofolder music and reflect the individualtastes of the performing musicians.Last year the Tain members made asupreme effort to secure the All -Irelandtitle. The temporary loss of fiddlerBrendan Needham was compensatedby the addition of Brenda McCann, anotable fiddle player from Fermanaghwho plays frequently with members ofthe band.One of the most notable features of theTain Ceilf band is the high ca libre of itsmusicians. It is unusual to find a bandwhere all members are well known intheir own right within traditional ci rcles.The Tain Ceili BandStanding L to R: Fidelma Bellew(Keyboards), Seam us Bellew (2 row),Tom Flood (Drums), Kay Webster(Flute), Brendan Needham (Fiddle).Sea ted L to R: Padraig Donlon (Pipes),Ceraldine Smith (Fiddle), Ursula Byrne(Fiddle), Mfchea l 6 Raghallaigh(Concertina), Brenda M cCann (Fiddle)and Cath erine M cCormam (Flute).Ursula played when we won in '98and Brendan Needham who was inUSA in '98 played with us this yea r.Standing L to R: Kay Webster, UrsulaByrne, Brendan Needham, CeraldineSmyth, Seamus Bellew and Mfcheal 6Raghallaigh. Front row L to R: BrendaM cCann, Fidelma Bellew, PadraigDonlon, Catherine M cCorman andThomas Flood.Th e band played on the RTf live 'Upfor the match' programme on th e eveof the Football Final between M eathand Cork. Th e programme waspresented by M ary Kennedy. Earliermembers of the band were recordedby Forefront Productions in M cManus'sBar, Dundalk. The final product'Ceantral' will be screened by TC4early in 2000.

Co each tune its placeD r Gear6id 6 hAllmhur6in~here was a strange dissonancein the sess ion. The blend hadvanished somewhere in thesecond part of 'The Earl 's Chair'. Coen'sversion sounded odd; an unusual seri esof long notes in the turn. Then themusic gave way to conve rsati on,O'Bri en inquired curi ously. 'Where didyou get th at version of 'The Earl 'sChair', Jack?'The question unlocked a treasury ofdistant memories; the rock in Derryc ragWood, Clanri ckard 's hunt, and originalversions of old Galway tunes that failedto survive the gauntlet of change.'Well! I'll tell you about that tune now,Paddy', sa id Jack, tilting his cap for theya rn , and dismi ssing the noise of traffi crumbling incessa ntly through theconcrete corridors of M anhattan. 'Thattune was composed by a flute player bythe name of Pakie M oloney. He wasfrom Clonco, in the pari sh ofWoodford. He was an uncle of MikeRafferty. ''Mike Rafferty, the flute player w holives in New Jersey?' asked Paddy.'The very man! His un cle Pato, as weused to call him, was out wa lking oneday in Derrycrag Wood and sat downon a big rock to take a rest for himse lf.It was there that the tune came to him.The first name Pato put on it was'Down between the two Derryoobers',after the two town lands of DerryooberWest and Derryoober East, w hich werethere beside him.'And how did it get the name 'The Earl 'sChair' then?' ca me the next question.'Well , in olden times, the Earl ofClanrickard used to come out aroundDerryc rag to gohunting. He owned thehunting ri ghts in thearea. And it seems heused to sit up on this rock to have arest. In fact, the rock was bi g enough forthe hunting party to have lunch on it. Itwas known in the area as 'The Earl 'sChair'. Pato figured that the first namehe had on the tune was a bit long, so herenamed it 'The Earl's Chair' . And that'show the tune got its name. ''And w as it M oloney that put thoselong notes in the turn ?' sa id the boxplayer, getting to the root of thedissonance.'Indeed it was,' replied Coen. 'Th at wasth e original version of the tune I playedth ere. No one is pl aying it that waynow. It was a pity it was ever changed.Those lovely long notes give the tune atotally different character from th atcommon version everyone is play ingtoday. I suppose some 'genius' figuredthe ori ginal version wasn't sophi sticatedenough.' 'I have 'ou now!' sa idO ' Bri en, delighting in the memory andthe folk knowledge of his friend.And so a tune is traced, and a forgottenfragment of musica l geography isunveiled in the midst of a New Yorksession.The perennial art of trac ing is anintegral feature of soc ial discourse inIrish communities. A natural talentborn e by most Irish peopl e; tracing isnurtured by an oral culture in w hichconversation is as much an art ofrememberin g, as a means ofcommunica ti on. Drawing on an archiveof loca l histo ry, fo lklore, and thecollecti ve memori es of community andThe Aughrim Slopes Ceilr Band inKillabeg House in the 1930's. (L to R):Paddy Kelly (fiddle), joe Mills(accordion), Paddy Fahy (fiddle), josieHalloran (piano) and j ack Mulkere{lea der, fiddle!. Ph oto courtesy of EndaMulkere.kin, an evening spent trac ing canunrave l a mosa ic of family genea logies,as well as reca ll a throng of forgottenexiles, politica l conspirators, localpoets, and sporting heroes.It ca n also lead to intense debate abouttraditional music and musicians. The'mighty set dancer', the 'fine traditionalsinger', and the young lad w ho 'washandy w ith the fiddle', all occupy adistinctive place in th e landscape ofmusica l recoll ecti on. Eac h tune has itsown story, each mu sic-maker hi s ownpersonal history, and each sess ion itsown sense of time and place.In this recording, we expl ore the musicand fo lklore of rural communities inClare and Galway. Rather th anemphas ising the moot delineations of'county styles', we focus instead on the'intern al' dialects of villages like FiachRoe and Kilfenora, and the indigenousstyles of Sli abh Aughty, w hi ch stradd lethe lakelands and drumlins of EastClare and Galway. In visiting th esedialects, we sought out an older core oftunes from composers like Paddy Fahy .and Paddy Kelly, and master perform erslike Paddy Cann y, Jack Coen, PeadarO'Loughlin, Paddy Murphy and LucyFa rr. The music of th ese masters hasbeen shaped by an older communal

An Seanchas BeoBarra 6 Donnabh6inComhdhclil na mBoscad6irf!:L "lJhiSea n 6 hEochaidh ag baili ubealoideasa i gC loichCheannfhaola sa bliain 1941nuair a chuir se aithne ar Mhi d MacGab hann . Murac h an teagmh ail sin,seans maith nach mbeadh sceal Mhi d-an sar leabhar 'Rotha M6r an tSao il ' -aga inn inn iu. Sean a spreag Mid chunscealaiochta agus dob e a bhreac siosan scea l uaidh. Dei r se sa reamhra gurde thaisme a scrfobh ad h an leabharach creid im fe in gur de chin iuint atharl a se. De bharr na teagmhala ph6sse Anna Nic Gabhann, in ion Mhi d in1943 . Bionn lamh ag an bhFear thus idtaismi den tso rt si n.Is ina cheanta r duchai s fe in, idTei lionn , a thosaigh Sean ag bailiubealoideasa do Choi mis iun Beal oideasa6Eireann i ndeireadh na dtri ocaidL Thu gse deich mbli ana fichead ag ba iliuseanchais '6 Cheann an Charraigin goMa lainn Inis Eoghain, i bhfichidpa r6iste, 6 she chead go leithseanchaL ' Rinne se obair eachtac h.D'fh ag se cur SIDS suimiuil, in alt ascriobh se do Feasta, Meitheamh 1966,ar an saibhreas eolais a bh i f6s agseanchaithe Thir Chonaill agus antsuim a chu ir an pobal ann . Luann seNi a l1 6 Dubhthaigh mar shampl a, sarseanchai 6na bhfuair se an oiread sinseanchais. Chaith se tri bliana agtarraingt ar an fhear uasal sea agusscriobh se 'ar a laghad milliun go leithfocal ar fad uaidh .' Cuireadh cuid dentseanchas sea i glc6 i Bealoideas Iml.XIII agus Iml. XV II.Bhi an bea loideas fio r thab hac htach isaol na nd aoine i dTir Chonaill nuair athosnaigh Sea n ar an obair. Ba phairt eda shaol laeth ui l. Chuir an pobal speissa bhealoideas, i gceol, i rince, agus iscea laiocht. Bh iodh seanchai n6 beirt ingach par6iste agus bhiod h neartceo lt6iri agus amhranaithe ti mpeall.Dalta rea Ita na haimsi re sea bhiodh alucht leanuna ag na hoirfidigh sea agusbhidis an-mh6ralach astu . Ta scealgleo ite ag Sean a leirionn an m6rtas seo.Seanchai agus ceolt6ir'Bhi seanduine ina ch6nai ar an mbai learbh ainm d6 Cona ll Mac Cuinn igea in- Condai Phroinsias a th ugadh muintirna haite air - seanchai agus ceolt6ir

Diary of a MusicalOdyssey 1999!P6draigin ClancyEnjoying the Comhaltas musical voyage on Asgard 11 (Photo: CreedonCommunications, DingleJ7A~ II good things come to passandso it happened. A meetingbetween Sean McLoughlin,Enda O 'Coineen (Co iste An Asga rd)and M fc hea l 6 hAlmhain (CC E) sawthe genes is of another first forComhaltas Ceolt6irf Eireann - a sa iltraining trip for musicians on board ournati onal boat Asga rd 11.Ant what an odyssey it was for th e 19'musica l' crew members (aged between16 and 60) and the five Asga rd staff.Day One 31/May/'99: We gatheredfrom the four provinces in Galway andit was all aboard at 2pm. Thenfollowed the proverbial baptism of fire!Captain (Simon Alleston) and First mate(Aiden Fl eming) ca ll ed us to order w ith'thi s is not Daddy's yacht'"We were divided into three watches -Starboard, Port and Middle - andall oted va rious tas ks. By 7pm thatevening 1 had a new found respect forthe nautica l life. There had been fireand man-over-boa rd drill, sa il fo ldingand knot tying, (how 1 w ished 1 hadpaid attention in the girl guides). Lastlythere w as w hat is in famously known asthe Up and Over. Thi s mea nt cl imbingup on side of the mast's ri gging,stepping out on to a ya rd (a thin lineunder the sa ils at a considerable height)and coming down the other side. Faceswere w hiter shades of pale as each ofus was initiated! We were still mooredat the dock and one shuddered to thinkwhat it would be li ke climbing theri gging on a rolling Atlantic sea.Night one followed day one and ah ....the music was magica l! A full moonshone over Galway bay. Fiddle,w histl e, pipe and harp (esp. of theMonaghan and Clare CCE branches)provided the finest music and a mostmemorable sight on the deck of ournational vesse l.Then came sleep for most ":' curfew wasa strict 12 midnight - but not for yourstruly. 1 found out about night watch.Bas icall y the ship needs to be guardedat all times, night and day. Each watchgets a turn; tw o hours on and twohours off. It means just as you aregetting into your deep rems of rest andsweet dreams you get the wake up ca llfor duty. After seven nights it makes theLough Derg pilgrimage seem easy!Day two and its ship ahoy! We sai ledout into a glorious dawn over Galwaybay. I sat out on the bow, bes ide shipmascot Gruanaile, as we headedtowards the Aran islands. We werehoping for a strong w ind but it couldn'thave been ca lmer. Then we met shipBowson (Wendy l ones) and her sidekick Fl ying Finn (who can dangle,

Potato(In memory of the people who diedin the Great Famine in lreland)Professor Daniel Patrick Murphy, M.ed., C.A.G.S.magine a potato. It is goodand hard and smells of earth .~ There is roundness to this potato,circularity with wondrous indentations.Like a Euclidean formula with ravishingeyes. Hold it in your hands. Isn't itrefreshing to roll such coolness in yourpalms on this unusually hot and dryautumn day? The ache in your backrecedes and you take long strides awayfrom the potato patches. The tribalfeeling of wholeness tugs at theboundary of your awareness. You areholding an earthen fleshed miracle thatyou planted back in springtime.Today is not a rare day; it is anexceptional day. You have justharvested you first potato for thisseason and your four children arewaiting. Unusual joy is heard from thecabin and the white-streaked blue skycontains an array of blueprints for you.You enter the full cabin and your wife'slips contain a smile as alluring as achurn of fresh butter. She takes thepotato and places it in an earthen oven .Within minutes the skin, then the fleshof the potato splits open. She juggles thewonder in her hands and places it onthe thick wooden table. The childrenare wide-eyed from its aroma. A breadthof luscious, yellow butter melts at thepotato's centre and seeps into its skin. Adash of salt appears crystalline and clea ron the potato's pith. When you raise thepotato to your mouth, you begin tosa livate. Careful, it's hot. With onepleasurable bite you know the pail fullof potatoes you left at the garden will bewelcomed by the family.Imagine children vomiting grass. Nowimagine a ripe, nourishing potato. Bothof these things exist. You are in a fieldwith one of them . The mind does that,that's what it's for. It takes you to novel,unforeseen places. Get close to thechildren. See the four stages of hunger.Hear the retching sounds that areoverpowered by the stench ofblackening, rotting potatoes. Browngrass, sedge, and limp sta lks areeverywhere, and the seepage frompatches of rot covers the earth. Arough-hewn coffin with metal hinges isin silhouette on the horizon. The latestchild to die is not being carried away.One of your rivalling brothers comesroaming over a hill and the horse he'sriding is collapsing. Although they' renot clacking yet, the outline of thehorse's ribs is visible; the waiting winddoes not yet wail through the ribbedcage. You need to feed your brother,but the potato you've been saving fordays is softening, decaying. You feelstomach pains from the hunger. Youmay be hungry as your starving brother,but not quite as weak. The potato isbecoming foul and you want to go outand get help. How much more of thiscan you take? As you wander theoutside territory, the scavengers areflogging each other and the carrionstench stretches out like vultures' wings.There are so many people fightingfeverishly for too few potatoes.Share Your Potato?Should you share your potato withsome of the scavengers, or return andgive it to your brother? Perhaps itwould be wise if you ate it yourselfbefore you weaken and lose the chanceto live. This is a choice you have, butfor how long? How long does it take todecide? Can you decide?Imagine that you are confined in a cavelocated on the side of a barren hill.There are gua rds waiting for you tomake an escape. They already knowthat you're going to attempt to escape,and they know the method you'vedreamed up. Everyone in control knowsand everyone not in control knows.There are no sec rets. The only thingthat no one knows is the extent of theslaughter if you don't escape and tellsomeone. Tens of thousands, perhapsmillions, will be frozen, or burnt, orcaptured and will die. The torturers willcome tonight. They always come atnight begging for your life. You don'tthink about the night, however, butabout a freshly baked potato lavishedw ith butter and some tasty salt that isbeing offered you. How long does itlast? The potato is steaming andaromatic and it reminds you of a brookwhere sunlight sparkles on the surface.At a wide bend in the brook a swirlingpool forms into the shape of a bowl.On the rim of the bowl there are berriesand fruit trees. The reflection in the bowlholds cranberries, blueberries, apple andpear trees. When you were a child, youwould stand on a handcrafted raft andcast out from shore onto the centre ofthis bowl. The bowl, formed by thecurve in the brook, was your home.Often, when the sun reflected on thebrook at the precise angle, the bowlturned as golden as the wheat on a ripefield at sunset. It is not your brother'sweakness from hunger, nor the starvingchildren, nor your own hunger painsthat is ruining you, but the absence ofthe golden bowl formed by the bend inthe brook. If you could only hold thebowl in your hands, you could endureanything. At least that's what you tellyourself. The potato the guards offer youis c:Jivisive, and does not mean life.There were once two sisters. One was