R - Comhaltas Archive

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~ ____________ ~ __________________________________ _