(PDF) - Comhaltas Archive

Creoir 

lris Oifigiuil Chomhaltas Ceolt6iTi Eireann 

Che Book of Craditional Music, Song and Dance 

comholtos Ceolt6iri €ireonn 

Im l 29 Uimhir 3 1997 41 SS No 790 004X 

Were the Bagpipes ever Banned 15 Echoes of Erin 11 30 6 Bheal go Beal 26 

in Scotland? 2 16 Ba llina hosts the Fleadh 12 31 Community Spirit in New Jersey 27 

2 Ireland au Quebec 4 17 Our New Comha ltas Senator 14 32 Co. Wexford Mus icians' unique 

3 Meath Harp Schoo l 4 18 Traditional Music Teachers 14 double at All-Ireland Fl ead h 27 

4 Ceo Draiochta 5 19 Making Sweet Music with Cairdin 15 33 Historical and Patriotic Ball ads 28 

5 Musicians Required for China 5 20 Paddy Canny 16 34 I;)'arda igh si Leacht ar Uaigh Raifte iri 30 

6 'Wonderfu l Australian Tour' 5 21 Fleadh Champ ions 17 35 The Reel Thing! 31 

7 GI6r Mhaigh Eo 6 22 t Slan, a Mhichil Dhilis 20 36 Major Loss fo r Comha ltas 31 

8 t Tom Grogan 6 23 From Boston to San Franc isco 21 37 Babs na nAmhran 32 

9 Older Than the Pyramids of Egypt 7 24 A Man of the Road 23 38 New York Law on Fam ine 32 

10 An Austra lian Thank You 8 25 Back to Ba ll ina for '98 24 

11 Boyne Va ll ey Cottage 8 26 The French Connection 

12 An tUachtaran ag and bhFleadh 9 with Limeri ck 24 

13 Songs of 1 798 9 27 Feile Sham hna na gCrann 25 

14 170,000 enjoy 'F leadh Fantastic' 28 t Martin Cooney 25 

at Ba llina 10 29 The Humours of Tulla 25 

TREOIR (4 1 SSN 0790 004X) is published quarterly by CCE, Belgrave Square, Monkstown, Co. Dublin, Ireland . Single copies £2; 

Subscription Rates: Ireland and Britain £9; USA and Canada $20; Australia and New Zealand £14; O rders in the USA to be 

forwarded to Mrs Mai Whelan, Treoir, 244 W ardwell Road , Mineola, New York 11 501. Second Class Postage paid to Mineola 

PO, USPS 2 11 5. Orders in Canada to be forwarded to Ms Sa ll y Ca rro ll, 89 1 Coxwell Ave., Toronto M4C 361. 

Comhaltas Ceolt6iri Eireann 

Cearnog Belgrave, Baile na Manach, Co. Atha Cliath, Ireland. Fan : (+353-1) 280 0295, Fax: (+353-1) 280 3759 

It wi ll be a further sign of Ireland's 

cu ltu ra l and artistic maturity when due 

recognition and acknowledgement are 

given to our native traditions in the life 

of the State. For too many years, 

elements such as traditi onal music, song 

and dance were at best peripheral in 

many areas such as education, tourism, 

funding, ete. It wi ll require a rad ica l and 

generous reappraisal of policymaking to 

ensure that the magnificent potential 

which exists in our native artforms has 

the necessary resources for its 

development. 

€ogoTfhocol 

The national treasu re which is Ireland's 

music, song and dance is no mere sevenday 

wonder; no latter-day commercial 

innovation - it is a ri ch, va ri ed and 

complex fabric w hich has been woven 

through the centuries by talented artists 

and composers. It has not only su rvived 

in to modem times but has prospered and 

been enhanced in times of challenge. It is 

the legacy of all age groups and classes . 

It has attracted the attenti on of scho lars 

throughout the world . 

State institutions now have an ideal 

opportunity to bring ou r native artforms 

Designed and typeset by Peanntr6naic Teo ran ta, 12 Beechview, Edmondstown, Dublin 16, Ireland . 

centre stage in national 

achnowledgement, policymaking and 

fund in g. Not to do so, wi ll earn us the 

scorn of an observant art worl d 

internationall y w ho are more and more 

attesting to the unique and priceless 

heritage wh ich we possess. 

It shou ld be an urgent priority to 

establish stru ctu res w hich wi ll enable 

the Irish nation to avail of the full 

potential of native artforms. Popular 

support wou ld exist for any positive 

moves w hich help to reflect the vast 

goodwill of the people in this regard. 

1

the Highlanders th an their music and 

song. There was certainly a w ide-spread 

disdain for the bagpipes among En glish 

and Low land soc iety, as there was a 

general contempt for all th ings 

H ighland, but this is quite different from 

there being an offi cial ban aga inst them. 

Dunca n Ban M ac intyre, for example, 

produced quite a number of songs from 

this period, in w hich he mentions the 

use of the pi pes w ithout any unusual 

duress. One poem celebra tes the return 

of weapons and the native garb to the 

Gaels, and no mention that th e status of 

th e pipes has changed . He in fact w rote 

six poems praising Gaelic and the 

bagp ipes between 1781 and 1789. 

Jacobite Memoirs 

We would expect the late 18th and ea rl y 

19th century historica l w riters, ali ve 

during the time, to have mentioned it. 

There are many Jacobite memoirs by 

people involved in the '45 Rising, and 

no one mentions a prohi bition aga inst 

the pipes. Th ere are also a numbel' of 

ex haustive 18th and 19th centu ry books 

about pfobaireacht and the bagpipes. 

Aga in, no wo:d of the matter. 

There are record s of weapons that 

people turned into government forces 

du ring the disa rm ing of the Highlands. 

No mention of pipes being turned in. 

The Act was repealed into 1782, 

repeating the condition of the Act and 

w ithout mention of the bagpipes. 

Galway Violins 

for 

Hand Crafted Violins 

Restored Older Violins 

Quality Repairs 

10 Violins, Violas & 'Cellos 

Efficient Bow Rebairing Service 

Bows, Cases, Strings and Fittings 

Kevin Sykes, 

Killeen, Ballyvaly, 

Co. Mayo. 

Ballybritt, Galway, 

Fri + Mon. 

094-31019 

Does Your Branch 

Need Money? 

·FORINSURANCE 

• CLASSES 

• EXPENSES 

• RENT 

nasc 

• OTHER COSTS 

IS THE ANSWER 

COMHAlTAS CEOlT61Ri EIREANN 

CEARN6G BEL GRAVE, 

BAllE NA MANACH, 

co. ATHA ClIATH. 

F6N: 01-2800295 

FAX: 01 -2803759 

Mr. Frank Patterson with his wife Eily O 'Crady being presented w ith a Tyronne Crystal Bowl as 

one of the honoree's at the 1997 Spring Ball of the Ireland Chamber of Commerce in 51. Louis. 

The award was presented by Helen Cannon and the elfenings enterta inment was all prolfided 

by the loca l Comhaltas Branch 51. Louis Irish Arts who will aga in team lip w ith Frank Patterson 

of M arch 7th and 8th, 1998 to perform w ith the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

An tUachtar6n ag an bh Fleadh 

President Mary 

Robinson 

speaking to 

Sean and 

Margaret 

Doherty from 

the Perth 

branch of CCE 

in Australia, 

watched by lo 

Morris and 

Clement 

MacSuibne. 

Songs of 1798 

Y -o ublished 

by CI6 Sao irse, was 

launched at Fleadh Cheo il na 

hEireann, in Ba llina, Co. Mayo, 

last August. 

This is a new edition of a collection first 

published in 1982 and it has the sub title 

'Bliain na bh Francach '. Since it is lin ked 

to the land ing of General Humbert's 

expedition in KiHala it has a distinctly 

West of Ire land orientation . . 

The contents are present in their 

historical context, with plenty of notes 

and explanations, illustrations and 

documents of the period, Republican 

Proclamations and Dublin Castle 

Bu lletins. 

Wexford, Antrim and Down are also well 

represented, with such songs as The 

Croppy Bo y, Boolavogue, Henry Joy and 

General Munroe. The recitations include 

The Man from God Knows Where, Paid 

O'Donoghue, An Croipf Bocht and An 

Gunnad6ir Mac Aoidh. The music is 

included for some of the songs. 

Clement Mac 

Suibhne, 

Uachtaran an 

Chomhaltais, ag 

caint ag an 

bhFailtiu do 

Uachtaran na 

hEireann. 

Waiting for the President (I-r) Labhras 6 MurchU, Seosaimhfn Mhic 

Suibhne, Clement Mac Suibhne, CUr. Terry McCole, Mrs Moffac 

Minister Tom Moffat, T.D., Padraig 0 Laimhfn and Eamonn Wa lsh. 

Senator Labhras 6 

MurchU Ardstiurth6fr 

CCE, greeting 

Uachtaran na 

hEireann Mary 

Robinson, with 

Clement 

MacSuibhne 

Uachtaran CC£; 

Seosaimhfn Mhic 

Shuibhne, Mrs Tom 

Moffat. 

The first Irish patriotic ballads in English, 

as we know them, date from the second 

half of the eighteenth centu ry, but many 

of the 1798 ba ll ads were written for the 

centenary in 1898. This particu lar 

coll ection is not exhaustive, but it is 

complete enough to give a representative 

selection, in both Irish and Engli sh . The 

74 pages are packed with supporting 

explanatory material, including a diary 

and map of Humbert's campaign in 

Ireland. The cover, presentation and 

layout are first class. 

It is a pity that the ed itor, Sean 6 

Bradaigh, did not expand it by another 

16 or 20 pages and give us, among 

others, The Wind that Shakes the Barley 

and Billy Bryne of Ba llymanus. 

This coll ection, gath ered in English, 

Iri sh and French from written sources 

and Iri sh folklore, wi ll become an 

in va luab le addition to the literature of 

the Bicentenary of 1978, wh ich is 

almost upon us. It is a handsome 

vo lume and is reasonably priced at 

£2.50. It is on sale in An Cu lturl ann 

and in Bru Boru. 

Songs of 1978 - Bliain na bhFrancach. 

CI6 Saoirse, 223 Parnell St., Dublin 1. 

- The Balladmaker

echoes of erin 

7dCanada featuring direct from 

he 1997 Comhaltas Concert 

Tour of the United States and 

Ireland the tops in Irish traditional 

entertainment. 

Echoes of Erin, the 26th Annual Concert 

Tour of the United States and Canada, is 

from the 5th October to the 28th 

October. It is a proud occasion marking 

as it does a monumental achievement not 

only of sustaining the Tour over all these 

years but developing it into a major 

cu ltural event. The Tour is sponsored by 

Budwieser, Waterford Crystal and The 

Cultural Relations Committee of Ireland's 

Department of Foreign Affairs. 

From this Tour programme has grown a 

vibrant Comhaltas movement in North 

America with 40 branches promoting the 

native cu lture of Ireland and forging 

strong links between thi s vast continent 

and the homeland. Thousands of Irish 

Americans (and non-Irish) play Irish 

traditional music and vis it Ireland on a 

regular basis. 

The 18-strong group se lected for th is 

Tour are Sean Norman, MC and 

Melodeon (Offaly); Brenda McCann, 

Fiddle (Fermanagh); Colette Beagon, 

Fiddle (Monaghan); Marie O'Meara, 

Flute (Tipperary); Sarah Jane Woods, 

Flute (D ublin); Ned Kelly, 2-row 

Accordeon (Tipperary); John McGurran, 

2-row Accordeon (Ferm anagh); Mikie 

Smyth, Uillean n Pipes (D ublin); John 

Morrow, Banjo (Leitrim); Padraigin 

Caesar, Harp and Singer (Ca rlow); Aileen 

O'Connor, Singer (Roscommon); Daisy 

Kearney, Seanchai (Limerick); Maeve 

Galvin and Treacy Smith, Dancers 

He added that the 

fantastic fireworks on 

the Sunday night 

meant that the Fl ead h 

ended with a bang 

and that Ballina went 

out w ith a bang. 

Eamonn Walsh, 

Fleadh PRO and the 

man who laun ched a 

campaign to get the 

Fl ead h to Ballina two 

years ago, said the 

Fl ead h in Ballina had 

(Donegal); Geoffrey Hayes, 

Dancer (Tipperary) and Brian 

Geraghty, Dancer (Roscommon); 

Tour Manager is Tony Finnegan 

(Meath) and sound technician is 

John McElligott (Kerry). 

The venues for the 1997 Tour 

are as follows: Mineola, Staten 

Isl and, Washington DC, Pearl 

River', Waltham, Clinton, 

Buffalo, Waterloo Ont. Montreal, 

Ottawa, Toronto, Sudbury, Saint 

John, Halifax, Chicago, St Louis, 

Ann Arbor and Cleveland . 

Some of the IB-strong 

Tour group of Comhaltas 

Ceolt6irf Eireann preparing 

for their 26th annual Tour 

of North America (I-r) 

Mikie Smyth, uilleann 

pipes (Dublin); Sarah Jane 

Woods, flute (Dublin); 

Padraigfn Caesar; harp 

/Carlow); Tony Finnegan, 

Manager (Meath); Sean 

Norman, melodeon 

(Offa ly). 

been the mother of all Fleadhs. 'Spread 

over th e three days there were 170,000 

people in Ballina and all of the 

Com haltas Ard Com hairle have given 

top praise to Ballina,' he said. 

There were some hi ccups but allowing 

for the fact it was a new town for the 

fleadh it was most successful and 

everyone is happy w ith it. There were 

many exceptiona l highlights in Ballina, 

the attendance of the Pres ident, the 

pageant and fireworks, the dome and 

the hospitality and friendliness of 

everyone. 

Members of the IB-strong Troup group of Comhaltas 

Ceolt6irf Eireann preparing for the 26th annual Concert 

Tour of North America (/-r) traditional story-teller Daisy 

Kearney (Limerick); singer Aileen O'Connor 

(Roscommon); and accordeonist Ned Kelly (Tipperary). 

Tapping Toes: Dancers 

Tracey Smith and Maeve 

Calvin of Donegal 

demonstrating their dancing 

skills to the music of Brenda 

McCann, fiddle (Fermanagh); 

John McCurrann, 2-row 

accordeon (Fermanagh) and 

Colette Beagon, fiddle 

(Monaghan), as they prepare 

for the 26th annual 

Comha ltas Concert Tour of 

the United States and 

Canada. 

11

comholtos Ceolt6iri €ireonn 

Making Sweet Music with C6irdin 

you ever wondered why 

all the greatest Irish accordeon 

Jf:ave 

players have had to play their 

music on an accordeon not made in 

Ireland? All of that is now changing 

with the arrival of Ciiirdfn, the first 

Irish made accordeon. 

Ca irdfn is a coll aboration between 

M ichae l Sea rson and Paddy Clancy. The 

intention is to build button accordeons 

in Ireland that are designed to enhance 

the playing of Irish trad itional musi c. 

You might ask w hat gives Michael and 

Paddy th eir unique insight into th e 

button accordeon. The answe r to that 

question is not only their love of Irish 

traditional mu sic but their deep 

understanding - as accomplished 

musicians - of w hat an accordeon 

player is lookin g fo r. 

Both Michael and Paddy began their 

musical ca ree rs as youn gsters. Paddy in 

the heartland of Limerick and Michael 

in London, encouraged by his Ti pperary 

parents. Many yea rs have been spent 

by both practising and play in g in 

competitions. It was this particular 

rou te w hi ch brought them togetherculminating 

in Fleadh Cheo il na 

hEirea nn in Kilkenny in 1988. 

It was here that Paddy won th e 

All-Ireland Senior title and Michael 

came second. What followed is now 

history and was to be the spa rk w hich 

ignited the w hole Ca irdin project. 

Comhaltas Tour 

After the All-Ireland Final in Kilkenny 

both Michael and Paddy were in vited 

Michael and 

Paddy with 

two of their 

'creations' 

on the Comhaltas Tour of the USA and 

Ca nada . It was on thi s tour, on those 

long nights travelling between American 

and Ca nad ian citi es, th at Paddy and 

Michael, on the back of the bus, began 

planning for one day in th e future. They 

would produce the perfect Irish made 

accordeon allow ing accordeonists to 

truly express themselves. 

Paddy's background co nce ntrated on 

repairing and tuning accordeons and so 

he had a special insight into the great 

va ri eties of accordeons ci rcu lating in 

Ireland. He was thus ab le to identify the 

strengths and weaknesses of the many 

boxes. But this was only half the story. It 

I R D 

Accordion Manufacturing and Development 

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Rathkeale enterprise Centre, Bank Place, Rathkeale, Co Umerlck. Ireland 

Tell Fax (00353) 069 63255 

58 BlackbUsh Ave, Chadwell Heath, Essex RM6 5TT England. TellFax (0181) 2622270

2nd Kate Marquis, Cr. 

Aughnamullen CCE, CO. 

Muineachain; 3rd Fran ces 

Morton, Irish Minstrels CCE, 

Glasgow; Snr.: 1st Catriona 

Ni Chlochasaigh, Castleconnell / 

Ahane / Herbertstown cd Co. 

Luimni; 2nd Raisin Ni 

Dhonnacha, Cr. Carna CCE CO. 

na Gaillimhe; 3rd Majella Bertley, 

Cr. Corcaghan CCE, CO. 

Muineachain. 

FEADOG STAIN FOINN MALLA: Fe 12: 

1st Edward Looney, Kilorglin 

cct Co. Chiarrai; 2nd Mairead 

Phelan, Cr. Osrai CCE, CO. Chill 

Chainnigh; 3rd Mairead 

Hennessy, Caiseal Mumhan CCE, 

CO. Thiobraid Arann; 12/15; 1st 

Rioghnach Connolly, Cr St. 

Mochuas CCE, CO. Ard Mhacha; 

2nd Caroline Ni Shuilleabhain, 

Cr Sraid a Mhillinn cct Co. 

Chorcai; 3rd Noel McLoughlin, 

Cr Leitir Ceannann CCE, Dun na 

nGall; 15/18; 1st Catriona Ni 

Mhaoldomhnaigh, Ma Rua (An 

Cheapach Mhor, Co. Luimni; 2nd 

Frances Morton, Irish Minstrels 

CCE, Glasgow; 3rd Theresa 

Coleman, Leicester CCE, 

England; Snr: 1st Majella Bartley, 

Cr. Corcaghan CCt, Co. 

Muineachain; 2nd Noirin Ni 

Mhurchu, Cr. Sr. a Mhuilinn CCE 

CO. Chorcai; 3rd Mairead Ni 

Charthaigh, Cill Mhocheallog 

CCE, CO. Luimnf. 

CEOL 8EIRTE: 1st Mairead Hurley & 

Laura Gaffney, Ballymote CCE, 

CO. Sligo; 2nd David 

McUileagoid & Eamon 6 

Murchu, Carlow CCE, CO. 

Carlow; 3rd Tony & Hugh 

O'Neill, Markethill, Co. Ard 

Mhacha; 12/15: 1st Padraig 6 

Neill & Donal Regan, Cluain 

Tarbh & Sean Tracey CCE, CO. 

Baile Atha Cliath; 2nd Carmel 

Doohan & Clive Earley, Doora 

Barefield CCE, CO. an Chlair; 3rd 

Louise & Michelle 

Ni Mhaolcathaigh, Teampaill a' 

Ghleanntain CCE, CO. Luimni; 

15/18: 1st Carmel O'Dea & 

Carmel Hehir, St Cecilia's cd, 

Co. an Chlair; 2nd Fergal O'Neill 

& Colm Regan, Cluain Tarbh & 

Sean Tracey CCE, Baile Atha 

Cliath; 3rd Brendan Callahan & 

Aran Olwell, O'Neill Malcolm 

cd USA; Snr: 1st Aisling & Alan 

6 Choisdeabha, Roscrea CCE, 

CO. Thiobraid Arann; 2nd Antoin 

6 Conaill & Diarmuid O'Brien, 

An Ghleann CCE, CO. Luimni; 

34d Collette Beagon & Majella 

Bartley, Corcaghan CCE, CO. 

Monaghan. 

CEOL TRIlJR: Fe 12: 1st Gina & 

Louise Reidy & Aine Jones, St. 

Mochulla's cct Co. an Chlair; 

2nd M. Glynn, A. Moloney & T. 

Reilly, Corofin CCE, CO. na 

Gaillimhe; 3rd Yvonne & Padraig 

Bolton & Keith Brennan, Spink 

CCE, Co. Laoi s; 12/15: 1st C. 

O'Sullivan, C. Earley, & c. 

Doohan, Doora-Barefield CCE & 

St Cecilias cd; 2nd M . Kelly, C. 

O'Connor & M. Kane, North 

London CCE, England ; 3rd Ciara 

& Eoghan Gillespie & Evan 

Morrissey, Cr. Chualann CCE, 

Baile Atha Cliath; 15/18; M. & F. 

Scahill & c. McDonagh, Corofin 

CCE, CO. na Gaillimhe; 2nd A. 

McMahon, D. McArdle & J. 

McGleenan, Cr. Baile Mhic an 

Aba, Co. Ard Mhaca; 3rd A. 

Gaffney, M&S Linnane, St. Albans 

CCE, England; Snr: 1st Darragh 

Patwell, Alan & Aisling 

Coisdealbha, Roscrea CCE, CO. 

Thiobraid Arann; 2nd Ernestine & 

Orla Ui Ealai & Holly Nic 

Oireachtaigh, Baile an Daighin, 

Co. Mhuigh Eo; 3rd S. 

6 hEarachain, N. 6 Cionnaith, & 

P. 6 Maolmhuaidh, Talamh Ban 

Cluain Ceabhain CCE, CO. 

Mhuigh Eo. 

BuioN CHEOIL CHEILi: 1st St. 

Colemans Corofin CCE, CO. na 

Gaillimhe; 2nd 'Caisl ea in 

Aerach: Caisleain a' Bharraigh 

cd, Co. Mhaigh Eo; 3rd 

Barefield National School Ceili 

Band, Co. an Chlair; 12/15; 1st 

Sean Treacy CCt, Bail e Atha 

Cliath; 2nd Cluain Tarbh cd, 

Baile Atha Cliath; 3rd Buion 

Cheoil Cheilf Irvinstown, Co. 

Fermanagh; 15/18: 1st Ceolus 

Ceili Band, Gort Leictreach cd, 

Co. Liatroma; 2nd Ceoltoiri Cora 

Finne, Corofin CCE, CO. na 

Gaillimhe; 3rd Ball ydonoghue / 

Lisselton CCE, CO. Chiarrai; Snr: 

1st The Bridge Ceili Band, Co. 

Laois; 2nd Ceoltoiri Conmhaicne, 

Gort Leictreach CCE, CO. 

Liatroma; 3rd Tain Beili Band, 

Dun Dealgan CCE, CO. Lu. 

GRupAi CHEOIL: Fe 12: 1st Tuar na 

Fola / Cill fde CCE, CO. Luimni; 

2nd Irish Mistrels, 'St Rochs A', 

Glasgow; 3rd St. Colemans 

Corofin cd, Co. na Gaillimhe; 

12/15: 1st St. Mochullas CCE, 

CO. an Chlair; 2nd Baile an 

Daighin cd, Co. Mhaigh Eo; 3rd 

Grupa Cheoil Eamon 

6 Muiri CCE, CO. Muineachain; 

15/18; 1st Tuar na Fola / Cill fde 

CCE, CO. Luimni; 2nd Naomh 

Mhichil CCE, CO. Luimni; 3rd 

Ceolas, Co. Liatroma; Snr; 1st 

Craobh Naithi CCE, Baile Atha 

Cliath; 2nd Grupa Col main 

Naofa, Maigh Eo; 3rd 

Castleconnell / Ahane/ 

Herbertstown CCE, CO. Luimnf. 

BuioN CHEOIL CAIRDiN; Fe 18: 1st 

Castletara Youth Band, Antiduff, 

Ballyhaise, Co. Cavan; 2nd St. 

Patricks Youth Band, 54 

Derryleekagh Road, Newry, Co. 

an Dun; 3rd Athboy Accordian 

Band, Athboy, Co. Meath; Snr: 1st 

Fan ad Accordian Band, 

Kerrykeel, Co. Donega l; 2nd 

Banna Cheoil Murlog 

Lifford, Dun na nGall; 

Miguels Accordian 

Naofa, 

3rd St 

Band, 

Downpatrick, Co. Down. 

BuioN CHEOIL FEADOG MHOR: ·Fe 

18: 1st Buion Cheoill Chnoileach, 

Dungloe, Donegal; 2nd Tomas 6 

Fi ach, Junior Flute Band, Armagh; 

Snr.: 1st Maghery Flute & Drum 

Band, Dungloe, Dun na nGall; 

2nd Cloney Flute Band, Ahoghill, 

Co. Antrim. 

COMORTAS 29; BuioN ROGHA 

GHLEAS: Fe 18: 1st Tw in Towns 

Community Band, Ballybofey, 

Co. Dun na nGall ; 2nd 

Donoghmoyne Youth Band, 

Castleblaney, Co. Muineachain; 

3rd Harp & Shamrock, Cl ara 

CCE, Offaly; Snr: 1st St 

Columbas, Manorcunningham, 

Co. Donegal; 2nd Buion Cheoil 

Cloich Cheana Fhaol , 

Falcarraigh, Co. Donegal; 3rd St. 

Nailes, Kinawley, Co. 

Ferman agh. 

BuioN CHEOIL PHioB: Aon Aois: 1st 

Clonoe Pipe Band, Coal isl and, 

Co. Tyrone; 2nd North Coast Pipe 

Band, USA; 3rd Aghagallow Pipe 

Band, Co. Antrim. 

AMHRAN GAEILGE MNA: Fe 12: 1st 

Nollaig Ni Laoire, Dunderry CCE, 

CO. na Mi; 2nd Eloise Ni Lorcain, 

Cr an Ceathru Ru a, Co. na 

Gaillimhe; 3rd Sinead 

Breathnach, Cr. Min na Croise 

CCE, CO. Dun na nGall ; 12/15: 

1st fde Nic Mhathuna, Cr Naithi 

CCE, Baile Atha Cliath; 2nd 

Bl athnaid Ni Dhonnachd a, 

Doora/Barefield, Co. an Chlair; 

3rd Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain, 

Caisleain a' Bharraigh CCt, Co. 

Mhaigh Eo; 15/18: 1st Bridin Ni 

Chonghaile, Indreabhain cd, 

Co. na Gaillimhe; 2nd Aistrid Ni 

Mhongain, Cr. Chriostoir Ui 

Chearnaigh cd, Co. Mhaigh Eo; 

3rd Emer Ni Fhoghlu, Cr. 

Thraolaigh Mhic Suibhne cd, 

Co. Chorcai; Snr: 1st Maire 

Ni Cheilleachair, Cr. Thraol ach 

Mhic Suibhne cd, Co. Chorcai; 

2nd Celia Ni Fhlatharta, Baile na 

hAbhann CCE, CO. na Gaillimhe; 

3rd Cait Nic Suibhne, Caisleain a' 

Bharraigh CCE CO. Mhaigh Eo. 

AMHRAN GAEILGE Fir: Fe 12: 1st 

Seam us Mac Chonchille, Cr. Min 

na Croise, Co. Dun na nGall ; 2nd 

Thomas Gleeson, Cr. Paddy 

O ' Brien Ormond CCE, CO. 

Thiobraid Arann; 3rd Aodh 

Breathnach, Cr. Min na Croise 

CCE, CO. Dun na nGall; 12/15; 

1st Oisin 6 Mongain, Cr 

Chriostoir Ui Chearnaigh cd, 

Co. Mhuigh Eo; 2nd Stiofan M ac 

Carthaigh, Cr. na Faille Moire 

CCE, CO. Chiarrai; 3rd Fiachra 

6 Mongain, Cr. Chriostoir Ui 

Chearnaigh CCE, CO. Mhaigh Eo; 

15/18: 1st Linus O'Donnell, Cr. 

Aghyaran CCE, CO. Hr Eoghain; 

2nd Conor Walsh, Lyreacromane 

CCE, Co. Chiarrai; 3rd Diarmuid 

Mac Gearailt, an Ghleann CCE, 

CO. Luimni; Snr: 1st Traolach 

6 Conghaile, Cr. Cathair na Mart 

CCE, CO. Mhaigh Eo; 2nd Naoise 

6 Mongain, Cr. Chriostoir Ui 

Chearnaigh cd, Co. Mhaigh Eo; 

3rd Bartie Breathn ach, Carna 

cd, Co. na Gaillimhe. 

AMHRAN BEARLA MNA: 1st Caitriona 

Ni Ghamhain, Atha Luain CCE, 

CO. Roscomain; 2nd Ann Marie 

Kavanagh, Buireas Ui Luioch 

CCE CO. Thiobraid Arann; 3rd 

Sarah Fleming, Corofin cd Co. 

na Gaillimhe; 12/15: 1st Catriona 

Roberts, Clonkeen CCE, CO. 

Chiarrai; 2nd fde Nic Mhathuna, 

Cr. Naithi cd, Baile Atha Cliath; 

3rd Naoimi Ni Fhi achra, 

Caisleain a' Bharraigh CCE, CO. 

Mhaigh Eo; 15/18: 1st Christina 

Pierce, Roscommon CCt, Co. 

Roscomain; 2nd Theresa 

Coleman, Leicester CCE, 

England; 3rd Denise Flaherty, 

Cloghan CCE, CO. Offaly; Snr: 1st 

Fionnuala O' Reilly, Drumsna 

cct Co. Liatroma; 2nd Aileen 

O'Connor, Ath Luain CCE, CO. 

Roscomain; 3rd Kathleen Ford, 

Cr. Leitir Ceannainn, Co. Dun na 

nGal1. 

AMHRAN BEARLA FIR: Fe 12: 1st Mark 

McKenna, Cr Emyvale CCE, CO. 

Muineachain; 2nd Ferdia 6 

Mongain, Cr. Chriostoir Ui 

Chearnaigh CCE, CO. Mhaigh Eo; 

3rd Ned Mulreedy, North London 

CCE; 12/15: 1st Phi lip Clarke, 

Clane CCE, CO. Kildare; 2nd 

Oisin 6 Mongain, Cr. Chriostoir 

Ui Chearnaigh CCE, CO. Mhaigh 

Eo; 3rd Thomas Hayes, Galway 

CCE CO. Gaillimh; 15/18: 1st 

Nicky Kealy, Carlow CCE, CO. 

Carlow; 2nd John Joe Williams, 

Cr Dun Lathai, Aontroma; 3rd 

Patrick Coil ins, Beanntrai cd, 

Co. Chorcai; Snr.: 1st John Power, 

Moonvoy, Tramore, Co. 

Waterford; 2nd Brendan Nugent, 

Cr. Dromore cd, r=o. Thir 

Eoghain; 3rd Padd y Costello, 

Headford CCt, Co. na Gaillimhe. 

FEADAiL: 1st Una Phelan, Mt. 

Mellick CCt, Co. Lao is ; 2nd 

Nadia Markey, Cr. Aughnamullen 

CCE, CO. Muineachain ; 3rd 

Samantha Reid, Aughrim cd, 

Co. Wicklow; 12/15: 1st Peter 

Cosgrove, Bannow CCE, CO. 

Wexford; 2nd Tony Curtin, 

Seipeal na Carraige cd, Co. 

Chorcai; 3rd Niall Markey, Cr. 

Aughnamullen CCE, CO. 

Muineachain; 15/18: 1st Claire 

Doherty, Bellaghy CCE, CO. 

Derry; 2nd Colm Coffer, Bannow 

CCt, Co. Wexford; 3rd 

Bernadette Collins, Seipeal na 

Carraige cd, Co. Chorcai; Snr: 

1st Liam 6 Caoimh, Aughrim 

CCE, CO. Wicklow; 2nd Michael 

O ' Dwyer, Sailbheaster 

MacConmhaigh CCE, CO. 

19

From Boston to San Francisco 

Kitty Curran of the Boston Convention 

committee pictured w ith Labhras 6 MurchU. 

Kitty is wife of travel agent and broadcaster 

John Curran. She is a sister of Paddy Ryan, 

Oifigeach Cheoil of Comhaltas. 

r:h 

he 

held in San Francisco on the 17/ 19 

1998 North American 

Convention of Comhaltas will be 

April. As a reminder of what is in store 

for those lucky enough to have made 

reservations for this great Irish cultural 

event, Boston's Frank Kennedy looks 

back on that most memorable 1997 

Convention. 

The continuing growth in popu larity of 

traditional Irish music and dance was in 

full evidence at the North American 

Convention of Comhaltas, he ld in Boston 

on April 11-13, 1997. Celebrating the 

25th ann iversary of Comhaltas in North 

America, nearly 2,000 people attended 

o§ilrs, music and dance workshops, 

seisiuns, meetings, lectures and a gala 

Saturday evening banquet. 

Co-chaired by Larry Reynolds and Frank 

Kennedy and supported by a very 

talented and hard-working committee, 

the convention attendees were very 

generous in their praise of the events, 

organisation, venue selection, and 

quality of the programmes. Workshop 

presenters included Seamus Connolly 

(fiddle); Paddy Keenan (uillean pipes); 

Jack Coen (flute); Gear6id 6 

hAllmhurain (concertina); Mick Maloney 

(banjo); Joe Derrane (piano accordion); 

Minister Alan Dukes, 

T.D . (centre) pictured 

wiht John and Kitty 

Curran (left) and Larry 

and Phyllis Reynolds at 

Convention '97. Larry 

was co-chairman of 

the Convention. 

Ceol go Maidin ag 

Comhdhail '97 I 

mBoston. 

Well Done, Bill! 

Convention cochairman 

Frank 

Kennedy (right) making 

a presentation to Bill 

McEvoy. 

One of the many fine 

sessions at Convention 

'97 in Boston. 

21

Feile shamhna 

Shamhna na gCrann/ 

Laethanta na Du i Ileoga (The 

!Jseile 

Samh ain Festival of Trees/The 

Days of the Leaves) is a unique annual 

celebration of trees initiated by Crann 

in 1996. It will take place between 1st 

October and 16th November 1997. The 

Feile is being facilitated by Crann 

through its Dublin Branch. A steering 

committee, made up of Crann and all 

interested tree organisations, will 

oversee the Feile which will consist of 

tree plantings, tree walks, tree talks and 

Irish/Celtic and international cultural 

events celebrating the function, folklore 

and mythology of trees in various 

cultures. There will be cultural 

exchanges and a celebration of the 

rainforests of the world, their 

indigenous peoples and the promotion 

of sustainable lifestyles in woodland 

settings, heralding in a new approach 

to woodland development for the next 

millennium which has been pioneered 

by Crann. Trees and tree-culture will be 

celebrated by means of pageantry, 

poetry, I iterature, music, song and 

dance. 

nagCrann 

A calendar of events will be prepared 

by the steering committee who hereby 

invite all interested organisations and 

individuals to make proposals to 

organise or sponsor events and/or 

venues. The Feile will include 

exhibitions of photography, painting, 

wood turning, other woodcrafts, wood 

sculpture together with demonstrations 

of wood crafts and forestry techniques. 

Events will take place at suitable 

venues throughout Ireland both North 

and South and at various venues 

throughout the world. 

If you are interested in any aspect of 

Feile Shamhna na gCrannILaethanta na 

Duilleoga (The Samhain Festival of 

Trees/The Days of Leaves) please 

contact the Steering Committee at: 

erann Dublin & East branch 

107 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 3. 

Telephone 01 661 4926 or 8325415 

Fax 01 661 4959 

Che Humours of Cu 11a 

2 

he Humours of Tulla started in 

1996 to mark the 50th 

anniversary of the Tulla Ceilf Band 

and the 60th anniversary of the Tulla 

Pipe Band . The celebrations were such 

a success that it was decided to 

continue this year. 

Our aim is to provide as much 

traditional music as we can afford over 

the weekend and to do this as cheaply 

as possible. We had cover charges last 

year of £1. I enclose posters of this 

year's events. We haven't yet decided 

on cover charges but the charges for 

the night time Ceilfs will probably be 

£2 (which is as good as anyone can 

hope for). The financial aim of the 

weekend is to break even. All the listed 

pub sessions will be free. 

I would appreciate any publicity you 

might be able to give us in your 

magazine. 

Micheal 6 T6rpaigh 

Martin Cooney 

t 

We were very saddened and 

shaken on Monday morning, 

25th August in Ballina when 

we learned that Martin Cooney, 

flautist had died at a music session at 

Fleadh na hEireann on Sunday night 

(R.I.P.). 

Martin was one of the well-known 

Cooney family in musical and 

dancing circles from Littleton. The 

esteem in which he was held was 

reflected in the huge attendance at 

the funeral on both days. 

At Requiem Mass on Thursday in 

Glengoole, musicians came from all 

parts of the country including piper 

Eamon Walsh who was responsible 

for Ball ina being chosen to host 1997 

Fleadh . There were wonderful tunes 

played before, during and after Mass 

by local and faraway musicians. 

Just before Martin's remains left the 

church we had music from Joe Burke 

and Martin's son Michael on pipes 

with his nephew Michael Cooney 

dancing on altar steps in celebration 

of Martin's life and his love for music. 

The huge congregation included 

Senators Labhras 6 Murchu and Des 

Hanafin, Padraig 6 Ceallaigh former 

President of Comhaltas Ceolt6irf 

Eireann and Michael O'Kennedy, T.D . 

The cortege was met on the outskirts 

of Littleton by Moycarkey Pipe Band 

and escorted into the graveyard, and 

despite the inclement weather we 

had more music after the burial. 

Martin will be sadly missed from the 

Wednesday nights' music sessions in 

'The Monks'. 

Condolences to Martin's wife, his 

three daughters and three sons and 

his extended family. 

P.R.O. Thiobraid Arann 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

gq

is based, in fact, on an ancient Wexford 

folk-tune. Limerick Poet Robert Dwyer 

Joyce wrote the words, and recalled that 

the accompanying Air was very popular 

throughout M unster in his youth . It was 

said to have been 'Iilted by a defiant 

Wexford rebel retreati ng after the Battle 

of Vinegar Hill'. It was first published in 

Dwyer-Joyce's 'Ancient Irish Music' of 

1812, and also included in Hoffman's 

Edition of George Petrie's 'Ancient Music 

of Ireland' (Page 50). Undoubtedly, the 

true fighting sp irit of Wexfordmen is 

encapsul ated in the following lines: 

'I want no gold to nerve my arm 

to die a true man's part, 

To free my land I'd gladly give 

the red drops fro m my heart. 

CHORUS 

We are the Boys of 

Wexford 

Who fought with heart 

and hand, 

To burst in twain the 

galling chain 

and free our native land'. 

The ballad 

'BOOLAVOGUE' is 

certa inly everyone's 

favourite for patri oti c as 

well as for sentimental 

reasons! It is sung to a tune 

known as 'Youghal 

Harbour', and was first 

published in the 'Irish Weekly 

Independent' of January 18, 1898, the 

Centenary year of the '98 Rebellion. Its 

author, the highly esteemed Patrick J. 

McCall, is believed to have found 

inspiration for it in an old ballad ca lled 

'Come all Ye Warriors'. A va ri ant is found 

in Fr Patri ck Walsh's famous 'SONGS OF 

THE GAEL' (Part 4, Page 150), under the 

title 'Fr Murphy of Co. Wexford'. It is also 

closely akin to another well-known song, 

'At Monaseed on a Su mmer Morning'. 

The 'Boolavogue' song simply records 

the earl y Victories of the Insurgents, and 

recalls the ghou lish death meted out to 

their revered mentor and leader, Fr John 

Murphy: 

'At Vinegar Hill, o'er the pleasant Slaney, 

Our heroes vainly stood back to back, 

And the Yoes at Tullow took Fr Murphy, 

And burned his body upon the rack'. 

Irish 

Wooden Flutes 

Ltd 

(Tom Ganley) 

Manufacturers of: 

V Wooden Concert Flutes 

V Wooden Whistles & Fifes 

Loughlynn 

Castlerea, Co. Roscommon 

Tel: (0907) 80115 

_____________________________________________ 29

D'6rdaigh si Leacht ar 

Uaigh Uaifteiri 

Se6n Ua Cearnaigh 

a corradh le hocht scar bliain 

imithe a d'eag Antoine 6 2; Reachtabhra, Raifteiri na namhran, 

a ndea rn a a chuid saothair rud eigin 

chun cian a thogail de mhuintir a linne. 

Fos fein ta a ain m in airde in Eirinn agus 

ta eil eam h agus rachairt ar a chuid 

amhran agus danta i gconaf. Bhi 

Raifteiri ar na fili pobail ba mho a 

saolaiod h i gCu ige Co nnachta agus ta 

neart scealta gleoite aga inn faoi eachtrai 

airithe a bhain do fein no da chairde 

aimsir a bheo. 

Ta an t- ad h I inn sa mheid gur mhai r 

cuimhne na n-eachtraf sea go beD 

brfomhar i measc cu id den dream a bhi 

ar an sao l aimsi r Raifteirf, agus gur chas 

cu id de na daoine sea ar Dhubhglas de 

hide breis agus tri scar bliain i ndiaidh 

bhas an fhile gur ini s siad roinnt eigin 

den bhealoideas sea do. Mar sin nu air 

a thwg de hide faoina leabhr mar 

ABHRAIN agus DANTA an 

REACHTABHRAIGH a chur le cheil e 

bhf se in ann cuid de na scealta cea nn a 

a nascadh leis an bpriomh-abhar. 

D'eag Raifteirf ofche Nollag, 1835. 

Cuireadh e i reilig Chill Fhinfn oiche La 

'le Stiofain, ce gur oiche sto irmiuil 

ghaothmhar a bhi ann agus nach raibh 

mar sholas ag lu cht deanta na hu aighe 

ach cup la coinnea l nior mucad h na 

soi ll sf oiread agus uair amhai n, rud a 

thug le fios do gach einne a bhi ar an 

lathair, gur dhuine naofa ab ea an 

Reachtabhrach. 

Uaigh Can Leacht 

D'ainneoin sin, Mach, nior smaoinigh 

einne ri amh ar leac ht bheag no 

com hartha eigin eil e a ardu os cionn 

uaigh Raifteirf. Breis agus seasca bliain i 

ndiaidh a bhais chu ala an Bantiarna 

Gregory i bPairc na Cu ile scea lta agus 

sea nchas faoi Raifteirf a thaitin go mar 

lei. Rith se lei gur choir leacht cuf a ardu 

os cionn uaigh an fhile i gC il1 Fhinfn. 

Chu aigh sf i gcomhar le Dubhglas de 

hide agus ca irde eil e na Gaeilge gur 

socrafodh ar bheart a dhea namh gan 

mhoill. Ach bfodh an chuid eile den 

scea l aga inn on gCraoibhin Aoibhinn: 

'Do fagad h an file mar sin ins an tseanreilig 

i gC il1 Fhinin 'na chod lad h go 

samh i measc na ndao ine d'aithnigh se 

agus do ghrad haigh se. CU ig bliana agus 

trf fichid do 'na chod ladh ansin go ciu in, 

gan a chodlad h bheith buartha, go 

dtainig an seu la fichid de Lun asa, 1900. 

Do cru innfodh an la sin slu a mar daoi ne 

le cheil e as na bailte timpeall, agus 

daoine do thainig a 'bhfad, agus sagart 

oirmhinneach an pharoiste, agus daoine 

mar Eadbhard Martain a Cha islean 

Tulach an Adhartha, dha mhfle deag as 

sin, agus an Bhantiarna Gregory as an 

gCU il i bhfad don taobh suas den 

chontae, agus an tAthair Consaid in agus 

Dubhglas de hfde 

Bantiarna Cregory 

moran daoine eil e as Gaillimh, agus 

udar na Ifnte sea mar an gceanna. Do 

cruinn fodh iad ansin, idir fsea l agus 

uasa l, idir shean agus og, le onoir do 

thabhairt don fhile marbh. Ba fan 

Bhantiarna Gregory cionn-tsiocair an 

cru innithe. Fuair sf amach go dfreach an 

ait a cu ireadh e, agus ansin do thog si 

cloch ard alainn os cionn na hu aighe, 

agus ainm an fhile i nGaeil ge i litreacha 

air. Is f do ch uimhnigh ar dte,s ar a 

dheanamh, agus is uirthi a thit an costas, 

no an ch uid ba mho de. Lead h urnaithe 

na hEag laise os comhar an tslua, agus 

do rinneadh oraidf i nG ae il ge ag moladh 

an Reachtabhraigh.' 

File agus Tfrghrath6ir 

Taimid-ne, Gaeil na hEireann, mortasach 

i gconaf as Antoine 6 Reachtabhra, file 

agus tirghrathoir. Ta imid broduil as na 

danta a chum se faoi chursaf chearta 

agus sao irse na hEireann. Is iomaf duine 

a thug taitneamh do na ham hrain aille 

gra (leitheidi 'Maire Nf Eidhin' agus 

'Bridfn Bheasaigh) a chum se. 

Bfmis buioch fre isin don mbeirt 

Phrotastunach Ghaelac h ud, an 

Crao ibh fn Aoibhinn agus an Bh antiarn a 

Gregorya rinne rud fiuntach chun a 

ainm agus a shaothar a ardLi agus a 

chur chun cinn. 

Dala an scea l, ta Aine agus Ca itrfona, 

beirt gharinfon na Bantiarn a Gregory, 

beD briomhar i gconaf, bail a Dhia 

orthu . I Sasana a mhaireann Aine ac h 

ta conai ar Chaitriona Uf Chinneide 

(nee G.regory) in aice le Chill Bheithne i 

gCo. Luimnigh le blianta fada. 

50 __________________________________________________ __

Historical and Patriotic Ballads 

Che Ballad Lore of Wexford - Part 2 

Gear6id 6 Broin 

2 

he Historical and Patriotic 

Ballads recall in plaintive tones 

or fiery notes the struggles lost 

and won by our forebears. They 

certainly helped to weld together the 

downtrodden and the dispossessed, 

inspiring them 'To unite and be united'. 

They were, in fact, a subtle form of 

propaganda by aptly giving utterance to 

their inherent convictions and national 

aspirations - influencing, ultimately, the 

course of Iri sh history thereby. The 

emotional power of the words are often 

enhanced by the magic of the melodies 

accompanying them. 

What historians describe as 'Wexford's 

blackest day' is fittingly commemorated 

in a melancholy ballad entitled 'THE 

WEXFORD MASSACRE', written by M.J. 

Barry. It recalls the ghou lish deeds of 

the notorious Cromwell, who, arriving 

at the town gates on October 3, 1649, 

demanded the unconditional surrender 

of the Commander, Co l. David Sinnott. 

He firmly refused to do so. But after 

sinister days of 'parlying' and bribing, 

Col. Stafford, defender of the castle, 

traitorously threw open the gates. Then, 

turning his murderous heavy guns on 

the helpless town folk, a barbarous 

massacre ensued. 

Three hundred defenceless women and 

children, kneeling around the hallowed 

High Cross in the Bullring, were 

ruthlessly slaughtered as Cromwell 

proclaimed that he was merely carrying 

out 'The Word of the Lord' . With i n a 

few days 1,800 of the towns garri son 'of 

2,000' had also been 'done to death'. 

But no era in local history fired the 

imag ination of ba ll admen more than the 

short-lived REBELLION of 1798. It 

prompted a 'Springtide' of ballad-writing. 

So popular were they that no Collection 

of Irish Ballads would be deemed 'trul y 

representative' without the inclusion of 

the popular Wexford Songs. 

The Rebellion flared-up on Whit 

Monday, May 23rd, as a result of the 

provocative burning of Boolavogue 

church, whereupon the local priest, Fr 

John Murphy, advised his parishioners: 

'Twould be far better for you to die 

courageously on the field of battle, than 

be butchered helplessly in your own 

homes'. Hundreds instantly rallied to the 

call, and although ill-equipped, 

untrained for battle, and poorly 

organised, their breathless 'trai l of early 

successes and victories' revealed that 

many of the insurgents were 'born 

fighters' . Alas, the peace-loving farming 

folk of Co. Wexford had to endure 

appalling atrocities and barbaric tortures 

in the meantime - bayoneting, pitchcapping, 

half-hanging, and homewrecking. 

The Triangle and the Gibbet 

were hastily erected in every Barony. The 

final Episode was the crushing defeat of 

the poorly-armed Pikemen in the Battle 

of Vinegar Hill on June 21, and the 

revengeful, indiscriminate hanging of 

some 70 insurgents on Wexford Bridge. 

Of the great outflow of 1 798 Ballads still 

published in modern Anthologies, the 

most favoured include: Boolavogue; 

Kelly from Killane; The Boys of Wexford; 

At Monaseed in Sweet Co. Wexford; 

Variants of The Croppy Boy and The 

Three Bullet Gate; Ballyshannon Lane; 

Bagenal Harvey's Farewell; The Wexford 

Insurgent; The Men of '98; Colclough's 

Farewell; The Battle of Vinegar Hill; The 

Wexford Pikemen; The Priests of '98; 

and The Heroine of Ross. Few ballads 

better express the fighting sp irit of 

Wexford folk more than 'The Boys of 

Wexford' - off times referred to as 'The 

Wexfordmen's National Anthem' ! 

Indeed, discerning ba ll adists would not 

deem any Collection of Irish Ballads 

'completely representative' without the 

inclusion of that spirited martial song. It

6 Bheal go Beal 

Barra 6 Donnabh6in 

Comhaltas members and readers of Treoir will be pleased to learn that Timire Cheoil 

Seamus MacMathuna - pictured here with his daughter (de, a champion concertina 

player - is making a speedy recovery from his recent illness. 

Seamas, who was overwhelmed by the many messages of goodwill which 

he received, wishes to convey heartfelt thanks to all concerned. 

cS 

a bhliain d'aois an Tiarna 1908 

thairg an tOireachtas duais ar an 

insint ab fhearr a chuirff chuchu 

den sceal Toraiocht Dhiarmada agus 

Ghrainne - fe mar a thainig se anuas ar 

bheal na ndaoine. Bean Mheirceanach a 

bhi taobh thiar den chomortas seo agus 

dob I a loch as. Gertrude Schoepperle 

ab ainm di. Chuir go leor daoine isteach 

ar an gcomortas seo, ach fear darbh 

ainm Amhlaoibh 6 LUlnse a bhuaigh ar 

deireadh e. 

Leirfonn an scea l sin an t6ir a bhfodh 

ar na sean scea lta ag na sco lairf agus 

an borrad h agus fas a bhl fao i oba ir na 

Gaeil ge i dtUs na haoise seo. Is ar 

larthar Chorcal a bhl tarraingt na 

cathrach (Corca igh) ag an am. Peadar 

6 Lao ire is m6 ba chuis le sin. Deir 

Donncha 6 Cr6infn narbh ao n radharc 

nea mh-choitianta, sa tsaol san, scata f 

de lucht rothalochta a fheiscint ag triall 

in aghaidh an aird siar, ar th6ir gaoithe 

agus Gaeil ge in iarthar an chontae. Ina 

measc bhlodh an tAimhirgfn eac h, 

Tom as 6 Rathi rJ e, Gear6id 6 Murchu 

agus D6nal 6 Corcora . Ar Cuil Aodha 

ba mhinicf a gheofa iad i n-aga llamh le 

Amhlao ibh, n6 le D6nal Ban 6 

Ceileac hair n6 a leitheidf eil e. 

Ar Cu il Aodha, i bpar6iste Bh ail e 

Mhuinle, a ru gadh Amh laoibh (1872- 

1947). I bhfforthosach na haoise bhuaigh 

se craobh an O ireachtais ar scea lafocht, 

dha bhliain as a cheile. Bhf a ainm in 

airde ar fud an domhain Ghaelaigh, ar 

fead h leath-chead blian, mar sheanachaf 

agus mar eigeas. Th6g Sean 6 Cr6infn, 

ar dheis De go raibh se, breis is 1600 

leathanach lamhscrfbhinne sfos 6 

bhea laithris Amhlaoibh i 1943-44. Ta 

idir scea lta, seanachas, amhrain, ranna 

agus tearm afocht sa chnusacht sin. Ag 

sea sfos sceilfn amhain as an n-dfolaim. 

'Rainig go raibh straca ire fir gan puinn 

airgid i gCobh Chorcaf uair amhain . 

D'oir d6 dui go M eiricea, ac h b'shin f 

an mhac hail , nf raibh ao n airgead aige 

agus cad a bhf aige le deanamh ? 

D'ealaigh se isteach ar chuma eigint ar 

an loing. Is d6cha go raibh cuid eigint 

ac u ag deanamh scath dh6, ach nforbh 

aon chabhai r e mar chonaic an 

ca ptaein e agus b'eigin d6 imeacht. 

Ach sar ar imigh an long dhein se se ift 

eigin ar eal6 isteac h arfs. Th6g se se ilbh 

i bpoll eigin inti, agus greim bfdh ag 

duine eigint a bhai li C, chuige i ngan 

fhios, chun go rabhadar dultha in aice 

an chuain i Meiricea.' 

'Fail I eigint da bhfuair se ar ea lu amach 

as an gcuinne go raibh se i ngan fhios, 

anairde leis, agus chaith e fein amach 

sa bhfarraige. Thosnaigh ar snamh ac h 

ba ghairid a bhf se aniuigh nuair a 

conaiceas e. Liuigh an captaei n go 

gcaithff an fear a shaora. Fuarath as 

greim air ac h nforbh aon chabhair ed'eitigh 

se dui isteac h ar an loing. 

Dhein an captaein tathaint air. 

'Nf raghad,' ar se. 'Nach m6r an t-athru 

atha taga ithe ort 6 chuirfs amach me i 

gC6bh Chorcaf? 'H im i ndiaidh na 

loinge i gcaitheamh na haimsi re 6 shin, 

agus nuair go bhfui lim tagaithe go dtf 

so nf hao n mh oill dom an chuid eile 

den ts lf a shnamh!' 

'Ach dhein m6ran tathaint air agus 

gheall m6ran ai rgid a thabhairt d6 ach 

teacht isteach . Thai ni g, agus cu ireadh 

air cul aithe mhaith eadaigh.' 

'B'e an chead rud a dhein an captaein 

na f6gra chuir ar na paipeir go raibh 

aige an snamhaf ab fhearr sa domhan, 

is go gcuirfead h mile punt gill ar a 

shon. Nforbh fhada gur thainig snamhaf 

maith agus chuir geall go snam hfad h se 

fein leis.' 

'Nuair a thainig an la chun an 

chom6rtais bhf na slu aite a' ba iliu fe 

dhein na farraige san ait go raibh an 

snamh le dea namh . Bhf an tEirea nn ach 

ag cur de fe dhein an chuain agus an 

snamhaf eil e in aonacht leis. Chonaic se 

ar a' slf dh6 sea na-bhloc iarainn, agus 

thosna igh ar umpai l roimis amach.' 

'Ca raghair le sin,' arsa an snamhaf eil e. 

'Bearfaim fd linn go hEirinn e.' 'Gab ha 

isea m'ath air, agus nfl aon bhluire den 

inneoin aige ach c10ch mh6r.' 'Nf 

mhoth6imfd e a bhreith linn ead rainn 

sa tsnamh.' 'A Dhi a, bfodh an diabhal 

agat! ' arsan fear eil e, n6 ce fh eadfadh 

snamh go hEirinn ?' 

'Nil ach cu pl a la,' arsan tEirean nach, '6 

thanag-sa anso. 'Chuir an ca ptaein 

amach as an loing me i gCorcaigh.' 

'S namhas i ndiaidh na loinge agus bhfos 

ansa chomh luath leis! ' 'Nrlim-se ch un 

snamh leat,' ar seisean, 'nf fheadfainn 

dui leath na slf leat. Ta mo ghea ll ca illte 

agam, agus bfodh se agat-sa n6 ag pe 

fear a chuir ar do shon el' 

26 ____________________________________________ __

Thiobraid Arann ; 3rd John 

Mulall y, St. Louis Irish Arts cct 

USA. 

PORTAIREACHT: Fe 12: 1 st Mairead 

Ni Chea llachain , Teampaill a 

Gh leanntain CcE, Co. Luimni; 

2nd G ili Ni Ghaibhin, Caisleain 

a Bharraig cct Co. Mhaigh Eo; 

3rd Sarah Finnigan, Li verpool 

CcE, England; 12/15: 1 st Piaras 

Mac Eochagain, Tarbert CCI', Co. 

Chiarrai; 2nd Grainne 

Ni Chea llachain , Teampaill a 

Gh leanntain CCI', Co. Luimni; 

3rd Kate Burke, Li verpool CCE, 

England; 15/18: 1 st Theresa 

Coleman, Leicester CCI', 

England; 2nd Bemadette Coli ins, 

Seipeal na Carraige CCE, CO. 

Chorcai; 3rd Claire Doherty, Cr. 

Bell aghy CC 1', Co. Doire; Snr: 1 st 

Donna Mulca hy, Seipea l na 

Carraige CCE, CO. Chorcai; 2nd 

O liver Kearney, Edenderry CCI' 

Co. Kildare; 3rd Raymond 

Dineen, Redcross, Co. Wicklow. 

AMHAAN NUA CEAPTHA; AON AOls: 1 st 

Fionnan Mac Neidhe, Piercetown 

CCE, CO. Wexford; 2nd Liam 

6 Donnacha, Uaran M6r CCE, CO. 

na Gai llimhe; 3rd Tomas Mac 

Aodh Bhui, Ci ll Ceannaigh. 

COMORTAS 38 NEWLY COMPOSED 

BALLADS; ANY ACE: 1 st R6i sin Bn 

Ui Cheall aigh, Cr. an 

Choisdealbha CCE, CO. M haigh 

Eo; 2nd Joe O'Toole, Cr. 

Ballymacnab CCE, CO. Ard 

Mhacha; 3rd Fionnuala O'Reilly, 

Drumsna CCI', Co. Liatrama; 

COMHAA GAEILCE: Fe 9: 1 st Eoghan 

Mac Su ibhne, cr. Min na Croise 

CCE, Dun na nGall ; 2nd Noride 

Ni M hui mhneachain, Lai chtin 

Naofa CCE, Co. Chorcai; 3rd 

Deirbhle Ni Chonchille, Cr. Min 

na Cra ise CCE, CO . Dun na 

nGa ll ; 9/11: 1st Ferclia 6 

Mongain, Cr. Chriost6ir 

Ui Chearnaigh CCE, CO. M haigh 

Eo; 2nd Sineacl Breathnach, Cr. 

Min na Craise, Dun na nGall; 3rd 

Deirdre Breath nach, Cr. Min na 

Craise CcE, Co. Dun na nGall ; 

11/13; 1st Eibhlin Ni Aodha, Cr. 

Ch loich Ceann Fhao la CCE, Co. 

Dun na nGall ; 2nd Emma Nic 

Ghiolla-Phadraig, Cr. Caislean a' 

Bharraigh CCE, CO. M haigh Eo; 

3rd Neasa Ni Ch iarain, Bre, Co. 

Cill Mhanta in ; 13/15: 1st 

M ichael 6 Gall achobhair, Cr. 

Newcastle CCE, CO. an Dun; 2nd 

Una Ni Mhonachan, Cr. Loch 

Lao, Co. Aontrama; 3rd Beibhinn 

Ni M hongain, Cr. Chriost6ir Ui 

Chearnaigh CCI', Co. M haigh Eo; 

15/18; 1 st Clioclhna Dunne, Cr. 

Leitir Ceanainn CCE, Dun na 

nGall ; 2nd Aistrid Ni Mhonga in, 

Cr. Chriost6ir Ui Chearn aigh 

CCE, CO. Mhaigh Eo; 3rd Ros 

M ac Th6im, Port na Brinne 

Mainne, Doire. 

RINCi SEll: 1 st 

Ballydonoghue 

Ch iarrai; 3rd 

t S16n, a Mhlchll Dhllis 

r:h 

he death of Micheal 6 Lochlainn, 

Trustee of Co mh altas Ceolt6irf 

Eireann, has left an unfillable void 

in the worl dwide cultural movement. In 

a graveside oration, the Ardstiurth6ir, 

Labh ras 6 Murchu, spoke of Micheal's 

lifetime of unstinted service in the 

cause of native cu lture. 'He was loya l, 

dedica ted and effective. He was a true 

friend; a man of unshakeable bel iefs; 

and a scholar of note.' 

A member of the Gard a Sfochana for 

many yea rs and later an employee of 

Allied Irish Finance, Micheal was 

introduced to Irish music and things 

traditional through his teacher in 

Carron, Paddy Flanagan, later to be 

reinforced at Ennistymon CBS w ith 

Michael Mulqueeney. 

On leaving school he joined the Garda 

Siochana and was stationed in Dublin 

for five years. The opportunity didn't 

present itse lf to indulge in his great love 

of Irish music though he was quite an 

exponent of the fiddle which he learn ed 

from Michey Hoga n in Enni stymon. 

St. Johns; 2nd 

/ Lisselton, Co. 

1049 Eng l ish 

Under-I 2 concert flute champion 

Michael King of Tournafola/ 

Cill {de CCE, receiving the Peg 

McGrath Needham cup fro m 

joe Needham. 

It was w hen transferred to Gortnahoe 

(Tipperary) on the Kilkenny border, that 

Micheal was to find ready outlet for his 

love of music. The Sergeant there, 

Michael Dempsey from Offaly, was also 

a fiddle exponent and coin cidentally 

another Garda there, Thomas Looney, 

w ho hail ed from Frey, Miltown Malbay, 

was also keenly interested. In an ear ly 

conve rsation with Thomas, it transpired 

that he had played the concertin a at the 

wedding of Michael's parents. 

Musical Background 

There were a number of very talented 

musicians in the Gortnahoe area and 

many an hour was spent in gen ial 

company, playing and exchanging tunes. 

There too, Michael met his future w ife 

Kitty Lannigan. He was transferred to 

Crookstown in Cork and when 

Comhaltas was founded in 195 1, he was 

there to bring the 'message' to Cork, 

when transferred in to the city. In Cork, 

he worked on chrime investigation 

Senior fiddle champion Ursula 

8yrne of Co. Down, receiving the 

Coleman cup from the illustrious 

Clare fiddle player Paddy Cann. 

Paddy was himself the first ever 

winner of this tropy. 

Martyrs; 15/18: 1 st 

Carrickcruppen; 2nd St. 

M ichaels; 3rd Galbally; Snr: All 

Ladies: 1 st West Clare Ladies; 

2nd Elphin, Co. Roscommon; 3rd 

Ga lba ll y; Snr: All Mixed: 1 st 

Elphin, Co. Roscommon; 2nd 

Tull a, Co. Clare; 3rd Gleneagle, 

Co. Kerry. 

M icheal 6 Lochlainn 

mostly but also found time to spread the 

Comhaltas news, being instrumental in 

the founding of the first branch in the 

city, of w hi ch he became Chairman. He 

was soon to graduate to Cha irmanship 

of the Cork Cou nty Board, a position he 

held fo r twenty-one yea rs . 

At the time of his unanimous election 

as National President, Micheal was also 

Chairman of the Munster Council, so 

that he has had the distinction of be ing 

Branch, County Board, Provincial and 

National leader - all at the same time. 

A tireless worker for Comhaltas and a 

great believer in the promotion of Iri sh 

music and indeed everything Irish. 

20 ________________________________________________ ___

Ath Luain ccI'., co. Roscomai n; 

2nd Paul Moran, Corofin CCE, 

CO. na Ga illimhe; 3rd John 

Gavin, St Ceci li as ccI'., Co. an 

Chlair. 

BANJo: Fe 12: 1 st Stephen Madden, 

Doora-Barefield CC 1'., Co. an 

Chlair; 2nd Daire McGeown, Cr 

Clanbrassil CCE, Ard Mhacha; 

3rd Matthew Griffen, St Albans 

cd, England; 12/15: 1 st Cliona 

Ni Choisdealbha, Roscrea cd, 

co. Thiobraid Arann ; 2nd Piaras 

Mac Eochagain, Tarbert ccI'., Co. 

Chiarrai; 3rd Haley Farrell, St 

Albans CCE, England; 15/18: 1 st 

Sean Mac Fhinn, Ma Rua / An 

Cheapach Mh6r CCE, CO. 

Luimni; 2nd Orl a Corcoran, 

Castletown Geoghegan CCE, CO. 

Westmeath ccI'.; 3rd Eamonn 

Loughran, Cr. Baile Mhic an Aba 

CCE, Co. Ard Mhaca; Snr: 1 st 

Brian MacGearailt, Naomh 

Mhichil ccI'., Co. Luimni; 2nd 

Brian Kelly, North London ccI'., 

England; 3rd Enda Scahi ll, 

Corofin ccI'., Co. na Gaillimhe. 

Mandolin: Fe 12: 1 st Eugene 

Hackett, Cr Galbally, Tfr Eoghain; 

2nd Daire McGeown, Cr 

Clanbrassil, Ard Mhacha; 3rd 

Ronan 6 Domhnallain, Gord na 

mB6 CCE, cO. Mhuigheo; 12/15; 

1 st Col in McDonagh, Corofin 

ccI'., Co. na Ga illimhe; 2nd 

Christop her O'Connor, Nth . 

London CCE; 3rd Ciaran Fletcher, 

Cr. St. Mochuas, Ard M hacha; 

15/18: 1 st Eamon Loughran, Cr 

Ballymacnab, Ard Mhacha; 2nd 

Eilish Brennan, Cr Corcaghan, 

M uineachan; 3rd Deirdre 

Dillane, Tarbert cd, co. 

Chiarrai; Snr: 1 st Brian Kell y, 

North London CCE; 2nd Colm 

6 hUaithnin, Cathair Dun 

lasca igh ccI'., Co. Thiobraid 

Arann ; 3rd Geraldine Lyons, 

O'Caro lan ccI'., Manchester. 

PIANO: Fe 12: 1 st Eoin Hernon, 

Coleman Trad. Soc. ccI'., Sligo; 

2nd Karen Wa lsh, Craobh 

Cabhain ccI'., An Cabhain; 3rd 

Aisling Bu rke, Ferns ccI'., 

Wexford; 12/15: 1st Haze l 

Bholsteir, Cr Cronai n ccI'., Co. 

Chorcai; 2nd Adele Farrell, 

O'Carolan ccI'., Manchester; 3rd 

Triona Liddy, Abbey ccI'., Co. an 

Chlair; 15/18: 1 st Sinead Doyle, 

Enniscorthy CCI'., Wexford ; 2nd 

Paul Ryan, Roscrea ccI'., Co. 

Thiobraid Ara nn ; 3rd Sinead 

Ward, Drumsna ccI'., Co. 

Li atroma; Snr: 1 st Ca itriona 

Cu llivan, An Cabhan; 2nd 

M ichelle O'Leary, St Wilfrid 's 

ccI'., Manchester; 3rd Charles 

O'Connor, Ath Luain cd, co. 

Roscomain. 

MELODEON: Fe 12: 1st Sear6n Nic 

Atnhlaidh , Gord na mB6 ccI'., 

Co. Mha igh Eo; 2nd Caoimhin 

6 Loinsigh, Gill Bheolain cd, 

co. Chorcai; 3rd Ruairi Tower, Cr. 

is 

Baile Mhic an Aba ccI'., co. Ard 

M haca; 12/1 5: 1st Michelle 

Ni Mhaolcathaigh, Teampail l a 

Ghleannta in ccI'., Co. Luimni; 

2nd Cli ve Earley, Doora-Barefield 

cd, co. an Chlair; 3rd Belinda 

Long, Bannow ccI'., Co. 

Wexford; 15/18: 1 st Damien 

Connoll y, Abbey ccI'., Co. an 

Ch lair; 2nd Jona th an Roche, 

Castle island ccI'., Co. Ch iarrai; 

3rd Kate Marquis Cr. 

Aughn amu llen cct Co. 

Muineachain; Snr: 1 st Peadar 

Mac Ei l, Cathair na Mart ccI'., Co. 

Mhaigh Eo; 2nd Oliver Diviney, 

Uaran M6r ccI'., Co. na 

Gaillimhe; 3rd Deirdre Jordan, 

Mount Leinster CCE, CO. 

Wexford. 

BODHRAN: Fe 12: 1 st P61 6 

Domhnallain, Gord na mB6 ccI'., 

co. Maigh Eo; 2nd Adam 

Geoghegan, Cr. Aughnamullen 

ccI'., Co. Muineachain ; 3rd 

Dam ien O'Reil y, Cr Corofin ccI'. 

Co. an Chl air; 12/15: 1 st Kevin 

Geraghty, Tara cd, Manchester; 

2nd Peter O'Kane, Cr. Errigal 

ccI'., Co. Doire; 3rd Ferga l 

Scahill, Cr. Cora Finne ccI'., Co. 

na Gail limhe; 15/18: 1st Brian 

GaNin, Clontarf CC£'., Baile Atha 

Cliath; 2nd Richard Herity, South 

Luton cd, England; 3rd Risteard 

6 Loin, Cr. Muinchile ccI'., Co. 

an Cabhain ; Snr: 1 st Junior 

Davey, South Sligo ccI'. Sl igo; 

2nd Peter O'Brien, West London 

cd, England; 3rd Aidan Flood, 

Edwardstown ccI'., Co. Longford; 

PioB MHOR: Fe 12: 1 st David 

Markey, Scotshouse, Clones, Co. 

Monaghan; 12/15: 1 st Gareth 

O'Neill, Coalisland Co. Tyrone; 

2nd Brendan 6 Maolfhabhail, 

Scoil Acla, co. Mhaigh Eo; 3rd 

Orla Colleton, Allenwood ccI'., 

Co. Ki Id are; 15/18: 1 st John 

Canavan, Coal island ccI'., Co. 

Tyrone; 2nd lan Hamilton, Mid 

West ccI'., USA; 3rd Ciot 6 

Maill e, Scoi l Acl a, co. Mhaigh 

Eo; Snr: 1 st Domhnall 

6 hU all achain, Ba ll ybuni on 

cd, co. Chiarrai; 2nd Oliver 

O'Neill, Coalisland, Co. Tyrone; 

3rd Colin Meaghar, Martin 

Mulvihill CCE, USA. 

ROGHA GHlEAS: Fe 12: 1 st Arjuna 

Balaranjan, Takoma Park, MD. 

USA; 2nd Oisin 6 Lochlainn, Cr. 

Corcaghan ccI'. co. 

Muineachain; 3rd Kieran Mallet, 

Peterborough ccI'., England ; 

12/15: 1st Brian Mooney, 

Ballydonoghue / Li sselton ccI'., 

Co. Chiarrai; 2nd Fergal Scahi ll , 

Corofi n ccI'., Co. na Gai llimhe; 

3rd Laura Ryan, Roscrea ccI'., 

Co. Thi obraid Arann; 15/18: 1 st 

Ao ife Ni Ghrianbhil, Cr. an 

Aghasaigh, ccI'., Co. Chiarrai; 

2nd Kate Marquis, Cr. 

Aughnamullen ccI'., Co. 

Muineachain; 3rd Brendan Rae, 

Under-i8 concertina champion Padraig Rynne (right) with friends. 

Dungannon, Co. Thir Eoghain; 

Snr: 1 st Trudy O'Donnell, Cr 

Leitir Ceanainn CC£'., Co. Dun na 

nGall; 2nd Cliff Moses, Cr. Francis 

O'Neill, cd, USA; 3rd Caitriona 

Ni Chlochasaigh, Castl econnell / 

Ahane / Herbertstown CCE, CO. 

Luimnf. 

DRUMAi: Fe 12: 1 st Stepth en 

O'Leary, North London ccI'. 

England; 2nd Ciaran Maher, Sean 

Treacy CC£'., Baile Atha Cliath ; 3rd 

Lisa Kane, North London ccI'. 

England ; 12/15: 1 st Barry 

Geoghegan, Cr Aughnamu llen 

ccI'. Co. Muineachain; 2nd 

Ri chard Murray, Oranmore ccI'., 

Co. na Gaillimhe; 3rd M ichael 

O'Connell, Doora-Barefield cd 

co. an Chlair; 15/18: 1 st Kevin 

O'Neill, Irish M instrels cd 

Glasgow; 2nd Joseph McGinn, 

Aughnamullen ccI'., Co . 

Muineachain; 3rd Richard Herity, 

South Luton cd, England; Snr: 

1 st Brian Walsh, Cr. 

Carrickmacross CCE, CO. 

Muineachain; 2nd Daragh Kelly, 

Fred Finn CC£'., Co. Sligo; 3rd 

Brian 6 Muirgheasa, Ballinahinch 

ccI'., co. Thiobraid Arann. 

TIONLACAN: Fe 12:1 st Karen Walsh, 

Cr an Cabhain ccI'., Co. Cabhain ; 

2nd Maebh de Buitleir, Cloch liath 

CCE, CO. an Ch lair; 3rd Nicola 

Hayes, Bannow CCE, CO. 

Wexford ; 12/1 5: 1 st Michelle 

Ni Mhaolchathaigh, Teampaill a 

Ghleannta in CCE, Co. Luimni; 

2nd Fergal Scahill, Cr Corofin 

ccI'., Co. na Gail limhe; 3rd 

Melanie Thompson, Cr. Roscrea 

cd, co. Thiobraid Arann; 15/18: 

1 st fde Ni Chuinneagain, 

Headford ccI'. Co. Galway; 2nd 

Kate Marquis, Aughnamullen cd 

co. Monaghan; 3rd Conal Early, 

Clontarf ccI'. Baile Atha Cliath; 

Snr: 1 st Kevin Brehony, Ballymote 

CCE, CO. Sligo; 2nd Brendan 

Ward, Cr. Aughnamul len ccI'., 

Co. Muineachain; 3rd Deirdre 

McSherry, Paddy O'Brien 

Ormond ccI'., Co . Thiobraid 

Arann. 

VEIDHLlN FOINN MAlLA: Fe 12: 1 st 

Naoimi Dunleavy, Cumann na 

Piobairi Uilleann CCE, Baile Atha 

Cliath ; 2nd Niamh Ni Dhuinn, 

Ma Rua / An Cheapach M h6r 

cd, co. Luimnigh; 3rd Sinead 

Linnan e, St. Albans CC 1'., 

Eng land ; 12/15: 1 st Li am 

6 Conchubhair, Contarf cd, co. 

Baile Atha Cliath; 2nd Treasa 

Ni Shuilleabhain, Cr. Carna ccI'., 

Co. na Gaillimhe; 3rd Marion 

Collins, Cr. Alha Caoire CC 1'., Co. 

Chorcai; 15/18: 1 st Zoe Conway, 

Dun Dealgan CCE, CO. Louth; 

2nd Erin McGeown, Cl anbrassil 

CCE, CO. Ard Mhacha; 3rd Ann 

Mullan, Cr. Portglenone, Co. 

Aon troma; Snr:1 st Breda Keville, 

Leeds ccI'., England; 2nd Nick 

Kinse lla, Pi ercetown cct 

Wexford; 3rd Sean Roarty, 

Mulligan Quinn cd, USA. 

PiOB UlllEANN FOINN MAlLA: Fe 12 : 

1 st Sean McKeon, Cr Sean Treacy 

CCE, CO. Baile Ath a Cliath ; 2nd 

Claire Crowley, Roundwood 

cd, co. Wicklow; 3rd Brendan 

Guckian, Drumsna CCE, CO. 

Aontroma; 12/15: 1 st Richard 

Murray, Oranmore CCE, CO. na 

Gail limhe; 2nd Conor McKeon, 

Sean Treacy CCE, CO. Baile Atha 

Cliath; 3rd Sinead Lennon, Cr. 

Port M6r cct Co. Ard Mhacha; 

15/18: 1 st Mikie Smyth, Sean 

Treacy ccI'., Baile Atha Cliath; 

2nd Daniel O'Sullivan, Donard 

ccI'., Co. Wicklow; 3rd Darragh 

Murphy, Cr. Newcastl e ccI'. Co. 

an Dun ; Snr: 1 st Florai Neff, Cr. 

Blarna, ccI'., Co. Chorcai; 2nd 

Paul McKeagney, Cr. Tempo CC 1'., 

Fermanagh. 

FEADOG MHOR FOINN MAlLA: Fe 12: 

1 st Mairead Phelan, Cr Osrai 

ccI'., Co. Chill Cheannaigh ; 2nd 

Michael Mac an Ri, Tuar na Fola 

/ Cill fde cd, co. Luimnigh; 3rd 

Mairead Henn essy, Caiseal 

Mumhan cd, co. Thiobraid 

Arann; 12/15: 1st Mariah Reilly, 

Martin Mulvihill ccI'. New Jersey 

USA; 2nd Deirdre Harnedy, 

Beanntrai cd, co. Chorcai; 3rd 

Richard Murray, Oranmore CCE, 

CO. na Ga illimhe; 15/18: 1st 

Co lette Gabbney, Coleman' 

Trad itional Society cct Sligo;

Our New Comhaltas Senator 

2 

he Comhaltas nominee for 

Seanad Ei rean n Labhras 6 

Murchu, Ardstiurth6ir, had a 

convincing w in in the recent election. 

He was a candidate on the Cu ltura l and 

Educational Pane l. Labhras has 

received congratu lations from 

Comha ltas members worldwide and 

from a broad spectrum of community 

I ife in Ire land. 

In add ition to his ro le as Director 

General of Com haltas, he has also 

made an important contribution to 

other aspects of Irish li fe. He is 

National Chairman of Fonduireacht an 

Phiarsaigh and National Chai rm an of 

the Irish Fami ly History Foundation . 

Last year the newly elected Senator 

rece ived the prestigious Dublin Civic 

Honour Award. Previous recipients 

included Ronnie Delaney, Gay Byrne, 

Jack Charlton, Neil Jordon, Frank Fee ly 

and Lady Va lerie Goulding. 

The Tipperary born Senator was 

particu larly pleased at having also 

received the Tipperary Person of the 

Year award. He has a particu lar in terest 

in the w ritings of the Tipperary patriotwriter 

Cha rl es J. Kickham, author of 

'Knocknagow' . 

Last year Labhras was honoured, with 

his wife Una, on the RTE LIFELINES 

programme. He has been a guest 

speaker at functions in North America, 

Britain, Japan, South and North Korea, 

Abu Dhabi, Spa in and Germ any. 

Senator 6 Murchu has been warml y 

congratu lated by the Standing 

Committee and Ardchomhairle of 

Comha ltas. 

Buiochos 

On the Senate Trail: 

Senator Labhras 6 

Murchu, Ardstiurth6ir 

of CCE, pictured with 

Nellie Fisher, Ulster 

Secretary of CCE, 

outside the Boyne 

Valley Cottage, as 

they canvassed for 

Senate votes. 

Is m6r an on6ir dam bheith tofa do 

Sheanad Eireann agus gabhaim 

bufochas libh as ucht bhur dtacafochta. 

It is an honour for me to have been 

elected to Seanad Eireann. The 

extensive support and good wishes 

have been a great encouragement and 

are very much appreciated. 

Co raibh mfle maith agaibh - my 

sincere thanks. 

Cach Beannacht 

Labhras 6 MurchU 

Trying his hand at butter making in Mayor 

Frank Godfrey's cottage, Donore, Co. 

Meath, is Labhras 6 MurchU during the 

Senate campa ign. 

Craditional 

Music Ceachers 

2 he fol lowing tab le shows the 

number of traditional music 

teachers, on a regional basis, 

qualified at the Comhaltas n CT Course: 

Connacht Munster 

Galway 17 Clare 31 

Leitrim 2 Cork 23 

Mayo 23 Kerry 7 

Roscommon 4 Limerick 23 

Sligo 12 Tipperary 21 

58 Waterford 4 

109 

Leinster Ulster 

Carlow 1 Antrim 12 

Dublin 51 Armagh 3 

Kil dare 5 Cavan .5 

Ki lkenny 2 Derry 6 

Lao is 3 Donegal 18 

Longford 3 Down 5 

Louth 6 Fermanagh 1 

Meath 6 Monaghan 17 

Offaly 8 Tyrone 3 

Westmeath 6 70 

Wexford 5 

Wicklow 2 Britain 17 

98 USA 4

Ballina Hosts the Fleadh 

Caoimhghin 6 Brolch6in 

B 

ong before we actually 

reached Ballina, the Fleadh was 

in full swing on the train - oh, 

the whole artillery was brought into 

play, bodhrans, feadag stain, fiddles, 

pipes and a coorse ... spoons rattling 

off seats, windows and elbows. 

Unfamiliar mountains - the Nephins, 

mar agus beag and the rest of the 

Nephin famil y marched alongside the 

tracks, though at a distance. This was 

Mayo, green and fertile - where 'in 

ainm De' did that old deprecating 

exclamation, 'Mayo, God help us! ' ever 

come from? 

A ni ce, ' live in' little town w ith a lovely 

sa lmon ri ve r, the Moy complete w ith 

fisherm en up to their nipples in the 

water, casting, casti ng in long elegant 

snakes of line, in fro nt of th e cathedral. 

I haul my weighty case off the luggage 

rack and out of the station w ith th e 

both of us ... not a bu s, not a tax i to be 

had fo r love or gold and a two mile 

trek out the Crossmolina road to the 

accommodation .. . a stretch of road I 

was to get to kn ow rather too well ... 

'Ta do chara i gCillala' (Your fri end is in 

Kill ala) th e old 1798 password 

spreading th e news th at the French had 

landed recurred to me. Wouldn't it be 

grand if he were to turn up w ith an oul ' 

ass car just now! The case seems to be 

full of bri cks - 'Trom cea rc i bhfad' 

(Even a hen grows heavy if you ca rry it 

fa r). 

The atmosphere was rather slow in 

building up ... almost as if the town had 

to adjust itself to this un accustomed 

invasi on, but by the seco nd day things 

were 'hotting up' and th e crowds 

12 

building in the main 

streets. An excell ent, 

continuous seri es of 

perform ances on the 

gig- ri g, as good as 

any I've eve r hea rd, 

ensured a large 

crowd throughout 

th e th ree days, 

regardless of rain or 

shine - and we had 

both ! Where was the 

bould Sea mus 

M acM athuna? 

Somehow there was 

a tangible gap in 

things. We missed 

being urged to rattle 

the street w indows 

w ith '0 R6 'Se Do 

Sheath ' Abhaile!', 

never the less the 

music groups 

ente rtained us 

roya lly. 

There ca n be no 

doubt th at th e 

peopl e you meet at 

th e Fl eadh are an enorm ously 

enj oyable part of the total Fl eadh 

experi ence. A delightful Australian girl 

from Sydney told me she was here on a 

'one-way' ti cket. She meant to visit her 

peoples' pl ace in Cork, but so meone 

had given her a lift to the Fl ead h. She 

w as entranced w ith it all . 'W hy don't 

you stay here - get marri ed - become 

pres ident! (I happen to know th ere's a 

vaca ncy just now!)' ses I. 'I have to see 

Conn emara and Fermoy first before I 

make any dec isions', ses she. 

Na Fiiilteoirf 

Martin and Maureen Con nolly 

Donlon Family 

r:A 

he breakfast has been agreed 

fo r ten o' clock in th e morning. 

'The other guests aren't ea rl y 

ri sers', the 'bea n a' ti' tell s me. I ca n't 

believe it. .. a questi on of continu al 

adjustment. .. 'W hen in Rome' . Earl y 

next morning. I ca n't stay in bed, so out 

w ith me and up the b6ithrin for a bit of 

a stro ll . There I meet up w ith a grand 

little man from Monaghan 'Takes so me 

getting used to', he says. 'At home now, 

all the fields are up in front of you - the 

very same as if th ey were on a 

postcard ! - Very hilly,' I mention 

Patrick Kava nag h and his tale of the 

M onaghan crows goin g up and down 

the turnip drills, pulling them up to get 

at any worm s that might be amongst 

th e hair roots . O ne crow came on a 

well-grown seed ling th at he couldn't 

get up at all ... Kavanagh tells us 

in cred ulously, that another crow ca me 

up, grabbed his tail and the two of 

them heaved till th e root yielded. My 

new fri end tell s me of baling sil age and 

next mornin g, 'Segod, it seemed as if

picture I am sure everyone will 

remember fondly once they have seen 

its setting on the limestone plateau of 

The Burren! 

The last type of Neolithic tomb, thought 

to be utilised at the end of the Neolithic 

(ca 2200 to 1800 bc), is the wedge 

tomb. This tomb type appears more 

modest, of small construction and low 

to the ground. Nonetheless impressive 

examples of wedge tombs I have found 

in my travels include Parknabinnia, Co. 

Clare, and at Lough Cur, Co. Limerick. 

Also near Lough Cur, is The Lios, the 

largest stone circle in Ireland (stone 

circles are generally believed to be post 

Neolithic, or Bronze Age monuments). 

Everywhere I have travelled in Ireland, I 

have been impressed by the friendly 

accommodation of the Irish folk. I must 

thank the O 'Toole family in Dun 

Laoghaire for their recognition of my 

wife's Irish-roots and encouragement to 

follow-up on family contacts in Co. 

Donegal in 1983; I could not have been 

so energetic in following-up on my 

literature research of the ancient Irish 

culture without them! Please find a copy 

of some of the following references and 

review their bibliographies for an 

abundance of wonderful materials 

describing ancient Ireland. 

Boyne Valley 

Cottage 

2 

he Boyne Valley Cottage 

affectionately known as 'the wee 

half door of Donore,' is steeped in 

history. Just a stone's throw from the 

Jacobite campsite where King lames 

and William of Orange engaged in the 

Battle of the Boyne in 1690, the cottage 

is the gateway to Bru na B6inne. 

Located in the heart of the Boyne 

Valley, the cottage is in close proximity 

to the other great historical and 

archeological sites such as Newgrange, 

Knowth, Dowth, Monasterboice and 

Mellifont Abbey and no visit to the area 

is complete without popping in to the 

historic cottage itself. 

Proprietor Alderman Frank Codfrey, a 

member of Drogheda Corporation has 

s 

Brennan, j.H., 1994, A guide to 

megalithic Ireland. The Aquarian Press, 

202 p. 

Eogan, Ceorge, 1986, Knowth and the 

passage-tombs of Ireland. Thames and 

Hudson, 247 p. 

Herity, Michael, and Eogan, Ceorge 

1997, Ireland in prehistory. Routledge, 

302 p. 

!l; 

Mitchell, Frank, and Ryan, Michael, 

1997, Reading the Irish landscape. Town 

House and Country House, 392 p. 

O'Kelly, M .J., 1982, Newgrange: 

Archaeology, Art, and Legend. Thames 

and Hudson, 240 p. 

O ' Brien, Tim, 1992, Light Years Ago: A 

study of the cairns of Newgrange and 

Cairn T, Loughcrew, Co. Meath, Ireland. 

The Black Cat Press, 56 p. 

L\n L\ustralian Chank You 

Flat 2, Haigh Rd, Canning Vale, Perth, W.A. 6155 

wish to write to you to express 

our thanks, for the wonderful 

inaugural Comhaltas tour of 

Australia. An outstanding group of 

talented artists. They thrilled their 

audience here in Perth, as I'm sure they 

did right across Austral ia. We enjoyed 

their friendship and company, during 

their all too short a stay in Perth. We 

would love this to become an annual 

event. 

Our Comhaltas branch here in Perth is 

going along great, we are very fortunate 

to have dedicated people working with 

been opening 'the wee half door' to the 

public since 1983 and has spent the 

last few years restoring it to its full glory 

and creating a 17th century ambience. 

A must for all visitors of the area, 

Frank's cottage is fast becoming 

Drogheda's answer to Kate Kearney's 

cottage in Killarney and visitors are 

always welcomed with a cup of tea and 

home made scones. At the recent 

official opening of the cottage in june, 

us here. On the 7th June we had our 

own Fleadh here, it was a great 

success. 

Croups such as 'Echoes of Erin ' visiting 

Perth, have a very positive and uplifting 

effect on people learning Irish music 

and dance, and gives great meaning to 

what we are trying to do here - 

promoting our culture. So it is with 

these thoughts in mind, that I ask you 

to consider sending a tour group 

annually to Austral ia. 

5ean Doherty 

which was performed by Major 

Malachy Codfrey, brother of Frank, 

plans were outl ined for the provision of 

a museum, tea rooms and ceilf house 

to add to the atmosphere. 

Legend has it that en route to battle, 

King James often frequented the 

cottage, as did many of his soldiers and 

he was known to rest in the house on 

more than one occasion.

lrelond ou Quebec 

Che small town of Shannon is an emerald island in the sea 

of French Quebec. Yet nobody really knows why the 

community remains so intensely lrish. 

Mark Abley Che Gazette 

- A butter churn, a 

w hiskey jar, a pi cture of the 

c5hannon 

Sacred heart: some of the 

artefacts in the historical soc iety's office 

could come from anywhere in rural 

Quebec. 

But the fl ag hanging proudly on th e 

wa ll does n't have a trace of blue; it's 

the green, orange and white of Ireland. 

The 13-volume set of books on a she lf 

turns out to be a hi story of Irish 

literature. And when Pau line McCarthy 

- former councillor, former president of 

the Catholic Women's League, and stil l 

a force to be reckoned with in this little 

town - is asked her feelings about 

Ireland, she replies: 

'I th ink it's I ike heave n'. 

Meath Harp School 

Pupils of the Meath Harp School, 

Nobber, Co. Meath, receiving their 

Certificates from Mr. CM. O 'Neill, 

retired Production Director (Cypsum 

IndsJ. Left to Right: Helen Price, Seana 

Da vey, Niall Murphy, Tracey Corrigan, 

Niamh Brennan. 

Missing from Photo : Susanne Boles 

and Niamh Farrell 

Eddy Con wa y, 

87, is a 

former mayor of 

Shannon. 'We're 

alive and 

kicking,' he says 

of the town's 

Irish community. 

In w hich case, Shannon - a community 

of 1,850 not counting the res idents of 

the adjacent Valcartier military base - 

counts as an echo, an off-shoot, a 

lingering whiff of heaven. Only 20 

minutes by ca r north of Q uebec City, 

Sha nnon has ranked among Quebec's 

most strongly Irish communities ever 

sin ce it was founded in the 1820's. 

Irishness here predates the landfall made 

by the thousands of poor emigrants 

fl eeing the tragic famine of the 1840s. 

What's more, Irishness continues to 

thrive in Shannon at a time w hen many 

other Quebec tow ns have submerged 

their Celtic roots in the French-speaking 

mainstream. 

Onl y about a quarter of the town's 

people now identify themselves as 'Iri sh 

Ca nad ian'. But to this day, they exert a 

disproportionate influence on Shannon's 

dai ly li fe . The streets of this picturesque 

town, cu t in two by the jacq ues Cartier 

River, have names like Wexford, Grogan 

and St Patrick. Next month, a Ce ltic 

cross w ill be raised in front of St joseph's 

Chapel. The community centre can hold 

at least 400 people; w hen the annual 

Shannon Irish Show is put on in March, 

it's usually packed for both performances. 

Even the form of Engl ish used in 

Shannon draws on the town's Irish 

heritage. In stead of mentioning, as most 

anglophones wou ld, that a loca l man 

'has just moved,' the town's secretary, 

Elain Neville, says, 'He's just after 

moving.' Gaelic, unhappily, is extinct in 

the area - though at least one man 

remembers how to bless himself in the 

language. 

Why is the Irish identity so intense in 

Shannon ? 

'You' re asking a question that everybody 

asks and no one ca n answer,' says a 

ruddy-cheeked, 81-year old form er 

mayor named Eddy Conway. 

'We can't answer it, either. We were 

basically no different than Frampton or 

Malachy .... but we didn't integrate.' 

All around Quebec City, the Irish used to 

be plentiful. Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval, 

30km north-east of the capital, began life 

as Shan non did: an Iri sh settlement, 

dating back to the 1830s. Within a 

century, it had become almost 

excl usively French-Canadian. 

Donnacoria, located down-stream from 

Shannon w here the jacques Cartier Ri ver 

hurls itself into the St Lawrence, had lost 

most of its Irish by the early 1980s. It's 

the same story in such Beauce villages as 

Saint-Patrice-de-Beaurivage and (to use 

the French spelling) Saint-Malachie-de 

Dorchester.

j @.h.J@,i.ii.Mlii .. iiiM 

Were the Bagpipes ever 

Banned in Scotland? 

Michael Newton 

you haven't tired of 

annive rsa ri es - th ere seems to be 

case 

9nn 

many going on in Scotland at the 

moment - 1997 is the 250th anniversa ry 

of the Act for the Abolition and 

Prosc ription of th e Highland Dress. This 

was a milestone in th e process of the 

'pac ification of the Highl and s' and, to 

use less detached language, the ethnic 

cl ea nsing of a people. 

The Act was indeed much resented by 

the Highl anders to whom the pl aid was 

not on ly a natural and fun ctional part of 

their essential equipment in the rough 

terrain and weather of the Highl ands, 

but an em bl em of their identity as a 

distinct people, and a highly mobile, 

war-like people. 

The Act was written in three forms: the 

actual Act of Parliament; General Orders 

to the Army ex plaining the Act; an oath 

to be sworn by Highlanders promising 

their co mpliance w ith the Act. The 

latter, the briefest of th e three, reads: 

'I swear as 1 shall answer to Cod at the 

great day of judgement, 1 have not and 1 

shall not have in my possession any gun, 

sword, or arms whatsoever, and never 

use tartan, plaid, or any part of the 

Highland ga rb, and if 1 do so may 1 be 

accursed in my undertakings, family, and 

property, may 1 never see my wife, nor 

children, nor father, mother, or relations, 

may 1 be killed in battle as a fugitive 

coward, and lie without Christian burial 

in a foreign land, far from the graves of 

my forefathers and kindred; may all this 

come upon me if 1 break this oath. ' 

The Act of Proscription, though horrid it 

is, has been blamed for a number of 

things w hi ch are never actually 

mentioned in it. It is commonly 

believed, for example, that the 

bagpipes were banned by the Act of 

Prosc ription. What ev idence is there for 

this? 

The so le contemporary ev idence that 

might lead one to think that the English 

government paid any attention to the 

existence of bagpipes is an in ci dent 

directly after Culloden. Th e En glish 

rounded up w hat Jacobite so ldiers th ey 

hadn't killed after Culloden and 

brought them to England to be tried for 

treason. (Note that th ey were not tried 

in Scotl and, which had its own distin ct 

lega l system, and that this was a breach 

of the eighteenth article of the Treaty of 

Union.) 

The Engl ish were, of course, eager to 

condemn and pun ish as many as 

possible so as to make an example of 

the Jacobites w hich none would ever 

want to emulate again. When it was 

found that one James Reid did not carry 

arms but pipes, the Court in York 

observed th at 'a Highl and reg iment 

never marched without a piper.' This 

was sufficient reason to condemn him 

to death in 1747 for pl aying a part in 

the treaso nous Jacobite rebellion. Later 

commentators take this to mean that 

th e pipes were therefore officially 

considered an 'instrument of war', but 

this is never stated. There is no 

ev idence that th e York Court had any 

in fluence on the creation of the 1747 

Act of Proscription, made in London. 

What wou ld we expect if the bagpipes 

were actu ally covered by the Act? We 

might expect them to be named - as 

were th e sword and gun - in th e Act, 

but th ere is no mention. 

The Bards 

We wou ld also expect the Gaelic bards 

to be prolifica ll y furious about it! Th ere 

are scores of songs, by major and minor 

poets, attacking the English for taking 

the tartan from them. There are also 

many poems decryi ng the requirement 

to give up their weapons to the 

occupying arm y, as they wou ld no 

longer be able to parti cipate in the 

noble past-time of hunting. But no one 

claims that they have to give up the 

pipes. In fact, there are a number of 

poems in praise of the pipes, w ith no 

word of them be ing outlawed or in 

threat, and there was little more dear to

'Cor isteoch so 

ch omhol tos 

'Each household will receive a year's supply of 

Treoir absolutely free! This is the good news for 

Comhaltas members during 1997/'98. The first 

adult member of each household will be the 

recipient of this great offer.

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