By Daniel Neely
The Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Ennis this year was absolutely amazing. It’s only just ended as I write, but I’m still getting over it – the music was stunning, the people more than welcoming, and the crack massive. A simply magical event.
It was enormous, as well, especially considering Ennis’s small size. The Fleadh’s press office reported that there were to be 400,000 visitors over the nine days, 10,000 musicians (including 6,000 who would appear in the Fleadh’s 180 competitions), which I’d say was spot on, despite the week’s mostly inclement weather. (I don’t know that I’ve ever been so consistently damp, but that’s what you get when you’re in a so walkable a town.) There were also a reported 1,000 volunteers on hand, who I found ubiquitous and friendly and who helped make the Fleadh easier to navigate.
News outlets in Ireland reported it was the most successful Fleadh in recent memory, not only in terms of numbers, but in sheer talent. And it’s true, everywhere you looked there was great music. In addition to the outdoor stages and nightly concerts, there were sessions *everywhere* and they were exceptional. Where else could one catch the likes of Blackie O’Connell and Siobhan Peoples, MacDara and Mícheál Ó Raghallaigh, Eileen O’Brien and Andrew MacNamara, on different days (or sometimes at the same session!)? Indeed, sessions of this caliber happened everywhere – so much so that you couldn’t possibly catch it all! (I know I wasn’t able to get to everything I would have liked!)
And there were some truly memorable events. In a way, it was a “pick your poison” proposition for the concerts, as there was so much to choose from. For example, one could check out the “Fidil Beo" series, which featured Joan Hanrahan, Michael Queally, Tony Linnane & James Cullinan, Vincent Griffin, and Séamus Connolly on different nights. Or if you preferred, you could check out the Kilfenora Céilí Band with special guest Seán Keane, or Beoga, or the evening of Sliabh Luachra music (featuring Niamh Ní Charra and guests, Jackie Daly & Matt Cranitch, Raymond O’Sullivan, Timmy Connors), or the finale concert with Cherish the Ladies and friends. Or, if you were unusually well organized, all of them – there was just so much on.
One of the week’s highlights for me was the “Flanagan Brothers – 100 Years On” concert which took place on Saturday. It opened with a brilliant lecture by Mick Moloney (who later that night was given the inaugural “Mike Flanagan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Banjo”) that looked at the life and music of the Flanagan Brothers and included some fresh research, newly-uncovered photos, and never-before-seen footage of Mike Flanagan from the early 1980s. The performers that night (all of whom could boast of being influenced by the Flanagans) included At The Racket, the Brock McGuire Band, and Green Fields of America, all of whom were excellent. (Incidentally, the Green Fields debuted some great new Flanagan-inspired material.) The concert was, in fact, a follow up to the Friday unveiling of a Blue Civic Plaque on the exterior of the Flanagan Brothers’ ancestral home in Waterford. Thirty-eight members of the Flanagan family flew to Ireland to take part in the event and were part of a moving ceremony that featured superb music from Frankie Gavin, Bobby Gardiner, and Martin Murray (who played Mike Flanagan’s original banjo). It was a very special afternoon.
Another of the week’s highlights was the Senior Céilí Band competition, which was incredible, not simply because I was a part of it (very, very proud of how the New York Céilí Band performed!), but because of the electric atmosphere surrounding the entire event. It truly is the Fleadh’s climax. Over 2,000 people (many of whom waited in line for tickets for hours) witnessed 18 bands compete for the top three spots. Tickets were impossible to come by (it’s fair to say that hundreds were frozen out), and the response to the music was amazing. When the dust settled, Cork’s Shandrum Céilí Band sat in the top spot (repeating their success from last year), with Sligo’s Knocknashee Céilí Band in second, and the Tulla Road Ceilí Band from Clare in third. These three bands were spectacular and richly deserving of their placement, but every band that competed played to an extremely high standard. There were some great moments as well, including the brief quote of the Star Spangled Banner the Pearl River Céilí Band’s used to open their set, and the standing ovations given to both of the groups from Japan that traveled to Ireland and competed so well. Lovely stuff to see and hear.
Congrats to everyone who competed, especially those from the United States who placed in their competitions, including Margaret Kepler (1st, Fiddle Slow Airs, U-12), Colman Connolly (3rd, Accompaniment, U-12), Brianna Brown (1st, Mouth Organ, U-12), Brendan Johnson (2nd, Mouth Organ, U-12), Rory Coyne (3rd, Melodeon, U-12), Margaret Kepler (1st, Fiddle Slow Airs, U-12), Ada Silverman (3rd, Rince ar an Sean Nós, U-12), Brenda Dowling Kane (1st, Tin Whistle, U-15), Haley Richardson (2nd, Fiddle, U-15; 2nd, Fiddle Slow Airs, U-15), Patrick Finley (1st, Fiddle, U-18), Kieran Flanagan (1st, Accompaniment, U-18), John Paul Wick (3rd, Concertina, U-18), SLIA O18 Grúpa Cheoil (3rd, Grúpa Cheoil, O-18), Eimear Arkins (2nd, Fiddle Slow Airs, O-18; 1st, Sean Nós Singing, Irish [Ladies]), and Dawn Doherty (1st, Newly Composed Songs, O-18). You’ve all done the US incredibly proud!
Next year’s Fleadh will again take place in Ennis, and if this year is any indication, next year will be just as amazing, if not better. Keep your browser pointed to www.fleadhcheoil.ie for upcoming information about Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2017. You won’t want to miss it!
Daniel Neely writes about traditional music each week in the Irish Echo.
