Wicklow Fleadh hits all the right notes
THIS year’s Wicklow Fleadh showcased the county’s up and coming trad musicians at their best, offering audiences a full day of amazing entertainment on Saturday.
Hosted by Bray Comhaltas, the venue this year was the Bray Institute of Further Education.
With more than 300 youths competing, it was obvious to everyone that the appetite for traditional Irish music is as engrained as ever in the county.
Chairman of Bray Comhaltas Gerry O’Donnell said: ‘We had competitors from all across the county, from Tinahely to Blessington. The standard increases year by year and the musicians showed phenomenal ability right from under 12 up to under 18.’
Fifty-nine young tin whistles players competed in the under 10 unofficial category, which saw musicians as young as seven taking to the stage to perform. Young storytellers had their audience enthralled and the range of music on show was breathtaking.
This was the 37th year of the County Wicklow Fleadh, which has some of the oldest branches in the country. There are seven branches in the county and each year the County Fleadh is held in a different area.
The team at Bray Comhaltas outdid themselves with the organisation of this year’s event, which took place on one of the sunniest days of the year and ran smoothly for participants and audience members alike.
‘It was a very family oriented day with everyone from kids to grandparents enjoying the music. We always promote across the age groups and there was a great family atmosphere.’
Attributing the ever improving talent to the influence that each comhaltas branch has in making the extra effort to bring musicians in from around the country, Gerry said this exposes the county’s youth to talented musicians throughout the year. ‘ The children do workshops and also travel to other parts of the country. We, in Bray, are connected with branches in Galway and Dublin.’
The next Wicklow Fleadh wil be held in Roundwood in 2019 and Wicklow has been allocated the Leinster Fleadh in 2021.