FLEADH FEVER
A weekend full of music, dancing and singing was promised and the Sligo County Fleadh certainly delivered in spades.
All roads led to the Mercy College in Sligo over the Bank Holiday weekend, for the Fleadh competitions over Saturday 3rd June and Sunday 4th June.
“It went really well, in all aspects of it,” said Chairman of the Fred Finn branch of Comhaltas in Sligo Bartley Gavin.
It was the culmination of a week long series of events which was kick started with a concert on May 27th and saw several hundred musicians competing against people from all over the county.
It was jointly organised by the Sligo Town Branch and the Fred Finn Branches in Sligo town.
Many different events took place including an All Star Fleadh Concert at the Riverside Hotel on Friday and a Céilí at Gilhooly Hall in Sligo featuring the Dartry Céilí Band on Saturday.
“The concert on Friday night was really well attended and the Céilí on Saturday had big numbers as well,” said Bartley to The Sligo Champion.
“It was our first time to have the gig rig on Stephen Street but you’d want to be hosting it there for a few years to really fill it,” he said.
The Stephen Street car park concert was a collaboration between North West Hospice, Sligo County Council and Sligo County Fleadh.
“Saturday evening was very busy but it got a bit cold on Sunday which affected numbers - outdoor concerts are very weather dependent,” he said.
A formal ceremony saw the ‘ Bridge of Light’ officially named on Saturday afternoon also.
Bartley said the recent Fleadhanna in Sligo in 2014 and 2015 had boosted the popularity of Trad music within the county.
“We’ve seen after each Fleadh there’s a surge in numbers when the classes resume in September,” said Bartley.
There’s a new branch in Maugherow, North Sligo called the Benbulben Branch which many young people have joined.