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L\ Coast to lreland<br />
in Coronto<br />
Over 1,000 representatives from<br />
all over the United States and<br />
Canada attended the recent<br />
North American Convention of<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> Ceolt6irf Eireann held in<br />
Toronto. The Guest-of-Honour from<br />
Ireland was Sfle De Valera, TD,<br />
spokesperson on Arts, Culture and the<br />
Gaeltacht. Other guests were Padraig 6<br />
Ceallaigh, Uachtaran CCE and Labhras<br />
6 Murchu, Ardstiurth6ir.<br />
Under the chairmanship of the<br />
indomitable Clare man Stan<br />
O'Donoghue and ably assisted by an<br />
excellent organising committee, the<br />
Convention was an outstanding success<br />
- a credit to <strong>Comhaltas</strong> and Ireland. For<br />
Bill McEvoy, <strong>Comhaltas</strong> Supremo in<br />
North America, it was another tribute to<br />
his vision and dedication.<br />
The Convention, which is one of the<br />
biggest Irish cultural events in North<br />
America, included over 20 music and<br />
dance workshops. So large was the<br />
Convention with huge floor space<br />
required by the set-dancers that the<br />
Ms Srle De Valera TO, who was guest-of-honour at the 1996 North American Convention of<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> in Toronto pictured here at the Parliament Buildings where she received a special<br />
welcome during a sitting of the House. Srle is pictured with the Speaker of the House (centre),<br />
who hosted a special lunch for her and the <strong>Comhaltas</strong> officials and Congressman Shea.<br />
Included also are Padraig and Mai 6 Ceallaigh; Labhras and Una 6 Murchli; Eamonn<br />
O 'Loghlin, Toronto; and Anne McConnell, Canadian Chairperson.<br />
manager - an Irishman - of the Howard<br />
Johnson Plaza Hotel demolished a wall<br />
in the hotel to extend the convention<br />
space. The 1997 event has been<br />
awarded to Boston.<br />
In her address to the Convention<br />
Banquet, at which she received a<br />
standing ovation, Deputy De Valera<br />
said: 'I am very happy indeed to have<br />
this opportunity to express my<br />
admiration for the dedicated work and<br />
achievement of <strong>Comhaltas</strong> throughout<br />
the USA and Canada and for the<br />
enduring commitment of each and<br />
every individual member'.<br />
Referring to the promotion of Irish<br />
traditional music in North America, Sfie<br />
De Valera said: 'Many fine performers<br />
born and bred here in the New World<br />
learned their love of our traditional<br />
music from their Irish parents or<br />
grandparents. Some excellent
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