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Eagartbocal<br />
Treoir<br />
Iris Oifigi6il<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> Ceolt6iri' Eireann<br />
The Magazine of<br />
Traditional Music, Song and Dance<br />
lml. 10. 1978. Uimhir 2.<br />
Published six times yearly.<br />
In recent years the absence of any widespread<br />
criticism of RTE by <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
in relation to traditional music may be<br />
traced to the liaison which has existed<br />
between the two bodies over the last ten<br />
years. <strong>Comhaltas</strong> has respected this<br />
liaison and endeavoured to bring about<br />
improvements through direct negotiation.<br />
The situation, however, is now deteriorating<br />
rapidly.<br />
The Annual Report of <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
notes that in recent years there h\ls been<br />
a decrease of 75% in the time allocated<br />
on RTE television to traditional music!<br />
This is an alarming development especially<br />
when viewed in relation to the extensive<br />
coverage provided for other forms of<br />
music. Add to this the only statistic<br />
available on musical tastes: that over 70%<br />
of all those interviewed in a professionally<br />
conducted survey expressed a preference<br />
for Irish traditional music as against<br />
all other music put together!<br />
A short number of years ago <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
found it necessary to sever liaison with<br />
RTE and undertook a public campaign<br />
to correct the downgrading tendencies<br />
in relation to traditional music. This<br />
campaign was supported by TDs, Local<br />
Authorities, kindred organisations, traditional<br />
performers and the general pUblic.<br />
It succeeded. Unless there is an improvement<br />
in the present impasse with RTE,<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> should seriously consider the<br />
reactivation of this campaign.<br />
What RTE must realise is that the television<br />
senjce is not their private property:<br />
it is paid for by the Irish people and<br />
RTE are the servants of the community.<br />
In the same way as the GAA rightly<br />
receives coverage of their games and<br />
activities; in the same way as promoters<br />
of pop music have access to the channel;<br />
the status of Cornhaltas must be recognised,<br />
and our native music must be<br />
given adequate coverage on the national<br />
television network.<br />
Let us hope that common sense will<br />
prevail and that the wishes of the people<br />
will be recognised and adhered to.<br />
CLAR<br />
Eagarfhocal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1<br />
life in Ancient Ireland (part 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2<br />
Cornhoibriu ar son na Teanga .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4<br />
Tradition has Survived. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5<br />
Irish Traditional Dancing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 6<br />
Big Nights and a New Dawn . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7<br />
Dancing at the Congo ... . ... . ........ .. ........ ......... . 8<br />
Laments at Ballymoney Graveside ... . . .. .... . . .. . . .. .... . .. " 9<br />
Glor na nGael ... ... . . .. ...... ..... . .... ... . . .. .. . . . .. 10<br />
RTE neglect Traditional Music ... ... . . ... ..... .... .. . .. .... 11<br />
A Memorable Night at Graobh na hInse .... ,' .... ... .. .... . .. . . 12<br />
A Giant of a Man .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 13<br />
The Brindle Puck Goat .. . ... . . .... . .. ... . .. . .. . .. ... .. . . 14<br />
Ceol agus Arnhran ... .. ..... .... .... .. . . .. . . . .. ....... Centre<br />
Oireachtas Champion of 1910 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15<br />
They Crossed the Irish Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. , 16<br />
The American Wake . . . . . . .. .. ... ..... .... . .. . ... . .. . ... 17<br />
Remember Skibbereen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 18<br />
Good News from Sligo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19<br />
Music and the Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20<br />
Niochfs T6ibfn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 .<br />
Uachtaran Nua Cornhdhill Naisiunta na Gaeilge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22<br />
From Houses to Goatskins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 23<br />
Leicester's New Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24<br />
Litreacha . .......... . . .. .. ..... . .. . .. .. . . .. .. . .. ... . 25<br />
Michael Horan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 26<br />
A Costly Hornpipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27<br />
Cogar . . .. .... ... . . .. . .. . ... .. .. . . . . . .. .... ..... . . .. 28<br />
Single Copy - 2Op.<br />
Subscription Rates; Ireland and Britain - £1.50 ; U.S.A. and Canada - ~5.00 (post free)<br />
Other European countries - £1.70. Orders in the U.S.A. to be forwarded to:<br />
Treoir; 29 Beaumont Place, Newark, New Jersey, 07104.<br />
Second Oass Postage paid at Newark, NJ .<br />
cornJ'-lol"tas<br />
ceOl"tOIRi<br />
elReanrJ<br />
Cearnog Belgrave, Baile na Manach,<br />
Co. Bhaile Atha Cliath, Ireland. Fon: 800295.
letters is totally different to that of the<br />
Latin or any other alphabet. The letters<br />
were formed by combinations of short<br />
lines on and at both sides of a middle<br />
or stem line called a 'flesc'. Points or dots<br />
were sometimes used instead of lines. The<br />
groups of lines and points generally ran<br />
along the adjacent sides of the stone,<br />
with the angle for the flesc.<br />
Irish poetry was widely recited long<br />
before writing became generally practised<br />
and it was developed altogether in the lay<br />
schools. It had a very complicated<br />
prosody - certain laws or rules - with<br />
numerous technical terms, all native Irish;<br />
It exhibits no trace of Latin or<br />
ecclesiastical influence, though the<br />
Christian Irish writers continued to use it<br />
when writing in the Irish language . All<br />
this shows that the Irish prosodial rules<br />
and of course Irish poetry in general were<br />
brought to their state of completeness<br />
before the introduction of Christianity.<br />
In very early times, not only poetry<br />
proper, but histories, biographies, laws,<br />
genealogies and such like were often<br />
written in verse as an aid to the memory.<br />
The prosodial rules which the poets had<br />
to observe in the construction of their<br />
verse had as it's main object harmony of<br />
numbers. The classification and the laws<br />
of Irish versification were probably the<br />
most complicated that were ever<br />
invented ; indicating that the Irish people<br />
had a delicate appreciation of harmonious<br />
combinations of sounds. The "dan<br />
direach" or 'direct metre', most generally<br />
used verse structure, required the strict<br />
observance of such rules as , :- (1) each<br />
stanza to consist of four lines making<br />
complete sense; (2) each line to be of<br />
seven syllables; (3) alliteration in at least<br />
two principal words of each line ; (4)<br />
the lines to rhyme , the rhymes being<br />
greatly varied and occurring very often;<br />
(5) the last word of the second line to<br />
have one syllable more than the last word<br />
of the first line and a like relation<br />
between the last words of the fourth and<br />
third lines.<br />
The rhymes were very frequent in all<br />
stypes of Irish poetry, occurring, not only<br />
at the ends of the lines, but also within<br />
them, once, twice, or even three times.<br />
The rhymes were either between vowels<br />
i.e. assonances ,or between<br />
consonants. For this latter purpose the<br />
consonnants were scientifically divided<br />
into six classes ; 'soft', 'hard', 'rought',<br />
'strong', 'light' and the 'queen: - i.e.<br />
the letter "s" - which formed the sixth<br />
class; the letters of each of the first five<br />
corresponding and rhyming with each<br />
other, but not with those of any other<br />
class. One syllable, two syllable and<br />
three syllable rhymes were used with<br />
equal facility.<br />
After the introduction of Christianity,<br />
those of the Irish poets - whether clerical<br />
or lay - who learned to write Latin,<br />
imported many of the Irish prosodial<br />
rules into their Latin poetry, using accent<br />
instead of quantity, so as to imitate<br />
exactly the metres, assonantal rhymes,<br />
alli terations, consonantan harmonies and<br />
all the other ornaments common in Irish<br />
poetry.<br />
The schools and colleges of ancient<br />
Ireland were of two classes, Ecclesiastical<br />
and Lay. The ecclesiastical or monastic<br />
schools were introduced with Christianity<br />
and conducted by monks, the Second<br />
Order of Irish saints. The First Order<br />
were all Bishops, beginning with St.<br />
Patrick himself, missionaries and all<br />
founders of churches. The Third Order<br />
were hermits, mostly priests, who lived in<br />
desert places, refusing to possess private<br />
property, subsisting on herbs and water<br />
and on the alms of the faithful. In the<br />
monastic institutions the Abbot had<br />
charge of both the monastery and school<br />
or college. He deputed his authority in<br />
special directions and it became the<br />
custom to appoint a head professor to<br />
preside over, and be responsble to the<br />
Abbot for the educational functions<br />
of the college. He was called "Fear<br />
Leighinn" , or Chief Lector.<br />
The School of Armagh appears to have<br />
been the oldest of the ancient<br />
schools of Ireland, dating back to the<br />
foundation of the See of Armagh by St.<br />
Patrick. From it's foundation onwards,<br />
'the growth of the monastic schools really<br />
flourished with the cenobite, or second<br />
order of saints, influence of the late<br />
fifth and early sixth centures. The most<br />
notable of these earlier institutions were<br />
Aran founded by Saint Enda, Clonard by<br />
Saint Finian and Clonrnacnoise by Saint<br />
Ciaran. In a short time the Irish monastic<br />
schools were celebrated all over Europe.<br />
Luxeuil, in France, founded by Saint<br />
Columban, late sixth century, was one of<br />
the great early Irish monastic foundations<br />
' on the continent, and from which many<br />
others were later established.<br />
When this great monastic movement<br />
began there was a rapid growth of schools<br />
and colleges all over the country. Almost<br />
every large monastery had a school<br />
attached and it often happened that a<br />
school rose up around some scholar of<br />
exceptional eminence where it was not<br />
intended. Secular as well as ecclesiastical<br />
learning was carefully attended to in<br />
these schools, for besides divinity, the<br />
study of the Scriptures and classics, for<br />
those intended for the church, the<br />
students were instructed in general<br />
literature and science. Accordingly, a<br />
large proportion of the sons of kings and<br />
chiefs - intended, not for the church,<br />
but for ordinary civil or military life, who<br />
attended to get a goodgeneral education.<br />
The lay or secular schools existed<br />
from a period of unknown antiquity and<br />
in pagan times were taught by the druids.<br />
These men, white robed with cut tonsure,<br />
were a numerous and important class and<br />
the sole possessors of whatever learning<br />
was then known. They combined in<br />
themselves all the learned professions.<br />
They were not only druids, but judges,<br />
prophets, historians, poets and even<br />
physicians. The ancient Irish had<br />
druidesses also and references to their<br />
existence are made in several of the old<br />
writings.<br />
The druids had the reputation of being<br />
great magicians and in this character they<br />
figure more frequently and conspicuously<br />
than in any other, both in ecclesiastical<br />
and lay literature. They were the intermediaries<br />
of the fairies and with the<br />
invisible world in general, which they<br />
could influence for good or evil. They<br />
were employed by kings and chiefs to<br />
educate their children and the chief druid<br />
was the king's confidential adviser on<br />
important affairs.<br />
The conversion of Ireland to<br />
Christianity and the ending ' of pagan<br />
druidism marked the beginning of a new<br />
era in learning and education. The<br />
facilities available for secular learning in<br />
the monastic schools influenced and<br />
encouraged the establishment of many<br />
lay schools. Nearly all the professional<br />
physicians, poets, lawyers, builders and<br />
historians were laymen, as were many of<br />
those distinguished in art and general<br />
literature. Lay tutors were often<br />
employed to teach princes and, in fact,<br />
laymen played a very important part in<br />
the diffusion of knowledge and in<br />
building up that character for learning<br />
that rendered Ireland so famous in former<br />
times.<br />
The Bardic schools were the least'<br />
technical of the lay schools anti young<br />
men not intended for professions<br />
attended them. Subjects of poetry, hi<br />
history, general literature and law were<br />
taught in them. Most of these lay schools<br />
3
TRADITION<br />
HAS SURVIVED<br />
In the "Western People" John Fitzgerald<br />
of New York traces the rise and fall...and<br />
rise again of traditional music in America,<br />
and the following are John"s views<br />
on the subject:<br />
In the past few years there has been a<br />
remarkable revival of interest in Irish<br />
traditional music in America. Irish musicians<br />
, have of course, been emigrating to<br />
North America for years and some of the<br />
most famous Irish musicians of all times<br />
lived and recorded in America between<br />
1900 and 1950. However, in the late<br />
1950's and early 1960's the coinciding of<br />
deceased Irish emigration and the passing<br />
away of the older generation of musicians<br />
led to a steady decline in the playing of<br />
Irish music. As the sons and daughters<br />
of musicians rarely took up music themselves<br />
many musicians feared that their<br />
music would not survive into future<br />
generations.<br />
The fears happily proved unfounded,<br />
and by the late 1960's the impetus of a<br />
revival of Irish traditional music back in<br />
Ireland fostered mainly by the work of<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> Ceoltoiri Eireann, had spread<br />
to America. Many Irish-Americans began<br />
to take an interest in the music and<br />
actively encouraged their children to take<br />
lessons and foster the great heritage<br />
handed down to us by our ancestors. One<br />
of the many most prominent families<br />
that quickly achieved success in<br />
generating interest, enthusiasm and<br />
competence among their children are<br />
the Mahon family of the Bronx- Joe<br />
Mahon, a native of Ballycastle, and<br />
Kathleen Mahon (nee Burke), also from<br />
Ballycastle, are the proud parents of<br />
Pat, Mary, Marty and Michael, all have<br />
excelled in the music and dancing field.<br />
Pat, who is at present attending Fordham<br />
University, studying Business Administration<br />
, was All-Ireland Fleadh Ceoil<br />
Accordion Champion in 1973, and<br />
runner-up in 1974. Mary is at present<br />
attending nursing school at Misrecordia<br />
Nursing School, Bronx, was an All-Ireland<br />
medal winner, violin 1974, first in duet<br />
and second in the trio, 1975. Pat and<br />
Mary have accomplished the superb feat<br />
of winning no less than eleven All-Ireland<br />
medals to date. Not alone is Mary outstanding<br />
in the traditional music circles<br />
but she is also champion Irish step dancer<br />
with hundreds of medals and trophies<br />
won at competition - both Regent<br />
Scholarship winners to their respective<br />
colleges.<br />
Third member of the family , Marty<br />
is the drummer for the famed Irish<br />
American Ceili Band - Garryowen Ceili<br />
Band, All-Ireland winner in 1975, is at<br />
present attending famed secondary school<br />
- Mount St. Michael High School -<br />
founded by the Irish Christian Brothers<br />
in the last century. The youngest member<br />
of this famed family shows all the<br />
prospects of a future champion -<br />
Michael, at this young age is excelling on<br />
the button key accordion and winner of<br />
many COmpetitIOns, attending St.<br />
Barnabas school in the Brox. For the past<br />
year Pat and Mary teach music. Their<br />
schools are based in Elizabeth, New<br />
Jersey, and the WoodJawn section of the<br />
Brox. l 'OU see , friends, why wer are so<br />
proud of this unique and talented<br />
family, The flowerings of the immense<br />
talen t of these young musicians and<br />
thousands more like them throughout<br />
the United States is an eloquent<br />
testimony to, the tenacity and vitality<br />
of a tradition that has survived the<br />
dislocation of transportation from the<br />
peaceful habitat of rural Ireland to the<br />
fran tic bustel of the new land and its<br />
environs,<br />
COUNCIL AWARD<br />
TO COMHALT AS<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> Ceoltoiri Eireann is to awarded<br />
a grant of £750 under the Arts Act from<br />
Cork County Council.<br />
The Council agreed with a motion to<br />
that effect from CIlr. M. Calnan,<br />
CEALLACHAN MaeCARTHAIGH (1881-1968)<br />
a thug a shaol tluda, shubhaileaeh ag saothru ar<br />
son na teangan, an ch u I tu ir agu s an eeol<br />
duehasaeh - go mor mhor ceol na bpiob.<br />
Cailleadh e urn an dtaeha seo deich mbliain 0<br />
shoin. 1 measc naoimh na hEireann go raibh a<br />
anam uasal. - S. 0 Colmain.<br />
"CUZ" TERRY TEAHEN of Chicago presenting<br />
the Gannon boys of SI. Louis with an<br />
original piece of Padraig 0 Caoirnh's sheet music.<br />
Padraig 0 Caoimh was a personal friend of<br />
"Cuz" Teahen. Also included in picture is MARY<br />
M cDON AGH of Ch icago.
BIG NIGHTS AND A NEW DAWN<br />
Dorothy Gharbaoui of "Farmweek"<br />
Talks to Willis Pa tton<br />
"Cullybrackey is full of first class<br />
musicians", said Willis Patton himself an<br />
agricultural contractor born and bred in<br />
Cullybackey. "But no one seems<br />
interested in it."<br />
However, by his own record as a<br />
champion tin-whistler, Mr. Patton has<br />
helped to make his native village ,. lOwn<br />
in the world of traditional music.<br />
Last week, he and other Ulster folkmusicians<br />
appeared on a programme on<br />
Telefis Eireann, in which Southern<br />
Ireland soluted music of the North .. And<br />
Willis Patton can boast that he has made<br />
friends through music that he would<br />
never otherwise have .<br />
"The O'Briens live six miles away in<br />
Portglenone", he pointed out. "Yet he<br />
and I both had to go 280 miles to<br />
Listowel, Co. Kerry, before we met.<br />
It was outside a pub door on a Saturday<br />
night. We played our instruments till<br />
two a.m .. and gathered a crowd on the<br />
pavement, listening to us".<br />
Now the O'Briens and the Pattons<br />
are firm friends , and are keeping up the<br />
rural traditions of Big Nights. "Once in<br />
three months, maybe, they'll have a Big<br />
Night or we'll have a Big Night. Half a<br />
dozen of us'll get together and play till<br />
three or four in the morning. There's<br />
nothing better".<br />
Though still only a young man, Willis<br />
Patton remembers nostalgically his grandfather's<br />
Big Nights, when the best of the<br />
country fiddlers came from miles around.<br />
He is helping to keep up a tradition that<br />
could easily have died out in these days<br />
of television and canned music.<br />
"Traditional music was always more<br />
valued in the South than in the North,<br />
but, during the last two or three years, it<br />
has had a new lease of life up here.<br />
There's fifty in PortgIenone being taught<br />
the tin-whistle every Monday evening,<br />
and quite a lot in Dunloy and Ballycastle.<br />
In fact, it's spreading everywhere. There's<br />
some great musicians in Co. Tyrone".<br />
He told me of how, when he first<br />
entered for the all-Ireland championship,<br />
his music was rejected by the judge as<br />
being "not traditional". But, by the time<br />
he won it in 1975, it had been recognised<br />
that it was traditional to his own not-sowell-known<br />
part of the Irish countryside.<br />
Once having obtained a championship<br />
and proved his mastery of his instrument,<br />
Willis Patton usually retires. After<br />
becoming the Ulster champion, he retired<br />
in 1975 but the one competition he has<br />
kept returning to is the annual feis of the<br />
Antrim and Derry Country Fiddlers'<br />
Association in Ballymena. Since a<br />
beautiful cup for the tin whistle class was<br />
presented by Mr. and Mrs. William McKee<br />
in 1973, Willis Patton has won it every<br />
year, so his name appears on it five times.<br />
RELAXATION<br />
Nowadays, pressure of the contracting<br />
business he set up in 1969 prevents<br />
him from going out playing several nights<br />
a week as he did when a youth. "But<br />
that makes it all the more fun and a real<br />
relaxation now", he remarked.<br />
Finally, just before he left school,<br />
his father bought a farm. The young<br />
Willis worked hard on it, and, in order to<br />
earn pocket-money joined the Mid<br />
Antrim Variety group, which toured the<br />
six counties, providing music, dancing,<br />
sketches and other entertainment at<br />
concerts and guest teas.<br />
"First, I got paid five shillings<br />
then twelve and six, and finally two<br />
pounds for three nights".<br />
In 1963 he went to compete in his<br />
first Fleadh in Cootehill and won the<br />
Junior class. But, after that, he didn't<br />
bother competing again until 1972, when<br />
the Antrim and Derry County Fiddlers'<br />
Association held a competition for tin<br />
whistles for the first time as part of their<br />
annual feis.<br />
PLEASURE<br />
Life for Willis Patton, since then,<br />
has been a round of competitive success<br />
and of gratifying awareness that the<br />
once-despised tin whistle is now<br />
recognised as an instrument which is as<br />
much part of the Irish. country tradition<br />
as the harp used to be .<br />
"If I had a child who showed any<br />
musical ability on the recorder or<br />
anything else", he said, "I'd encourage it<br />
to the utmost extent. I had to do it all<br />
myself, and I know how much pleasure<br />
it has brought me. But I wish I'd learned<br />
to play the fiddle ; it's too late for me,<br />
now".<br />
What he particularly enjoys is the<br />
sense of being united with<br />
fellow-countrymen of any creed or class,<br />
who love traditional music. "There's<br />
never any mention of religion or politics,<br />
when we get together. It doesn't matter<br />
what colour a man is ; he's welcome."<br />
And finally he quoted the words of<br />
Master Liam O'Connor, a Belfast<br />
schoolteacher and folk-music enthusiast,<br />
who, on the R.T.E. programme declared<br />
"We're hoping this'll be the beginning of<br />
a new dawn in which the swords may not<br />
be beaten into ploughshares, but in which<br />
they'll have a mighty good chance of<br />
being beaten into musical instruments".<br />
,<br />
CLUDACH<br />
WeD-known Keny musician DONAL DE<br />
BARRA. Donal is a versatile performer<br />
on accordeon, tin whistle and concert<br />
flute: he teaches traditional music and is<br />
leader of "Ceoltoiri Luimni".<br />
7
Laments at<br />
Ballymoney graveside<br />
"If ever you wanted to define Irish music<br />
and what it really means then just think<br />
about Joe Holmes. His music and his way<br />
of life sums up all that should be and is<br />
about our traditional culture." This was<br />
how Tommy Sands paid tribute to the<br />
genial J oe Holmes who had just passed<br />
to his Eternal Reward.<br />
The funeral notice in the "Newsletter"<br />
of Saturday, January 7,1978, was straightforward:<br />
"HOLMES - January 5, 1978<br />
(suddenly), Joseph (Joe), 21 Chestnut<br />
Grove, Ballymoney, son of the late William<br />
and Jane Holmes (formerly · of IGllyrammer).<br />
Funeral service in St. Parrick's<br />
Parish Church, Ballymoney, tomorrow<br />
(Sunday), at 2 p.m. followed by interment<br />
in Bushvale Presbyterian Churchyard.<br />
Deeply regretted by his sister Nancy,<br />
Brother-in-law Dan and the family<br />
circle."<br />
Behind these stark facts lies a story of<br />
talent, nobility and achievement, and that<br />
was why musicians, singers, song collectors<br />
and folk historians came from all over<br />
Ireland to be at the funeral of J oe Holmes.<br />
In the "Belfast Telegraph" of January<br />
11 the following tribute to Joe Holmes<br />
was published:<br />
Irish traditional music has been left<br />
immeasurably, the poorer with the death<br />
last week of Co. Antrim singer and fiddler<br />
Joe Holmes.<br />
Joe died suddenly at his home in<br />
Ballymoney late on Thursday night. He<br />
would have been 72 next month.<br />
The last concert he gave, with his longtime<br />
friend and singing partner Len<br />
Graham, was in Derry's Guild Hall the<br />
previous evening.<br />
Musicians, singers, song collectors and<br />
folk historians came from all over Ireland<br />
to be at his funeral on Sunday.<br />
Two All-Ireland fiddle champions, Jim<br />
McKillop from Carnlough and Anne<br />
O'Brien from Portglenone, played laments<br />
in the church and at the graveside.<br />
It was an indic~tion of his standing as<br />
one of the elder statesmen of the Irish<br />
music scene.<br />
His repertoire of the songs of the<br />
people of rural Ireland, learned over a lifetime,<br />
particularly in his native county,<br />
was probably without equal.<br />
He sang them with a wannth and<br />
sincerity that required no vocal gimmickry.<br />
Fortunately, he leaves behind a fair<br />
amount of recorded material.<br />
Len Graham, his partner for the past<br />
13 years, is particularly relieved that after<br />
some delay they got round to completing<br />
their second album together just before<br />
Christmas.<br />
The album, produced by Robin Morton<br />
is called "After Dawning" - a phrase<br />
from one of their songs - and will be<br />
released later this year.<br />
I wish to thank all those in Cornhaltas<br />
Ceoltoiri Eireann who sent floral tributes,<br />
sympathy letters and cards, or attended<br />
the funeral of my late brother, JOE<br />
HOLMES, Ballymoney, Co. Antrim. The<br />
family circle were most impressed and<br />
gratified by the large attendance of Joe's<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> friends from all over Ireland,<br />
and wish to thank you all for your kindness<br />
imd sympathy.<br />
Also, could I add a special word of<br />
thanks to Joe's very dear friend and singing<br />
partner Len Graham for all the help<br />
he has given me.<br />
"The voice we loved is still".<br />
NANCY CURRIE,<br />
74, Dunluce Rd.,<br />
Bushrnills.<br />
Joe's own career was as colourful as<br />
some of the characters he sang about. Music<br />
was in the family - he and his brother<br />
Harry played the fiddle as their grandfather<br />
had done, and his mother Jane was<br />
the source of many of his songs.<br />
He was probably best known as a<br />
singer and lilter, but was also one of the<br />
few remaining fiddlers in the old Co.<br />
Antrim style.<br />
His first job at the age of 14 was<br />
walking in front of a steamroller carrying<br />
the red flag. The fiddle was never far<br />
away, and he picked up many songs and<br />
dance tunes while "on the road."<br />
Later he worked in a scut ch mill, and _<br />
his last job before retirement allowing<br />
him to devote all his time to music was as<br />
9
P.J. Boyle of London has sent us this fine<br />
photo of London's "Four Courts" Ceili<br />
Band. Most of its members can be met on<br />
almost any evening at the "Favourite" in<br />
North London. Included in the picture<br />
are (L - R): Jimmy Power, Tom Sheridan,<br />
M. Masterson, Mary Kilkenny, Paddy<br />
Mullyn, Ron Somers, T. Healy, J. Duffy<br />
and J ohnny Gorman.<br />
"Our cameraman", says P.J., " failed to<br />
include the pianist Reg. Hall who is somewhere<br />
along the banks of the Liffey"!<br />
"RTE NEGLECT TRADITIONAL MUSIC<br />
It was the unanimous opinion of<br />
delegates at the annual convention<br />
of the Connacht Council of <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
Ceoltoiri Eireann, at the O'Rourke GAA<br />
Centre, Castlerea, that there was an<br />
appalling neglect by RTE, particularly in<br />
the TV field in catering for the many<br />
thousands of traditional music fans .<br />
It was pointed out by some speakers<br />
that even when traditional programmes<br />
were presented they lacked the<br />
finesse that would make them best sellers<br />
in other countries.<br />
The Secretary was instructed to<br />
convey the Convention's strong<br />
protest to the RTE Authorities.<br />
The Chairman, Mr. Ray Lambe,<br />
Swinford, who announced that he<br />
could not continue in office<br />
and was highly praised for his work in<br />
the organisation, appealed for wholehearted<br />
support from all five counties<br />
for the Connacht Fleadh which will be<br />
held this year in Boyle on June 24-25.<br />
He said that the highlight in his<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> memories last year was the<br />
very successful provincial Fleadh<br />
in Mountbellew.<br />
The following officers were unanimously<br />
elected: Cathaoirleach, .Maire Ni<br />
Threabhair, Boyle, County Roscommon;<br />
Leas Cathaoirleach, Paddy Waters,<br />
Carney, Co. Sligo; Runai, Brid Bean de<br />
Brun , Castlerea, County Roscommon ;<br />
Cisteoir, Micheal 0 hOgain, Caltra,<br />
County Galway. Delegates to Ard<br />
Chomhairle, Micheal 0 hOgain and Jack<br />
Reynolds, Shrule, County Mayo;<br />
Auditors, Tomas 0 Baoil, Beal Atha<br />
na Slua, and Jack Reynolds.<br />
A vote of sympathy was passed with<br />
Mr, Dan Davy , Secretary, Ballinasloe<br />
Branch on the death of his wife.<br />
11
that was to follow. He also thanked<br />
"Aileach" for kindly putting their public<br />
address system at the disposal of the<br />
Craobh for the night.<br />
Mr MacCaba's presidential address was<br />
warmly received. He said that it was sad<br />
to relate the death of one of Ulster's<br />
fmest traditional singers - J oe Holmes,<br />
who had died the previous night. He was<br />
shocked and saddened by the suddeness<br />
of Joe's death, an Ulster Presbyterian<br />
who crossed the sectarian barrier and<br />
through his music, wit, song and lilting<br />
brought pleasure to the many people<br />
who had the privilege of knowing and<br />
hearing him. As was the tradition on such<br />
sad occasions he requested Jim McKillop<br />
a fellow country-man and close friend of<br />
Joe's, to play a lament in his honour.<br />
Both the President and Craobh Chairman<br />
paid a warm tribute to Dinny<br />
McLaughlin who was "fear a' ti" for the<br />
night. Dinny has done more than most to<br />
promote both traditional music and<br />
dance in Buncrana and, indeed, all ove:<br />
Donegal and Derry. Craobh na hInse<br />
are very fortunate in having him as their<br />
guiding light.<br />
On Tuesday, January 10 a half-hour<br />
feature entitled "Craobh na hInse" was<br />
presented on Radio na Gaeltachta by<br />
Timlin 0 Cearnaigh, where he traced<br />
the history and habits of Inishowen<br />
people in general and especially the<br />
history of traditional music. Clement<br />
MacSuibhne and Seamus J McBride were<br />
the people interviewed and the music<br />
was that recorded at the Siamsa in<br />
Ballyliffm.<br />
JAMES McBRIDE, a member of Ceoltoiri<br />
Craobh na hlnse, playing in Ba11yliffin.<br />
MAIREAD NI MHAONAIGH as Gaoth Dobhair<br />
ag seinm ceoil ag Dinnear Blian tuil Craobh na<br />
hlnse.<br />
A GIANT OF A MAN<br />
Murt Curran had the bushiest eyebrows,<br />
the biggest feet and was the tallest man<br />
I had ever seen.<br />
That was when I was a toddler up in<br />
Mohill, Co. Leitrim, and he was my Irish<br />
dancing teacher.<br />
I can recall my first lesson with him. I<br />
watched in amazement as this giant of a<br />
man flitted over the floor of the L.D.F.<br />
hall introducing Mohillites to the intricacies<br />
of the one-two-three-four-five-sixseven<br />
movement.<br />
I met the man again recently - for the<br />
first time in more than thirty-five years.<br />
The pe~spettive had changed. He didn't<br />
look as tall, the feet had shrunk and the<br />
eyebrows looked normal. We stood<br />
shoulder to shoulder.<br />
Anything he taught me in those War<br />
days back in Mohill is long forgotten.<br />
But Murt still dances - at seventy six<br />
years of age .<br />
Murt has penned his memories in a<br />
book he calls "Memories Linger On."<br />
It's about his youth in Carlow, his days in<br />
the IRA, the sweet cakes he shared with<br />
Gregory Ashe while in Tintown, and,<br />
most of all, his dancing years.<br />
And he recalls these years in Leitrim,<br />
where he went to culturalise the natives<br />
at the request of Father Peter Confrey,<br />
parish priest of Pat Quinn's Cloone,<br />
JIM McKILLOP from Antrim playing at Craobh<br />
na hlnse Dinnear agus Siamsa.<br />
where "The Salmon Leap" and the<br />
"Corkscrew Step" were among the better<br />
known dances.<br />
He also recalls his visits to Kerry and<br />
his meetings with the late Liam Tarrant,<br />
and the All-Ireland Fleadhs in Listowel.<br />
"Memories Linger On," may not<br />
sparkle as a work of literature. But it<br />
touches strings of nostalgia and talks<br />
about people who shared our yesterday<br />
with us.<br />
There must be people around who<br />
would like to thumb through its pages.<br />
The book doesn't give any address<br />
for Murt Curran. But <strong>Comhaltas</strong> is certain<br />
to have a line on him. They can be contacted<br />
if readers are interested in getting<br />
a copy of the book.<br />
- Seam us McConville,<br />
"Kerryman".<br />
13
c§Jg~amh Ceoil<br />
McKENNA'S REEL<br />
i* pe Ei1i I £tiJ p:d 1<br />
1 fr rH itiJ I r ili rr it I re ft<br />
fU r dii liliJ f! l5 7 .tl 01<br />
ltC- 11 J 1 J 1 =1<br />
j<br />
-Y •<br />
f<br />
SHERLOCK'S JIG<br />
JJ.I t.i/l w ]11 I I'll ~~I "§ I<br />
I ! 1 1 }.' } 1 n1 ill 1 J!!<br />
~ 1<br />
fjJ _i I I [iJ 00<br />
1<br />
1ft! UJ<br />
tV<br />
Qj 1 ill .8)1
THE BOYS OF MULLAGHBAWN<br />
le jJ 1 J. J J J la j. j } 1 J J gd<br />
j 1 J. J<br />
On a Monday morning early,as my wandering steps did take me<br />
~ IF r r r j I J.<br />
down by a farmer's station of meadow and green lawn<br />
1* j I r J dJlJ j.<br />
I heard great lamentation that the wee birds they were making<br />
1ft J j I j j£ F Efl~ j. ~ ~ 141 J J J I J<br />
Saying we'll have no more engagements with the boys of Mullaghbawn.<br />
NA CONNERYS<br />
guidhim-se deachair ort agus gr5in M ~c<br />
De<br />
Ar an ghasr'<br />
ud ta ceangailte go dluth led' thaobh;<br />
" J 55 ~ I r p ~ ;g I J 1 J ~ a I rJ' J I J.<br />
Mar's iad a dhearbhaigh na leabhartha ar a' dtriuir bhfear seimh,<br />
. ' thar na farraigtbh go dt('s
TRALEE HONOURS FOR<br />
AN STIURTHOIR<br />
Labhras 0 Murchu, Ard-Stiurthoir of<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong>, was recently given a Civic<br />
Reception by Tralee U.D.C. in recognition<br />
of his work for Irish culture both<br />
at home and abroad. Our picture shows<br />
U.D.C. Chairman, Mr Michael O'Regan,<br />
presenting An Stiurthoir with a plaque as<br />
a token of his visit to the town. Also<br />
included are Una Bean Ui Mhurchu~<br />
Mr Sean Crispie , Town Clerk; and Seamus<br />
o Conchubhair, Kerry Co. Board Chairman<br />
of <strong>Comhaltas</strong>.<br />
Officers of the Kerry County Board of CCE<br />
pictured with Labhras 0 Murchu, Ard-S tiurthoir,<br />
at a meeting in Tralee recently. Front row:<br />
Seam as 0 Conchubhair (Cathaoirleach). Treasa<br />
Feiriteur (Runai), Labhras 0 Murchu and<br />
Michael 0 Dubhlaing (Leas-Cathaoirleach).<br />
Back row: Maitiu 0 Maonaigh (Leas-Runai),<br />
Brendan Feirtear (Oifigeach Caidrimh Poibli),<br />
Michael O'Suilleabhan (Iniuchoir) agus Diarmuid<br />
o Cearbhaill (Cisteoir).<br />
JOHN HEN R Y, 1976 piano-accordion champion<br />
from Bellaghy, the newly elected Vice-Chairman<br />
of Derry County Board of <strong>Comhaltas</strong>. A young<br />
teacher, he finds time to coach musicians as<br />
well as doing work on the administration side.<br />
OIREACHTAS CHAMPION<br />
of 1910<br />
Through the medium of our marvellous<br />
little magazine Treoir perhaps I could<br />
ascertain if my mother is the oldest<br />
living Oireachtas Dancing Champion. She<br />
is a lively 83 years old and won this<br />
championship in 1910. I doubt if there is<br />
a medal nowadays to equal the beauty of<br />
this solid gold medal stamped Oireachtas<br />
1910. She also has other All-Ireland<br />
medals won in 1912, the exact replica of<br />
our present day ones. As I look through<br />
her medals, I see Fr. Matthew Feis and<br />
the Dublin Feis collection and a beautiful<br />
one which is the Viceroy's medal for<br />
National Dances which she won at the<br />
Dublin Civic Exhibition in 1914 and which<br />
was presented to her by Lady Aberdeen.<br />
She tells me in those days not alone had<br />
you to dance your way to becoming a<br />
winner - but before being allowed enter<br />
you had an oral Irish examination and the<br />
committee had to be satisfied that every<br />
visible piece of clothing you were wearing<br />
was Irish made - from the Irish poplin<br />
ribbon on your hair to the Irish leather<br />
soles of your shoes (with no tips allowed).<br />
I can safely say that it is from their<br />
Grandmoter that my own children<br />
inherited this gift! My son now 26 won<br />
the All-Ireland Championship; My<br />
daughter now 18 won the World Dancing<br />
Championship; my youngest, IS-year old<br />
Shirley, is all Ireland gold medalist in solo<br />
dancing. My mother is a native of Dublin<br />
and still lives there. In the dancing world<br />
of 1909, 10, 11 , 12 she was known as<br />
Margaret Murtagh, perhaps some of your<br />
older readers may remember her.<br />
Emma Mullan, Mullingar Branch C.C.E.<br />
15
The AmericanWake<br />
by John J. Dooley<br />
Years ago I remember reading somewhere<br />
that every corner of the earth had<br />
a story to tell, every hill and glen, every<br />
river and stream, every field every tree<br />
and ev«ry blade of grass.<br />
The corner of the earth I am concerned<br />
with here is that part of County Clare<br />
which embraces the areas of Miltown<br />
Malbay, Quilty, Mullagh, Cree and<br />
Kilmihil right down to the Shannon itself<br />
and then westward along the course of<br />
th~t great river as it journeys to the sea<br />
where it hugs the broad Atlantic ocean at<br />
Loophead. I don't know why but in years<br />
gone by that area of Loophead used be<br />
referred to as Muirisheen Fodra.<br />
It is all West Clare country I am speaking<br />
about and if I pick it out for mention<br />
to the exclusion of the rest of that fair<br />
county it is like slicing a cake that is big<br />
and rich and wholesome. I pick it out<br />
because it is my native heath. I was born<br />
there and so I suppose I can rightly refer<br />
to it as my own place. My own place that<br />
was until I left there in 1939 and came to<br />
Dublin at a time when World War Two<br />
was in its infancy.<br />
Looking back on my boyhood days in<br />
Corca Baiscinn some of the events I<br />
remember best and which gave me most<br />
pleasure were the country house dances<br />
and the fine traditional music and song<br />
which characterised their make up. Hall<br />
dances to a large extent were unknown<br />
and unheard of in rural areas at that time.<br />
In country homes however, the dances<br />
flourished with lively fast=moving Clare<br />
sets on flagged floor kitchens. The Moher<br />
flag, it was said, made a great dance floor<br />
because of its even surface and square like<br />
shape.<br />
The dances were open to all the neighbours<br />
young and old and rarely were<br />
invitations issued except to prevent overcrowding<br />
or to limit the attendance of<br />
strangers from neighbouring townlands or<br />
parishes. Boys at any rate travelled miles<br />
on roads and through fields, over cart<br />
tracks and Mass paths to dance houses<br />
often guided by pure local knowledge in<br />
the darkness of night. ·A fellow who in<br />
such a situation once slipped off a fence<br />
into a dyke said in his frustration "Bad<br />
luck from the moon, it would be out a<br />
bright night".<br />
A type of dance that had much sorrow<br />
and loneliness in its make up was of<br />
course the American Wake, and these<br />
wakes were numerous indeed in the<br />
twenties and early thirties. Such type of<br />
dance was held at the home of a young<br />
boy or girl usually on the night before<br />
they left for America: Local musicians<br />
attended in force and supper was provided<br />
by the bean a 'tighe ably helped by<br />
neighbouring women. As I have stated,<br />
sadness and loneliness was much in<br />
evidence, for many who went in their<br />
youth and prime did not return in the<br />
lifetime of their parents at any rate. I<br />
remember the dances going on until four<br />
or five in the morning. Songs were sung<br />
and one in particular which moistened<br />
the ~ . eyes began thus 'A Stor mo chroi<br />
when you're far away from the home that<br />
you'll soon be leaving."<br />
COORACLARE A.G.M.<br />
The annual general meeting of the Patrick<br />
Kelly Memorial Branch of CCE attracted<br />
a large attendance at the Cree Community<br />
Centre. The chairman, Jim Tubridy, in<br />
his address said that the past year had<br />
been a very successful one. The branch<br />
had participated in all CCE competitions<br />
and functions and had gained success at<br />
county, provincial and All-Ireland level.<br />
He congratulated all concerned. Mr.<br />
Tubridy pointed out that although past<br />
successes had been most encouraging<br />
there were no grounds for complacency.<br />
He hoped that in the coming year the<br />
branch would broaden its activities and<br />
thus embrace all sections of the community.<br />
An open night session once a<br />
month was envisaged and he said that<br />
Irish dancing lessons would be resumed<br />
on Tuesday nights from 8 to 9 p.m.<br />
Fr. Leenane, CC, said that what<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> was trying to achieve was part<br />
As the dance ended and neighbours<br />
scattered away, farewells and good byes<br />
were exchanged often indeed mingled<br />
with wails and tears as the would-be<br />
emigrant parted from his family and set<br />
out on the first leg of his journey to Cobh<br />
(or Queenstown as it was then) to catch<br />
the boat. In those days of poor transport<br />
it was not uncommon to make a fifteen or<br />
twenty mile journey by means of a horse<br />
and trap or side car in order to catch an<br />
early morning train out of Ennis.<br />
And so Mother" Eirinn had lost another<br />
son or daughter to the emigrant ship.<br />
Their going 'was like a night wind sighing<br />
or perhaps a bean sidhe wail. Some came<br />
back while others did not. Dreams perished<br />
perhaps in far off places. Happily for<br />
young people that situation is in the past<br />
tense now. The American wake is over<br />
and the mourners are few.<br />
To the times and the years gone by,<br />
however, slaD. bee.<br />
of a campaign to save the soul of the<br />
country. As long as people were prepared<br />
to give of their time and talents to the<br />
community they could look forward to<br />
the future with confidence.<br />
Elected were: President, Fr. Leenane,<br />
CC ; Chairman, Jim Tubridy; Vice-Chairman,<br />
Michael Bermingham; Hon. Sec.,<br />
Mrs. Mary E. Tubridy; Asst. Secretary,<br />
Patsy McInerney; Treasurer, J.J. Corry;<br />
PRO, Patrick Burns; Delegates to Co.<br />
Board, Noel Conway, Sean Nolan.<br />
THOUGHT TO PONDER<br />
Don't be afraid to take a big step if one<br />
is indicated. Remember, you can't cross a ·<br />
chasm in two small jumps.<br />
17
MUSIC COLLECTION<br />
Almost every musician to-day has Francis<br />
O'Neill's collection of Irish dance music<br />
collected and compiled around the turn<br />
of the century. In 1792 the Belfast<br />
society sponsored a gat!1.ering of harpers<br />
and commisioned a young musician<br />
Edward Bunting to collect and publish<br />
the music they played. The music was<br />
attended by "all the best of the old class<br />
of harpers, - a race of men then nearly<br />
extinct, and now gone for ever". Men like<br />
Denis Hempson, Arthur O'Neill and<br />
Charles Fanning. Bunting collected<br />
several hundred melodies, some, by tradition<br />
dating back to pre-Norman times<br />
of the tenth or eleventh centuries<br />
and saved for posterity an invaluable<br />
heritage which would undoubtedly have<br />
been lost otherwise. Many of these tunes<br />
were used by song writers including<br />
Thomas Moore and are still heard in vocal<br />
and instrument form. Edward Bunting<br />
was born in 1773 and died 1843.<br />
- Extract from the Hanafin-Cooley<br />
Branch Newsletter, Boston.<br />
GOOD NEWS FROM SLIGO<br />
Local traditional musicians, dancers and<br />
singers had a busy year in 1977, the third<br />
Annual General Meeting of the Sligo<br />
branch of <strong>Comhaltas</strong> Ceoltoiri Eireann<br />
was told. Outgoing Secretary, Carmel<br />
Donnellan, said they had taken part not<br />
alone in activities in Sligo,<br />
but also throughout the country.<br />
On St. Patrick's night, a very enjoyable<br />
session of Irish music and dance organised<br />
by <strong>Comhaltas</strong> was held in the Columban<br />
Club, Castle Street. Early in<br />
April, the "Trom agus Eadtrom"<br />
programme was recorded in Sligo, and<br />
viewers all over the country subsequently<br />
saw traditionl music at its best being<br />
played by many members of the branch.<br />
On May 18th, local players travelled<br />
to Dublin to take part in a special "Sligo<br />
night" at Slattery's Traditional Club,<br />
Capel Street. In August many <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
players had appeared on stage at<br />
Ballisodare folk festival.<br />
The first week-end in October was the<br />
#<br />
TIONOL CHEOIL<br />
7 -9 JULY - GORMANSTON COLLEGE<br />
Reachtailfear TIONOL CHEOIL 1978 i<br />
gColaiste Rinn Mhic Ghormain ar an<br />
Aoine, Satharn agus Domhnach (Iuil 7,<br />
8 agus 9).<br />
The ninth annual TIONOL CHEOIL<br />
will commence in the Franciscan College,<br />
Gormanston, Co. Meath, on Friday night,<br />
July 7, and conclude at teatime on Sunday.<br />
The TIONOL CHEOIL will consist of<br />
music sessions, workshops, fIlm-shows·,<br />
lectures, etc., and there will be plenty of<br />
time to enjoy the recreational facilities<br />
of the College.<br />
Gormanston College is about 20 miles<br />
from Dublin on the main Belfast road.<br />
There are first class facilities in the College<br />
including a heated swimming pool; ballalleys<br />
; tennis courts; golf courses, etc., all<br />
o~ , which will be at the disposal of the<br />
TIONOL.<br />
There will be accommodation for<br />
300 overnight visitors and places will be<br />
allocated in order of application. The<br />
subsidised cost of the week-end (accommodation,<br />
meals, etc.) is £11. The subsidised<br />
cost for one day (meals, etc. but<br />
excluding accommodation) is £4.00.<br />
Deposits: intending participants should<br />
forward £2.00 per head for week-end<br />
tickets and £1 for day tickets.<br />
occasion of "Feile na Boinne" in<br />
Drogheda to provide music at this<br />
Sligo and Roscommon artistes staged an<br />
evening's entertainment in November,<br />
following the opening of the Irish Circle's<br />
season in Sligo, by the Minister for the<br />
Gaeltacht, Mr. D. Gallagher.<br />
Concluding her report, Carmel also<br />
pointed out that local musicians had done<br />
very well in the 1977 All-Ireland Scor<br />
and Fleadh competitions, when many<br />
first and second places were won by<br />
people who play regularly in the weekly<br />
sessions at the Sligo Trades Club.<br />
Chairman, Joe O'Dowd, expressed<br />
satisfaction that the branch continued to<br />
flourish. He commented that the weekly<br />
Tuesday night sessions in the Trades Club<br />
APPLICATIONS, TOGETHER WITH<br />
DEPOSITS, SHOULD BE FORWARDED<br />
TO:<br />
An Stiurthoir-,<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> Ceoltoiri Eireann<br />
Ceamog Belgrave,<br />
BaiIe na Manach,<br />
Co. Atha Cliath.<br />
----------------<br />
Tickets required<br />
Please state wfendfSat./Sun.<br />
Ainm<br />
Seoladh<br />
Aois (children only)<br />
Ainm<br />
Seoladh<br />
Aois (children only)<br />
Don oifig Amhain (office use only)<br />
--------------_.<br />
provided a social outlet for those<br />
interested in Irish traditional music. Here,<br />
musicians from Sligo and the adjoining<br />
counties got much enjoyment from<br />
playing to an appreciative audience in a<br />
relaxed atmosphere.<br />
A report on the branch's financial<br />
affairs was given to the<br />
meeting by Tr~asurer, Martin Enright.<br />
Officers elected for the coming year<br />
were Chairman, Joe O'Dowd; Vice-Chairman.<br />
Declan Bree; Secretary. Carmel<br />
Donnellan; Assistant Secretary, Carmel<br />
Gunning; Treasurer, Martin Enright;<br />
Auditor, Aodan O'Higgins.<br />
The meeting was followed by a lively<br />
session of music provided by more<br />
than a dozen players.<br />
19
NIOCLAs TCISiN<br />
,. /' /' ...-;<br />
NI ga ach cupla nota a chloisint<br />
on nguth brea', ceolmhar san le go<br />
mbeadh fhios agat ce ta ag canadh. Ce<br />
eile , ach Nioclas T6ibin, sar-amhrinaf<br />
an tsean-nais! Is ar amhrain mar "Sliabh<br />
na mBan agus "Ar Eirinn nf 'neosfainn<br />
ce hi" , is m6 ata aithne ar Nioclas faid<br />
agus leithead na hEireann.<br />
Ach anso sa Rinn, blonn seans againn<br />
Nfoclas a chloisint ag canadh na n-amhran<br />
san na fuil an oiread san cur-amach ag<br />
an gcuid eile den tir orthu:<br />
Agus tli. na ceadta diobh aige. Measaim na<br />
fuil aon amhninai eile sa tlr a gheobhadh<br />
e a sharu maidir le meid na n-lI1l)hnin<br />
ata ar eolas aige. Agus mas maith le<br />
haoinne cur i gcoinne an rrutis san, ta<br />
abhar comortais againn a bheadh suimluil<br />
thar na beartabh!<br />
Rugadh ag~s togadh Niocbls Toibin i<br />
mBaile Vi Raghallaigh sa Rinn, i nGaeltacht<br />
Phortl:iirge. Bm se mar dhuine<br />
d'ochtar pruste, ceanthrar buachaill agus<br />
ceathrar cailfn. Thugadar go leir an ceol<br />
leo, agus nlon ngaoth na on<br />
ngr~in a fuaireadar e. Ba de mhuintir<br />
Uf Sheanach:iin Heilbhic a mathair,<br />
daoine go raibh. clill le ceol arthu. Agus<br />
uncalleo a b'ea sean-Nioclas Toibfn, udar<br />
cailiuil, amhranai agus bheidhleadoiL<br />
Fuair Nioclas go lear amhran on a<br />
l:lthair agus on a uncal. Agus ar dhul ar<br />
scoil do bill se d'adh air go raibh maighistir<br />
ar Scoil Naisiunta na Rinne go raibh<br />
Doirin Mhic Mhurchu<br />
Residing in the heart of the Gaeltacht area at<br />
Ring, Co. Waterford, is Mrs. Doirin Mhic<br />
Mhurchu, a news and sports correspondent in<br />
West Waterford for Radio na Gaeltachta, Radio<br />
Telefis Eireann and a number of National daily<br />
newspapers.<br />
Doirin, was born in Liverpool but was<br />
brought up in Co. Cavan where she developed<br />
a deep interest in the Irish language and culture.<br />
From childhood she was raised in an Irish<br />
speaking environment and most conversations<br />
in her home were conducted through Irish.<br />
During 1960 she went with her Youghal<br />
born husband to reside in the sub-tropical<br />
region of Queensland, Australia, and even while<br />
there for three years she conversed mainly in<br />
the Irish language.<br />
On returning in 1963 she came to reside in<br />
An Rinn where her husband was appointed to a<br />
position with Gael Linn. Shortly after she<br />
By D6irin Mhic MhurchU<br />
an-shuim aige ins an amhranalocht ar an<br />
sean-n6s - Pilib 6 Foghlu .. Is mo amhran<br />
Deiseacht agus eile a thug Pilib da chuid<br />
scolruri- agus ba shaibhir an<br />
oighreacht -a' dh'fhag se in a dhiaidh.<br />
Drua go leor ceoIt.ain agus amhnmaithe<br />
eile, chaith Nioclas treimhse ar imirce.<br />
o 1950 go dti 1960 bill se i Sasana ag<br />
obair agus ina chonai'in Hatfield, thimpeall<br />
20 mile soir 6 dheas 6 chathair<br />
Londain. Le linn do bheith ansan,<br />
chlliraigh se le cor eaglasta a bill cliiiiteach<br />
go leor i ndeisceart Shasana an uair<br />
san, St. Bonaventure's Choir,<br />
Welwyn Garden City. Bill 40 guth sa<br />
char, 30 fear agus 10 ban agus chleachtaidis<br />
tn oiche sa seachtain, faoi stiiirthoir<br />
a thagadh 6 Londan chucha. Nlor chaill<br />
Nioclas riamh a shuim sa cheoil eaglasta,<br />
agus gach Nollaig blonn se prurteach sa<br />
chOr i"Seiperu na Rinne ag Aifreann na<br />
Mean-Oiche. Agus is brea mar a thugann<br />
se uaidh an "Ar nAthair" mar amhnln<br />
aonalr - an sean-leagan an "Aithri Sheain<br />
de hOrdha".<br />
Tar eis do filleadh abhaile go dt( an<br />
Rinn, ghnothaigli Nioclas Toib(n gradam<br />
na fuair aon duine eile in Eirinn, fear na<br />
bean. Bhuaigh se duais mhor amhan<br />
Oireachtais tn bhliain as a cheile,<br />
1960, 1961 , agus 1962. Sin eacht nar<br />
eirigh le haoinne eile a dheanamh 0<br />
bhunu an Oireachtais i leith.<br />
Nuair a thuilleann duine cml as bua<br />
alrithe, is minic nach eol do dhaoine go<br />
bhfuil buanna eile aige. Sin mar ata se<br />
le Nioclas. Bheidhleadoir e agus fear<br />
deanta bheidhlln. Ach is san<br />
amhranalocht ata a shuim agus is fada<br />
anois 6 bhain se le is na teada.<br />
Conalonn se agus blonn se ag ob air<br />
sa Rinn, seal le hiascaireacht, seal<br />
le feinneoracht. Tagann lucht radio agus<br />
teilifTse chuige beagnach gach samhradh.<br />
Le cupla bliain anuas dhein<br />
se claranna do ORTF, radio agus teilins<br />
naisfunta na Frainnce, agus ghlac se pru.rt<br />
i gclar teilifTse do chomhluchJ<br />
neamhspleach Frainnceach, Hflchette. 0<br />
am go ham deineann se fein turas as<br />
baile le claranna a dheanamh, no ceirmn<br />
a chur i gcomhar. Tamall de bhlianta a<br />
shoin, dhein Nioclas dha cheirnin 45<br />
Lp.m. do Ghael-Linn, ar a raibh amhrain<br />
mar "Sliabh Geal gCua" agus "Sliabh na<br />
mBan". Ba mhaith ann iad ach ba mhinic<br />
6 shoin sinn ag ra go mba mhor an trua<br />
gan a thuille da stor mor amhran a bheith<br />
ar falIt. Ach direach roimh Nollaig<br />
dh!eisigh Gael-linn ceirnln fad-sheinnte<br />
M chuid ar a bhfuil tn amhran Mag agus<br />
nl saibhreas go dt( { "Nioclas Toib(n" is<br />
tiodal do. Ta meascan brea ins na tn<br />
amhnin deag san. Ta an aisling bhrea san<br />
"Ar maidin is me i dtaisce mo churaim"<br />
agus amhnin Deiseach na cloistear<br />
leath-mhinic go leor, "Cois Abha<br />
Mor na nDeise". Ta cupla amhran de<br />
began writing feature articles for a number of<br />
Irish publications as well as a number of local<br />
and national newspapers. Doirin is a regular<br />
contributor to TREOIR.<br />
Later she was appointed as the West Waterford<br />
news and sports correspondent, and thus<br />
the flIst woman in the Waterford area to report<br />
on sporting fix tures. Recalling the early days as<br />
a sports writer she admits that there were a few<br />
raised eye brows as she took up her position on<br />
the side line.<br />
Now, however, it is not unusual to see<br />
Doirin covering any sporting fixture either in<br />
the English or Irish language. Apart altogether<br />
from writing news articles she is probably best<br />
known for her regular bi-lingual page features in<br />
Ireland's Own.<br />
Married with five children Doirin is keenly<br />
interested in all types of Irish Music, and<br />
through her a8SOCiation with <strong>Comhaltas</strong> Ceoltoiri<br />
Eireann has done much to promote Irish<br />
culture.<br />
21
\<br />
FROM HORSES TO GOATSKIN<br />
While Irish youngster Peter Egan goes<br />
international, Leicester-based artist Phil<br />
Reed has gone Irish. Phil specialises in<br />
painting horses - especially racehorses<br />
and last year he went to Ireland to get<br />
its equine elegance on canvas.<br />
THE MUSICAL HARPERS<br />
Rev. Fr. McGlynn, P.P. Gertahork,<br />
President of the Cloghaneely (Donegal)<br />
Branch of <strong>Comhaltas</strong> Ceoltoiri Eireann<br />
making a presentation of an inscribed<br />
silver tray to the Harper family, Dungorman,<br />
Castlefin, Co. Donegal, Branch<br />
members who were outstandingly<br />
successful in Fleadh Ceoil na hEireann<br />
1977.<br />
The four young musicians are daughters<br />
of Mr and Mrs Patrick Harper and Brid<br />
(left of back row) won the iffle and fiddle<br />
slow airs under 11 years, Brid and her<br />
sister, Marion, second from left, won the<br />
All-Ireland Duets under 11 and together<br />
with Amelia, right of back row, they won<br />
the All-Ireland trio under 11 years.<br />
Accepting the presentation is eight<br />
years old Siobhan, the tin whistle player<br />
in the family group.<br />
The talented family make up their<br />
own Celidh Band and in addition to Brid<br />
on fiddle , Marion plays a two-row button<br />
accordion ; Amelia piano accordion;<br />
Siobhan tin whistle and five year old<br />
Patricia, plays the drums.<br />
The Harper family will participate in<br />
the "Aos Og" at the Fleadh Nua.<br />
For some reason which he can't quite<br />
explain, he finished up in Co. Clare and in<br />
no time had put his paints and easel aside<br />
and was swallowed up by the<br />
countryside's traditional music.<br />
The instrument which intrigues him<br />
most was the bodhran. Soon he had<br />
acquired one of his own and was joining<br />
in.<br />
In due course and with considerable<br />
reluctance, he returned to Leicester<br />
where, much to his delight, he found that<br />
there were Irish traditional music sessions<br />
there too - at the local St. Patrick's<br />
Club. And so it is that nowadays one<br />
finds Phil, armed with his bodhran, right<br />
there in the centre of <strong>Comhaltas</strong> sessions<br />
in Leicester.<br />
And what about Irish racehorses<br />
Well, Phil intends to return to Ireland this<br />
year to finally get them on canvas but<br />
first on his itinerary will be another visit<br />
COMORTAS RINCE NAISIUNTA<br />
at the<br />
FLEADHNUA<br />
Inis, Co. An Chlair<br />
Saturday, May 27 (11.00 a.m. sharp)<br />
at the Community Centre.<br />
(a) Senior Country Set -<br />
(full set of eight dancers)<br />
(b) Senior Half-set -<br />
(four dancers)<br />
NIOCLAS TOIBIN<br />
chuid Phadraig Ui Mhileadha air agus<br />
ceann des na hiomnai is aosta da bhfuil<br />
againn "Areir is me ag machtnamh."<br />
Sa bhliain 1976 maraon le grupa d'fhili<br />
agus ceoItoiri eile 0 Eirinn, chuaidh Nio<br />
Nioc1as ar turas go dti oileain<br />
GhaeItacht na hAlban faoi choimirce<br />
Chomhdhail Naisiunta na Gaeilge agus<br />
Chomhairle Ealaine na Breataine.<br />
Chuadar ar eitlean 0 oilean go hoilean<br />
ag tabhairt cuirmeacha ceoil agus<br />
cuireadh an-fhailte rompa. Bhi an piobaire<br />
go Corcaioch, Maire Ni Ghrada i<br />
measc an ghrupa agus dhein si comhcheoil<br />
ar roinnt d'amhrain Nioc1ais.<br />
Chuir me ceist ar Nioc1as cad e an<br />
t-amhran is fearr le is fein as an stor mor<br />
ata aige. Agus duirt se guirbe an ceann is<br />
deacra ar fad le canadh an ceann is<br />
fearr leis, - "Na Pratai Dubha". Sin e<br />
fior-amhran an ghorta. Bean de chuid na<br />
Rinne darb ainm Maire Ni Dhroma a<br />
scriobh e agus ni leargas go dti e ar an<br />
ndroch-shaol. Nil se ar cheirnin fos. Le<br />
cunamh De, amach anseo, beidh se sin,<br />
agus a thuille de stor saibhir ceoil le<br />
faiIt againn 0 Nioc1as Toibin.<br />
to Co. Clare - where, of course, they<br />
don't have racehorses, only endless traditional<br />
music which envelopes, captivates<br />
and makes one forget about four-legged<br />
creatures.<br />
- "Irish Post"<br />
( c) Senior 8-Hand Dance -<br />
(eight dancers)<br />
(d) Senior 4-Hand Dance -<br />
(four dancers)<br />
(e) Junior Country Set.<br />
(t) Junior Half-set.<br />
Forward entries to:<br />
Padraig MacMathuna,<br />
Ascal Caoimhin de Barra,<br />
INIS, Co. an Chlair.<br />
Fon: 065/21616 (9-5 p.m.)<br />
UILLEAN PIPES<br />
MAKER DIES<br />
Michael 0 Cianain of Glassleck, ShercocK<br />
Co. Cavan, who has died, aged 84, was<br />
one of the oldest and best-known makers<br />
of Uilleann and other Irish bagpipes in<br />
the country. He was also a well-known<br />
bagpipe player and he exported his pipes<br />
to Australia, the United States and<br />
Britain.<br />
He also taught enthusiasts from<br />
Germany, France, Britain, as well as<br />
Ireland how to play the Uilleann pipes<br />
and he gave his last demonstration of<br />
pipe playing at Cavan Trades Fair at<br />
Christmas. A leading member . of<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> Ceoltoiri Eireann, he played<br />
on RTE television and radio on numerous<br />
occasions.<br />
23
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />
LITREACHA<br />
TONY'S PET AVERSION<br />
Baile Atha Cliath,<br />
Tony McMahon has written a pamphlet<br />
on Irish traditional music (commercial<br />
music) : his only motivation can have<br />
been the character-aSsassination of <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
Ceoltoiri Eireann. It will undoubtedly<br />
rank as one of the "sick" publications<br />
of this generation. It is a gigantic<br />
misrepresentation of history (although<br />
the "about twenty years ago" bad situation<br />
always, uncomfortably for Tony,<br />
coincides with the founding of<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong>!).<br />
Tony fills his diatribe with innuendoes<br />
, un-scholarly generalisations, and<br />
vindictive jibes which, to say the least<br />
of them, are too sick for attention,<br />
His only aim can be to create division<br />
and, God knows, history can provide him<br />
with many such bedfellows. Division<br />
was always the curse of Ireland .<br />
Tony McMahon has once and for all<br />
revealed a deep-seated aversion which<br />
heretofore had been known only to a<br />
few . He doesn't like <strong>Comhaltas</strong> and in<br />
expressing his aversion he shows no<br />
regard for history, facts , or, indeed,<br />
truth. He blindly lashes a great cultural<br />
movement and blandly absolves all<br />
other organisations. His poison pen seems<br />
to have been unleashed without<br />
discipline or sensitivity. Of course, the<br />
fact that <strong>Comhaltas</strong> is honoured in this<br />
negative way is an indication of its<br />
real standing.<br />
Tony writes of an identifiable musician<br />
who is not well endowed with the<br />
goods of this world and intimates that<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong>, therefore, should not have a<br />
home of its own (other organisations are<br />
exempt mind you!). (Incidentally, I think<br />
it was most unfair to mention this musician<br />
in his book - there are many<br />
artistes who do not wish to be listed<br />
under the heading of charity. In fact,<br />
there are many thousands of Irish people<br />
who though lacking wealth have an<br />
immense pride in themselves). He seems<br />
to have a hate complex about <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
which he finds hard to hide even in his<br />
radio programmes. There are times when<br />
his biased attitudes could be questioned<br />
under the heading of "broadcasting<br />
standards". In his latest pamphlet he has<br />
recorded now for all time an<br />
unbelievable bias, which proves conclusively<br />
that this man cannot give radio<br />
licenceholders fair play. Of course,<br />
radio is a powerful medium which is paid<br />
for by the Irish people and at some stage<br />
the whole question of bias and prejudice<br />
may tome up for consideration.<br />
To rtCturn to Tony's aversion : you<br />
will recall his anti-national stand when<br />
Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann was<br />
cancelled at a time when the nationalist<br />
population of the Six Coun ties was under<br />
severe coercion - Tony was the only<br />
person to be found to go on radio and<br />
denigrate the <strong>Comhaltas</strong> stand: opportunism<br />
at its best, but it won't be forgotten.<br />
Tony would like to regard himself as<br />
a liberal. Is he really There is a persistent<br />
rumour going round that he helped<br />
as hatchet man when the <strong>Comhaltas</strong> radio<br />
programme included a reply to certain<br />
biased comments which he made on his<br />
own programme. The outcome was that<br />
the <strong>Comhaltas</strong> programme was censored.<br />
True or false<br />
Tony is one of a very small band of<br />
commercial artistes who possibly regard<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong>, because it is an organisation<br />
of the people and depending on<br />
volunteers, as a threat to the business.<br />
Tony makes his music pay (and more<br />
power to him): he is reputed to ask as<br />
high as £50 to £100 per engagement -<br />
does he distribute it all to deserving<br />
cases Of course his attack on Cornhaltas<br />
is really an effort to distract from his own<br />
"a pound for a note" attitude.<br />
Tony's recent attack on <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
is illogical to the extreme. Of course,<br />
there are a number of desks at the Culturlann<br />
- does he expect the staff to work<br />
on the floor Does he himself work in<br />
primitive conditions in RTE: I understood<br />
that the radio studios are the<br />
most modern in Europe. I do know that<br />
they are not using butter-boxes. Maybe<br />
he feels that "professionals" deserve the<br />
best but that anything is good enough<br />
for our native culture ("bog-oak"). The<br />
Culturlann has a recording studio, a<br />
library, a recreation hall, etc. Why<br />
begrudge such things Back to good old<br />
mother England - keep the natives<br />
ignorant is it<br />
Culturlann na hEireann was made<br />
possible by the people. It was not State<br />
money. It came from raffles, Church-gate<br />
collections, personal contributions,<br />
concerts, ceilis, card-games and concert<br />
tours (which included many commercial<br />
musicians who gave their time voluntarily<br />
and willingly). The money came from the<br />
villages and towns of Ireland; from<br />
friends in Britain, the United States, and<br />
Canada: and it was raised solely and<br />
specifically for the Culturlann. No one<br />
had the right to spend it otherwise. Of<br />
course, Tony didn't provide this background<br />
information because that would<br />
be too revealing and take the sting out<br />
of his vendetta. It is also revealing that<br />
Tony makes no attack on other organisations<br />
who aren't confined to butterboxes.<br />
I wonder why There is an answer,<br />
you know!<br />
And one final piece of infonnation<br />
which, of course, is no secret: <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
has on many occasions engaged the<br />
musician mentioned by Tony McMahon<br />
and paid for the literary and musical<br />
contributions (not charity). The organisation<br />
doesn't go around broadcasting<br />
their "good deeds": what a pity others<br />
aren't as sensitive.<br />
Tony, your musicianship is<br />
appreciated and respected but please<br />
don't use it as a vehicle for stabbing<br />
an organisation like Cornhaltas in the<br />
back. There is one border too many<br />
in Ireland. Tony, all your childish<br />
viciousness wont change the course of<br />
history or rob such a fine movement like<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> of its much deserved laurels.<br />
You have maligned many thousands of<br />
people at home and abroad. With a view<br />
to attracting the :spotlight to yourself.<br />
Remember you are now in the open;<br />
you have taken the shilling and written<br />
tripe for the "antis" but you have also<br />
recorded your vindictiveness for posterity.<br />
CIARAN MAC CRAITH<br />
25
A COSTLY HOR-NPIPE<br />
By E.P. Sherry<br />
How an Irish hornpipe was preserved<br />
for 'posterity at the expense or the loss<br />
of a field of hay, is revealed<br />
in an interview with a well known<br />
Clonesman, Mr. Patrick O'Kane, P.C.,<br />
who is a father figure in politics,<br />
commerce and traditional Irish music.<br />
In the volumous annals of the Irish<br />
musical story, the dedication of Paddy<br />
O'Kane and his former Cavan cohorts<br />
must be unique in the protracted struggle<br />
to perpetuate our tuneful links with the<br />
past.<br />
It was a pleasant experience to chat<br />
with the versatile Paddy O'Kane at his<br />
comfortable home where he resides with<br />
his daughter, Maureen, at Legar Crescent,<br />
Clones. He enhanced his genial hospitality<br />
with a masterful performance on the tin<br />
whistle and during the interludes gave me<br />
a colourful ' insight into his early<br />
efforts to become proficient in the<br />
role of the Irish minstrel.<br />
He said : "I have always taken a deep<br />
interest in Irish traditional music. My<br />
uncles on both sides of the family were<br />
prominently identified with<br />
Irish music. One of my uncles on my<br />
mother's side could sing up to 200<br />
traditional Irish songs but unfortunately<br />
in his day the revival of Irish music was<br />
not as far advanced as it is today so<br />
that most of the old songs died with<br />
him.<br />
"My first attempts at playing an<br />
instrument was on the piccolo or wooden<br />
flute but in later years I changed to the<br />
tin whistle. A school pal of mine<br />
brought me to a local farmer named John<br />
Donohoe, Lavey, Co. Cavan, who taught<br />
us our first tunes on the piccolo. We<br />
compensated him for his music lessons<br />
by helping him on the farm in the digging<br />
and gathering of potatoes, working at<br />
hay and the making of turf in the bog.<br />
"I remember learning a hornpipe from<br />
John Donohoe which was then popularly<br />
known as the "Blanchardstown Hornpipe"<br />
but which was much akin to the<br />
"Cork Hornpipe." It took about ten<br />
lessons for me to get the tune reasonably<br />
correct and one bright sunny day I went<br />
back to Donohoe on a Friday afternoon,<br />
convinced that I had at last mastered<br />
the tune. John was busy in a field of hay<br />
which was ready for 'rucking'.<br />
"He said to me, 'How are you getting<br />
along with the hornpipe. Have you been<br />
able to master it'<br />
I replied that I thought I had and he<br />
asked me to play it over until he would<br />
hear it. I did so and Donohoe said there<br />
were still a couple of notes not coming<br />
true. He brought me over to his house,<br />
leaving the hay to take care of itself, and<br />
we spent an hour so that I could get the<br />
hornpipe perfected. While we were<br />
inside it started to rain and it rained<br />
almost continuously for a whole<br />
week afterwards with the result that the<br />
field of hay was lost. As he was a small<br />
farmer, Donohoe had to go out to the<br />
market in the Springtime to buy hay.<br />
ONe day I met him coming from town<br />
with a load of hay and in the course of<br />
conversstion I asked him what price was<br />
hay in the market. Without any rancour<br />
in his voice, for he was a dedicated<br />
musician, he replied 'It was the price of<br />
the Blanchardstown Hornpipe'.'<br />
To illustrate his unusual story, Paddy<br />
O'Kane then took down his tin<br />
whistle from a shelf beside the fireplace<br />
and gave an expert rendering of<br />
'The Blanchardstown Hornpipe.'<br />
Reverting to his early youth in a rural<br />
community, Paddy O'Kane said there<br />
were very few organised dance bands in<br />
the country at the time so he played his<br />
piccolo, doubling with the tin whistle,<br />
in local dance halls and schools, but he<br />
finally settled for the tin whistle, which<br />
he found to be the most tuneful instrument,<br />
and the partnership has remained<br />
ever since. When Cornhaltas Ceoltoiri<br />
Eireann was formed in Clones he joined<br />
the organisation with enthusiasm and at<br />
the first of the big Fleadhanna in Clones<br />
he was appointed local publicity officer.<br />
As the movement went from strength<br />
to strength he was appointed<br />
treasurer of Monaghan County Board<br />
CCE, a position which he still holds and<br />
last year was elected Vice-Chairman of<br />
the Ulster Council CCE.<br />
THE VALUE OF COMMUNITY<br />
ENDEAVOUR<br />
"Community endeavour is the only thing<br />
that stands between us and a totally<br />
materialistic society." This was stated by<br />
Labhras 0 Murchu, when he spoke at a<br />
meeting in Cashel recently.<br />
"The importance of community organisations<br />
- cultural, sporting, charitable -<br />
should not be under-emphasised," he said.<br />
"Through their perceptiveness and selflessness<br />
these community bulwarks prevent<br />
the erosion of time-honoured standards<br />
of living, concern and sociability. It is<br />
true that numbers involved may be small<br />
but by regular and constant example they<br />
provide an ideal to be emulated and they,<br />
at least, balance the destructiveness of the<br />
cynic.<br />
"Ireland was always noted for the concern<br />
of neighbour for neighbour; for the<br />
ready hands of a "meitheal" at harvest<br />
time ; for the attentive ear when troubles<br />
were unbearable; for the cheerful giver of<br />
alms; for the open-door when<br />
"cuairtaiocht" was fashionable. Times<br />
have changed through progress - more's<br />
the pity in many ways. If society had more<br />
time for the individual there might be<br />
-less nervous stress and a happier community<br />
all round.<br />
"The community organisations play an<br />
important role in filling the vacuum<br />
created by the changing times. Rural and<br />
urban bodies through their activities bring<br />
people together in a spirit of dependence,<br />
self-reliance and mutual co-operation.<br />
They provide a forum for sharing<br />
problems; they encourage initiative; they<br />
dissipate apathy; and above all they help<br />
in the proper formation of young characters<br />
- one of the greatest investments<br />
in a community's future."<br />
27
DIALANN'78<br />
May 13/14 Deny Fleadh Dungiven<br />
13/14 Mayo Fleadh Ballinrobe<br />
13/14 Tipperary Fleadh Tipperary Town<br />
14 Dublin/Louth Fleadh Ard Scoil Ris<br />
14 Offaly Fleadh Ferbane<br />
14 Wicklow Elirninations Aughrim<br />
19/21 S. Kerry Reg. Fleadh Killorglin<br />
21 Reg. Fleadh Britain N.W. Manchester<br />
21 Monaghan Fleadh Emyvale<br />
21 Westmeath Fleadh Moate<br />
21 Kildare Eliminations Athy<br />
26/28 Fleadh Nua Ennis<br />
June 2/4 N. Kerry Reg. Fleadh Ardfert<br />
3 Antrim Fleadh Ballycastle<br />
3/4 Limerick Fleadh Castleconnell<br />
3/4 Cavan Fleadh Belturbet<br />
4 Waterford/Kilkenny Fleadh Ardmore<br />
10/11 Donegal Fleadh Crossroads<br />
17/18 Fermanagh Fleadh Elderney<br />
18 Wexford Fleadh Monageer<br />
18 Laois Fleadh Portarlington<br />
18 Clare Fleadh Kilrush<br />
24/25 Tyrone Fleadh Drumquin<br />
24/25 All Britain Fleadh Leicester<br />
24/25 Cork Fleadh Mallow<br />
24/25 Longford Fleadh Lanesboro<br />
24/25 Connacht Fleadh Boyle<br />
25/29 Feile Chill Airne Killarney<br />
30 Aonach Cheoil Gweedore, Co. Donegal<br />
July · 1/2 Kerry Fleadh Ballyheigue<br />
7/9 Tionol Cheoil Gorrnanston<br />
15 Down Fleadh Portaferry<br />
15/16 Leinster Fleadh Clara<br />
21/23 Munster Fleadh Tralee<br />
29/30 Ulster Fleadh Cootehill<br />
Aug. 20/25 Scoil Eigse Listowel<br />
25/28 Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann Listowel<br />
For further details please contact: <strong>Comhaltas</strong> Ceoltoiri Eireann, Belgrave Square,<br />
Monkstown, Co. Dublin. Fon: 800295.
~<br />
SEAMUS GLACKIN
COGAR ...<br />
The American-based company<br />
"SEANACHAI RECORDS" has released<br />
two more LPs - one featuring fiddle player<br />
ANDY McGANN and the other the<br />
music of Co. Kerry • • Plans are<br />
progressing for the Clare Teacht Cheoil<br />
to be sited in Ennis: it will be circular<br />
in design. • JACK REYNOLDS<br />
who returned from the U.S. in recent<br />
years is promoting the <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
movement in Shrule, Co. Mayo. He is<br />
chairman of the Mayo Co. Board and is<br />
a newly elected Connacht delegate to<br />
the Ard-Chomhairle. While in the U.S.<br />
Jack was Editor of the "Hibernian<br />
Digest" • • MARGARET CLIFFE,<br />
Secretary of the Ballymacarbery Branch,<br />
was engaged recently.. One<br />
persistent suggestion that is coming to<br />
the fore is a Concert Tour of Ireland in<br />
aid of the Culturlann Fund • • Two<br />
provincial Chairmen were included in the<br />
1978 Concert Tour of Britain - DONAL<br />
DE BARRA, Munster, and Tour Manager<br />
JOHN McCRACKEN of Ulster • • of<br />
• • •• ITV's film on the<br />
Fleadh Nua was an entry in the Golden<br />
Harp competition hosted by RTE.<br />
It is understood ihat the British-based<br />
network was expected to feature a<br />
subject in their own country. RTE would<br />
be eligible to use the Fleadh Nua as a<br />
subject • • PEADAR FINN of<br />
Preston is the new Vice-Chairman of the<br />
Council of Britain. Formerly of<br />
Roscommon Peadar was a member of the<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> visit to Libya. He replaces<br />
POL 0 RIAIN of Crewe who did not seek<br />
re~lection. Pol did trojan work promoting<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> in Britain ••• •<br />
• • •• DIARMAID 0 CA THAIN<br />
Lixnaw, Co. Kerry, has resigned from the<br />
staff of <strong>Comhaltas</strong>. He held the post of<br />
Priomh-Reachtaire and his dedication to<br />
the cultural movement was very much<br />
admired • • •• Flautist MATT<br />
MOLLOY is recovering from his recent<br />
illness and his many friends wish him a<br />
speedy recovery to the traditional<br />
music scene • • Another visitor to<br />
28<br />
Culturlann na hEireann was the Minister<br />
for Education, Mr. JOHN WILSON,<br />
T.D. He attended the launching of the<br />
TOM PHAIDIN TOM LP. Mrs. Wilson is<br />
a niece of Tom Phaidin.<br />
• • • • The 1978 Concert Tour of<br />
the U.S./Canada is tentatively<br />
arranged for October 9/3 I and Co<br />
Ordinator BILL McEVOY reports a<br />
lively interest fr om potential<br />
venues • • MARGARET HORAN of<br />
Drumcollagher, Co. Limerick. is the new<br />
cook at the CuI turl ann and visiting<br />
branches and other visitors are assured<br />
of a tasty meal • • The voluntary<br />
ladies committee have done an excellent<br />
job of work at the Culturlann : their dedication<br />
and commitment have been a<br />
source of encouragement to all<br />
connected with this national<br />
project • • •• Timire Cheoil<br />
SEAMUS MacMATHUNA has moved<br />
house from Cork to Dublin<br />
There is much concern about<br />
the lack of traditional music on RTE<br />
television: it is estimated that there has<br />
been a decrease of nearly 75% in recent<br />
years, and those who have expressed their<br />
dissatisfaction at this situation should<br />
make their views known to RTE, Donnybrook<br />
Dublin 4 • • Among the bands<br />
to perform at this year's Fleadh Nua will<br />
be the Long Ridge under the leadership<br />
of JOHN BRADY: the Long Ridge, of<br />
course, won the 1977 All-Irehind<br />
championship. • The ever-popular<br />
LIVERPOOL Ceili Band will also make a<br />
return visit, as will the TULLA and<br />
CEOLTOIRI LUlMNI •••• A<br />
presen tation will be made to<br />
SALBHEASTAR MacCONNMHAIGH,<br />
Cappawhite, Co. Tipperary, in<br />
recognition of his service to <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
•• BREANDAN FEIRITEIR,<br />
former Munster Chairman, is the new<br />
P.R.O. in Kerry. Breandan's wife, Treasa,<br />
is the Runai Chontae • • Dublin Co.<br />
Board has a new chairman in the person<br />
of AN BR. O. CASAIDE who was a<br />
delegate to the Ard-Chomhairle for<br />
1977 /78. The new Runai is MICHEAL<br />
o GRIOFA •• Bord na Gaeilge has<br />
made. a grant in excess of £3 ,000 available<br />
to the Ard-Scoil Ris Branch (Dublin)<br />
of <strong>Comhaltas</strong> for the implementation of<br />
their excellent programme of<br />
work harps, fiddles, whistles,<br />
accordeons, bodhrans, are all available<br />
from the Culturlann, as are the new<br />
attractive <strong>Comhaltas</strong> key-rings •• A<br />
limited number of bound volumes of<br />
TREOIR are available, and while speaking<br />
of Treoir, articles, photos and stories are<br />
welcome • • Funds are urgently<br />
required to complete the Culturlann<br />
project (interim stage): individuals and<br />
branches are urged to extend their<br />
support • • 1979 is the centenary of<br />
the birth of P ADRAIG PEARSE, and<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> units are reminded to arrange<br />
a suitable cultural commemmoration<br />
of this great man - patriot, scholar, poet.<br />
BUIOCHAS<br />
The Editor of TREOIR wishes to<br />
express sincere thanks to the "Irish Press"<br />
and journalists Tomas MacRuairi and<br />
Laurence Kilday for their articles used in<br />
previous issues.<br />
Ow thanks also to the "Irish Post",<br />
"Leinster Express", "Fann Week",<br />
"Connacht Tribune", "Western People",<br />
Caoimhin MacAodha, E.P. Sherry, and all<br />
ow regular contributors. Go raibh mile<br />
maith agaibh uilig.
~~~~<br />
LITREACHA<br />
"Lister House",<br />
6 St, Andrew's Street,<br />
Blackburn BB 1 8AE<br />
It was with great pleasure and not a<br />
little pride that my wife and I heard<br />
over Radio Eireann of Josie McDermott's<br />
recent success. His must surely be the<br />
classic lesson of the ability . to triumph<br />
over adversity. And what a triumph his<br />
story has been.<br />
I felt that I knew Josie even before<br />
I had the pleasure of actually meeting<br />
him. My late in-laws extolled the virtues<br />
of this highly talented gentleman so<br />
vividly that I felt that they must be<br />
exaggerating just a little! How wrong I<br />
was ..<br />
It is only a short time ago during one<br />
of our many visits to the Boyle area that<br />
we were privileged to have a 'private'<br />
hearing of Josie's wonderful flute playing.<br />
All in that room sat enthralled as the<br />
music flowed, seemingly effortlessly .. .<br />
the hall-mark of genius. It is an evening<br />
we shall nevet forget.<br />
It appears that his talents have no<br />
boundaries and give the appearance that<br />
they arrive as if by magic. But, of course,<br />
they don't. They must surely come by<br />
hard and diligent work, and that deep<br />
conviction to succeed evenin the face of<br />
visual loss.<br />
We shall now await further success to<br />
flow from J osie ...... and I'll wager we<br />
won't have to wait long.<br />
D. M. SOMERVILLE.<br />
MICHAEL HORAN<br />
It is often the case that great men are<br />
neither recognised nor appreciated properly<br />
until they have departed this life.<br />
Although Mikie Horan was loved, respected<br />
and widely known throughout<br />
West Limerick, it is only since his sad<br />
passing we have realised the great asset<br />
he was to the community life of Teampall<br />
a'Ghleanntain.<br />
He was one of the founder members<br />
of the local <strong>Comhaltas</strong> Craobh which<br />
came into existence in November 1971.<br />
He served as its Leas-Cathaoirleach for<br />
a number of years but he much preferred<br />
to play his part in the propagation of<br />
Irish music and dance from behind the<br />
scenes. He had a great love for his native<br />
Parish, for its music, dance, folklore ,<br />
history, songs and pastimes and he was<br />
a tireless worker in the promotion of<br />
these aspects of our culture.<br />
He acquired his great love of traditional<br />
music from his mother Maenie Dee<br />
who played the fiddle , melodeon and<br />
concertina. But Mikie was much better<br />
known for his dancing skills. He attended<br />
the local dancing schools in his young<br />
days. These were held in local houses<br />
all during the winter months, and Mikie<br />
picked up many dances which he retained<br />
in his head until the end. Two of these<br />
dances, "Hurry the Jug" and the "Jig<br />
Set" had not been danced in the locality<br />
for forty years until revived by Mikie a<br />
number of years ago. But there were<br />
many other dances which he took to the<br />
grave with him because we all thought<br />
that Mikie being such an active pensioner<br />
there were many more years left for<br />
reviving and recording these rare and<br />
ancient Irish dances. Ach ni mar a siltear<br />
a bitear; sciobadh uainn e gan coinne.<br />
Mikie had a vast knowledge also of<br />
local folklore which he had heard from<br />
his mother and from neighbours who discussed<br />
it round the fire in winter time. He<br />
took a special interest in old stories and<br />
he could name for you the great storytellers<br />
of the locality over the past<br />
hundred years. He was considered an<br />
expert on folk cures of the area.<br />
There was certainly a note of sadness<br />
at the local <strong>Comhaltas</strong> A.G.M. on<br />
October 23rd. The staunch supporter of<br />
Cornhaltas, the man who was present at<br />
every Craobh event, was missing his first<br />
A.G.M. since the foundation of the<br />
Craobh. Ni bheidh a leitheid in ar measc<br />
aris : i bhFlaitheas De go raibh a anam<br />
Gaelach.<br />
T.O'M.<br />
Michael Horan pictured with an tAth. 0<br />
Fiannachtl at "OUscoil Scante" 1976.<br />
LIXNAW COMHALTAS WRENBOYS<br />
LlXNAW COMHALTAS WRENBOYS at the<br />
recent annual Dinnear of the Lixnaw Branch at<br />
the Manhattan Hotel, Tralee, with Chairlady -<br />
Hanna O'ConneU presenting a cheque for £200<br />
to Co. Board Cathaoirleach - Seamus 0<br />
Conchubhair.<br />
Seated L. to R. Nora Falvey, Rosaleen<br />
Collins Kitty Lenihan and Denis Lenihan.<br />
Stan~g - Sonny Keane, Diarmuid 0 Cathain,<br />
Seamus 0 Conchubhair, Hanna O'ConneU,<br />
Eamonn 0 h-Argain and Danny O'ConneU.<br />
Absent from photograph: Bemie O'ConneU,<br />
Kathleen Scott, Ian Scott and Michael Guirin.<br />
26
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION<br />
For an annual subscription of only<br />
£1.50 you will receive 6 copies of<br />
TREOIR (post free).<br />
An Annual Subscription in the U.S.<br />
is $ 5 .00 and applications should be made<br />
to John P. Ryan, 29 Beaumont Place,<br />
Newark, New Jersey, 07104.<br />
LEICESTER'S NEW BASE<br />
Since it was formed less than two years<br />
ago , the Leicester branch of <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
has had a constant problem - lack<br />
of space to accommodate its evergrowing<br />
membership and range of<br />
activities, writes BRENDAN FARRELL.<br />
But this is the sort of problem which<br />
any organisation would welcome. It's<br />
the stamp of success.<br />
Now, however, the branch has a new<br />
base - St. Patrick's Club, right in the<br />
heart of Leicester. It's the perfect venue.<br />
Weekly sessions take place every Monday<br />
evening in the main concert room.<br />
There are also all of the usual club<br />
facilities .<br />
In another room the branch has<br />
tuition - provided by energetic Northampton-based<br />
Fergus McTaggart. He has<br />
no shortage of eager young pupils.<br />
The branch has also attracted the<br />
participation of the various Irish dancing<br />
schools in the Leicester area and those<br />
Monday evening sessions are something<br />
to be experienced. I certainly recommend<br />
them to anybody within driving range of<br />
Leicester who wants an up-lifting real<br />
Irish evening.<br />
Let me add, too, that Fergus<br />
McTaggart has an open door policy for<br />
oilier children requiring tuition.<br />
The branch hosted the <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
touring concert on February 14.<br />
On June 25 , Leicester will host the<br />
all-Britain fleadh - so it's quite a year<br />
for the branch.<br />
For more details on all <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
events in Leicester, telephone Rosaleen<br />
Duddy at Leicester 359354.<br />
24<br />
Ainm:<br />
Seoladh:<br />
Amount enclosed:<br />
To: Treoir, 32 Cearnog Belgrave, Baile<br />
na Manach, Co. Atha Cliath.<br />
AN OIGE IN MUILEANN<br />
GHEARR<br />
Im make no apology when I say that one<br />
of the most important and beneficial<br />
"sessions" took place in the Greville<br />
Arm's Hotel recently. I refer of course,<br />
to the Junior Ceili which was sponsored<br />
and organised by the Mullingar Branch<br />
of C.C.E.<br />
Mullingar, though short of talent<br />
in the senior section of <strong>Comhaltas</strong>, has<br />
an abundance of talent in the Junior<br />
Ranks and it stands as a model to the<br />
rest of the county. The hard work done<br />
by Mrs K. Mullally and Mrs Mullen with<br />
their respective students in the past<br />
years, came very much to the fore , with<br />
the music and dancing at a very high<br />
standard.<br />
Martin Farrell (Castlepollard) gave an<br />
exhibition of dancing as did the Cunningham<br />
children, all were loudly applauded.<br />
Mrs Nancy Mulligan, chairperson,<br />
Mullingar Branch C.C.E. thanked all who<br />
helped to make the gathering such a<br />
successful and memorable event, especially<br />
Mrs K Mullaly, Mrs Mullen, Mrs Nolan,<br />
James Keane, Willie Byme, Michael<br />
O'Reilly and all the ladies who prepared<br />
sandwiches and helped with the tea and<br />
refreshments. Music was supplied by the<br />
Daly Family, Sean, Joe, Ann and Father<br />
John.<br />
I can recommend this band for any<br />
Ceili, be it junior or senior, as their music<br />
was magnificent and most pleasant to the<br />
ear.<br />
Pat Smith, chairman, Westmeath<br />
County Board C.C.E. was also in attendance<br />
and praised the Mullingar Branch<br />
committee for having such a large attendance<br />
of junior members and remarked<br />
on the fact that the future of Irish culture<br />
and folklore will be secure and flourishing<br />
with so much enthusiasm among the<br />
youth.<br />
DEMAND FOR CLASSES<br />
IN WESTMEATH<br />
The Westmeath County Board Secretary<br />
Mrs Katherine Mullally, in her annual<br />
report advocated: Co-operation, increased<br />
membership, regular sessions and classes<br />
where possible. Ceilidhte and a genuine<br />
expansion of the aims of <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
were detailed in the County Secretary's<br />
Annual Report.<br />
A heartening aspect is the increase in<br />
junior membership. We had eight<br />
branches, Moate, Mullingar, Delvin, Clonmellon,<br />
Castletown-Geo., St Mary's<br />
Athlone, Rathconrath and Walderstown:<br />
Classes, weekly sessions and ceili practices<br />
were well organised.<br />
There is a great demand for classes<br />
throughout the county. My knowledge of<br />
other counties varies from ours. The<br />
C.E.O. asks branches to recommend a<br />
traditional teacher and that's it. Westmeath<br />
has one teacher acceptable to the<br />
C.E.O., and he takes classes under Offaly,<br />
Roscommon Vocational Schools and the<br />
limited ones in Westmeath, and does his<br />
day's work - no human could cope.<br />
There must be some redress to such procedure<br />
The promotion of our culture<br />
is more vital than ever before and the<br />
dedicated are ensuring the continued<br />
survival of our heritage.<br />
I am genuinely happy with the present<br />
state of <strong>Comhaltas</strong> in Westmeath and<br />
hope for more branches. I would suggest<br />
branches hold regular seminars anQ one<br />
for officers would be beneficial.<br />
The branches I was privileged to visit<br />
for the A.G.M. revealed wonderful team<br />
work and co-operation - programme<br />
planning well in hand and meetings were<br />
good and lively.<br />
Congratulations to Mullingar for running<br />
the 1977 elimination contests.<br />
Thanks to the Westmeath Examiner for<br />
good coverage of any data given, to the<br />
Greville Arms for facilitating us with<br />
venues for meetings and activities; to<br />
branch secretaries anu children attending<br />
classes, also their parents; to our vicechairperson,<br />
Mrs Mulligan, who carried<br />
on since the regrettable resignation of<br />
Mrs C Byrne, chairman, Clonrnellon<br />
C.C.E.; and to the Treasurer, Mr Seamus<br />
Keane, Delvin C.C.E.
FOLKLORE DE L'ANJOU.<br />
L' Angevincia" vieille dans de I' Anjou.<br />
Fait vitevolteer robes moirees et jupons blancs<br />
la "Brise d'Anjou" dans le cadre du chateau du<br />
Plessis-Bourre.<br />
UACI!TARftN NUA CHOMHDHAIL<br />
NAISIUNTA NA GAEILGE<br />
Ta Maire Bean U( Ghogain ceaptha<br />
mar Uachtaran ar Chomhdhail Naisiunta<br />
na Gaeilge , comhdhml na n-eagras deon<br />
acha Gaeilge . Is (an che'ad bhean a bhl<br />
mar uachtaran ar an eagralrlcht<br />
sin a deir raiteas bn ~Comhdhail.<br />
Rugadh Bean U1 Ghogain sa Charraig<br />
Dhubh, Co. Bhaile Atha Cliath, ach<br />
chaith s( an mhorchuid da saol i gceantar<br />
na teorann i mBaile na Lorgan, Pettigo<br />
agus Dun Dealgan.<br />
Bhlbaint aici le Gluaiseacht na Gaeilge<br />
bn bhliain 1935 i leith. Bhls( mar bharl<br />
de chraobhacha Chonradh na Gaeilge i<br />
nDun Laoghaire agus sa Charraig Dhubh<br />
i dtus a saoil. Bhl s( mar bhunaitheoir<br />
ar An Realt i nDU'n Laoghaire agus mar<br />
c h ea ""d uac h tar an "" ar an eagrruoc .... h t sm . 1 .<br />
1945.<br />
. "" ..... ;,. ,.<br />
Churugh SI chun cona1 1 nDun Dealgan<br />
i 1956 agus choinnigh slan bhaint a bhl<br />
aici le is an gConradh<br />
i gconaCBhls(ar dhuine de bhunaitheoirt<br />
Chlub na gCailinl ansin. Thog s( prurt<br />
ghnlomhach sa bhfeachtas - "Let the<br />
Language Live" i 1966 agus on bhliain<br />
1969 ar aghaidh bhl baint mhor aici<br />
le Eigse Oirialla - daonscoil deireadh<br />
22<br />
seachtaine a tionoltar gach dara bliain<br />
"" ,. ~<br />
agus ag a ndeantar comoradh ar scnohneoir<br />
no me eigin mar le r~ trena chuid<br />
saothair a athfhoilshl agus leacht<br />
cuimhneachain a thogain t dO'.<br />
On bhliain 1974 ar aghaidh, ta s( mar<br />
Uachtaran ar Chomhaltas Uladh - comhdh~<br />
na gcraobhacha de Chonradh na<br />
Gaeilge i gCU1.ge Uladh, agus bh( s( mar<br />
ionadal acu ar Choiste Ghno an Chonradh.<br />
Ta' s( mar bhall de Chomhdhrul<br />
NmsiU'nta na Gaeilge on bhliain 1974<br />
i leith.<br />
Ta Bean U( Ghogain pasta le seisear<br />
clainne agus is fan Ghaeilge a bhl mar<br />
theanga bhaile ag an teaghlach i gc6nal.<br />
Famille de l'Anjou. Costume masculine du Val<br />
de Loire.<br />
Costumes et coiffes des Ponts de ce et Chalonnes.<br />
La "Brise d'Anjou" dans le cadre du chateau<br />
du Plessis-Bourre.<br />
MAURICE DELANEY<br />
At the funeral of the late Maurice<br />
Delaney in Adamstown Cemetery, Mick<br />
Quigley, on behalf of the Dungeer<br />
Mummers, laid a wreath on the grave.<br />
Leo Carty, who won an international<br />
award with Dungeer Mummers in 166, in<br />
a graveside tribute, said Maurice Delaney<br />
was one of the great characters of our<br />
time who believed in the simple things<br />
of life. He played traditional music not<br />
for gain but for the real love of it.<br />
When Cornhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann was<br />
established in Co. Wexford, Maurice was<br />
one of the first to answer the call and he<br />
afterwards helped Cloughbawn to All<br />
Ireland Cornhaltas scoraiocht honours in<br />
1966<br />
His musical contribution helped<br />
Dungeer Mummers attain international<br />
fame . It was Fr. Peyton who said families<br />
who pray together stay together. This<br />
quotation could also be attributed to<br />
Maurice because wherever he travelled<br />
with the mummers he always saw to it<br />
that the Rosary was recited every night.<br />
Leo Carty extended sympathy to his<br />
widow and family.
MUSIC AND THE MEDIA<br />
By CAOIMHIN MacAODHA<br />
Traditional music is undoubtedly one of<br />
our greatest natural and cultural<br />
resources. Throughout the world there is<br />
no other musical form quite like it. In<br />
fact the vast number of our native dance<br />
tunes are in what are called model keys,<br />
that is to say , keys which differ from the<br />
modern "do, re , me" type of western<br />
keys. The history of musical scales<br />
indicates that model scales were in use<br />
long ago and were for the most part<br />
replaced by the modern western scales,<br />
thus leading one to conclude that<br />
many of our tunes, if not the vast<br />
majority of them are quite old indeed.<br />
The popularity and world wide<br />
acclaim for our native music is easily<br />
demonstrated. Each year many groups<br />
of traditional musicians are invited to<br />
play to packed halls from Western<br />
Australia to the Western United States,<br />
from Germany to Libya. The tourist<br />
trade, a commodity which we in the west<br />
constantly hear a lot about by no means<br />
suffers from the attractiveness of our<br />
music.<br />
This summer, the Ballisodare Folk<br />
Festival attracted 30,000 people for a<br />
single weekend. If you were there you<br />
might have noted the incredible number<br />
of German, French, Norwegian etc.<br />
etc. visitors. At the All-Ireland Fleadh<br />
in Ennis there were an estimated 100,000<br />
people in attendance. Again a very<br />
sizeable proportion were foreigners whose<br />
primary reason for visiting Ireland was to<br />
hear traditional music.<br />
With all this interest and budding<br />
natural talent in abundance throughout<br />
the country one might easily assume that<br />
traditional music would receive a fair<br />
amount of coverage via the various media.<br />
This, however, is unfortunately very<br />
untrue. In fact our natural television<br />
system, namely RTE, broadcasts on<br />
average 77 hours per week.<br />
Of those 77 hours a grand total of<br />
30 minutes or .64% is devoted solely to<br />
traditional music, and even that one<br />
show, Fonn, is at the moment rebroadcasts<br />
of summer shows which are conveniently<br />
tucked away for Sunday afternoon<br />
viewing. Besides Fonn there are<br />
20<br />
also two other shows which include,<br />
but do not feature Irish music. They are<br />
Trom agus Eadrom and a new Friday<br />
afternoon programme featuring Spiddals<br />
own Sean Ban, called "SBB ina Shui".<br />
If you look to your radio for traditional<br />
music I'm afraid that you are more<br />
likely to hear "A Bar In Toledo" and<br />
other such great songs which require the<br />
intelligence of your average blade<br />
of grass to appreciate, rather than<br />
something like "Sean a Duibhir a<br />
Ghleanna" or else the fourth movement<br />
of Beethovens ninth rather than "Rakish<br />
Paddy".<br />
RTE radio broadcasts on average 113<br />
hours per week and of that time 2<br />
hours and 45 minutes are .devoted to<br />
traditional music, bringing the total '<br />
percentage of air time up to a<br />
glorious 2.43%, and of that total, 30<br />
minutes is sponsored, in other words,<br />
someone had to BUY air time from<br />
RTE to play traditional music.<br />
With radio, however you do have a<br />
Paddy Griffin (back row, left) presents a<br />
plaque to Tom O'Brien, in recognition of his<br />
services to <strong>Comhaltas</strong> Ceoltoiri Eireann as<br />
treasurer of the Tralee branch. Other committee<br />
choice. For approx. 3~ hours every<br />
evening you can receive Radio na<br />
Gaeltachta. They broadcast some very<br />
good music,much of which is recorded<br />
especially for them in their studios<br />
by top performers. It is truely a<br />
pity that their air time is not<br />
increased to 8 or even 10 hours per day<br />
as their shows are usually excellent and<br />
entertaining.<br />
As for the coverage of<br />
traditional music in the newspapers of<br />
Ireland the standard is even worse than<br />
that of RTE. Of all the papers,<br />
both daily and weekly, you are<br />
reading the only column which deals on<br />
a weekly basis with the aspects of<br />
traditional music. It is true that there<br />
are "Folk" columns which appear weekly<br />
in the Dublin dailies, however, these<br />
columns generally deal with announcing<br />
new LP releases and the playing dates for<br />
various in artistes.<br />
Unfortunately they never seem to look<br />
into the subject itself.<br />
members pictured include, from left, back row:<br />
Maire Griffm, Ann Cronin, Michael O'SuUivan<br />
and John Mason. In front are,MuguetSlattery,<br />
Mary Ennis, Bridie O'SuUlvan, Leo Griffm,<br />
Sr. David and Eileen CuUoty.
In our last edition of TREOIR we omitted<br />
the following monologue from the article<br />
on Cratloe by Seamus Ruane. So, here<br />
now is the story of Cratloe's visit to<br />
Skibereen!<br />
Remember Skibbereen<br />
Can I tell you a story Oh! tis no lie,<br />
Sure it happened in '76 about mid-july,<br />
For we went to the Munster Fleadh, it<br />
was held in Skibbereen,<br />
And I'll tell you something for nothing,<br />
it was one thundering scream.<br />
We made our plans and we made a date,<br />
Cratloe school half-past seven - "don't<br />
be late".<br />
Well upon the dot, at Cratloe Cross<br />
Our troops were reviewed by His<br />
Excellency - The Boss.<br />
We hit the trail<br />
Through the Golden Vale<br />
And through Cork's own city grand,<br />
And we reached the Fleadh just in time<br />
for our trio to take the stand.<br />
How our gang did cheer when the<br />
adjudicator did say -<br />
Cratloe sticks at secofid place,<br />
Well that was it, our tails were up,<br />
Come on The Banner!<br />
Our solo then and our Ceili Band, did<br />
their stuff in no uncertain manner<br />
And raised again our colours,<br />
With first and second honours.<br />
How we clapped and how we cheered,<br />
it really was some scene ,<br />
The day that Cratloe won at the Fleadh<br />
in Skibbereen.<br />
Our competitions over, sure we though<br />
we were in clover<br />
And as day into night did yield,<br />
We pitched our tents in a farmer's field ,<br />
It was then our noble cooks opened up<br />
their canteen,<br />
On the outskirts of down-town Skibbereen.<br />
What did we have, did you say Well what<br />
did we not!<br />
We had chicken and ham and slices of<br />
lamb,<br />
And, I think - raspberry jam,<br />
And soup in bowls with buttered ro11s<br />
Absolutely delicious.<br />
But sure, table dote, and a la carte,<br />
Don't hold a candle to home-made<br />
soup and rhubarb tart,<br />
We sang and played, and chatted and<br />
joked, for we -<br />
18<br />
- We Who was there did you say<br />
Well who was not!<br />
We had two Thornburys for a start,<br />
Of course we loved them. they brought<br />
apple tart,<br />
We had Ben and Mrs. Neylon,<br />
Anne-Marie and Mary Deegan,<br />
A family of Keohanes<br />
And four of the Ruanes,<br />
From Newmarket-on-Fergus<br />
Oh! the Liddy'~ came in earnest,<br />
We had McInerney's from the top of<br />
Gallow's Hill,<br />
And two Dillons, absolutely fantastic<br />
on the tin whistle ,<br />
And teacher in a Mini, ah! Miss Woods be<br />
the holy,<br />
Plus a Harney and a Hickey and a Foley,<br />
And not forgetting a Pat & Noel a<br />
Chrissie Keane,<br />
Were all with us when we camped at the<br />
Fleadh in Skibbereen.<br />
And later on when some decided to<br />
retire,<br />
And others sat for a final cup around<br />
Keohane's gas fire,<br />
An anxious mother whispered, did I<br />
hear someone screaming,<br />
Yerra 'no' said Danny Liddy 'tis only<br />
Keanes kettle steaming!<br />
Well, that's my story such as it is,<br />
But it is to be hoped that the adults<br />
who numbered nine,<br />
And the kids, a total of sixteen,<br />
Will for many a day to come -<br />
REMEMBER SKIBBEREEN.<br />
PROGRESS IN BALLYMACBERY<br />
Ballymacarbery Branch of <strong>Comhaltas</strong> has<br />
been making steady progress and has<br />
achieved some excellent results since its<br />
foundation, writes Ena Doocey of Waterford.<br />
Members of the branch visited<br />
Culturlann na hEireann and were<br />
accorded a cead mile failte. Following<br />
the luncheon, we were taken on a most<br />
enjoyable tour of the Culturlann and then<br />
down to "Geantrai" where it was music,<br />
song and dance for all. The group was<br />
veryimpressed with the Culturlann.<br />
At tne AGM of the Ballymacarbey<br />
Branch the following officers were<br />
elected : presidents - Thomas Ahearn<br />
and Patrick Ormonde; Chairman -<br />
Pat rick Halpin ; Vice-Chairman - Kathleen<br />
Fenton; Secretary - Margaret Cliffe;<br />
Treasurer - Ena Doocey; Auditor - Mrs<br />
C O'Brien ; Delegates to Co. Board -<br />
Margaret Cliffe and Michael Ryan;<br />
Committee - Michael Ryan, Patrick<br />
Melody, Ann Ryan, James O'Brien, Mrs<br />
Cliffe , Mrs Hyland, Mrs Sullivan, Mrs<br />
Moore and John Power.<br />
Our photo shows some members of<br />
the branch at the Culturlann.<br />
Members of Ballymacarbery C.C.E. Co. Waterford,<br />
who visited the Culturlann on 22nd<br />
October 1977. Back row: Mrs. Cliffe, Mrs<br />
Hyland, Mrs Fenton, Mrs. Halpin, Mrs. Ormond,<br />
Margaret Clitle. Front row: Mrs. Sullivan,<br />
Kathleen Cliffe, Paddy Halpin, (chairman) Eva<br />
Doocey.
THEY CROSSED<br />
THE IRISH SEA<br />
By Barbara Callaghan.<br />
Granada T.V. studio was the scene. Tony's<br />
banjo was broken. What were they to do<br />
It would take too long to repair. Marion<br />
Flannery, flute, whistle, accordeon player<br />
and music teacher of St. Wilfrids<strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
Branch in Manchester, slept unconcerned<br />
for three hours during rehersals. She was<br />
accustomed to the minor mishaps. Kevin<br />
Barnard, guitar player and third member<br />
of Tony Sullivans group, paced up and<br />
down. The group had been "discovered"<br />
by the well known T.V. producer Trevor<br />
Hyett. He had seen them involved in a<br />
session in Manchester. He was so impressed<br />
with the excitement and intensity of<br />
traditional Irish music that he invited them<br />
to make history and present this fine<br />
music for the first time on Granada T.V.<br />
After frantic appeals, the day was saved.<br />
Tony and his finacee Marion, who are<br />
hoping to be married in '78, have since<br />
appeared on another T.V. programme.<br />
They leave a great and lasting impact<br />
where ever they play. But I'd better<br />
start at the beginning.<br />
Tony Sullivan, better known to his<br />
friends as Sully, is a quiet, unassuming<br />
young man, born and bred in the Lancashire<br />
town of Bolton. A town more<br />
noted for it's mills and factories than for<br />
music. With grandparents from Cork and<br />
Co. Down, and a mother who simg he<br />
should have known sooner· where his<br />
musical satisfaction would come. His<br />
search for this took him on many a wild<br />
goose chase, through various instruments<br />
and tours of Bolton and surrounding<br />
districts. The folk clubs and pubs were his<br />
stomping grounds. He found other music<br />
bland until he stumbled on to the traditional<br />
'Irish music scene and a pre war<br />
banjo.<br />
He crossed the Irish sea to learn a lot<br />
under the able eye of John Keenan of<br />
Dublin with whom he stayed a while. He<br />
spent every summer since the age of 16<br />
in Ireland. He pursued the sessions and<br />
hunted down the talented players·,<br />
picking up tunes and tips where ever<br />
he could. He attributes much of his<br />
skills to the patience and expertise of<br />
Dr. Galligan of Cavan, a founder member<br />
of <strong>Comhaltas</strong> and great musician. He<br />
studied the . various styles and holds much<br />
admiration for Bobby Casey, the late<br />
16<br />
Denis Murphy and Tommy Peoples, to<br />
name but a few. He spent 3 years in<br />
London where he gained a degree in<br />
Geography and naturally took an active<br />
interest in the famous London/Irish<br />
traditional music scene.<br />
Sully, All-Ireland champion banjo<br />
player, didn't seem too keen to tell me<br />
about himself; he was more interested in<br />
saying how grateful he was to the many<br />
big hearted people who had helped him<br />
along the road to success. He recounted<br />
to me about Kevin's mother's friend, Mrs.<br />
Margaret Reilly, a beautiful traditional<br />
singer from Cavan, of Dr. Galligan, Paddy<br />
O'Brien of Dublin and many many more.<br />
The list was endless. He told me tales of<br />
the sessions both here and in Ireland and<br />
about the night they really brought the<br />
roof down.<br />
It was in Maloneys, Listowel, at the<br />
'74 Fleadh. A marathon session was<br />
under way. Joe Burke was in great form<br />
with the late Denis Murphy and the<br />
crowd from Manchester. They played as<br />
if the night had no end as the rain lashed<br />
mercilessly down. A sudden gale blew up,<br />
taking the roof skylight in its wake. Water<br />
cascaded down and spilled ruthlessly all<br />
over the musicians as they played merrily<br />
away . A local farmer, popularly known as<br />
the "King of Doolin" was not undaunted<br />
by the deluge and lay re-cuperating from<br />
his lack of sleep on a bench under the<br />
protection of an umbrella.<br />
Sully often played till 6 in the morning<br />
with the late beloved fiddler Des· .<br />
Donnelly in a famous Manchester pub,<br />
the legendary Exiles of Erin, now sadly<br />
demolished. No doubt that venue will be<br />
well remembered by the Dubliners, the<br />
Furey Bros., Joe Burke and numerous<br />
other splendid muscians.<br />
Sully's time is well filled musically. He<br />
teaches with Marion at St. Wilfrids a<br />
really progressive Branch, and hopes to<br />
continue with his music professionally.<br />
He has already composed some fifty five<br />
tunes, no mean feat by anyones standards.<br />
My favourite one being The Arkle Mountain<br />
Reel which is already well known,<br />
recognised and played by the likes of<br />
Tommy Peoples etc.<br />
Marion Flannery, as I remarked<br />
earlier, is an accomplished musIcian on<br />
many instruments. Her greatest love being<br />
the under-rated simple tin whistle. A<br />
humble looking instrument but unashameably<br />
embracing a vast wealth of spirited<br />
music in her nimble fingers. Dedicated to<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> and actively involved with<br />
about fifty children at St. Wilfrids, she<br />
has quietly, and not surprisingly, inspired<br />
some of the adults to "have a go".<br />
Born in a Sligo cottage, a next door<br />
neighbour to Deirdre Collis, she admits<br />
that her interest in traditional Irish music<br />
has been revived since she crossed the Irish<br />
Sea and came to live in the vastly different<br />
environment of Manchester City. She<br />
finds gratification in her very essential<br />
occupation as Social Worker for the<br />
Catholic Rescue Society. Her free time is<br />
completely absorbed in traditional 'Irish<br />
music evenings with Sully.<br />
Marion and Sully have a promising<br />
future ahead of them, travelling.extensively<br />
all over the Country. The fruits of<br />
their labours at St. Wilfrids <strong>Comhaltas</strong> are<br />
already showing. The children under their<br />
wings have recently proudly claimed the<br />
coveted Coventry Cup and one of their<br />
three bands, the 14 -16 years, won the<br />
All-Britain Ceili Band Competition.<br />
Good luck, good health and a wealth<br />
of musical happiness to them both. They<br />
crossed the Irish Sea in opposite directions<br />
to find a mutual love for the music. An<br />
English youth to Ireland, an Irish girl to<br />
England. There must be a message in<br />
there somewhere<br />
TONY SULLIY AN<br />
Marian Flannery (photo courtesy of C.P.<br />
Madden).
cfibair Amhrall<br />
THE BOYS OF MULLAGHBA WN<br />
On a Monday morning early as my wandering steps did take me<br />
Down by a fanner's station of meadow and green lawn,<br />
lheard a great lamentation that the wee birds they were making<br />
Saying 'We'll have no more engagements with the boys of Mullaghbawn.<br />
Squire Jackson was unequalled for honour and for reason<br />
He never turned a traitor nor betrayed the rights of man,<br />
But now we are in danger from a vile, deceiving stranger<br />
Who has ordered transportation for the boys of Mullaghbawn.<br />
For roving and for rambling, for sporting and for gambling,<br />
There was none could equal Francheen, young Neil or gallant John<br />
But harsh, oppressive landlords, most curelly they pave acted<br />
And sent our boys in transport from the hills of Mullaghbawn.<br />
As those heroes crossed the ocean I'm told the ship in motion<br />
Did start in wild commotion, as if the seas ran dry,<br />
The trout and salmon- gaping, as the cuckoo left his station<br />
Saying 'Farewell to dear old Erin and the hills of Mullaghbawn'<br />
Now to end my lamentation, we are all in consternation<br />
For want of education I now must end my song.<br />
Since without justification or due consideration<br />
They were sent for transportation from the hills of Mullaghbawn.<br />
A Choimln mhallaithe, guidhim-se deachair ort agus gram Mhic De<br />
Ar an ghasr(a) lid ta ceangailte go dluth led' thaobh<br />
Mar 'siad a dhearbhaigh na leabhartha ar a' dtiur bhfear seimh<br />
'S do chuir na Connerys thar na farraigibh do dtls na New South Wales.<br />
An te bheadh 'na sheashamh ann is a dheanfuadh mactnamh ar ar gcuis da phie<br />
Mar do sheasaigh SI
MARTIN WYNNE'S No.2.<br />
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The Brindle Puck Goat<br />
Mick Kane, from Lacken, Rosenallis, is<br />
a poet with an unusual talent - he<br />
composes dittys and refrains on local<br />
happenings which are highly emotional <br />
and picturesque.<br />
His method of work is choosing an<br />
air and then putting the words to it.<br />
He has been doing this since he was<br />
twelve years of age and never got<br />
musical tuition. Mick also plays the<br />
accordion and is associated with the<br />
Clonaslee branch of <strong>Comhaltas</strong> Ceoltoiri<br />
Eireann.<br />
When he is asked to sing he is always<br />
asked to sing one of his own compositions.<br />
People never like to hear him sing<br />
any of the modern ballads. So far Mick<br />
has made about eleven or twelve songs<br />
about different things.<br />
One of the funniest songs he - has<br />
composed was about the time he went<br />
to the summer fair in Mountmellick in<br />
1964. Mick was bringing cattle to the fair<br />
when he saw this brindle puck goat,<br />
which he decided he was going to buy.<br />
He went to Larry Hogan, the owner, and<br />
offered him £1 .<br />
Larry said it would cost twenty two<br />
shillings as there was a few words of<br />
advice to be given with the goat. Mick<br />
gave the twenty two shillings and the<br />
words of advice were that the goat liked<br />
to wander on the mountains whenever<br />
he got the chance.<br />
Mick's story goes on: "I got the goat<br />
by the horns and was heading home. Just<br />
as we were leaving Mountmellick the<br />
goat gave a jump and twisted out of my<br />
grasp, so I jumped on the goat's back and<br />
held onto his hair. Both of us went hell<br />
for leather towards Rosenallis and when<br />
we reached Craze Hill the goat stopped.<br />
I was afraid to get off in case it ran away<br />
so I slept on his back all night.<br />
"In the morning we headed for<br />
Clomislee. When we reached Tinnahinch<br />
Bridge we met a traveller and the goat<br />
ripped off his coat. The traveller began to<br />
shout for help and this frightened the<br />
goat and it made for the mountains. I<br />
14<br />
fell off his back but managed to grab hold<br />
of his tail.<br />
"Up we went to the strand beside the<br />
River Barrow, across Denis Feirighy's<br />
pastures, past Packy Dunne's house on<br />
the top of the mountain and flew past<br />
Owen Clear. When we reached Upper<br />
Cone, there was a water fall and the goat<br />
swam it like a tadpole. We never stopped<br />
until we got to Roscrea where sadly the<br />
goat got away.<br />
"From that day to this, I have not<br />
seen sight nor light of the puck goat<br />
but t have two theories, as to its whereabouts<br />
; one, it found its way back to<br />
Larry Hogan, the owner, or the other<br />
that it found its way back to the mountain,<br />
where its ancestors still roam."<br />
- "Leinster Express".<br />
KILKENNY<br />
FEILE CHEOIL<br />
August 12/13, 1978<br />
Jim McCauley of Kilkenny reminds us<br />
that the above-mentioned Feile Cheoil<br />
will be organised by the Kilkenny Branch<br />
of <strong>Comhaltas</strong> in St. Kieran's College and<br />
will consist of:<br />
(a) Competitions in all <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
Instruments for all age groups.<br />
(b) Competitions in Irish Dancing.<br />
(c) Music Session on Sat. Night 12th<br />
August.<br />
(d) Prize-winners Concert on Sun.<br />
night 13th August.<br />
Accommodation:<br />
(a) Rooms for the various competitions.<br />
(b) Rooms for individuals or groups<br />
to have refreshments which they<br />
may bring with them.<br />
(c) A Restaurant where refreshments<br />
will be on sale.<br />
e d) Rooms where musicians may meet<br />
and play music.<br />
(e) Overnight accommodation (Bed &<br />
(Breakfast) at moderate cost.<br />
In his own words Jim McCauley tells us<br />
the purpose of the Feile Cheoil: -<br />
(a) Many of our traditional musicians<br />
from Britain and America take their<br />
holidays in August. Our FEILE CHEO IL<br />
is intended to offer them a 'platform'<br />
on which they may display their<br />
musical talent while they are waiting<br />
to go to the All-Ireland FLEADH<br />
CHEOIL.<br />
(b) The date and venue of our FEILE<br />
CHEOIL will, we hope, fill a 'lacuna'<br />
in <strong>Comhaltas</strong> activities leading up to<br />
the All-Ireland FLEADH CHEOIL.<br />
(c) The historic city of Kilkenny is a<br />
'Mecca' for our tourists. Very many of<br />
them came looking for Irish Cultural<br />
activities which are truly traditional.<br />
Our FEILE CHEOIL is intended to<br />
satisfy such a demand.<br />
All Enquiries to:<br />
Mr. Jim McCauley,<br />
"W oodpark",<br />
Great Oak,<br />
Callan, Co. Kilkenny. TeI. 056 - 25162.<br />
Or<br />
Mr. Peter McCauley,<br />
6 Radnor Gardens,<br />
Enfield,<br />
Middlesex, England.<br />
TeI. London 353-1726.
"CEOLTOIRI CRAOBH NA hINSE"<br />
Front L to R: Dinny McLaughlin, Anne Maire<br />
Doherty, Seamus McLaughlin, Michael Carey,<br />
Teresa Doherty. Back L to R: Oran McBride,<br />
Noleen Doherty, Phillip Doherty, Jirnrny<br />
McBride, Jirnrny McCay, Ciaran Tornish, Peter<br />
Carey.<br />
The O'Oowd Family frorn Ard na Crusha, Co.<br />
Clare, playing at Craobh na hInse dinner and<br />
Siamsa in BaUyliffin.<br />
12<br />
A MEMORABLE NIGHT<br />
AT CRAOB NA hlNSE<br />
The function room of the Ballyliffin<br />
Hotel was packed to capacity for the<br />
Annual Dinner and Siamsa organised<br />
by Craobh na hlnse (Buncrana).<br />
The record turnout of over 300<br />
members, friends and guests enjoyed<br />
the sumptuous dinner - a good beginning<br />
to what was to be an unforgettable 'night<br />
of music, song and dance.<br />
Seamus J McBride, Craobh Chairman,<br />
in his address welcomed all present. He<br />
spoke an apology from Labhras Vas 0<br />
Murchu, director-general of <strong>Comhaltas</strong>,<br />
for his inability to attend, but he conveyed<br />
his good wishes to all and hoped<br />
that the function would be a great<br />
success.<br />
The chairman then welcomed the<br />
special guests for the night - Mairtin<br />
Vas. MacCaba, president of <strong>Comhaltas</strong>,<br />
and Mrs MacCaba (who is also secretary<br />
of the Ulster Council); the special guest<br />
mUSICIans Jim McKillop from<br />
Carnlough in Co. Antrim, the 1976 All<br />
Ireland fiddle champion, and Mrs Mc<br />
Killop ; the O'Dowd Family, all the way<br />
from Ard-na-Crusha in Co. Clare, (they,<br />
of course, had special connections with<br />
Craobh na hlnse for it was while living<br />
in Buncrana some years ago that this<br />
talented trio first took an interest in<br />
traditional music and were then tutored<br />
by Dinny McLaughlin); and last- but by<br />
no means least Prionnsias 0 Maonaigh<br />
agus Ceoltoiri Altain from Gaoth<br />
Dobhair.<br />
Paddy Rice, chairman Co. Derry<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> and Clement MacSuibhne,<br />
Secretary Co. Donegal <strong>Comhaltas</strong>, were<br />
welcome visitors. The Chairman welcomed<br />
members of <strong>Comhaltas</strong> from<br />
various branches in Donegal, and a special<br />
welcome for those who came from<br />
Counties Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh.<br />
He thanked Feardorcha 0 Colla and Pol<br />
o Gallchoir from Radio na Gaeltachta<br />
who travelled so far to record the session
greenkeeper for Ballymoney bowling club.<br />
It is important that the contribution<br />
of men like loe Holmes to the folk culture<br />
of this country should be put on record:<br />
He will be remembered.<br />
The "Irish News" of Ianuary 7 said of<br />
Ioe Holmes: "He was one of Ireland's<br />
finest traditional singers who came from a<br />
family of singers and musicians. Both his<br />
grandfather and elder brother were<br />
fiddlers. His mother, lane Getty, was also<br />
a very fine traditional singer and it was<br />
from her that Ioe got a lot of his song.<br />
"On leaving school at 14 years of age<br />
Ioe worked in. various jobs until he met<br />
Len Graham 13 years ago and struck up<br />
one of the greatest traditional<br />
partnerships in the country.<br />
"Since the time that they met Ioe and<br />
Len have won the hearts of many an<br />
audience with their expert way of singing<br />
and lilting. As Tommy Sands said last<br />
night, Ioe Holmes was the epitomy of<br />
warmth and friendliness in Irish music."<br />
Ar Dheis De go raibh a anam uasal.<br />
AN UNCANNY ABILITY TO<br />
SPREAD JOY<br />
By Caoimhin Mac Aodha<br />
Ioe Holmes from around Ballymena, Co.<br />
Antrim, died the other week .. He was a<br />
man who was continually surrounded by<br />
friends as he was very fortunate indeed to<br />
have never known the meaning or<br />
definition of the word enemy. He was a<br />
harmless man who had the uncanny<br />
ability to spread joy and happiness to all<br />
who met him. Ioe Holmes, traditional<br />
singer and fiddler, will be sorely missed<br />
by all who met him or heard his music<br />
and songs. The world of traditional<br />
Irish music is somewhat poorer as a result<br />
of his passing away.<br />
I had a great chat with Ioe only a few<br />
days before he passed away. We were at a<br />
session together in Bellaghy, Co. Derry<br />
As usual Ioe was in great form. He was<br />
asked to sing and complied by rendering<br />
two unusual settings of otherwise wellknown<br />
Antrim songs. Later he sat down<br />
and played the fiddle non-stop for two<br />
and a half hours. After that I found him<br />
in a small room in the back of the hall.<br />
He was supposed to be getting a cup of<br />
tea; however this was all to no avail as<br />
there was no time between his endless<br />
string of songs. No sooner had he finished<br />
a song when he'd start another. Sadly, yet<br />
appropriately enough he sang a song of<br />
farewell which included a salute of love<br />
10<br />
and friendship to all of his acquaintance.<br />
little did we know then and there that<br />
this bright sparkling gem would soon be<br />
taken from us.<br />
Ioe Holmes was a great man and<br />
a fine musician and singer. His music has<br />
spread throughout this entire island.<br />
While we were together he insisted<br />
that upon my return to Galway I must<br />
personally call upon the Keane family<br />
of Caherlistrane and extend his best<br />
wishes as there were many the happy<br />
GLOR NA nGAEL<br />
Glor na NGael is a competition held<br />
annually to discover the town which has<br />
done most to promote and encourage the<br />
use of Irish in its everyday life. It was<br />
inaugurated in 1961 under the auspices<br />
of Cum ann na Sagart, the society of lrishspeaking<br />
priests. Glor na nGael has as its<br />
patrons president Padraig S. 0 hlrghile<br />
and Archbishop Tomas 0 Fiaich. Who<br />
may enter A town may be entered in<br />
the competition by the Local Authority,<br />
a development association, a branch of a<br />
language organisation or any other<br />
national body or even by a specially<br />
formed local committee. All entrants are,<br />
however, encouraged to base their efforts<br />
on as wide a section of the community<br />
as possible.<br />
There are different sections in the Glor<br />
na nGael competition for towns of varying<br />
popUlation, for suburbs of cities and<br />
for Gaeltacht areas. Prizes are awarded<br />
in each section and the total prize-fund is<br />
in the region of £4,000. The Glor na<br />
nGael trophy is awarded to town with<br />
highest overall marks.<br />
Special prizes are awarded for<br />
different aspects of the work. In the<br />
1977 /78 competition special prizes will<br />
be awarded to:<br />
1. £1,00 to the winner of the Glor<br />
na nGael trophy.<br />
2. £250 to the best entry from the<br />
Gaeltacht (This prize has been made<br />
available by Gaeltarra Eireann).<br />
£100 each to:<br />
3 The best entry from the six county<br />
area.<br />
4. The best new entry.<br />
5. The town that does most to promote<br />
the sale of publications in Irish.<br />
6. The town whose Glor na Ngael com-<br />
night and day Ioe spent withthem<br />
playing, singing, and trading songs.<br />
Whenever I hear the hornpipes, 'The<br />
"Peacocks Feathers", I'll think of Ioe. It<br />
was he who gave them to everyone.<br />
Wherever loe Holmes is now, you can<br />
be sure he'll be sitting there, fiddle on his<br />
lap, a smile on his face and singing away<br />
to his heart's content. The heavenly<br />
choir will be enriched beyond compare<br />
with the inclusion of the voice and songs<br />
of Ioe Holmes.<br />
mittee does most to promote Irish<br />
manufactured goods. (presented by<br />
Forbairt, the National Development<br />
Association).<br />
7. Advertising Trophy (presented by<br />
C.I.E.)<br />
The Glor na nGael competition lasts<br />
from October to the following September.<br />
There are two adjudications - the principal<br />
adjudication held in the late Spring<br />
and the fmal adjudication which takes<br />
place at the end of September. Marks<br />
are allotted in both adjudications. A brief<br />
written commentary on their efforts<br />
and the best means to improve them are<br />
supplied to the entrants after the judging.<br />
Gash eolas is fail 0: Oifig Glor na<br />
nGael, Comhdhail Naisiunta na Gaeilge,<br />
86 Sraid Gardnar locht., Baile Atha<br />
Cliath 1. Teil: 752231.<br />
SCIENTIFIC MUSICIAN<br />
Sixteen year old Laurence Kavanagh<br />
from Island, Craanford, won first prize<br />
in the senior Biological Science section<br />
of the Aer lingus Young Scientist<br />
Exhibition.<br />
Apart from science Laurence<br />
Kavanagh has several other interests. He<br />
is a very talented accordion player and<br />
was a member of the Gorey Iunior<br />
Ceili Band which won the 14-16 year<br />
ceili band championship in the All<br />
Ireland Fleadh Cheoil held in Eilnis last<br />
August. He is also a very active member<br />
of the Gorey Branch of <strong>Comhaltas</strong><br />
Ceoltoiri and plays hurling and football<br />
with St Brendan's (Craanford) G.A.A.<br />
Club.
DANCING AT THE<br />
Maguiresbridge Branch of <strong>Comhaltas</strong> was<br />
only a few months old when one of the<br />
members suggested running a crossroads<br />
ceili. As far as is known there is no tradition<br />
of such ceilis around Fermanagh<br />
but traditions have to begin somewhere<br />
so the branch decided to start one.<br />
Several ideas were considered. Among<br />
them was to have an open-air ceili on the<br />
shores of Lough Erne, within the parish<br />
boundaries. Various reasons ruled that<br />
out, including the possibilities of the<br />
dancers being eaten alive by midges.<br />
Then one · member suggested using his<br />
silage pit and the concrete apron in front<br />
of it, all ideally situated at a place known<br />
locally by the rather odd name of Congo<br />
Cross - so the first. Congo Crossroads<br />
ceili was decided on. The limiting factor<br />
was naturally the fact that the farmer<br />
had to work to earn his living and would<br />
be putting in silage early in June so naturally<br />
we had to have it all over by then.<br />
Preparation of the silage pit etc. began<br />
in late May and we knew that all the<br />
dancers might not be enamoured with the<br />
sweet smell of silage, so a lot of scrubbing<br />
washing down, and decorating had to be<br />
done, and there was no scarcity of willing<br />
hands to help. One advantage we thought<br />
of early on was that there would be<br />
plenty of cover in the pit if the weather<br />
was wet and in fact it poured the day<br />
before, and the day after, but the sun<br />
shone brilliantly all day just when we<br />
needed it and brought out the crowds.<br />
They came from "all arts and parts"<br />
and over 500 soon filled the pit to overflowing,<br />
but what odds, there was plenty<br />
of God's room outside and out they went<br />
to dance the evening away to the sweet<br />
music of Jim Lyan and the Greencross<br />
from Bellaghy, Co. Derry. The Ceili was<br />
advertised for 8.30 p.m. and by that<br />
time the crowds had arrived, and the<br />
whole thing was over at 11.45p.m. Who<br />
says that dances must start at 11.00 p.m.<br />
and finish after 2.00 p.m. We had a<br />
fine variety of dancers, from the very<br />
young with their parents; (lots of teenagers<br />
too) to those who just came to hear<br />
the music and watch the fun. And there<br />
were no sleepy eyes on Monday morning.<br />
8<br />
The silage pit was cleared of all the<br />
tins and crisp bags and other debris of a<br />
good night and our friend Pat Maguire<br />
the hospitable farmer of Congo was ready<br />
for the silage next day.<br />
This year it was decided to tempt fate<br />
by having two crossroads ceilis at Congo.<br />
On Sunday, June 4th. we willl be dancing<br />
to the music of Deirdre Hodge and the<br />
Pipers Club from Dublin and on June 11<br />
to Siamsa from Dundalk led by Rory<br />
Kennedy. With the help of the hurlers<br />
and footballers and camogie lassies, as<br />
well as musicians and dancers from other<br />
parts of Fermanagh and beyond, it is<br />
hoped to make the week in between a<br />
Presen tation by Cumann Chiarraioch<br />
to the Duchas Management<br />
Committee at the Annual Dinnear<br />
agus Ceili of Coiste Cho. Chiarrai.<br />
Front: Jeny Lenihan, Treasurer of Cumann<br />
Chianaioch and Searnus 0 Conchubhair,<br />
Cathaoirleach of Duchas Management Committee.<br />
really Gaelic week. If you can, drop in<br />
on us in this wee friendly corner of<br />
Fermanagh and you can be sure of at<br />
least a thousand failtes. And if you're<br />
not too sure of the steps or movements<br />
of the Haymakers' Jig or the Sixteen<br />
Hand Reel, Pat 0 Loane will be on hand<br />
to lend a hand - surely one of the fmest<br />
and best tempered instructors any<br />
<strong>Comhaltas</strong> branch could ever have for its<br />
ceili dancing classes every week. The<br />
revival of Ceili dancing we are now seeing<br />
in West Ulster owes much to the genial<br />
Pat, long may he and his hard worked<br />
V.W. continue to wear away the roads<br />
of Ulster.<br />
First Row : Tom Lynch, Chairman and Joan<br />
Murphy, Runai of Cumann Chianaioch; Treasa<br />
Feiriteur, and Diarmuid 0 Cathain, Cisteoir of<br />
Duchas Management Committee.<br />
Back Row: Breandan Feiriteur, Matt Mooney,<br />
Runai; Jerry O'CanoU, and Michael Dowling,<br />
all of Duchas Management Committee.<br />
The presentation consisted of the proceeds<br />
of a Concert held recently at Slatterys' Terenure.
IRISH TRADITIONAL DANCING<br />
By Joe 0 Donovan<br />
PART I<br />
Over coming issues of Treoir, I will be<br />
dealing with the various forms of traditional<br />
Irish dancing: step, figure, ceili<br />
and set dancing. But to deal with Irish<br />
dancing in isolation would be to overlook<br />
the universality of dancing and to<br />
ignore the influences of other<br />
forms on our dances. Dancing is as old<br />
as man and the oldest of the arts.<br />
It has been defined, depending on its<br />
type and form, as spontaneous emotional<br />
expression, social entertainment, acrobatic<br />
gymnastics and a disciplined art<br />
form. It is claimed that geographic<br />
location, topography and climate have<br />
all played a part in the development<br />
of dance forms.<br />
Primitive man celebrated all the<br />
important occasions of life by dancing<br />
and even to-day in the more remote areas<br />
of the world, war-dances, rain-dances,<br />
fertility and initiation rites are still<br />
performed. Stone-Age cave drawings,<br />
hieroglyphics and reliefs etc. all point to<br />
the age of the art. Early dancing had great<br />
religious significance and later organised<br />
religion was very much responsible for<br />
formaliSing dancing and raising it from<br />
the spontaneous to the disciplined form.<br />
Dancing was the spur for the invention<br />
of musical instruments, for musical<br />
accompaniment is a necessity if rhythmic<br />
and co-ordinated movements are to be<br />
achieved.<br />
religious connotations, dancing for<br />
amusement and relaxation, as an expression<br />
of joy and gaiety is also very<br />
ancient. Circle dances and skipping about<br />
are mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures.<br />
Eastern dancing is probably older than<br />
Western dancing and Hindu legend has<br />
it that the God Siva created the world<br />
in a dancing mood. It is mainly concerned<br />
with the facial expression and<br />
gestures of hands and arms while Western<br />
dancing seems to have concentrated on<br />
foot movements and the interchange of<br />
dancers along geometric patterns. In<br />
some countries men only were allowed<br />
to dance while in others where women<br />
6 t<br />
were allowed to dance, they had to do it<br />
separately, there being no<br />
intermingling of the sexes.<br />
If dancing is so old and universal,<br />
what then was the situation in Ireland<br />
There are no references to dancing<br />
in early Irish literature. This is not to<br />
say, however, that it did not exist.<br />
Dancing is too common an activity or<br />
folk form to suppose that it did not<br />
occur in Ireland where a high level of<br />
culture and a recognised competance<br />
in the arts existed. Since music and dance<br />
go hand in hand and there are many references<br />
to music and musical instruments<br />
in early Irish literature, it would<br />
appear natural that some form of dancing<br />
must have been performed.<br />
Breandan Breathnach in his book<br />
"Folk Music and Dances of Ireland"<br />
and Donal 0 Suilleabhain in his "Irish<br />
Folk Music and Song" both mention the<br />
lack of an appropriate Irish word for<br />
dancing in a 12th century Irish version<br />
of the Passion of John the Baptist.<br />
Breathnach says: "In the Biblical story<br />
of Salome dancing before Herod, for<br />
instance, three terms, "cleasaiocht",<br />
"leimneach" and "opaireacht" are used<br />
in the Irish Translation where the Latin<br />
text would have one, "saltare", and this<br />
has been taken as proof that dancing was<br />
unknown here in olden times, and if the<br />
lack of a term for the activity indicated<br />
the absence of the activity itself."<br />
o Suilleabhain says: "A curious<br />
illustration of the lack of an appropriate<br />
word in the older language occurs<br />
in an Irish version of the Passion of St.<br />
John the Baptist which dates from the<br />
middle of the 12th century. In dealing<br />
with the daughter of Herodias who<br />
danced before Herod, the scribe had<br />
no exact equivalent for the Latin<br />
"saltare" or "saltatrix", so he had<br />
recourse to a periphrasis, stating that she<br />
excelled "Fri lemenda ocus fri<br />
opaireacht." ("In feats of leaping and<br />
activity").<br />
The scribe of course did not have to<br />
recourse to periphrasis, in fact he<br />
translated quite accurately. The Gospel<br />
according to Mark contains the incident<br />
referred to and was written in Greek<br />
Koi-ne and not in Latin. The Greek word<br />
used is "orkheomai" meaning "to leap<br />
with regularity of movement". The Latin<br />
term "saltare" means "leaping with<br />
related activity". The error is made when<br />
translating these terms to the English<br />
"dance" or "dancing".<br />
Folklore has it that St. Colman of<br />
Cloyne, poet and musician, referred<br />
to the "puss music" used by the people<br />
to accompany the dance.<br />
However from 1300 onwards, odd references<br />
do appear and from 1700 on<br />
hardly a traveller/author failed to<br />
mention the custom of dancing and it<br />
is only from that period that we can<br />
really speak with any authority on Irish<br />
dancing. From that period onward was<br />
dancing not only mentioned, but specific<br />
dances were named. The golden era of<br />
step dancing was towards the end of the<br />
18th century and it is with this aspect of<br />
Irish dancing that I will deal with in the<br />
next article.<br />
PADDY HORGAN<br />
A great lover and an enthusiastic supporter<br />
of traditional Irish music who could be<br />
seen at all major fleadhanna in recent<br />
years, busily recording the music sessions<br />
and other functions, was laid to rest<br />
recently in Listowel.<br />
Paddy Horgan, one of the most<br />
popular men with both young and old<br />
in the town, has gone to his eternal<br />
reward at the early age of twenty-six<br />
years.<br />
Though his approach to people and<br />
life in general was always serious, it was<br />
always mingled with good humour and<br />
profund respect.<br />
To his bereaved family and wide<br />
circle of friends we offer deepest<br />
sympathy.<br />
Go raibh ceol na n-aingeal ina chluasa<br />
i rith na sioraiochta.
were self supporting and the teachers<br />
made their living by them, which some<br />
were aided with grants of land by the<br />
chiefs of the districts in which the schools<br />
were situated.<br />
The convention of Druim Ceata,<br />
presided over by Saint Columcille,<br />
a.d.S74, reorganised the system of public<br />
secular eduation, so far as it was<br />
represented in the Bardic schools or<br />
those for general education. The bards<br />
being a highly privileged class, not<br />
confining themselves to their official<br />
duties, became greedy and oppressive<br />
even to the extent that the high king<br />
Aedh macAinmire expelled them from his<br />
palace. He accused them a the convention<br />
and with his chiefs sought the abolition of<br />
the Bardic Order for ever. Saint Columcille<br />
defended them, saying that he did<br />
not deny the existence of grave abuses -<br />
let them be corrected - and in future let<br />
the guilty be punished. If the Order was<br />
destroyed he asked who would then<br />
preserve the records of the nation -<br />
celebrate the great deeds of it's kings and<br />
warriors - or chant a dirge for the noble<br />
dead. His eloquence carried the assembly<br />
with him and the Order was preserved<br />
from destruction. It was, however,<br />
reformed and restrained by salutary laws<br />
which prevented repitition of past irregularities.<br />
In gratitude to Columcille the<br />
'Ard Ollamh', or chief poet of all Ireland,<br />
Dallan Forgaill , composed the celebrated<br />
poem Amhra Cholmcille. The<br />
convention devised a scheme by which<br />
there was to be a chief school or college<br />
for each of the five provinces and under<br />
these a number of minor schools, one in<br />
each tuath or cantred. They were all<br />
endowed with lands; and those who<br />
needed it should get free education in<br />
them. The head of each of these schools<br />
was an ollamh of poetry and literature,<br />
all laymen. Many of them, as time went<br />
on, became noted for the excellence of<br />
their teaching in subjects more or less<br />
special, according to the individual<br />
taste or bent of mind of the teachers or<br />
the traditions of the several schools.<br />
The Bardic schools survived through<br />
many centuries of invasion and<br />
oppression. They struggled on despite the<br />
rigour of the penal laws and it was only in<br />
the early seventeenth century, after<br />
Kinsale, that the old Order came to an<br />
end.<br />
4<br />
Comholbrlu' ar son na T:eanga<br />
Roghnai'odh Craobh Ardscoil Ris, C.C.E. ,<br />
le haghaidh tionscadail teanga faoi<br />
leith d'fhonn an dui chun cinn agus na<br />
deacrachta( a bhaineann leis an<br />
bplean forbartha chun usaid na Gaeilge<br />
in eagras naisiunta a mheas agus a sharu<br />
faoi stiuradh choiste saineolaithe.<br />
Ta Bord na Gaeilge agus an<br />
chraobh tar eis plean a dhreachtadh i<br />
gcomhar lena cheile. Ti an Bord tar eis<br />
cabhair a thabhairt don Chraobh freisin<br />
chun aiseanna teiliflse agus uirlisl ceoil<br />
a cheannach mar chuidiu ina cuid<br />
imeachtai agus i bhforbairt usaid na<br />
Gaeilge.<br />
Faoin plean seo, deanfaidh an Chraobh<br />
usaid na Gaeilge a chur chun cinn i<br />
ngnlomhruochta( agus i measc comhaltru<br />
na Craoibhe, cabhrG le leathnU' na<br />
Gaeilge i dtuaisceart na cathrach trt<br />
chomhoibriu le dreamanna eile,<br />
agus treoir a thabhairt i leith leathnu na<br />
Gaeilge i gcraobhacha eile an<br />
Chomhaltais.<br />
I measc prtomhphoint( an phlean<br />
ta:-<br />
Comchoiste Gaeilge a bhunu -<br />
cuirfear failte roimh ionadaithe 0 scoil-<br />
~<br />
eanna agus colais!! " Gaelacha sa chomharsanacht<br />
mar aon le hionadaithe 0<br />
eagralochta( eile ar sPeis leo an Ghaeilge<br />
a usiild ina gcuid gnfOmhalocht~(<br />
Clar oibre a leagadh amach gach raithe<br />
agus tuairisc a chur ar fail de Bhord<br />
Chontae Atha Cliath den Chomhaltas<br />
agus do Bhord na Gaeilge chun meastoireacht<br />
a dheanamh ar an dui chun cinn.<br />
Tus a chur le ranganna ceoil agus rince<br />
tr( Ghaeilge agus speis iontu a chothu.<br />
Tcipeanna agus tearmal Gaeilge a chur ar<br />
fail mar chabhair do na muinteoin.<br />
Timpeallacht Ghaeilge a chothu -<br />
oiread Gaeilge agus is feldir a usrud go<br />
nadurtha agus seisiui~ ceili the srI.;<br />
bolscaireach t, postaein, ticeid( agus<br />
comhfhreagras na Craoibhe a bheith tn<br />
Ghaeilge no datheangach.<br />
An Chraobh a chur i dteagmhrul le<br />
muintir na Gaeltachta agus le saol<br />
Gae~ch ~ . cathrach agus pairt<br />
ghmomhach a ghlacadh ann.<br />
Teagmhiil le Colmste OiliU'na Mhuire<br />
(Cola'iste Oiliuna na mBriiithre CnostaJj<br />
a leathnu.<br />
••<br />
Polasa( Gaeilge a chur chun cinn in iris<br />
na Craoibhe "Sceala".<br />
., I',ia ranganna.,. Gaeilge ata ar siul faoi<br />
lathair a mheadu agus a leathnu.<br />
Ranganna a chur ar fili, don aos ag, do<br />
dhaoine fasta agus do mhuinteoiri sa<br />
Chraobh at'! as cleachtadh na Gaeilge.<br />
Ta suil ag an mBord go<br />
mbeidh eolas tabhachtach le fail aige<br />
on tionscadal seo maidir le treoirlinte<br />
a aimsiu chun labhairt na Gaeilge a<br />
fhorbairt ar bhonn leathan i measc eagras<br />
eile. Ta speis ag <strong>Comhaltas</strong> sa<br />
ghno freisin, d'fhonn an Ghaeilge a<br />
leathnG in imeachta(craobhacha eile den<br />
eagras sin .<br />
AG TEACHT ABHAILE<br />
One of the greatest of traditional<br />
Irish singers, Seosamh 0 hEanai, is leaving<br />
the United States after a stay of 14<br />
years to settle once more in Ireland.<br />
At present he is giving farewell concerts<br />
at various centres on the east coast and in<br />
the mid-west and truly packing them<br />
in.<br />
After his successful "Farewell Chicago<br />
Concert" the music critic of a prominent<br />
Chicago paper wrote, "No amount of<br />
farewells to J oe Heaney can ever take<br />
away the impact he has made on<br />
America." This is astonishing praise<br />
indeed for a singer that has yet to receive<br />
full recognition in his own land.<br />
IRISH RECORD CENTRES<br />
N"'S<br />
161 Adington Road, Camden Town,<br />
N.W.!. TeI: 014854880<br />
4 Kilbum High Road, London N.W.6.<br />
(Maida Vale end). Tel: 01~24 2546.<br />
65 Cricklewood Broadway, London<br />
N.W.2. TeI: 014529456.<br />
Traditional and Folk Music<br />
a Speciality<br />
Speedy worldwide mail order service-Discs<br />
Cassettes, 8-Track Stereo. Catalogues 35p ~<br />
Open weekdays 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.<br />
Sunday 10 a.m.·2 p.m. Closed all day Thurs:
NPR!N<br />
CIPIO ...<br />
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IN AMERICA<br />
CONVENTION '78 -<br />
KILLARNEY<br />
Sunday June 25<br />
Ireland's cultural movement COMHALTAS CEOLTOIRI EIREANN<br />
welcomes the ANCIENT ORDER OF HIBERNIANS in America to the<br />
homeland with an unique and exciting programme of traditional music, song<br />
and dance ..... .<br />
3 p.m. - 7 p.m.<br />
FEILE CHEOIL - Great Southern Hotel : A great outdoor<br />
display of Ireland's native music, song and dance. An<br />
opportunity to meet the neighbours in a friendly Irish<br />
atmosphere reminiscent of the old crossroads dance, and<br />
you, too, may join in the fun . Aifreann i nGaeilge<br />
at 1.15 p.m. in St. Mary's Cathedral.<br />
Parade at 2.15 p.m. from Cathedral to Great Southern Hotel.<br />
50p<br />
(20p)<br />
9 p.m. - 1 a.m.<br />
SEISIUN-CEILI -<br />
entertainment for all the family.<br />
Aras Phadraig, Lewes Road: Lively<br />
75p<br />
Monday June 26<br />
9 p.m. - 1 a.m.<br />
SEISIUN-CEILI -<br />
Aras Phadraig, Lewes Road: Come and<br />
join the fun! Well-known Seisiun Groups plus a ceili band.<br />
75p<br />
Tuesday June 27<br />
8.30 p.m.<br />
CONCERT - Great Southern Hotel: An exciting and<br />
colourful show of traditional entertainment. A gathering of<br />
champions from the four provinces of Ireland - a glimpse<br />
of the real Ireland; the "hidden" Ireland.<br />
£1<br />
Wednesday June 28<br />
9 p.m. - 1 a.m.<br />
CEILI - Great Southern Hotel: Ceoltoiri Luimni. The recreation<br />
of a traditional house-dance. It is fun for all the<br />
family to learn the steps and participate in the "Haymaker's<br />
Jig". "The Siege of Ennis", "The Walls of Limerick", the<br />
"Kerry Set", and many more.<br />
£1<br />
Thursday June 29<br />
9 p.m. - 1 a.m.<br />
FAREWELL SEISIUN-CEILI-Aras Phadraig,Lewes Road:<br />
Not an" American Wake" but a fond farewell to"old friends".<br />
75p