A BANNER beside a temporary installation of a giant silver-haired Hell’s Angel biker declares “60 and Still Going”. Incongruous and eye-catching it was complete with gigantic bike on the main roundabout outside Cavan town.
Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is certainly still going at full throttle. The town was packed, with campsites fully occupied to a capacity of 400 caravans and tents, and local people opening their homes to visitors because of pressure on hotels and BBs. Even on a mid-week afternoon the crowds were impressive, and numbers are predicted to be up on last year, when Cavan also hosted the fleadh and an estimated 288,000 people attended.
Yesterday was day five of the nine-day programme, and every shop doorway, public space and spare scrap of footpath was occupied by young musicians who were as enterprising as they were talented.
Colm Kieran (12) from Carrigallen, Co Leitrim, was playing sweet, pure jigs and reels on his tin whistle opposite the post office. There was a navy baseball cap set out hopefully at his feet. Had he made much? “Ah no, I’m only at it about five minutes so far today. But yesterday I made over €40,” he confided with a grin.
Every musician, no matter how young – and some like Gráinne Cahill (8) from Stradone, Co Cavan, were very young indeed – had cap, hat or cup out beside them. “Busking for money is not encouraged, nor can you discourage it,” said Dermot McMonagle, public relations officer for the fleadh.
“We’ve definitely noticed more people busking for money this year than last. Maybe it’s the signs of the times. But how you perform is how people will respond.”
Kevin McCormack from Virginia had included Barack Obama as one of his home-made Sunshine Dancers puppet band, an addition that was attracting much attention. “I like a new face in my band every now and then, and so I added Barack, because he visited us recently,” he said. McCormack is a one-man band, who simultaneously plays melodeon, a customised trumpet, and operates his four puppets via pedals. Three of them are dancers, and the Obama puppet does his best with a tambourine and bodhrán.
The main afternoon event yesterday was the ad-hoc open-air concert in the grounds of Saints Patrick and Felim Cathedral. Some 600 children and young people, who are taking part in the Scoil Éigse traditional music classes this week, along with about 50 of their tutors, performed on the cathedral steps to a huge crowd. They played for half an hour, opening with the Boys of Ballisodare,and performing a series of hornpipes, jigs, reels and barn dances.
One of those young performers was Danielle Brady from Killeshandra, playing flute. She is a great-niece of Dr Brian Galligan, a founder member of Comhaltas and a man whose name is synonymous with traditional music. “It was a great buzz because this was the first time we all played together today.”
Her mother Grace said proudly: “It’s something she’ll always be able to remember, and to say that she played at the 60th fleadh; the organisation that her great-uncle helped set up.”
There is a significant attendance in Cavan from the US, Britain and France.
Self-possessed brother and sister duo Dylan (13) and Haley Richardson (9) from New Jersey, US, were busking on guitar and violin on Main Street, and literally stopping the crowds with their confident, assured performances.
They’ll be taking part in the competitions on Saturday.
Evening events, both the pub sessions and the official programmed events, go on deep into the night, and the number of all-day breakfasts on offer in Cavan yesterday was noticeable. Donohoes Grocery was offering a DIY “Fleadh Breakfast Special”: a pound each of rashers and sausages, a black and white pudding, tin of beans, six eggs, sliced pan and litre of milk for €12. Or to be exact, for €11.99.