http://www.ulsterfleadh2011.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/2011-All-Ireland-Qualifier-Template-Uladh.xls

http://www.ulsterfleadh2011.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/competitions-timetable.pdf

The Fleadh will last from Sunday 17th July to Sunday 24th July, and will be jam packed with a variety of events to engage all sections of the community in Irish cultural heritage.

After winning their bid for the largest summer music event in Ulster last October, the local organizing committee began to plan an 8-day long festival celebrating traditional Irish music, song and dance.

This celebration of culture has been held for the past three years in Castlewellan, and in 2010 the event was merged with Celtic Fusion as part of the 50th anniversary of the Ulster Fleadh festivities.

The Dungiven committee also have reason to celebrate this year, with the 60th anniversary of Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann, the nationwide organisation that co-ordinates the Fleadh and helps promote Irish culture and heritage.

The Fleadh committee are very keen to express their sincere appreciation to all of the support they have received to finance and manage the music festival. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Limavady Borough Council and Comhaltas are Fleadh Uladh’s principle funders, with Purvis Precast Stone and St. Canice’s G.A.C. sharing the title as main sponsors.

In particular, the local businesses have donated very generously, and the committee would also like to thank in particular those who are not direct beneficiaries.

‘There has been a fantastic feeling of community spirit surrounding this event,’ said chairman Jeremy Granleese. ‘There have been so many efforts to make this year’s Fleadh something special. A special town clean-up committee was formed to help improve the aesthetic impact of the town’s Main Street for the onslaught of visitors for the Fleadh.’

The unsightly buildings in the town centre have been a talking point in the town for many months, and with several efforts being made to help improve the town’s image, the Fleadh seemed like the perfect excuse to make sure that something would finally be done.

Already there have been improvements to several buildings, and with only six weeks left until Fleadh Uladh kicks off, the town looks set to receive a significant make over.

The programme of events includes all of the usual activities associated with the Ulster Fleadh (seisiúns, competitions, ceilis, etc.) But there are also a number of special events, including the Songs of the People concert in St. Canice’s Hall on Thursday 21st July, bringing together all of the best singers in Ulster to celebrate the traditional singing heritage of the province.

There will also be a night celebrating the Celtic Harp, and an effort to break the Guinness World Record for the most people playing the national anthem on an instrument together in one venue on Saturday 23rd July.

The Ulster Fleadh attracts thousands of people each year to its host town, with 2,000 competitors in the competitions and many more spectators. Dungiven’s first ever year at hosting the event is sure to be one to remember.

The Dungiven Fleadh Uladh committee are delighted this year to honour Sam Henry’s famous traditional singing anthology Songs of the People in a unique concert as part of Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann’s 51st Ulster Fleadh.

The concert follows on a format used in BBC Four music shows such as …Sings the Great American Songbook, whereby a host of renowned performers will choose some of their favourite songs from the Ulster singing tradition.

The line-up for this inaugural event will feature some of the country’s finest singers, including Rita Gallagher, several times winner of the All-Ireland Singing Trophy. All corners of Ulster will be represented in the concert, with participants from as far away as Monaghan, Donegal and Down. Niall Hanna from Co. Tyrone will also perform on the night, carrying on the legacy of his late grandfather Geordie Hanna, known to many as a great stalwart of the singing tradition.

Of course, the local area itself is known as a stronghold of Irish traditional singing, and some of Dungiven’s best known singers will perform on the night.

Sam Henry’s collection was originally printed as a column in County Derry newspaper the Northern Constitution between 1923 and 1939, and documents the story of Ireland – its graces and shortcomings, triumphs and sorrows – in the ballads, dirges, and humorous songs of its common people.

Music is a direct and powerful expression of Irish folk culture and a beloved aspect of Irish life in the rest of the world. Comprising nearly 690 selections, Songs of the People is a record of Irish folk songs before World War II, demonstrating the historical ties between Irish and Scottish folk culture and the tremendous Irish influence on American folk music in songs from the 18th and 19th century.

St. Canice’s Hall (a traditional 1920s cinema and dancehall) will be the venue for the concert, and its quaint, shabby charm will no doubt add to the nostalgic atmosphere of the night. Lynette Fay (host of the award-winning BBC series Blas Ceoil) will compere the evening, and the concert is due to be broadcast at a later date on Radio Ulster’s long-running Irish music show Folk Club.

Despite the focus on singing in this concert, there is sure to be some great instrumental performances and a few surprises, with the likes of Stringtones (Brendan Hendry/Paul McSherry/Nodlaig Brolly) and upcoming Irish traditional band Ioscaid on the bill.

Tickets go on sale for the event this week and are available from www.fleadhuladh.com and PANTRY Coffeehouse in Dungiven. A limited number of tickets are available, so book early to avoid disappointment. Contact the Fleadh committee at Dungiven@comhaltas.net for further details.

Contact: Odhran Mullan (07708684547) / odhranmullan@yahoo.co.uk

Maranna McCloskey (07730 569665) / marannamccloskey@hotmail.com

Kay Faulkner (07743473351) 2 double rooms

Marie-Therese (028 777 42590) 3 rooms (ask for details)

Libby Tracey (07729366448) 1 double room

Briege O’Connor (028 777 41729 / 07856071346) 2 double rooms

Dolores Deighan (028 777 42953 / 07719661505) 1 double room / 1 family room

Mary O’Neill (028 777 41877 / 07525136223) 3 double rooms

Marie Clare Murphy (028 777 40766) 1 double room

H Murphy (07784004620) 2 double rooms (in town)

F McCartney (07769837496) 1 double room / 1 single room (outside town)

Joe McVeigh (07709767993) 2 double rooms

Pauline Duffy (07543181714) 1 double room

Joe McVeigh (07709767993) 1 double room

Linda Jane O’Neill (07712874556) 4 bedroom house

Sean Hasson (02877742942) accommodation for approx 20 people (sleeping bags/campers/tents)

Emma McCloskey (07849599359) 1 double room + 1 single room

Marie Therese McCloskey (028 777 42590) 3 rooms (ask for more details)

Drummond Hotel, Ballykelly (http://www.drummondhotel.com/)

A commercial caravan site is also available: http://www.niselfcatering.co.uk/selfcateringcottagesandcampsite/

Anyone hoping to spend a few days in the town should check out our Accommodation page as soon as possible to ensure they get a convenient place to stay.

Description:

Phone: to follow

Email: niselfcatering@live.co.uk

Website: www.niselfcatering.com

Distance from town: 1 mile

Plans are well underway for the Fleadh’s festivities now, and we hope to announce some of the events we’re most excited about in the next couple of weeks. Accommodation details will be live at the relevant section of the website by this friday, so book early to avoid disappointment.

After hosting two successful Derry Fleadhanna in 2007 and 2008, the local Fleadh committee was excited about the prospect of taking the provincial Fleadh to the town in the year of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann’s 60th anniversary.

Next year’s event, which has been held in Castlewellan for the past three years, will no doubt be a healthy challenge for those involved in organising it, with close to 20,000 visitors expected to pass through the town that week, including large numbers from the nine counties of Ulster, and traditional music lovers from across Ireland.

Chairperson of the Fleadh committee, Mena Boyle, believes that the Fleadh will benefit the community tremendously:

‘Something of this magnitude requires the community as a whole to get behind it and work together to make it a memorable event in the history of the town. In the current economic climate, it is good to have something that can help pull people together and promote community spirit.’

Indeed, members of the Fleadh committee have already appealed to many of the town’s voluntary organisations and clubs to support Dungiven’s bid to host the event, and they have been greatly encouraged by the responses. Everyone is excited about the event, and wants to be involved in any way they can.

Throughout the Ulster Fleadh festivities, one can expect plenty of Irish traditional music, singing and dancing, but, in keeping with any cultural event, there will be something for everyone. Plans are already being discussed to make this event one not to be missed, with a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities being considered.

Both St. Canice Primary School and St. Patrick’s College will be a focal point for much of the activity, hosting the all important Ulster Fleadh competitions, which will involve 1,500 competitors – the cream of Irish traditional musicians, singers and dancers in the nine counties of Ulster.

Dungiven Comhaltas is also hopeful that its local young musicians, singers and dancers can win through to the Ulster competitions again this year, adding to the spirit and excitement of the event.

‘The Ulster Fleadh will be hugely beneficial to the town, in terms of tourism and business over the week of the event, but more importantly, it will be the most significant cultural event in the Limavady Borough next year, and will be remembered by the Dungiven community for many years.’

To follow the progress of the Fleadh committee or to find out how to get involved, check out the website: www.ulsterfleadh2011.com.