Over the next few months Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ), Connacht which is made up of the 5 counties, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo will hold their provincial fleadhs and the towns hosting the fleadhanna in 2008 are without doubt all noteworthy for their very scenic and historic locations. We here in Connacht would like to extend an invitation to our fellow comhaltas members through Ireland and indeed the World to come to our Fleadhs, enjoy the scenery, the music, song and dance and the failte. We hope to see you at one of the County Fleadhs and most definitely at the Provincial Fleadh in Westport in July. *Roscommon Fleadh* – Athleague – The Roscommon County Fleadh was held on Easter week-end in the picturesque town of Athleague, Co. Roscommon – Ath Liag – The ford of the Flagstones. Have a look at the Connacht web page to see pictures of this beautiful town and the successful Fleadh. *Leitrim Fleadh – April 25th, 26th, 27th Tamara McLoughlin – 087 7702263* The small village of Drumsna, situated on a hill overlooking the Shannon, has many historical associations. In a small cemetery close by is the burial place of Surgeon Thomas Heazle Parke 1857-1893 who accompanied Henry Morton Stanley on his exploration expedition in the African Congo. Within a short distance stands the ivy-covered ruins of a lordly mansion of the Jones landlord family where the novelist Athony Trollope wrote his interesting novel, the McDermotts of Ballycloran. *Mayo Fleadh – Ballycastle, Co. Mayo 10-11th May – Contacts: Padraic Ó Láimhín/Teresa McAndrew – 096 34070/096 72365* Ballycastle – Baile an Chaisil – the town of the stone fortress lies on the beautiful rugged coast of North Mayo. Its northern boundary is exposed to the wild Atlantic ocean, to the west are the lovely Stags of Broadhaven (600 million year old rocks), to the east lies Killala Bay, to the south are the towns of Crossmolina and Ballina. Ballycastle is a small but thriving community which has much to offer visitors. It boasts of a rich history, going back at least 5000 years. Our ancestors left evidence of their way of life at the Céide Fields where an Interpretative Centre has been built. We have long sandy beaches and tall threatening cliffs along the seafront. The cliffs at Céide reach a height of 365 feet and give a panoramic view of horizontal layers of sandstone 350 million years old. *Galway Fleadh, May 16-18 Contact: Michael O’Neill 095 41047* Letterfrack Village is dominated by the Diamond Hill which is located in the Connemara National Park. Landscape conservation is the aim of the Connemara National Park. The old Jesuit school in the village centre is now owned by the community and includes various craft and exhibition workshops. Ballinakil graveyard contains the ruined chapel gable of a medieval church as well as ruins of an earlier sixth or seventh century church. It is here also that the remains of Oliver St.John Gogarty are interred. *Sligo Fleadh, May 30th – June 1st Contact: Martin Enright 071 91 67560* Gurteen: Ceoláras Coleman Located in South Sligo, Gurteen is 20 miles from Sligo town. A quaint village that has strong ties with traditional music. Based on this unique history of traditional Irish music, Gurteen is host to the Ceolarás Coleman, The Regional Resource centre. The main building is a focal point for the living tradition, for which the area is so rightly famous and houses a theatre, a large audio-visual display on South Sligo, its music and the life of Michael Coleman (who is known worldwide for his influence on many artists today). Not too far away is Moygara Castle a 16th Century Castle overlooking Lough Gara (a great spot for fishing) that was once the principal home of the O’Gara clan. Over 300 crannog sites were found in the lake in the 1950’s when the lakes were drained! Of course the grand finale will take place from July 1st to July 6th when Westport Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann will host the Connacht Fleadh. *Westport: Cormac O Cionnaith 098 22502* Westport is situated in the shadow of Croagh Patrick, overlooking Clew Bay. One of the few planned towns in the Country, Westport was designed in the 18th Century by James Wyatt. It has become one of Ireland’s established tourism centers, with many outstanding features, most notably the beautiful tree lined boulevard known as The Mall, running parallel to the Carrowbeg River. Croagh Patrick, one of Europe’s best know places of Pilgrimage, has provided a tough ascent for many pilgrims each year, climbing barefoot in the memory of St. Patrick, who spent forty days and forty nights fasting on the summit more than 1,500 years ago. A small church at the summit of the mountain welcomes penitents, while magnificent views of Clew Bay, with an island for every day of the week, provides inspiration for many walkers and visitors throughout the year. Comhaltas in Westport have a wonderful week’s programme of events lined up for this year’s Provincial Fleadh. Keep watching this space for further details. P.R.O. Connacht CCE