Fleadh Nua 2009 - General

Concerts, Festivals, Sessions, Dancing

Date
17 May 2009–25 May 2009
Time
6:00 PM
Location
Various venues throughout the Town of Ennis
Town
Ennis
County
Co. Clare
Country
Ireland
Contact
Doreen Norris
Phone
00353-65-6824276
Email
Web
View Fleadh Nua 2009 - General Website
Fleadh Nua 2009 - General

Ireland’s super trad group, the Chieftains, the Hounds of Ulster, Clare’s own world beating Kilfenora Céilí Band and living legend Tommy Peoples are just some of the attractions at this year’s Fleadh Nua from 17th to 25th May. Add to this céilí and set dancing, sessions galore, outdoor street entertainment, is it any wonder that all roads lead to the Banner County for nine unforgettable days of unsurpassed ceol agus craic!

Based in Ennis since 1974, Fleadh Nua is an annual week-long festival of top Irish traditional entertainment. Ennis, the capital town of County Clare, a county which has long been recognised as Ireland’s traditional music heartland, extends a warm welcome to music lovers from Ireland and overseas to this week long celebration of Irish traditional music, song and dance.

Fleadh Nua 2009 kicks off with a record breaking Siege of Ennis on Sunday, 17th May. Cork set a world record In September, 2005 when 8,371 dancers danced the Siege of Ennis for 5 minutes continuously. Fleadh Nua (appropriately in Ennis), in conjunction with the Special Olympics, expects to break this record.

To motivate the dancers (if this were necessary in the Banner County) music will be provided by Clare’s own Kilfenora Céilí Band.

In the year 2009 we celebrate 40 years of this great Irish traditional festival. Headline acts will include Super Trad Group “The Chieftains” in concert in Ennis Cathedral on Wednesday, 20th May. This concert, which promises to be a highly memorable event, is being run to raise funds for the very worthy project, Cuan an Chláir.

Friday, 22nd May sees a unique concert in Glór Irish Music Centre with top young Irish traditional acts “Aos Óg” plus the Hounds of Ulster, a flute & drum music group based in Whiteabbey, County Antrim. This band, a major attaraction at the 2008 Fleadh Nua, are very involved with cross community activities in the North of Ireland. Their music is an exciting combination of Irish, Ulster Scots and Scottish traditional music.

Also in Glór, Clare’s renowned Kilfenora Céilí Band will present a spectacular concert on the Saturday night celebrating the band’s centenary. This céilí band are unquestionably Ireland’s best having totally dominated the Fleadh competition scene both in the 1950s and again in the 1990s. Today their music is better than ever and their new CD “Century” is one of the finest céilí band recordings of all time.

Sunday night, 24th May sees the welcome return of Donegal fiddle maestro Tommy Peoples to Fleadh Nua. Tommy is one of the all-time greats both as a performer and composer and visitors to Fleadh Nua can enjoy his unique music in the Templegate Hotel in Ennis Town Centre starting at 8.00pm. Tommy will be accompanied by guitarist Alph Duggan who many will remember from the seminal recording, the Quiet Glen, released in 2005.

Add to these events a week-long series of activities including free lunchtime concerts, traditional session workshops, nightly Club Fleadh Nua sessions plus céilí and set dancing, street sessions and gig-rig entertainment and there’s no doubt that Ennis is the only place for all followers of Irish culture to be during the third week in May 2009.

A brief summary of some Fleadh Nua events during this week of top class traditional entertainment (much of it free of charge!) is as follows:-

As usual, expect to find some of the top names in Irish music plus dancing to Ireland’s premier céilí bands including the Tulla, Kilfenora and Turloughmore.

More detailed information will be posted on the Fleadh Nua Website as it becomes available.

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