Craic agus ceol in Kilfenora

TRADITIONAL Irish music is a legacy that has never died; it is still growing, taught and appreciated all over the world.
It is this legacy that will be celebrated throughout the upcoming Clare County Fleadh, which takes place from this Thursday until Sunday in Kilfenora, a village deeply rooted in Irish culture and music.
The 2011 Clare Fleadh Cheoil will be hosted by the Kilfenora Comhaltas branch for its third successive year and their hope is that it will be a successful and memorable event for all involved, in keeping with the previous two.
The weekend of festivities will consist of enthralling traditional music sessions with musicians of all ages and instruments of all sizes. With competitions for every age group, the music and fun is non-stop.
Competitions for solo and group performers will be staged on Saturday and Sunday. These competitions are the first step on the way to compete in the premier of traditional showcases in the All-Ireland Fleadh in August.
The expectations are high for this year’s competitors, where the judges choosing the winners for each category and competition will not have an easy task.
Alongside the competitions, other musical events will include céilís with top Irish bands, such as The Four Courts Céilí Band on Thursday night at 9.30pm in Vaughan’s Barn; the Abbey Céilí Band the following night at 10pm in Kilfenora Hall and a céilí with Johnny Reidy on Saturday at 9.30pm, also in Kilfenora Hall.
In addition, there will be sessions in the pubs daily, including Monday, featuring many of Clare’s finest musicians, while the celebrated singers’ night will be held on Friday at Linnane’s.
Finally, there will be a concert, one of the Riches of Clare events staged around the county, on Friday at 1pm in the magical setting of the old cathedral church.
The featured musicians will be Kilfenora’s own flute player, Noel O’Donohue and James and Anthony Devitt on fiddle and banjo respectively. The concert will also feature Corofin piano maestro, Padraic O’Reilly.
Further details on the concerts are available on www.richesofclare.com.
The festivities will culminate on Sunday with an open-air céilí with the award-winning and internationally acclaimed Kilfenora Céilí Band between 5pm and 7pm in the square. The event will conclude on Sunday night in Vaughan’s Barn with a céilí to the sounds of the Four Courts Céilí Band.