Delegates from the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann ard chomhairle with members of the Mullingar 2020 bid committee and local musicians in Áras an Mhuilinn on Saturday.

#BringTheFleadhHome ‘We are on the cusp of a major achievement'

Published: Tue 5 Mar 2019, 9:15 AM

Last updated: Tue 5 Mar 2019, 9:30 AM

Hopes are sky high that the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is returning to Mullingar in 2020 following the visit of the Comhaltas ard chomhairle to the town on February 23 last.

Comhaltas director general Labhrás Ó Murchú and his fellow members of the organisation’s ard comhairle were in Mullingar to inspect the different venues that would host events during the fleadh and to hear from the local bid committee.

While no official announcement will be made until March 9, it was the director general Ó Murchú who dropped the biggest hint that the week-long celebration of Irish traditional music and culture was returning to Mullingar for the first time since 1963.

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“Pictured during the visit of the Ard Comhairle of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann to Mullingar to assess the town’s bid to host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2020 and 2021 were (standing, from left) Dick Stokes, Mullingar Bid Committee; Bernard O’Sullivan, CCÉ Headquarters; Padraig O’Ceallaigh, one of three CCÉ Trustees & Ard Comhairle member; Aoife Moynihan, Mullingar Bid Committee; Labhrás Ó Murchú, CCÉ Director General; Vincent Jordan, CCÉ Uachtaran and Pat Flanagan, CCÉ PRO; (seated at front) Colman Moynihan, one of three CCÉ Trustees and Ard Comhairle member; and Sheila Moynihan. Cait & Eamonn O’Mhuimhneachain/Moynihan were two of the co-founders of CCÉ, and were instrumental in the organisation being established in Mullingar in 1951. Cait was the first and remains the only female Chairperson of CCÉ, and Eamonn coined the name Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, which has stood the test of time ”.

Speaking in the Cathedral of Christ the King after Fr Paul Crosbie assured the delegates that Bishop Tom Deenihan and the rest of the Diocese were “four square” behind the committee’s bid, Mr Ó Murchú said that Comhaltas “knows we are coming among friends”.

“We are looking forward to coming to Mullingar. The door is pretty open, one more little push and we’ll be there,” he said.

Mr Ó Murchú’s colleagues were also impressed by what they saw and heard. One delegate that the Westmeath Examiner spoke to said that Mullingar “ticked all the boxes”, while another was heard saying “see you in 2020” to a member of the public who they spoke to during their walk around town.

If Mullingar gets the green light from Comhaltas to host the fleadh in 2020, it is estimated that it will be worth in the region of €50m to the local economy.

Last year, an estimated 500,000 visited Drogheda for the event.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner this week, the chairperson of the bid committee and Westmeath Comhaltas, Joe Connaire, said that he and his colleagues are “looking forward to the vote on March 9”.

He also paid tribute to the many different organisations that contributed to the success of the visit on Saturday, with special mention to the other members of the bid committee.

“Everyone who attended from the ard comhairle was very impressed. I want to thank all the business people of the town who put lovely displays in their shop fronts. I also want to thank the Park Hotel, the Greville Arms, the county council, An Garda Síochána, the GAA, the Civil Defence, the Chamber of Commerce, everyone who came out and showed their support.

“This is the biggest cultural event that you can host in this country. There is nothing bigger. Half a million people visited the Fleadh in Drogheda in 2018 and it’s growing every year.

“You are looking at eight all-Ireland final days coming to Mullingar and all of these people spend money, they all need to sleep, eat and drink.”

Deputy Willie Penrose, who is the vice-chairperson of the bid committee, said that Saturday’s visit was “everything we could have wished for”.

The Ballynacargy native, who first mooted the idea of Mullingar hosting the 2021 Fleadh at the 2016 AGM of Westmeath Comhaltas, said that the delegates were “bowled over” by the reception they received in Mullingar.

“They got a whole hearted welcome and it made a huge impression. The interaction on the street with the people, the work put in by businesses, cars beeping their horns. It was a huge endorsement by the public.

“They felt that sense of being wanted and this radiated in every aspect of the day. There was a tremendous buy-in for everyone,” Deputy Penrose said. “We are on the cusp of a major achievement.”