Joe on a high after epic seven year Fleadh Cheoil journey

The final night of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann marked the end of a seven-year phase in the life of Joe Connaire, chairman of the fleadh executive committee.

That journey began in the US in 2015, when Joe first gave voice to his hope that Ireland’s foremost traditional culture event would return to the town where it had all begun.

"I suppose I got involved in Ballynacargy Comhaltas through Willie Penrose – Willie is a great man and a great lover of traditional music - and between the two of us we had a discussion in 2013 at one of the trad fests we had in Ballynacargy and we said Mullingar would be the ideal spot for the fleadh," says Joe, who actually lives in Annascannon, Killucan.

"I went on a Comhaltas tour of North America in 2015 and I travelled with various great musicians from all over the country and started saying to them that I'd love to bring the fleadh to Mullingar."

On his return, he raised the subject with Willie Penrose again, and Willie was as gung ho about the notion as Joe himself.

"When we brought it to the county board, I suppose a lot of people were surprised that we even brought it up; I think people thought we hadn't a hope, but when I get something under my skin, I'll do to the best of my ability what I need to do to achieve what I want to achieve," says Joe, who is married to Louise and father to Riona, Cillian and Emma, all musicians themselves. They have been a great support to him over the last seven years, he says.

Once the Westmeath Comhaltas County Board got behind the proposal, the first task was to form a committee: "Very quickly, we formed a committee from people that we would have known in other branches around the county. And then people started hearing about the committee and people who had no interest in traditional music started to join.

"We had to go through the bid process in Leinster and we were up against Wexford, Tullamore and Portlaoise. We won the vote by a country mile when it went to Ard Comhairle level in Dublin. So it was then organised for 2020 - but COVID came and cancelled the fleadh for two years.

"There was a lot of refocusing after that because the committee was tired: we were nearly there," he says.

"A lot of the progress and the commitment and the work was done at that stage and to have it all taken away…"

The "refocus" to which he frequently refers, he describes as big: "We had to look at more funding: where were we going to get the money, now that businesses were on the ground due to COVID, so the whole restructure around that wasn't simple.

"Minister Catherine Martin came up with a nice pot of money for us. And I have to mention here our two local ministers, Peter Burke and Robert Troy: they got behind us and secured funding for us as well. So that was a huge bonus.”

Little did Joe envisage that his role at the helm of the committee was going to prove such a long-term commitment, but he says, the flip-side of the two year delay did give the committee the opportunity to fine-tune every detail, and he is delighted at how the event played out:

"The highlight was that so many people came to Mullingar and everyone has been positive about the event. We wanted a very enjoyable, safe event, and to see so many people playing traditional Irish music and enjoying the fleadh. That’s what this whole event is about: enjoyment."

Joe, who managed to play music at the event in addition to all his other duties, has been gratified by people's reactions: " They all said the town is so suited for the fleadh because of the wide streets; the C-Link Road around the town meant traffic was moving; the venues for the competitions were all within walking distance.

“The whole logistics around the whole event was superb. I'm going to quote John Creedon [RTE], and what he says is it's the best-organised fleadh he's ever been to.”

Coming Back

Joe is hopeful that the fleadh will return to Mullingar next year. Comhaltas will announce its decision on September 3.

"It was such a success. I'd say the committee would love to bring it back again next year.

"It's such a huge task to organise it for a year, you really need to get it for a second year to get the full value out of all the work you've put in, “ says Joe.