Westmeath bring home three All-Ireland titles from Fleadh

Shane King

It was a weekend to remember for Westmeath at this year’s Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Wexford, as the county’s talented musicians and singers returned home with three coveted All-Ireland titles. The best of traditional Irish music, song, and dance filled the streets in the sunny south east, as thousands visited from across the country and around the globe.

This year was one of the best Fleadhanna yet for Westmeath as three local musicians were crowned All-Ireland champions. Two of those are members of the Castletown Geoghegan branch, which brought home gold medals for the first time in more than a decade. Dick Stokes took top honours in the Newly Composed Song in English competition, a well deserved recognition for his lifetime of service to Comhaltas and his long-standing presence at Fleadhanna Cheoil down through the years. The song he wrote, ‘The Clara Train’, was performed by Shane Heraty, whose moving rendition earned Dick the national title.

Thomas Reynolds from Ballinagore also claimed his first All-Ireland victory, in the U12 miscellaneous category, delivering a brilliant performance on the bouzouki. His equally talented brother, John Reynolds, added to the success for the branch by taking bronze in the 12-15 Button Accordion competition. Castletown Geoghegan CCÉ chairperson, Enda Seery, described the achievements as a proud moment for all involved and a testament to the hard work of musicians of all ages.

“I am absolutely so proud that our branch came home from the Fleadh Cheoil here in Wexford with three medals. It’s a brilliant achievement, as the standard is so high at these competitions. A huge congratulations to Thomas and John Reynolds, who are from a wonderful family and their parents, Barbara and Oliver, who are so supportive of them and of our branch activities. These two lads learned their music from the multi-talented Ademar O’Connor from Edenderry, who came home with two All-Ireland medals.

“Huge congratulations to one of our founding officers from 1985 when the branch started, Dick Stokes, who came home with an amazing first place in the newly composed songs in English. Dick is a multi-talented individual and his song The Clara Train is a testament to his talent,” Enda said.

Adding to Westmeath’s haul was rising fiddle star Ellen Murphy from Mullingar CCÉ, who took gold in the U12 Fiddle Slow Airs competition. Her brilliant playing at such a young age caught the attention of adjudicators and helped secure the county’s third All-Ireland title at the fleadh.

Ballynacargy CCÉ also enjoyed a strong weekend, bringing home four medals across various competitions. Aoife Dunleavy secured third place in the 12-15 banjo competition and was runner-up in the 12-15 mandolin. Emily Evans, also Ballynacargy, earned third place in the U12 mandolin following a strong performance.

The biggest success for Ballynacargy came in the Over-18 Full Set Mixed competition, where they placed third in what was a highly competitive event that ran late into Saturday night due to earlier delays.

Ballynacargy chairperson Hazel Dunleavey praised all the musicians for their dedication and was proud of the branch’s achievements. “We had a brilliant week at the Fleadh Cheoil this year. Ballynacargy had many young sets in the dancing, but it wasn’t their year. It is a privilege to get to an All-Ireland and a huge achievement as you’re up against the highest standards of dancers, musicians, and singers.

“We had great success in our full set mixed over 18s, achieving third, a major result. It was also fantastic to see Emily Evans and Aoife Dunleavy claim medals in the mandolin and banjo competitions, under the mentorship of Joe Connaire. It’s a huge achievement for both Joe and the students.

“It’s a fantastic achievement to get to Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann and I wish them all the very best for next year,” she added.

Hazel concluded by reminding that “for all our musicians and dancers who didn’t get medals, it doesn’t define them as players. Many friendships and enjoyments were made in Wexford and continue to be made for many years to come.”

While the medal winners were among the most visible representatives of Westmeath at the fleadh, many other county performers in music, song, and dance took part and performed admirably.

Speaking on the Gig Rig on Saturday evening, Joe Connaire, who was chairperson of the Mullingar fleadh executive committee, said: “Every single person that has been involved in bringing the Fleadh to Wexford deserves huge credit. It is a huge undertaking and it takes a lot of people, a lot of volunteers to organise this great event.

“Every musician, dancer and singer that played here and sang and danced to get to an All-Ireland is a winner. So don’t forget that. Everyone that participated is a winner.

“It has been a wonderful two years at Wexford and a bit like Mullingar, they had the good weather, they had the sunshine, they had the great music and they have pretty much everything.

“Onwards and upwards to Belfast,” Joe concluded.

Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann will be held for the first time in Belfast in 2026.

Westmeath was proudly represented by 24 groups and individuals across a wide range of competitions last weekend. It proved to be a very successful weekend, with the county bringing home three gold medals, one silver, and four bronze. Here is the full list of prizewinners:

2B Button Accordion 12-15: 3rd, John Reynolds (Castletown Geoghegan CCÉ)

9B Banjo 12-15: 3rd, Aoife Dunleavey (Ballynacargy CCÉ)

11A Mandolin U12: 3rd, Emily Evans (Ballynacargy CCÉ)

11B Mandolin 12-15: 2nd, Aoife Dunleavy (Ballynacargy CCÉ)

14A Miscellaneous U12: 1st, Thomas Reynolds (Castletown Geoghegan CCÉ)

18A Fiddle Slow-Airs U12: 1st, Ellen Murphy (Mullingar CCÉ)

38E Newly Composed Song in English (any age):1st, Dick Stokes (Castletown Geoghegan CCÉ)

45D Full Set Mixed O18: 3rd, Ballynacargy CCÉ