Mullingar CCÉ in tune ahead of Fleadh Cheoil na hIarmhí 2026

Thomas Lyons

Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is the pinnacle of the traditional music gathering in this county, but the build-up to it is just as important. This year the Mullingar CCÉ host the Fleadh Cheoil na hIarmhí 2026 on the weekend of May 8 to May 10 – the ‘first round’ of competition that will culminate in Belfast at the start of August.

It’s a busy time for the organisers of the Westmeath event as they embrace the explosion in popularity of Comhaltas since the national event was held here in 2022 and 2023.

Mullingar also hosted the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 1951 (the inaugural event) and 1963. As the birthplace of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, the town has a special grá for the fleadh.

“There are seven other branches in the county and we rotate and take turns to host it. This year it’s our turn,” Moira Roe, secretary of Mullingar CCÉ said.

The May weekend will be a hotbed of activity as the gathering to perpetuate Irish traditional music, song, dance, and the Irish language will draw young and old from across the county to compete for places to represent Westmeath on the provincial stage in June.

Since 2023, participation in the local CCÉ has increased dramatically: “All the branches have been thriving since the All-Ireland was here. Our numbers have gone through the roof, we used to have an average of 30 pupils attending classes once a week. We now have between 300 and 400 here in Mullingar.

“Ballynacargy is the same. Their numbers have shot through the roof. They’ve probably more than us. We also have a new branch in East Westmeath, the Raharney, Killucan area,” Moira said.

At Fleadh Cheoil na hIarmhí, many of those new members display their talents in music, singing, dancing, language and the spoken word. From solo instruments to ensemble groups like Grúpaí Ceoil and Céilí Bands, the county fleadh has all the features of the national gathering.

“It’s like our national sports. There is a qualifying round before you can get to the all-Ireland,” Moira said. “Competitors who achieve first and second place progress to the Leinsters, which this year are in Portlaoise at the end of June. The first and second there will qualify for the all-Ireland.”

Ten-time all-Ireland champion on mouth organ, Noel Battle, has watched as the popularity of traditional arts have ramped up in the last three years. Noel, chairman of Mullingar CCÉ, says it’s a welcome development: “When I was young, there were not that many involved, I only knew one family near me. They were from Sligo and played music. There were odd musicians here and there, but it was never anything like what it is now.

“They are from right across the board, we have young and old. We’ve got a huge number of adult beginner pupils attending the classes.”

To accommodate the new members the branch has invested in instruments: “We were lucky to get a grant to buy beautiful harps. We rent them out to people who want to learn, allowing us to develop the number of people playing the instrument. We expected it to be children, but most of the people who came were adults, people who never had the opportunity to learn it or have access to a harp.

“Now it’s around half adults that are attending, renting out the harps and attending classes.”

The core ethos of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is based on a commitment to community, inclusivity, and voluntarism. As Mullingar CCÉ prepare to host the county fleadh, that ethos is to the fore: “It’s all voluntary, it’s all committee-led. It is about giving people access to the traditional arts. We have been working to extend that.

“Before 2022, we had four or five old fiddles we used to rent out to children. We have worked to extend our instrument bank. Now we’ve got about 60 instruments that we rent out – and they’re out, they’re gone. They’re being used, they’re not sitting in a cupboard,” Moira said.

She acknowledges the support of Westmeath County Council, and businesses like North Midlands Credit Union, who have helped as the branch expand what they offer members. Support for all CCÉ branches in the region is available from Áras an Mhuilinn on Mount Street in Mullingar. It covers Laois, Offaly and Longford as well as Westmeath, though for Mullingar CCÉ, proximity is an advantage.

“We’re lucky to have Áras an Mhuilinn, a regional centre,” Noel says. “They cover the four counties. We’re lucky to be able to rent the rooms there, otherwise we’d be looking for a school or a community hall. Simon and Stephen are very accommodating because we’re always chopping and changing.”

The workload for a voluntary organisation with up to 400 members is no small undertaking, as Moira outlined: “It’s like running a school because we have classes on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, half-hour classes.”

This year Mullingar hosts the county gathering, but future events will be hosted by Clann Lir, Frank Gavigan, Ballymore, East Westmeath, Castletown Geoghegan, Ballynacargy and Moate. All the Westmeath CCÉ branches set high standards of traditional performance and, through competition, give members an opportunity to show off their talents while keeping unique cultural traditions alive and prominent in Irish life.

An important consideration in achieving that goal is the instructors: “We’re always looking for teachers. We’re at a stage now where some of our pupils are mature enough to teach. We’re luckier than, say, maybe 10 years ago. We weren’t in a good place 10 years ago.

“We now have some musicians coming along who are enthusiastic, dedicated, committed and have the ability to teach. At the same time, we’re still always looking for musicians to teach and bring it to Mullingar,” Moira says.

With his multiple all-Ireland titles, Noel is a great resource for the fleadh novices. He modestly defers to other group members about advice: “The teachers have them taught everything they need to know,” he says.

He is very involved in the group’s Session na nÓg: “Noel is good at sharing his music. Every month we have our Session na nÓg, youth session. Noel is always there, always leading them. So he’s always sharing his music, and that’s how the transfer of music happens organically. The ethos is you learn by ear, and by playing in this nurturing environment, you pick it up. That’s where Noel thrives.”

One of the challenges Fleadh Cheoil na hIarmhí faces due to the increased number of participants is fitting in the entire programme over the three days. Noel says it is a good problem to have: “I’d say that 12 or 13 years ago, you’d run the county fleadh all in one day. Now it takes two complete days, along with Friday.

“It takes place in the Holy Family National School, we start on Saturday morning at 10 o’clock, and we’re going the whole day until about 7pm.”

It’s an auspicious year for Mullingar CCÉ to host the Westmeath fleadh as the county’s umbrella organisation celebrates its 75th anniversary: “Westmeath County Board of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann are 75 years old. They are organising a massive concert at the end of August. They’re booking the Kilfenora Ceilidh Band, and there’s going to be a big concert. That’s the last weekend in August,” Moira says.

The legacy of the county CCÉ is reflected in the Mullingar branch: “The women before me, women like Margaret Ryan, Monica Byrne and Rose Collentine, did so much work to keep it going. I have Paul and Brian coming on board now, they’ve got young kids who are learning. It’s kind of like a natural progression. Noel’s contribution is immense, which is great, because it gives us continuity,” Moira concluded.

Comhaltas Uachtarán, Attracta Brady, will launch Fleadh Cheoil na hIarmhí 2026 on Friday May 8 at a session on the Market Square (at the Atrium in Áras an Chontae if the weather is bad) as Mullingar CCÉ host three days of competition up until Sunday May 10.