There is a lovely serendipitous connection between Caoilfhinn Ní Choiligh’s Rose Buddy and Westmeath, and it is also tied in to the foundation of Comhaltas, which is being celebrated with a trad weekend in Mullingar on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Paddy McNamara from Ballyconneely, Galway was paired with the Westmeath Rose for the festival, though the organisers didn’t know of the Westmeath link, his mother Priscilla said.
“He had a weekend of delights with Caoilfhinn, her escort Michael-Anthony Greene and his Rosebud Renesmee Taylor,” she said.
Paddy (8) goes to school in Scoil Mhuire, Clifden and was inspired to go for Rose Buddy after his First Communion, and singing on the altar, by his teacher, Emma O’Toole. He plays for West Coast United and got huge support from his family, especially his brother Carter, for the event.”
The local link is Paddy’s great-grandfather, Willie Reynolds, a founding member of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, from Walderstown. Paddy’s father Leslie Reynolds grew up in Walderstown and the famous piper was his grandfather. Speaking to the Examiner at the homecoming reception on Friday, Leslie said he was proud of the connection, but he hasn’t inherited the musical gene.
Paddy proudly wore his banner to local events like the Ballyconneely Agriculture Show, and there are further Rose links in that his teacher for a time by Jodie Kenny, the Galway Rose.
Renesmee Taylor, Caoilfhinn’s Rosebud, lives in Newcastle, England, and spends summers with her grandparents Brendan and Patricia Campbell in Kerry.
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