Thursday opening for CCE's 'Aras an Mhuilinn'

The long-term ambition of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann to open its own cultural centre in Mullingar have come to fruition, and this Thursday night, the doors to "Aras an Mhuilinn" open to the public for the first time.Located beside the Mullingar Arts Centre in the County Buildings, the new cultural centre is to play host for the Summer to a weekly Thursday night seisiún, featuring "the very best of music, dance, solo singing and story telling from Westmeath Comhaltas members".Mullingar is where Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann was founded, and the organisation is now looking into bidding to have the Fleadh Ceoil na hÉireann brought to Mullingar."Caitlín Bn Uí Mhuineacháin and Willie Reynolds were at the first meeting, which was held in the Midland Hotel in Seery Street (where the nightclub Bed is now)," says Matt Nolan, among those involved in the movement locally.The building is in the ownership of Comhaltas, having been donated to the organisation by Westmeath County Council. To date, Comhaltas has spent €1m on fitting out the building, and it intends to spend a furtner half million between now and the end of the year.When completed, the centre will have a recording studio, as well as the theatre and bar/coffee facilities, and it will also hold a major archive of traditional music and a radio studio through which it can link with Raidio na Gaeltachta."The building will be for both teaching and entertainment," says Matt, explaining that there are five teaching rooms, and music rooms where people can come in and learn a variety of traditional instruments."Comhaltas are going to put a special emphasis in relation to the Irish language in the centre: it will be very much a bilingual centre, and we're hoping, apart from the development of Irish music and dance and singing, it will be also part of our goal to develop the language in the midlands as well," he continued.He paid tribute to Senator Camillus Glynn who had done a lot of work to get the centre off the ground.A major ambition is to hold the All-Ireland Fleadh locally."Getting a Fleadh Ceoil here requires a lot of work, and a preliminary committee will have to be put together to apply for it," he explains.In the meantime however, the focus is on the Thursday night seisiúns, which Comhaltas believe will provide a major boost to tourism in the midlands. The first half of the evening consists of a stage show of music, song, dance and story telling followed by light refreshments.The night concludes with an informal traditional seisiun where the audience is encouraged to participate if they wish, and Comhaltas producer Siobhain Ni Chonarain says that "anything could happen" during this part of the night.Already the first night is fully booked and info on bookings for the Aras is available on 9330644.