Visible support on November 17 vital – fleadh bid committee
Visible support from the public is required when the Leinster delegates from Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ) visit Mullingar in November.
That was the main message at a meeting to discuss the Mullingar bid to host the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann last Thursday evening.
The mood in the room at the Greville Arms was light and conversational as the bid committee explained the process and outlined the contents of the bid document which has been prepared for the delegates whose votes will decide where the all-Ireland fleadh is held in 2021.
A huge amount of work has been done already, but Saturday November 17 is of vital importance, several of the committee members told the crowd.
That is the day when the delegates from the Leinster council of CCÉ will come to Mullingar, to see what the town has to offer as a potential host for one of the biggest annual events in the country.
After Padraic Keena had gone through the bid document, Aoife Moynihan explained what people could do to help on the day.
She said a potential route will start at the Mullingar Park Hotel, where the host committee will meet the delegates.
They will then go to the centre of the town, and will walk through the main streets, taking in the potential venues as well as important transport infrastructure and other attractions, so the visitors can see how close to one another the venues that would be used for fleadh competitions are.
The route has not been finalised at this point, but will include the main town centre streets and venues such as the hotels – plus Columbia bar on Mount Street, which, in a previous guise, was the venue where the meeting that led to the foundation of CCÉ in 1951 was held. Ms Moynihan asked anyone with premises along the route to display posters in support of the Mullingar fleadh bid in their windows, as well as musical instruments, or anything to acknowledge Irish musical heritage.
Joe Connaire, chairman of Westmeath Comhaltas, said: “November 17 is a massive day for this town. If you see us that day, come over and say you’re looking forward to bringing the fleadh cheoil home.”
He said some of the delegates might have made up their minds about which venue will host the 2021 fleadh, and some won’t – but importantly, minds can be changed.
“We need to impress anyone [of the Leinster delegates] who turns up that day,” he said.
Deputy Willie Penrose, a member of the bid committee, said they had already received strong support from the new Bishop of Meath Tom Deenihan and other members of the clergy, including Rev Canon Alastair Graham, as well as the county council, gardaí, schools and sports clubs.
Reiterating the point made by other speakers, including Dick Stokes – that Mullingar is where Comhaltas was founded, a fact that the committee are making the most of in the bid submission – Deputy Penrose said: “At the end of the day nobody can write the history that’s here. You can’t rewrite history.”
Following queries and contributions from the floor, Mr Connaire concluded the meeting by saying: “It took Drogheda seven years to get the fleadh, and if we don’t get it this time, we’ll keep going – keep the support coming, keep talking about the fleadh.”
Call Mullingar Chamber for further details on the bid and plans for November 17: 044 9344044.
