Joe honoured with Ceannródaithe Award
The human dynamo behind the two phenomenal Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Mullingar, Joe Connaire, was honoured with the Ceannródaithe (Bardiac) award at a sold out gala dinner attended by more than 200 in Bloomfield House Hotel, Mullingar, last Tuesday evening.
Joe, who was accompanied by his family and many friends, said: “This is a very special night for me because I am getting an award I am very grateful for.”
He stressed that he did not “do anything to get awards”, but for the love of doing it: “I like passing on what I can do to other people,” he said.
The “self-taught banjo player” said his greatest achievement during his years playing banjo since the age of 12 would include “being able to teach my dear friend Kevin Kennedy, who has Downs syndrome, to play the banjo”.
Many of Joe’s pupils were at the gala dinner and Joe promised, “we will string a few tunes together later on”.
“It is an honour for me as chairperson of the Fleadh Executive in Mullingar to have one fleadh successfully behind us and another in the making,” he said.
“The last few days have been amazing,” said Joe, reflecting on the opening three days of Fleadh 2023.
“We put it in the plan seven years ago that the weather would be good for the two fleadhs and so far, so good!”
Éamonn Ó hArgáin, Uachtarán Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, confirmed that, according to garda figures, numbers attending the first two days of Fleadh 2023 were up by 60 per cent on last year. “We’re absolutely in for a tremendous Fleadh Cheoil,” he declared.
He said that this was the 20th year of the Ceannródaithe awards, which are now very much a part of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann “and that’s where it will stay in years to come”.
He observed that there were Wexford people at the dinner, “keeping a watchful eye because this time next year we will be going to the sunny southeast” for the fleadh.
Bean an tí, Freda Hatton, called on the Bishop of Meath, Most Rev Dr Tom Deenihan, to say grace before meals, and the Belvedere Suite at Bloomfield House Hotel sparkled with candlelight and floral displays for the gala dinner.
Guests were greeted by a selection of tunes from the Binneas group.
Among those in attendance was 91-year-old Margaret Underwood, née Finerty, a native of Ballymore, who was home on holiday from London, Ontario, Canada. Margaret attended the function with her nephew Liam Finerty and his wife Imelda who is a member of the Ballymore CCÉ executive.
Members of several Comhaltas groups from near and far were present. After the dinner and presentations, there was an open session in which everyone was invited to join.
The Ceannródaithe awards are presented in recognition of significant contribution to traditional Irish culture. Last year, Noel Battle and Mick Foster were among the recipients.
Other recipients of the awards this year were Tom Doherty (Mayo), Grainne Hambly (Mayo), Daithí Kearney (Louth), Pamela Schweblin (Argentina) and Martin Gaffney (Cavan/ Dublin). They, along with Joe, were honoured as ‘Ceannródaí na Fleidhe 2023’ by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann for their special contribution to Irish traditional music and CCÉ.