The Connacht Council of Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann has awarded the 2023 Connacht Fleadh to Ballina to coincide with the 300th centenary of the town.
A local Ballina committee was ratified by the Connacht Council of Comhaltas at a meeting in Ballina recently. The Moy Valley and Bofield branches of Comhaltas have joined forces to stage the event which will be held on the weekend of July 7 to July 9, 2023. Around 2,000 competitors will compete in the Fleadh competitions in the qualifying stages of the All-Ireland Fleadh.
A major Fleadh Festival street programme of events is planned for the centre of the town headed by Mark O’Donnell from Bofield branch of Comhaltas during the week leading into the Fleadh and will be unveiled at a later stage.
PRO Eamonn Walsh thanked Declan Turnbull, head of Ballina Municipal District and Cllr John O’Hara, for bringing the local Comhaltas branches together last November, which has now resulted in a successful application to host the 2023 Connacht Fleadh.
He has also thanked John McDonnell from Moy Valley CCE who has been elected Chairman of the Connacht Fleadh and Michael O’Donnell, Chairman of Bofield CCE, for coming together in a joint effort to ensure that the Fleadh competitions are run smoothly and to stage a spectacular cultural extravaganza in the centre of the town.
Annette Maughan, CEO of Moy Valley Resources and members of the Ballina 2023 committee, have also given their full backing and will be actively involved in the running of the Fleadh. The cost of staging the event is in the region of €65,000.
The PRO added that 'messages of congratulations have been pouring in from traditional music lovers all over Ireland including a message from a Mayo musician living in San Francisco, who have all indicated that they will come to Ballina for the Fleadh in 2023 with many expressing fond memories of the All-Ireland Fleadhanna in Ballina in 1997 and 1998'.
Walsh said he believes that due to Covid, and the cancellation of the Fleadhanna over the past two years, musicians are eagerly looking forward to attending the Fleadhanna and he believes they will be greater and better.
