This year’s Roscommon County Fleadh Cheoil will take place in Strokestown over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend (Friday, April 7th to Monday, April 9th).
Strokestown has a long history of hosting great Fleadheanna and many have great memories of music, singing and dancing sessions.
This year’s events start with a Ceili on Good Friday night with music by ‘Rise the Dust’ at 9 pm in The Percy French Hotel (refreshments and raffle on the night).
Saturday night is awards night, where many young people will be honoured by the County Board for their achievements at recent All-Ireland fleadheanna, starting at 7 pm.
Emily Ni Chaithain (Elphin), Diarmuid Pléimeann (Roscommon), Aoife Ni Chonghaile (Roscommon), Patrick Mullooly (Athlone), Emma Benson (Keadue) and Clodagh Daly (Keadue) will receive recognition on the night.
A special presentation for a lifetime of dedication to Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann will be presented to Oliver McCabe and Frances Gaffney of Keadue branch respectively.
Tickets for the event can be purchased from County Secretary Catherine Hanly (087- 2649893).
Strokestown will be a hive of activity on Sunday as the annual Easter Parade will draw hundreds of spectators to the town, and this will be followed by the official opening of Fleadh 2023 by two of Roscommon’s finest exponents of traditional music, Catherine and Johnny McEvoy, who both have deep Strokestown connections.
Catherine and John will also assist the County Board in awarding this year’s Gradam Award to recipient Tom Hanly.
Tom, who has a long association with Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann in Strokestown and the county, has also been an integral key in promotion of traditional Irish music in Strokestown with monthly sessions in his pub.
It is envisaged that the town will be a hive of activity of culture and colour on Easter Sunday.
This year’s Fleadh will close on Easter Monday with competition day in the local secondary school. Competitors from all over the county will compete in Music, Singing, Dance, Storytelling, and Comhrá Gaeilge to qualify to the Connacht Fleadh in Ballina in July.
