County fleadh reaches the heart and ceol of the Gaeltacht

Thousands of competitors, family members, and supporters are expected to flock to Ballyvourney next month for Fleadh Cheoil Chorcaí 2013.

Hosted by Craobh Lachtaín Naofa CCÉ, Cill na Martra, the event will run from May 9 to 12.

Among the events during the festival will be a concert featuring musicians Máirtín O’Connor, Zoë Conway, and Donal Lunny.

The official opening will be performed by Comhaltas county board chairman Con McCarthy, and will take place at the Abbey Hotel in Ballyvourney on May 10. Guest speaker will be Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú.

There will be a range of singing and music both in the Abbey Hotel and the Mills Inn that evening.

On Saturday, the competition will heat up with singing, music, and Irish language competitions in the under-12s and under-15s categories.

Then, on Saturday night, there will be a céilí in the Abbey Hotel.

Mass the following morning will be in Irish and will take place at 10am, after which the competition will begin once more, this time for the 15-18s category and over-18s.

There will also be a category for newly-composed songs on the day, as well as céilí band, music groups, and solo competitions.

This year’s festival will also feature a gig rig, with open-air music and dance performances around Ballyvourney on Saturday and Sunday.

As a warm-up for this year’s event, there will be a “pre-Fleadh Cheoil” event on the previous May Bank Holiday weekend, featuring music and singing and Gaeltacht talent in various forms. It takes place in the Abbey Hotel on May 3.