“The branch came into existence because there was a local Shannon Ceili band in 1971 who competed in the All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Listowel, Co. Kerry, where they placed second. This spurred on the creation of the Coventry CCĖ branch in the same year, which was led by the legendary Vincent Tighe. The branch saw a move first to the Four Provinces pub under the chairmanship of Hughie Gallagher and then to the Hearsall Inn, its current home.
I came to Irish music as an adult at the age of 25 years old. I decided to attend my local Comhaltas branch at Coventry as my Dad- who’s Irish- took some of the family to a Tionol Cheoil, that took place in Princethorpe school near Coventry, back in the day. We got talking to people and realised lessons still took place at the Irish club in Coventry- St Brendan’s pub, commonly known as the Kerryman’s.
I first attended the branch in 1993 and I started learning on the fiddle from Andrew Commins and then later Julia clarke. Marriage and family intervened but thirty years later I’m still diddling on! I became a member of the committee as the vice chair about 4 years ago but have been teaching beginners fiddle for about 15 years.
This year, we want to pay tribute to our departed chairperson Hughie Gallagher. He gave so much to the branch over two decades while he was volunteering. We will be launching a tune book that is compiled of compositions he wrote on the button accordion. This project was funded by Comhaltas and will be a fitting tribute to a man who was a cornerstone of the branch for many years and influential in the development of many musicians in the area.
I’m thrilled the Fleadh will happen in Coventry this year. Coventry has a proud heritage of all things Irish; music, song, dance and language. With the city hosting the UK City of Culture in 2021, it only seems fitting to bring an important celebration and event like the All-Britain Fleadh to this wonderful city for the first time. With its long history of Irish migration, especially in the 1950/60s, when the Irish diaspora supported the rebuilding of infrastructure after the Second World War. Also we just celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2021 and having the Fleadh in our hometown feels like a milestone for the branch.”
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