Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann
The hosting of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann involved the entire Branch and many others included. Branch Members held key positions on the Fleadh Committee. Chairman: Paddy Tunney, Vice Chairman Mick Foy, Assistant Secretary: Fiona Tunney, Scoil Éigse Officer: Seamus Gibson, Entertainment Officer: Gerry McBrearty, Seachtain na Gaeilge: Cáitlín Conluain, Venues Manager: Finbarr Ó Raifeartaigh, and Youth Officer: Joseph Gibson. Non-branch members, Secretary: Ann Marie Conlon (DCC), Treasurer: Pat Keating and P.R.O: Joanne Sweeney played other major roles. Comhaltas Ulster Council Vice Chairman, Eamonn Graham of Portglenone was Stewarding Manager and a constant support to the committee. The other Ulster Ard Chomhairle members Jeanie McGrath, Pat Beagan, Francie McCormick and Sony McDermott played significant roles. The Fleadh was a major success for the branch and the town of Letterkenny and the province of Ulster.
2006 - Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann was again held in Letterkenny at the end of August. The Committee with Fiona Tunney now installed as Secretary learned from the previous year’s experience and by popular opinion this was one of the best ever Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. One of the highlights of the Fleadh weekend was the Céilí Band Competition which was held in the LYIT on the concluding Sunday evening and was won by a great Naomh Pádraig Céilí Band from Co. Meath for the 3rd year in succession. The competition venue was the Dánlann which was equipped with a huge screen and modern technology facilitated the transmission of the stage images as each band played. As the results from adjudicators were announced they were relayed on the screen thanks to Comhaltas’s Brendan Knowlton. Over the two years Letterkenny was the Irish Traditional Music capital of the World for the last 10 days of August. Tony Mc Carthy’s Forefront Productions from Cork produced 12 excellent TV programmes which were screened on RTÉ in the early spring of ’06 and ’07 which portrayed our town and people in a most positive light.
