Fleadh kicks off in Moate today!

Moate will be alive with traditional music this weekend as it hosts the Westmeath Fleadh for the first time in many years.

Over 200 competitors will descend on the town over the weekend in a bid to win county honours in 50 different categories in music, and another eight in dance.

Sharleen Doyle, Secretary of the Moate Fleadh Committee, is expecting a feast of traditional music in the town over the weekend, with sessions planned for many local pubs.

The event kicks off with the official launch in The Gap House on Friday night at 9pm, a most appropriate venue given that it was in that very pub that the Comhaltas branch in Moate was actually founded 50 years ago this year.

The following day, the competitive element takes over with dancing categories fought out from 1pm in Tuar Ard, with many contests set to be hard fought especially in set dancing at the U12 level.

There will be a Fleadh Mass on Saturday evening in St Patrick's church at 6.30pm, where local musicians will play during the ceremony.

On Sunday, musicians take over the Fleadh mantle battling it out in Moate Community School from 10am. Strong contests are expected in many of the fiddle, whistle, banjo categories among members of the seven Comhaltas branches in Westmeath.

Sharleen Doyle is urging the public to come along and enjoy any of the competitions on Saturday and Sunday or the many sessions around local hostelries over the weekend when competitions are over.

“Everyone should come on in to Moate and have the craic with us. It's their Fleadh too,” she said, paying tribute to the hard work of the committee in organising over many months, and in particular, Colette Glynn from the Ballymore branch who has acted as Fleadh Secretary and County Secretary for her trojan effort.

She also thanked the other branches in the county for all their help in putting the programme together.
The Moate Fleadh organising committee is made up of Chairperson, Declan Ganly, Brendan Doyle, Treasurer, Caroline Ganly, PRO, Sharleen Doyle, Secretary, Colin Doyle, Youth Officer, Joe Cunnaire, County Board Chairperson and committee members Sean Keane, Olive Quinn, Frank Kelly, Marie McManus and Shane Lyons.