I was just wondering, I read a lot about Fleadh's and I'd like to compete in one (or play, but mainly it's competing...I think). There's only one problem, I live in Holland. I think that you have to live in Ireland to compete in one, but I don't know that for sure. I hope there's someone here who knows more about this subject than I do.
No useful advice on the Fleadhs, but just wanted to say I dropped by your Caa-a-Dram site - nice work! Especially like the Farewell to Ireland sound clip. Tasty banjo. If you ever do compete in a Fleadh you should do well.
You most certainly do not have to live in Ireland. All you have to do is turn up to a county fleadh and you're off.
The first fleadh of the year is in Roscommon at Easter. Go there [or any county fleadh] and go to the fleadh office and register for the competition. It really is as simple as that.
If over here is too far [ and remember Easyjet now fly to Belfast] there are 'couty fleadhs' in England that you can compete in.
Oh and the playing is a much more important part of the experience than the competing. I
n fact the overwhelming majority of musicians will probably never compete in a fleadh.
So just go and enjoy yourself.
If you get a first or second, and are high enough standard, at the county fleadh you then progress to the provincial finals for that province, Once again a first or second place ensures you a place in the All Ireland fianals.
I'm intrigued as to the reason why you call yourself a Traditional Irish group and yet the name of the band is taken from the Scots?
The clips are not really long enough to fairly judge you but I would say that what I can hear of your banjo playing it sounds quite nice.
However, the singing accents sound really weird to the irish ear. Probably get away with it in Holland. I think that you would be much better singing songs in Gaelic as many of the consonant and vowel sounds in Dutch occur in irish.
I spent about a year once in Amsterdam and was often mistaken for a native Dutch speaker because I could get my tongue and throat around the sounds.
Yeah, the problem is that our lead singer has a hard enough time singing Dutch, and his English (espacially when speaking) isn't the best, but we do get away with in Holland (I've heard very strange, sometimes almost Dutch, accents in bands). Thanx for you're advice on the Fleadhs, I'll try to find one "in the neighbourhood", somewhere nere an airport probably. Oh yeah, on the download page of the site you can download an promotional package, there are 5 full clips in there (including some good tunes), as well as some pictures and a story about the band...
I wouldn't have a detailed knowledge of the Fleadh Cheoil system but I thought that when you qualified out of a county fleadh, you then went forward to represent your county of the provincial fleadhs and so on. At least when one of our children qualified from county, there was a bit of a fuss regarding our exact address as we live near the county border. I think you also need to be a member of Comhaltas group. Maybe I'm wrong and there are different 'rules' for various counties, regions etc. Good luck anyway!
Well, that's my question as well, I thought the same thing, and that's why I asked the question. I just visited the comhaltas site, and there was no additional information there either.
If you are living somewhere where there is no county or provincial board i.e. in Holland, you should present yourself to the competitions officer in Letterkenny before the fleadh, anytime during Scoil Eigse week up to Friday evening. He will then arrange for you to play before an adjudicator, who will decide if you can be included in the list of competitors for your instrument.
You might want to Email enquiries@comhaltas.com for more details.
Dark Raven, you will find a set of rules here http://www.rileyirishmusic.com/fleadh/rules.php This is an american site but it should point you in the right direction, so you can prepare for battle!
The link posted by Backer is to last year's rules. Here are the
rules etc. for this year's competition. There have been some
changes. I'm glad to see that now the classes of allowable
tunes now include mazurkas, barn dances, and schottisches.
Dark Raven fleadhs only seem to be held in America the UK and Austraila. In order to get to the All-ireland you need to progress in two fleadhs. For instance, I'm from the UK, so I have to go through my regional fleadh, then to the Britain fleadh if i come 2nd or win it i then go through to ireland. It sounds like you need to see if there are any Comhaltas groups in Holland, or any fleadhs that take place. If not, I suggest you travel to the UK, or Ireland and compete at one of their regional fleadhs. You will then progress within the fleadhs in either Ireland or the UK. You will of course need to sign up for a fleadh, you can't just turn up. It might work in your favour to join a Comhaltas branch in Ireland or the UK.
Thanks for all you're help on this. I just mailed someone who could possible help me further. It seems to me that, in order to compete, I have to play in the regional fleadhs and then move on (if I'm good enough, which I doubt) to provincial, and then All Ireland. So again, I thank you all, and vriendelijke groeten from Holland.
Dark raven, have a look at Sean Og's post above. This shows that you don't have to go through the county & regional heats if they don't exist where you live. All you have to do is turn up for an audition before the start of the All-Ireland in Letterkenny in August. Mind you having seen the standard for All-Ireland competitions don't be disappointed if you don't qualify first time around. However, as someone else has already said, competing is just a minor part of any fleadh and it's all the other craic including great sessions that's the reason most of us go regularly to these events!
Fleadh Cheoil
Fleadh Cheoil
I was just wondering, I read a lot about Fleadh's and I'd like to compete in one (or play, but mainly it's competing...I think). There's only one problem, I live in Holland. I think that you have to live in Ireland to compete in one, but I don't know that for sure. I hope there's someone here who knows more about this subject than I do.
Regards.
# Posted on February 14th 2005 by Dark Raven
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
No useful advice on the Fleadhs, but just wanted to say I dropped by your Caa-a-Dram site - nice work! Especially like the Farewell to Ireland sound clip. Tasty banjo. If you ever do compete in a Fleadh you should do well.
# Posted on February 14th 2005 by fidkid
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
thanks
# Posted on February 14th 2005 by Dark Raven
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
You most certainly do not have to live in Ireland. All you have to do is turn up to a county fleadh and you're off.
The first fleadh of the year is in Roscommon at Easter. Go there [or any county fleadh] and go to the fleadh office and register for the competition. It really is as simple as that.
If over here is too far [ and remember Easyjet now fly to Belfast] there are 'couty fleadhs' in England that you can compete in.
# Posted on February 14th 2005 by breandan
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
Oh and the playing is a much more important part of the experience than the competing. I
n fact the overwhelming majority of musicians will probably never compete in a fleadh.
So just go and enjoy yourself.
If you get a first or second, and are high enough standard, at the county fleadh you then progress to the provincial finals for that province, Once again a first or second place ensures you a place in the All Ireland fianals.
# Posted on February 14th 2005 by breandan
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
I'm intrigued as to the reason why you call yourself a Traditional Irish group and yet the name of the band is taken from the Scots?
The clips are not really long enough to fairly judge you but I would say that what I can hear of your banjo playing it sounds quite nice.
However, the singing accents sound really weird to the irish ear. Probably get away with it in Holland. I think that you would be much better singing songs in Gaelic as many of the consonant and vowel sounds in Dutch occur in irish.
I spent about a year once in Amsterdam and was often mistaken for a native Dutch speaker because I could get my tongue and throat around the sounds.
All the best anyway.
# Posted on February 14th 2005 by breandan
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
A Dhonaill, a chara!
(Donal dub[h] in the Southwest of Ireland, especially Kerry, cf. Dineen translates into the Dark/Black Raven).
In 1985 at The All-Ireland Fleadh in Listowel a Frenchman whistle player turned up and won the competition if memory serves me correctly!
But as advised in earlier postings qualify through county/regional/area competitions if possible.
You could try
www.comhaltas.com
if I've remembered the site OK.
Good luck!
Brianx
PS Does Saskia (Dordrecht) still play banjo? Or Helene on the flute?
Bx
# Posted on February 14th 2005 by briantheflute
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
Yeah, the problem is that our lead singer has a hard enough time singing Dutch, and his English (espacially when speaking) isn't the best, but we do get away with in Holland (I've heard very strange, sometimes almost Dutch, accents in bands). Thanx for you're advice on the Fleadhs, I'll try to find one "in the neighbourhood", somewhere nere an airport probably. Oh yeah, on the download page of the site you can download an promotional package, there are 5 full clips in there (including some good tunes), as well as some pictures and a story about the band...
# Posted on February 14th 2005 by Dark Raven
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
if she does, I'd like to hear her, but as far as I can remember, I don't know both of them.
# Posted on February 14th 2005 by Dark Raven
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
I wouldn't have a detailed knowledge of the Fleadh Cheoil system but I thought that when you qualified out of a county fleadh, you then went forward to represent your county of the provincial fleadhs and so on. At least when one of our children qualified from county, there was a bit of a fuss regarding our exact address as we live near the county border. I think you also need to be a member of Comhaltas group. Maybe I'm wrong and there are different 'rules' for various counties, regions etc. Good luck anyway!
# Posted on February 14th 2005 by the wounded hussar
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
What I meant to query: was how can you represent your county when you are only visiting from abroad. I must be half asleep today.
# Posted on February 14th 2005 by the wounded hussar
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
Well, that's my question as well, I thought the same thing, and that's why I asked the question. I just visited the comhaltas site, and there was no additional information there either.
# Posted on February 14th 2005 by Dark Raven
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
Hi Dark Raven,
If you are living somewhere where there is no county or provincial board i.e. in Holland, you should present yourself to the competitions officer in Letterkenny before the fleadh, anytime during Scoil Eigse week up to Friday evening. He will then arrange for you to play before an adjudicator, who will decide if you can be included in the list of competitors for your instrument.
You might want to Email enquiries@comhaltas.com for more details.
# Posted on February 14th 2005 by sean o.g
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
Dark Raven, you will find a set of rules here http://www.rileyirishmusic.com/fleadh/rules.php This is an american site but it should point you in the right direction, so you can prepare for battle!
# Posted on February 14th 2005 by Backer
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
The link posted by Backer is to last year's rules. Here are the
rules etc. for this year's competition. There have been some
changes. I'm glad to see that now the classes of allowable
tunes now include mazurkas, barn dances, and schottisches.
http://www.slia.org/fleadh/program.htm
http://www.slia.org/fleadh/rules.htm
# Posted on February 15th 2005 by tedium
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
Dark Raven fleadhs only seem to be held in America the UK and Austraila. In order to get to the All-ireland you need to progress in two fleadhs. For instance, I'm from the UK, so I have to go through my regional fleadh, then to the Britain fleadh if i come 2nd or win it i then go through to ireland. It sounds like you need to see if there are any Comhaltas groups in Holland, or any fleadhs that take place. If not, I suggest you travel to the UK, or Ireland and compete at one of their regional fleadhs. You will then progress within the fleadhs in either Ireland or the UK. You will of course need to sign up for a fleadh, you can't just turn up. It might work in your favour to join a Comhaltas branch in Ireland or the UK.
# Posted on February 15th 2005 by Trad Girl
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
Thanks for all you're help on this. I just mailed someone who could possible help me further. It seems to me that, in order to compete, I have to play in the regional fleadhs and then move on (if I'm good enough, which I doubt) to provincial, and then All Ireland. So again, I thank you all, and vriendelijke groeten from Holland.
Greetz
# Posted on February 15th 2005 by Dark Raven
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
Dark raven, have a look at Sean Og's post above. This shows that you don't have to go through the county & regional heats if they don't exist where you live. All you have to do is turn up for an audition before the start of the All-Ireland in Letterkenny in August. Mind you having seen the standard for All-Ireland competitions don't be disappointed if you don't qualify first time around. However, as someone else has already said, competing is just a minor part of any fleadh and it's all the other craic including great sessions that's the reason most of us go regularly to these events!
# Posted on February 16th 2005 by Bannerman
Re: Fleadh Cheoil
That was (and is) the first thing about Fleadhs (and, offcourse, the music) that attracts me.
# Posted on February 16th 2005 by Dark Raven