Thanks to everyone for their support this year at our sessions, classes, fundraising events and, in particular, at our anniversary celebration back in May. Our final session of the year was held on 1st December (see pictures below) and classes finished on Saturday, 17th December. They will resume for another 12-week term on Saturday, 7th January and, before that, our first session of 2012 will be on Thursday, 5th January. With the Ballymena Festival on February 18th and the Derry Fleadh in Ballinascreen in April, preparations will begin early in the new year. In the meantime, have a Happy Christmas!

 

 

 

 

Our last traditional music and singing session of 2011 will be held on Thursday, 1st December, at the usual times of 7:30pm (junior) and 9:00pm (senior) in the Comhaltas Room.

 

We were blessed with great weather on Sunday, 6th November, for our annual sponsored walk which, this year, was held in Randalstown Forest. Thanks to all those who took part and to those who contributed by way of sponsorship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite performing well in their competitions, none of our members were placed at the All-Ireland fleadh in Cavan. However, the entire weekend was an enjoyable experience for them all and a great motivation to continue to play and sing.

 

This year's sponsored walk had to be cancelled, but a shorter walk is to be held in Randalstown Forest Park on Sunday, 6th November, at 1:30pm.

 

Classes are set to resume on Saturday, 17th September, in tin whistle, banjo/mandolin and fiddle. Further information will be available soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Good luck to all those travelling to Cavan for the All-Ireland fleadh at the end of August. A full list of qualifiers from the Ulster Fleadh is now available - click here.

 

 

 

With the Derry and Antrim fleadhanna behind us, we're now looking forward to the Ulster fleadh in Dungiven next month. Click on the links below to view the qualifiers from Derry and Antrim and for the competition timetable for Dungiven.

 

Derry Qualifiers           Antrim Qualifiers           Ulster Timetable

 

We are holding a couple of fundraising events during the summer starting with a table quiz on Friday, 1st July, in The Elk. Admission is £5 and we hope to start at 8:30pm. Our annual sponsored walk is scheduled for Saturday, 13th August, at 12:00. This year we will be walking from the Glenshane Pass to The Priest's Chair in Glenshane Forest. Contact any committee member for a sponsorship form if you want to take part.

 

June 11th and 12th was another busy weekend for our junior musicians at feiseanna in Maghera and Ballymena. At Feis Charn Tochair on Saturday, Caoimhe Purvis won the Yr8-Yr10 fiddle competition and Brendan McLaughlin was placed third in the Yr5-Yr7 traditional singing in Irish section. He also came third on Sunday at Feis na nGleann in the U-10 singing in Irish competition and was later awarded the prize for most promising U-10 at the feis.

 

A full list of our prizewinners from Sunday is included below

 

U-8 Tin Whistle : 1st - Maitiu Cairns

U-8 Fiddle : 1st - Jane Walls, J2nd - Rioghnach Cairns, Cara Walls

U-8 Miscellaneous : 2nd Jane Walls (uilleann pipes)

U-10 Fiddle : 1st - Molly Walls, 3rd - Caoimhe O'Kane

U-10 Slow Air : 2nd - Caoimhe O'Kane, 3rd - Molly Walls

U-10 Duo : 1st - Molly Walls & Caoimhe O'Kane

U-10 Singing in Irish : 3rd - Brendan McLaughlin

U-10 Singing in English : 2nd - Caoimhe O'Kane

 

Molly, Cara and Jane Walls also represented the St. Oliver Plunkett's PS group who were awarded first place in the open traditional groups section and Molly played in the primary school age group competition as part of the winning group, "Cairde i gCeol". The picture below shows the group, first time winners of the Dan Laverty Memorial Trophy, with the feis adjudicator, Éamann Ó Faogáin.

 

 

 

 

 

"O Ghluin go Gluin" in The Elk on Friday, 6th May was a hugely successful event, with around 300 members and supporters joining us to celebrate 60 years of Comhaltas. Many thanks to those who attended, to everyone who provided material and memorabilia for the displays, to the instrument and Irish Language exhibitors and to the staff at The Elk who all contributed to a memorable evening. Thanks also to Mickey McLaughlin for capturing the night in pictures - some of them can be viewed below with a lot more in our Gallery section.

 

          

 

Due to a number of our pupils competing in the Antrim Fleadh on Saturday, 21st May and the Yew Tree Feis on Saturday, 28th May, it has been decided that no further traditional music classes will be held before September. Thanks to all the tutors, pupils and parents for their committment over the past year and we hope to see them all again after the summer break.

 

 

Our final music and singing session of the season was held in Anahorish PS on Thursday, 7th April. With music classes finishing the previous week and our home at the Sean O'Leary GAC premises now available again, we would like to thank Danny Quinn and all his staff at Anahorish PS for facilitating our various events over the past couple of months.

 

To mark the 60th anniversary of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, we are having an event in The Elk on Friday, 6th May at 7:30pm. Entitled 'O Ghluin go Gluin' (From Generation to Generation), the theme is a nostalgic trip down memory lane consisting of photographic and video displays covering the 34 year history of our branch. There will also be exhibitions of instrument making, live music and singing with light refreshments provided. Admission is free and anyone with any past or present association with Newbridge CCE (musicians, singers, tutors, pupils or supporters) is welcome to attend. It is hoped the evening will finish with an open session.

 

 

April's monthly traditional music and singing session will be the last one before the autumn and will again be held in Anahorish PS at 7:30pm (junior) and 9:00pm (senior) on Thursday, 7th April.

 

We are currently in the process of organising an event within our branch to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Comhaltas. It will be held in The Elk on Friday, 6th May, at 7:30pm and will consist of audio visual and photographic displays of historical material relating to the 37 years of Newbridge CCE as well as demonstrations by local instrument makers, live music and song. Further details will be available later and information will also be posted on our new Facebook page - click on the link below.

The final traditional singing class before the Derry fleadh will be held on Friday, 1st April at 7:00pm in Anahorish PS.

 

Music classes finish on Saturday, 26th March, and may resume after Easter for a short 5-6 week term if there is sufficient demand. After this week's class, and on the remaining Saturdays before the Derry Fleadh, practice will be held for the group representing our branch at the fleadh Youth Concert on Sunday, 17th April. Competitors at the fleadh will also be able to rehearse their competition pieces at these practices. 

 

This year's Derry Fleadh will again be held in Culturlann Ui Chanain in Derry City. The five day programme culminates with competitions and a Youth Concert on the weekend of 16th/17th April. Click on the programme on the right to see an enlarged version. Good luck to all our members who are taking part in both the Derry fleadh and the Antrim fleadh which will be held in Portglenone on 21st/22nd May. See our Fleadh Information page for a full list of fleadhanna along with competition rules and competition timetable for the Derry fleadh (when available).

  

With renovation work continuing at the Sean O'Leary GAC premises, the monthly session for March will again be held in Anahorish Primary School. Starting times on Thursday, 3rd March, are as usual - 7:30pm for junior musicians and 9:00pm for older musicians and singers.

 

The next traditional singing class will be on Friday, 11th March at 7:00pm, in Anahorish Primary School.

 

 

At the traditional music section of this year's Ballymena Festival held in the Braid Centre on Saturday, 19th February, Newbridge CCE were represented in all the Primary School age competitions. Congratulations to Molly Walls and Caoimhe O'Kane on coming joint 3rd in the fiddle competition. Caoimhe also won the tin whistle competition while Aoife Gribbin was highly commended in the same section. Carla McPeake was also highly commended in traditional singing and Nicole Nugent played very well on the accordion in the miscellaneous competition. With the addition of Maitiu Cairns, the group (below) took part in, and won, the traditional group competition. Thanks to all the tutors and parents who helped in the preparation of the group.

Top Row (L-R) - Caoimhe O'Kane, Molly Walls

Bottom Row (L-R) - Nicole Nugent, Maitiu Cairns, Aoife Gribbin, Carla McPeake

 

Music classes scheduled for Saturday, 12th February, have been moved forward to Friday evening, 11th February. The traditional singing class will now be at 6:00pm. A short group practice for Ballymena Festival will be held at 7:00pm and the music classes start at 7:15pm with banjo/mandolin and beginners tin whistle. The fiddle and improvers tin whistle class will begin at 7:45pm. All classes are again in Anahorish Primary School. There will be no classes on Saturday, 19th February, as our pupils have been encouraged to attend the traditional music section of Ballymena Festival.