A key response by Comhaltas nationally to the Covid19 pandemic was to promote and facilitate events and performances online. This was done on a number of levels, including county by county #FleadhFest videos In county Laois, this was lead by the Laois Comhaltas county board and the end result is…
Trad is Fab – Supporting Traditional Irish Music in Primary Schools
Trad is Fab – Supporting Music in Primary Schools It is difficult to imagine Ireland without the cultural identity that has been formed through its unique language, music, dancing and sport. Comhaltas is one of the cultural bodies charged with protecting our traditional assets, namely music,…
Spink celebrates Culture Night 2021
As part of our contribution to Culture Night 2021, Spink Comhaltas musicians put on a great online concert featuring 28 different performances – music, song and story telling. Check out our playlist of the concert. Here is the first of our performers.
Registration for Music Classes 2021/22 now open!
The voluntary Management Committee intend to resume junior music classes for Spink Comhaltas from 24 Sept 2021 and adult classes from 27 Sept. Click HERE to register. We have made significant investment in our teaching location to permit in person music classes. We will have the option of online classes…
Robert Harvey – Feochán (The Gentle Breeze) – Album Review
A Laois musician, Robert Harvey is one of the best exponents of flute, tin whistle, whistling and lilting in the country. Combining a first-class academic background, wide-ranging teaching experience as well as being a fine live performer, Robert and his brother James are two of the most musical brothers you…
Tommy Fitzharris & Dónal McCague – The Bank of Turf – Album Review
Tommy FitzHarris is a former member of Spink Comhaltas, and is a former All Ireland winner representing Spink. A first class flute and whistle player, he is also a noted concertina performer. On this album with Dónal McCague on the fiddle, he performs all of his instruments. Favourite track is…
Téada – In Spite of the Storm – Album Review
Téada is Gaelic for “strings”. The five members of the band are fiddle player Oisín Mac Diarmada, button accordion player Paul Finn (from Laois), Damien Stenson on flutes and various whistles, Seán Mc Elwain on bouzouki and guitar, and bodhrán player Tristan Rosenstock. A traditional band with a truly worldwide…
Shandrum – The Boss Murphy Musical Legacy – Album Review
In 2015, Cork representatives Shandrum Céilí Band took Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Sligo by storm, winning the first of three back-to-back all-Ireland titles a mere eight months after the group’s formation. Founder and leader is box player Alan Finn, and this album is the band’s second album. This album…
Oisin MacDiarmada & Samantha Harvey – The Green Branch – Album Review
Oisín Mac Diarmada was born in County Clare, and grew up in Crusheen, later moving to Sligo where he is now based. He started playing the fiddle from an early age. This album combines his fiddle expertise with Samantha Harvey on piano and brings an expressive mix of old and…
Bridge Ceili Band – Curlews Over Coolnafearagh – Album Review
The Bridge Céilí Band have entered the Fleadh Cheoil Céilí Band competition twelve times and they have won it six times – 1970, 1973, 1974, 1992, 1996 and 1998; they came second in 1971 and 1995 and third in 1972, 1975, 1990 and 1991. Over the years the personnel of…
