This article is from page 16 of the 2011-09-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
IT HAS been claimed this week that a “masterplan” hatched between Comhaltas Ceoltóirí activists and political heavyweights in Northern Ireland has come between Ennis and playing host to its first Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 35 years.
This conspiracy theory that scuppered the county town’s chances of being named host town for the 2012 spectacular, thereby denying the Clare economy a financial windfall of up to € 30m and long term tourism platform that such an event would create for the county.
In May, The Clare People exclusively revealed that behind the scenes preparatory work was taking place to bring the traditional music festival to Northern Ireland for the first time in its history in 2013.
At the time sources within Comhaltas Ceoiltóirí Éireann said a move to mount a campaign to bring the Fleadh to Derry in 2013 when it will be UK City of Culture could represent a nail in the coffin of Ennis’ 2012 bid.
“If it goes to Derry, the chances of it comes to Clare in 2012 will recede,” one Comhaltas insider revealed.
“This is because the usual thing is for a town to get the Fleadh two years in a row, but giving it to Derry will strengthen Cavan’s bid to be given the Fleadh for a third year in 2012 before they would then hand over to Derry the following year,” he added.
This concern was added to during this year’s Fleadh in Cavan when Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, who is a native of Derry, threw their political weight behind any application to bring the festival there. Now, those worst fears, first exposed by The Clare People , have come home to roost with Cavan becoming the host town for the third successive year and Derry now widely expected to formally launch its Fleadh bid early next year. “Once Derry was mentioned, Ennis was in trouble,” local traditional music activist Joe Arkins said this week. “If Derry wasn’t in the background it should have been a straight shoot out between Sligo and Ennis to host to 2012 Fleadh, but now if Derry gets it in 2013, it could be 2014 before Ennis has a chance of hosting the Fleadh.” However, the chairman of the Fleadh Cheoil Working Group, Micheál Ó Riabhaigh, has rejected the notion that the spectre of the 2013 Derry bid has come between Ennis and hosting the festival. “I still believe that Derry is pure speculation,” he said. “There is a very definite process in Comhaltas for the allocation of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. It’s a process where towns have to apply for it and make their submissions and presentations and then it goes to a vote. “If the Ard Comhairle receive an application, process it and believe that Derry is the place for Fleadh Cheoil 2013, that’s where it will go, but it will be on the basis of a democratic vote by all the members of the Ard Comhairle,” he added.