Superb lineup for Mayo Fleadh Cheoil concert

SOME of Ireland’s most celebrated and renowned traditional musicians, singers and dancers, including Matt and Peter Molloy, Cora and Breda Smyth, All-Ireland champion singers Pearse Larkin and Aistrid Ní Mhongáin, Emer Mayock, Éadaoin Ní Mhaicín, Sal Heneghan and David Munnelly, will all be performing at the 2023 Mayo Fleadh Cheoil concert on Friday, May 12, at Westport Town Hall.

The concert will be a wonderful celebration of Irish music, song and dance, highlighting the amazing tapestry of traditional music that is in Mayo and further afield.

“We are just thrilled to have so many household names supporting the Mayo Fleadh Cheoil in Westport this year and we are so excited to have them all on one stage at the fleadh concert on May 12,” commented Mayo Fleadh Cheoil chairperson Piaras Ó Raghallaigh.

Legendary Chieftains musician Matt Molloy, who performed for US President Joe Biden in Ballina, will be joined on stage with his son Peter for a very special performance. Straide natives Cora and Breda Smyth will reunite at the concert after years of touring the world with Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance.

Multi-instrumentalist Balla native Éadaoin Ní Mhaicín will also be on stage directly from her debut European tour with her new band LÉDA. Last year, Éadaoin performed on Broadway with the show Velocity Irish Dance.

Highly respected Mayo musician and composer Emer Mayock will also be performing. Emer featured on the Grammy Award-winning album ‘They’re Calling Me Home’ by Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi last year.

All-Ireland champion singers Pearse Larkin from Armagh and Aistrid Ní Mhongáin from north Mayo will also be on stage. A rising star, Larkin's distinctive singing style is comparable to that of the Clancy brothers and Tommy Makem.

The wonderfully talented Mayo accordion player Dave Munnelly is set to perform on the night while Sal Heneghan from Castlebar, who performed on Nathan Carter’s recent YouTube hit Sarah Jane, will also entertain those in attendance.

Closer to home, three-time All-Ireland whistling champion John Joe McDonnell from Louisburgh, Julie Langan from Newport, Westport musician Pat Friel and a host of Westport Comhaltas musicians will also be taking part in the concert.

“Hosting the Mayo Fleadh will require an enormous community effort and we are so thankful to all these amazing musicians for their support. The fleadh concert is our main fundraiser and we hope that people come out and support us on the night,” commented Ó Raghallaigh.

More details on the Fleadh concert and the schedule of events taking place are available on the CCÉ Westport Facebook, twitter and Instagram pages. Information is also available at www.destinationwestport.com.

Tickets for the Mayo Fleadh concert are for sale at www.westporttheatre.com for €20 (adult), €10 (OAP/U16), €50 (family of four).