Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (; meaning "Society of the musicians of Ireland") is the primary Irish organisation dedicated to the promotion of the
music
Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...
,
song
A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...
,
dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
and the
language
Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...
of Ireland. The organisation was founded in 1951 and has promoted Irish music and culture among the
Irish people
The Irish ( or ''Na hÉireannaigh'') are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a common ancestry, history and Culture of Ireland, culture. There have been humans in Ireland for about 33,000 years, and it has be ...
and the
Irish diaspora
The Irish diaspora () refers to ethnic Irish people and their descendants who live outside the island of Ireland.
The phenomenon of migration from Ireland is recorded since the Early Middle Ages,Flechner, Roy; Meeder, Sven (2017). The Irish ...
.
Its current Director General is Senator
Labhrás Ó Murchú. Today it has more than 400 branches worldwide, in
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Mexico, France, Spain, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Russia, Australia and New Zealand.
History
Comhaltas was founded in 1951 in
Mullingar
Mullingar ( ; ) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, Ireland, Midland Region, with a population of 22,667 in the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census.
The Counties of M ...
,
County Westmeath
County Westmeath (; or simply ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It formed part of the historic Kingdom of ...
by a group of traditional
pipers who felt that the Irish musical
tradition
A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common e ...
was in decline; it was initially named Cumann Ceoltóirí na hÉireann, changing to its present name in 1952.
Comhaltas around the World
Great Britain
Six years after the creation of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, in 1957, Comhaltas na Breataine or Comhaltas in Britain was established. The first branch outside of Ireland was based in
Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
where a many
Irish immigrants
The Irish diaspora () refers to ethnic Irish people and their descendants who live outside the island of Ireland.
The phenomenon of migration from Ireland is recorded since the Early Middle Ages,Flechner, Roy; Meeder, Sven (2017). The Irish ...
settled during the 50s and 60s. As of 2024, it now hosts over 24 branches across England, Scotland and Wales.
Centres
*Áras an Mhuilinn, Mullingar.
*Brú Ború, Cashel.
*Brú na Sí, Youghal.
*Clasaċ, Clontarf.
*Cnoc na Gaoithe, Tulla.
*Cois na hAbhna, Ennis.
*Cultúrlann na hÉireann, Headquarters, Monkstown.
*Dún Uladh, Omagh.
*Dún na Sí, Moate.
*Kilrush Regional Outreach Centre.
*Meitheal an Íarthar/Ceoláras Coleman/Regional Resource Centre, Gurteen.
*Morrison Teach Cheoil, Riverstown.
*Oriel Centre (Dundalk Gaol).
*
Activities
Comhaltas is responsible for organising the annual national Irish music festival and competition called the ''
Fleadh Cheoil
The Fleadh Cheoil (), or "music festival" in English, is an annual Ireland, Irish arts festival and competition run by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (Irish pronunciation: Help:IPA/Irish, [ˈkoːl̪ˠt̪ˠəsˠ ˈcoːl̪ˠt̪ˠoːɾʲiː ˈeːɾ ...
''.
Comhaltas has published a magazine called ''Treoir'' relating to Irish traditional music since 1970.
Treoir
Trinity College Dublin Library
See also
*Music of Ireland
*Uilleann pipes
*Irish language
*Fleadh Cheoil
The Fleadh Cheoil (), or "music festival" in English, is an annual Ireland, Irish arts festival and competition run by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (Irish pronunciation: Help:IPA/Irish, [ˈkoːl̪ˠt̪ˠəsˠ ˈcoːl̪ˠt̪ˠoːɾʲiː ˈeːɾ ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann
Music organisations based in the Republic of Ireland
1951 establishments in Ireland
Folk music organizations
Irish-language education
Musical groups established in 1951
Seanad nominating bodies
1950s in Irish music
1960s in Irish music
1970s in Irish music
1980s in Irish music
1990s in Irish music
2000s in Irish music
2010s in Irish music
2020s in Irish music