Comhaltas Winnipeg

 Welcome to COMHALTAS WINNIPEG

Comhaltas Winnipeg is the local Chapter of the International Irish Cultural Organization Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann.  We meet monthly to plan events such as the Winnipeg Irish Festival, teaching workshops, concerts, sessions and other Irish Traditional activities.

Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (pronounced coal-tis kyol-tory air-in) is an International Organization dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of Traditional Irish music, dance, language and culture.  Founded in 1951 in Ireland, Comhaltas has grown to encompass four continents, with over 400 branches worldwide (60 in North America), CCE has no political or religious agenda and you do not have to be Irish to join or attend our events.  The organization offers a wide variety of activities that include ceilis (dances with live traditional music), music sessions, Irish dance workshops, celebrity concerts, music lessons and Irish language classes.    

The Story Behind Comhaltas

 In January 1951, representatives of the Thomas Street (Dublin) Pipers’ Club went to Mullingar for a meeting with traditional music enthusiasts from County Westmeath. 

 Two ideas which had already been mentioned amongst traditional musicians were discussed at this meeting; the first was the founding of an organization to promote Irish traditional music while the second was the organizing of a great annual festival of Irish traditional music, song and dance. A further meeting was held in February, and at this meeting it was decided that, in conjunction with Feis Lár na hÉireann (a Gaelic League Feis which had been held in Mullingar for many years), a Fleadh Cheoil would be organized in the town in May over the Whit weekend.

 In the years before the Fleadh, although the ordinary people of Ireland loved traditional music, the thousands of traditional musicians in the country were largely unappreciated in popular social and intellectual circles. The aim of the Fleadh was to promote traditional music and to arrest the decline in its popularity. The cream of traditional Irish musicians attending the Fleadh played a major role in furthering this aim.

 Fleadhanna Cheoil gave traditional musicians a platform where they could play to an appreciative audience and where traditional style was the criterion. That first Fleadh Cheoil in 1951 attracted only a few hundred patrons – a small but enthusiastic crowd. Within five years, however, this annual gathering had grown to become a great National Festival attended by thousands of traditional musicians, singers, and dancers from all parts of Ireland and overseas.

 On October 14th, 1951, at Árus Ceannt, Thomas Street, Dublin, the first standing Committee of Cumann Ceoltóirí na hÉireann was elected. At a meeting in St. Mary’s Hall, Mullingar, on January 6th, 1952, the title of the organization was changed from Cumann Ceoltóirí na hÉireann to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.

Branches of Comhaltas were formed all over Ireland, organizing classes, concerts, and sessions at local level. Soon there were County and Provincial Fleadhanna, and later came the Fleadh Nua, the Tionól Ceoil, Seisiún, and the Scoil Éigse.

 In the past 50 years, the Fleadh and Comhaltas have grown together. Irish exiles have played an active part, such that musicians from Liverpool, Birmingham, London, and New York often take their annual holidays to coincide with the Fleadh. Comhaltas now has more than 400 branches, established in every Irish County, in Britain, the US, Canada, and worldwidein places such as Japan, Hungary, Sardinia, and Australia.

CCÉ Branches

 The branch is the fundamental and most important unit of the Comhaltas movement. It is the branch that makes it possible for our native cultural characteristics to be propagated and strengthened within the community. Members come together to organize sessions, classes, concerts, festivals, exhibitions, fleadhanna cheoil, and other competitive events both for their own enjoyment and that of the community at large.

 These activities, together with CCÉ educational facilities further the aims and objectives of the movement while helping to develop creative skills and artistic talent.

          Comhaltas Winnipeg History

   Comhaltas Winnipeg was founded in 1990 by Jackie Scanlon, Joe Kinsella, Maureen Taggart, Tom and Heather Naughten, Robert Wall, Máire Prokopowich(McDonnell). Val Kitcher, Gord Menzies, and Bill Sullivan; Susan and Paul Hammer joined soon after. The initial impetus was to host the Echoes of Erin Tour and to promote Irish Traditional Music and culture in Winnipeg.

  Comhaltas Winnipeg was founded by members of the Irish Association of Manitoba (IAM) (aka ‘the Irish Club’), which itself was founded in 1972 as “a non-sectarian, non-political and not-for-profit association… to promote Irish cultural development in a friendly, social atmosphere”. The IAM owns a clubhouse venue at 654 Erin St. Founding president Aidan O’Brien and numerous other immigrants from all counties of Ireland formed a number of groups and activities, including the Tara Players, a theatre troupe performing Irish and other plays to this day; “Irish Myst Choir”; the McDonnell School of Irish Dance; an Irish Pavilion at Winnipeg’s Folklorama; the Erin Street (Highland) Pipe Band; The Erin Street Ceili Band; a GAA sports club, and others. IAM hosts a weekly intermediate ITM session on Thursdays.

  Winnipeg Irish Festival – was founded in 1988 by Joe Kinsella, Stephen Riley, and Maureen Taggart, featuring local and invited musicians from Ireland, the US and Canada to perform concerts and present workshops annually since then (until COVID). Initially it was mainly run by Joe Kinsella, Stephen Riley and Gord Menzies with Irish Club and later Comhaltas members providing strong volunteer support.  Comhaltas Winnipeg was instrumental in bringing the Echoes of Erin Tours, hosting the Tour in every year it came to Western Canada. Since 1997, the Winnipeg Irish Fest has been organized and run by the Winnipeg Branch of Comhaltas. Irish Fest has hosted a who’s who of Irish Traditional Music over the years.

Comhaltas Winnipeg has run many other events over the years:

• ‘Reels on Wheels’ a progressive house concert fundraiser at 3 venues with the audience moving house to house
• Spring Festivals with Teada, Noel Hill and others.
• Workshops and concerts by concertinist Noel Hill, fiddler Jerry O’Connor, whistle/flute player Larry Nugent.
• Dance weekend workshops with Maureen Mulvey-O’Leary
• Weekly sessions, notably ‘Tea and Tunes’ from the 1980s until 2012, and now a slow session on Thursdays at the IAM
• Set Dance Classes weekly mentored by Jeremy Hull and Carol-Ann Coish

Comhaltas supports the Flatland Ceili Band, since the mid-2000s performing widely through Winnipeg and surrounds, especially in many seniors’ homes.

Long time CCE member and musician Susan Hammer, in 2002, was the first Canadian to successfully complete the T.T.C.T. (Honours). She continues to teach ITM in Winnipeg and throughout Manitoba.

  Members of Comhaltas (Paul and Susan Hammer, Susan Israel, Sam Baardman) formed the band “10 Bones” which created a weekend ITM festival for adult beginners at St Norbert Monastery Ruins (now St. Norbert Arts and Cultural Centre) from 1996 to 2002.

  Members of Comhaltas formed the “Barefoot Ceili Band” (David Strang, Cathy Rayner, D’Arcy Stearns, Jordan McConnell; formerly Susan and Paul Hammer, Kyle Borley) which has toured internationally with the McConnell School of Irish Dance

May you always find blue skies above your head,
                                    Shamrocks beneath your feet,
                                                    Laughter and joy aplenty,
                                                               And kindness from all you meet.

                                                                             – Gaelic Wish
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  For information on “Irish Fest” Concerts & Weekend Workshops

Visit : www.irishfest.ca