Fleadh Nua Office
Cois na hAbhna

Gort Road, Ennis

Co. Clare.

Tel : 00 353 (0)65 6824276
086 8260300

E-mail :ceoltrad@eircom.net

Officers of Fleadh Nua

Chairman Micheál Ó Riabhaigh comes from a well known piping family.His father, also Micheál, a famous Cork piper and teacher who died in 1976 is credited with keeping uileann pipe playing alive in Co. Cork. Micheál plays pipes, whistle and fiddle and runs a very succesful weekly session in Ennis. He is also producer of the Aos Óg concert again this year.

Vice Chairman Frank Whelan is a native of Shragh in West Clare, Frank has been playing traditional music since he was a child, he plays Concert flute and Pipes. He has held various positions on the Fleadh Nua committee, he is a member of the National Archive Committee of CCE, and also head of the Cois na hAbhna Traditional Music Archive in Ennis.

Secretary Colm Nestor, an active member of Fleadh Nua is a concert flute player and a native of Ennis. He is also a member of Cloughleigh branch of Comhaltas and helps to run the weekly set dancing classes at Woodstock.

P.R.O. Rory Casey is a long time member of Fleadh Nua, he is credited with pioneering Scoil Fleadh Nua which has become one of the most successful events in recent years. Rory is also responsible for publishing Nasc, the Fleadh Nua electronic newsletter .

Parade Secretary Vincent McMahon is a native of Ennis and is involved in Fleadh Nua for many years. He also teaches fiddle and is in great demand as a tutor at various festivals around Clare.

Treasurer is Dick O'Connell is best known in set dancing circles. He teaches a weekly class at The Queens Hotel, Ennis and at Toonagh outside Ennis.

Assistant Treasurer - Bernie Gallagher. Apart from her very important work for Fleadh Nua, Bernie is also very involved in other Comhaltas activities. Her main pastime is set dancing.

Photographer Liam Jones is a native of East Clare, his passion is photography. He has been recording events at Fleadh Nua now for many years. Liam is also a very active member of Comhaltas Ceoltóiri Éireann in County Clare holding various positions, he teaches set dancing at Woodstock,and at Ballyea just outside Ennis.

Dancing Co-Ordinator Pat Liddy is synomonous with set dancing in Clare. He has taught set and céili dancing at Fleadh Nua for more years than I can remember, he is responsible for overseeing the entire dancing programme over the weekend. He is also co-ordinator of the Aos Óg concert and Celebrity concert this year.

Dancing Tutor Michael Mahoney is well known and respected as a dancing tutor. He runs very successful weekly classes in Shannon and at Cois na hAbhna in Ennis.

National Dancing Championships Pádraig Mac Mathúna comes from a family who are deeply immersed in Irish Traditional Music,Song and Dance, a native of Cooraclare he is a keen set dancer. Pádraig has taken charge of the national dancing championships at Fleadh Nua for many years, and is also very involved in the promotion of the Irish language in Co. Clare, his other passions are hurling and football.

Information supplied by Cois na hAbhna Archive

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