Comhaltas in Kerry - the Beginning
Mar A Bhí Ar dTúis!
Le Diarmuid Ó Catháin
In 1959, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí ɉireann celebrated its eighth birthday, but regrettably, in Kerry it
existed in only one area – Kenmare. A branch had been formed in this area some three years
previously and a branch Fleadh had been held annually. In 1958 an attempt to form a branch in
Listowel was unsuccessful. A number of traditionalists travelled each year to Fleadh Cheoil na
hɉireann, but surprisingly no effort was made to spread the movement throughout Kerry until
December 1959.
In Ballyheigue, the Castle Arms premises had for long been the mecca for musicians,
especially on such occasions as The Pattern Day. Mine host – the late Andrew Sheehy played
the fiddle and always had a céad mile fáilte for any musician good or fair, who happened to
call. Being aware that such an organisation as Comhaltas was in existence and having
ascertained that Dr. Brian Galligan of Cavan was a national officer, he wrote to this kind hearted
gentleman and sought advice on how best he could promote the organisation in his beloved
Kingdom. On receipt of the required information, Andrew arranged a meeting for the Castle
Arms on December 21st and invited known musicians and music lovers, not alone from
Ballyheigue but from neighbouring parishes of Causeway, Ballyduff, Lixnaw and Ardfert. The
Christmas spirit was abroad and the evening started off with a lively session of music. Around
10.00pm, the meeting was duly convened. In attendance were Andrew Sheehy, Frank Doyle,
John M. Regan, Jerry Shanahan, Edmond Hussey, John Stack, Paddy Supple, Johnny
Sweeney and Michael Leen, Ballyheigue; Liam Power, Pat Browne, Dr. Michael Sweeney and
Jimmy Guerin, Ballyduff; Diarmuid Ó“ Catháin and Pat Keane, Lixnaw; Séamus Hussey,
Causeway and Thomas Nolan, Ardfert. Dr. Galligan’s letter was read, following which it was
decided to form an ad hoc County Board for the purpose of forming branches throughout the
County. Andrew Sheehy was elected Chairman, Diarmuid Ó Cathain as Runaí, Dr. Michael
Sweeney as Treasurer and Jimmy Guerin as PRO. Membership fees were duly collected and
forwarded to the then National Secretary Padraig Cnuic on December 29th. Believe it or not
the membership fee at that time was a half-crown, 12½p in modern terms! A further meeting
was arranged for Sweeney'€™s residence in Ardoughter, Ballyduff, on January 25th to monitor
progress and an Oiche Cheoil was arranged for the same night. On this occasion the
attendance was doubled and among the new musicians were Fr. Pat Ahern, Tralee; Paddy
O'Sullivan and Paddy Scanlon, Ardfert; Tice O'€™Sullivan and his son, David of Ballylongford;
Thomas Moynihan and Roger Mulvihill, also of Ballylongford, Martin Browne, Martin Whelan
and Simon Carroll, Ballyduff and Brian and Sonny Keane, Lixnaw. The music flowed till the
early hours of the morning and during the interval it was learned that a number of branches
were in the pipe line. The next Oiche Cheoil was held in the old school premises in Strand
Street, Trá Lí and among the distinguished visitors was one Mícheál O“ hÁ‰idhán, a native of
Galway and a personal friend of Fr. Pat Ahern. MÍcheál showed on that occasion how a piano
accordion could be played to the amazement of those present. This Oiche Cheoil marked the
last public appearance of Andrew Sheehy, whose death shortly afterwards was a great blow to
the movement in Kerry. In August, Dr. Sweeney left Kerry, but by then the organisation had
taken root and branches had been formed in Ballyheigue, Lixnaw, Ballyduff, Causeway,
Ballylongford, Moyvane, Lisselton, Listowel, Trá-Lí, Ardfert, Knocknagoshel, Brosna, as well as
the existing branch in Kenmare.
As a tribute to the memory of Andrew Sheehy, the first Fleadh Cheoil Chiarrai was arranged
for Ballyheigue and what a Fleadh this was! A day of brilliant sunshine, though it was late
October,€“ saw the crowds flock to Ballyheigue. A colourful parade from the Blessed Well to the
Square, a masterful opening speech by local P.P. Rev. James Enright and then the music
flowed. Guest artistes and adjudicators included singers Margaret O'Reilly and Josephine McNamara
from Cavan and Joan Murphy, Clonkeen; and musicians Phil McConnon, Boyle; Jimmy
McGreevy, Roscommon; Willie Clancy, Paddy Canny and Sean Reidy from Clare; Joe Burke
from Galway and Denis Murphy and the famed Padraig O'€™Keeffe from Kerry. Competitors in the
senior open fiddle competition played like men inspired, each one striving to have his name
inscribed on the Andrew Sheehy Memorial Trophy. The eventual winner was a young lad from
Killaloe, Co. Clare, named Seamus Connolly, a lad of whom Andrew would have been proud.
Seamus went on to win nine All-Ireland titles, before emigrating to Boston. Another
multi-prizewinner on the day was Anne Sheehy from Glenoe, Listowel.
In 1961, the organisation continued to grow. Tice O'€™Sullivan was now chairman and Dr.
Sweeney had been succeeded as Treasurer by Peadar de Bairtiséil, Trí Lí. Came September
and Comhaltas suffered a tremendous blow, when the second Fleadh Cheoil Chiarrai, held in
Trí Lí proved to be a financial disaster. Perhaps the timing was wrong,€“ it was held on the
weekend following the Festival of Kerry,€“ but whatever the reason, the fact remained, the Co.
Board lost almost £600 on the venture. Apart from finance it was a great Fleadh, with the
greatest array of talent ever seen,€“ before or since,€“ at any Fleadh. Ciaran MacMathuna
recorded two full programmes for the job of Journeywork series, but this job was made easy
when one recalls that among the artistes at the Celebrity Concert on the Sunday night were
musicians Joe Burke, Galway; Seamus Connolly, Clare; Paddy Ryan, Tipperary; George Ross
and John Cousins, Wexford; Sean Ryan, Laois; Breda Tolan, Mayo; Phil McConnon,
Roscommon; the Dalcassian Céilí Band, Maureen O'Carroll and Cait Ni Chuis, Limerick; Anne
Sheehy, Liam Lynch and Denis McMahon, Kerry. Among the singers were Kitty Higgins, Kerry;
Tim Lyons, Cork; Anne Mulqueen, Limerick; Josephine McNamara, Leitrim and Leo Carty,
Wexford; and the dozen of all lovers of stepdancing – Mary Healy, Sligo. Following this Fleadh
in Trí Lí the records show that the enthusiasm waned and the 1962 Fleadh Cheoil Chiarrai in
Ballybunion did little to help the situation. Once again it was a great Fleadh, but it did nothing to
alleviate the financial burdens of the Co. Board,€“ as the telltale financial statement showed a
loss of some £25. When the AGM of the Board was held in 1963, it was found that only three
branches,€“ Lixnaw, Ballyduff and Listowel were affiliated, the bare minimum to justify the
existence of a Co. Board.
In 1963 and 1964, Fleadh Cheoil Chiarraí was held in Lixnaw and both showed a profit - £140
in '63 and £75 in '64. To the eternal credit of Craobh Leac Sna, the branch decided to give the
total profit to the Co. Board and did not clam its 50% share. Towards the end of '€™64, a
re-awakening of interest was noticeable in the Kingdom. Killarney entered the fold as did
Killorglin and a new branch in Ballinskelligs.
Kerry was on the march again and within two years, Kerry had become the strongest County in
the organisation, a position it holds to the present day. Craobh Leac Sna holds the record of
being the only branch with a record of twenty five years of continuous activity, but at the end of
the day, Kerry's success story must be attributed to the men of vision who ignited the spark
some twenty five years ago in Ballyheigue.
Extract from ‘Lubhaile Cúig mBliana Fichead’ – Comhaltas Ceoltóirí ɉireann.
