www.fleadhcheoil.ie

Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in Derry will officially launch the full programme for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2013 and fleadhcheoil.ie this Thursday 20th June at 7pm at Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin.

The official launch party will continue on Friday 21st June with a full day of music, song and dance in association with Music City, all promising enough energy to shake the City’s famous walls to their foundations.

To celebrate the official launch, the Fleadh team have also revealed an exciting new addition to the already stellar line-up, the Transatlantic Fleadh in association with Celtic Connections, which will held in the Venue on Saturday 17th August.

Fleadh and Comhaltas Dhoire Chairperson, Eibhlín Ní Dhochartaigh said she is looking forward to revealing the full programme “Once again the eyes of the world are on Derry for all the right reasons. Our events team have pulled out the stops to secure the very best musicians in the world for this historic Fleadh and we can’t wait to show people the full programme. We are particularly delighted to be able to share the news that the Transatlantic Fleadh in association with Celtic Connections will join the wonderful artists we already have. Our launch weekend will give people a small taste of the great music, song and dance that’s coming our way this August. We would like to invite the people of the city to join in the party and in making our visitors from all over the world feel welcome.”

The Fleadh Launch party on Music City Day (Friday 21st June) will give visitors the chance to join in the Big Céilí in the Guildhall at 1.30pm. From 2.30pm – 3.30pm, Comhaltas groups from the Four Corners of Ireland will take to the stage in Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin giving a taster of the talent that will fill every corner of the city this August. From 6pm, the brightest stars of traditional music will perform on a specially constructed Fleadh stage in Guildhall Square. Artists joining in the celebrations include Dónal Lunny, Pádraig Rynne, Sylvain Barou, Dave Munnelly, Mick Conneely, Ryan Molloy and the Rua McMillan Big Band. BBC Radio Ulster’s Blas will broadcast live from the Fleadh stage from 7pm-9pm.

Fleadh 2013 takes place from 11th – 18th August and over the course of a week 300,000 people and 20,000 musicians will descend on the City to compete in the Olympics of traditional music, bringing an economic boost of €38million to the local economy. The Fleadh will feature exclusive world class collaborations and a dream team of performers including The Poet and the Piper (Seamus Heaney and Liam O’Flynn), Cara Dillon and the Orchestra of Ireland, Dervish, Flook, Lorcán Mac Mathuna and dance spectacular Take the Floor featuring Beoga. Some of the richest traditional musical regions in the world will be celebrated with a series of concert events that will attract a who’s who of the traditional world.

The Transatlantic Fleadh is a spectacular one-off event and a spin-off of the internationally renowned Transatlantic Sessions staged annually as part of Celtic Connections and will be a celebration of the strong traditional musical connections between Ireland, Scotland and North America. Artists performing as part of the Transatlantic Fleadh include Jerry Douglas, Dan Tyminski (O Brother Where Art Thou), Grammy award winner Tim O’Brien, Arty McGlynn, Eddi Reader, Karen Matheson, Declan O’Rourke, Michael McGoldrick, John McCusker, Jarlath Henderson, Donald Shaw (Capercaillie), John Doyle (Solas), Danny Thompson and James Mackintosh.

Fleadh Cheoil 2013 will also be the first completely digital Fleadh with a powerful new website streaming Fleadh Live, an online music show that will feature intimate performances from a selection of artists appearing in Derry. This will be broadcast in Ireland by TG4 and in the US by the MHZ network. It will also be streamed live across the world from Thursday 15th – Sunday 18th August 2013, allowing audiences to experience a taste of the Fleadh wherever they are.

Fleadh Cheoil 2013 is funded by the Culture Company, Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Department of Social Development, Department of Foreign Affairs, Arts Council NI, Arts Council of Ireland, Culture Ireland and Foras Gaeilge. The principle sponsors for Fleadh Cheoil 2013 are the Garvan O’Doherty Group and Diageo Ireland.

For more information email: info@fleadhcheoil.ie, visit www.fleadhcheoil.ie or call the Fleadh Office on +4428 71373 573.