So today we’re going to let you know all about our time at the huge Mullingar Fleadh (pronounced flar….rhymes with car). Fleadh Cheoil translates to Festival of Music. Every summer, a host town on the island of Ireland welcomes musicians, dancers and performers from across the globe for a rip-roaring traditional music celebration. At Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, the world’s largest annual festival of Irish music, you can expect street performers, intimate concerts, big-name acts and over 150 competitions showcasing the very best of traditional music talent. This was the second year at Mullingar & the IWAI ran an event called Float to the Fleadh in conjunction w with it. It is one of the reasons we chose to cruise The Royal canal this year as next year it will be at Wexford so not on the inland waterways.
So we departed our moorings in Thomastown & headed up in a small convoy of boats to Mullingar. There were 5 convoys coming altogether 4 from the Shannon directions & our one from the Dublin direction making a fleet of over 30 boats moored in Mullingar harbour. You’d never get that many boats normally moving all year on the canal so this was quite a spectacle for people to see.
We got a bankside mooring so we could get off easy. Mum went for a wander round the town before the main fleadh started & checked out all the shop windows which are decorated up specially. The fleadh runs for 8 days encompassing 2 weekends.
Once the fleadh started there was music everywhere in ticketed venues, in pubs, on stage at the big gig rig & impromptu performances on every street corner. It’s amazing to see all ages of musicians & dancers having a go. We were, however, very relieved mum’s tin whistle didn’t make an appearance! Mum had tickets to see 4 different bands during the fleadh.
It was incredibly well organised with over 500 volunteers doing various roles from litter picking to being a street ambassador to running information centres & much more. Mum had applied quite a while ago to be a volunteer & she had 5 shifts during the fleadh. He shifts went from manning the volunteers kitchen to putting out hundreds of chairs in venues to manning the car parks to accompanying wheelchair visitors around Mullingar to selling wristbands & manning the door during the competitions.
We even got a visit from Leo Varadkar who has served as Taoiseach since December 2022 in Ireland. he came specially to the visitor centre as the very first fleadh was held in a room here in 1951. Incredible that it’s grown from a room to a whole town!
The IWAI also had a program of events for the boaters although due to her volunteering mum couldn’t make many of them. Each afternoon there was a Band on a Boat performance with a different band each time & we sometimes managed to catch that. We had a great time each afternoon barking along to the bands!
The fleadh was also a great time for catching up with old friends & making new friends. Mum spent time with Steve& Christine who were moored beside us, met the infamous Ray Beare before he jetted off to France & also surprised Annie May at her fabulous mosaics exhibition.
On the final afternoon mum enjoyed a bit of chill out time in the hot tubs with Una, Eilbhe & Susie followed by a final BBQ evening where we received our marvellous Float to the Fleadh plaque made of Mullingar Pewter.
Now you’d think after all that mum would have a rest. oh no she’d only one & booked herself on some foam colour run 5K. I mean mum NEVER runs what on earth was going on!! Well apart from the time she nearly died running up a dual carriageway chasing us but we won’t mention that as we’re still not forgiven!! Anyway so as the boats were all departing mum moved us over the other side for a bit of electric & off she set for her colour run. Well it transpires it was a family event & you could walk or even crawl the course is you so wished. Mum had a fabulous time & returned looking very multicoloured despite having had half a shower in Toddy.
That evening she trotted out with her bright blue hair for drinks & food with some of the remaining boaters. The next day was our turn to depart & we bade farewell to Mullingar Harbour & cruised to Coolnahay. we had new neighbours here or should it be eeyorebours!!
That evening mum returned to Mullingar as there was a big party on for the volunteers & she returned later in Toddy.
Tuesday we cruised down the 10 locks with 3 other boats to Ballynacargy where we planned to stay for a few days. After one final night in yet another pub we bade farewell to the other boats as they moved onwards & we stayed for a few days. Mum cycled back for Toddy so we’re all reunited ready for our next leg of our journey.
For those of you who know here it’ll come as no surprise to know mum made it into the local papers during the fleadh too.
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