Plaque 'a permanent reminder of the joy the Fleadh brought to Tullamore'
O'Connor Square plaque remembers three successive Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Offaly 2007-09
"THIS plaque will serve as a permanent reminder of the joy Tullamore brought to the Fleadh and the Fleadh brought to Tullamore."
The words of the national Cathaoirleach of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann, Attracta Brady as she officially unveiled a commemorative plaque on the exterior of the Brewery Tap in Tullamore on Sunday afternoon last remembering the three successive years the county town hosted Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann, from 2007-09.
The Killeigh woman was assisted in the formalities by young Roisín Duffy, the youngest member of the Comhaltas musicians, from Killeigh branch, who entertained the large attendance at the unveiling ceremony.
In her address, Ms Brady noted that just four of the young members performing were alive when the Fleadh was staged in Tullamore and all of them are now officers on the committee of Killeigh Comhaltas.
The ceremony was attended by a large number of people, from Comhaltas and other bodies who had been involved in organising the fleadhanna over the three years, including Birr's Padraig O Dufaigh who earlier this year was awarded the Unsung Hero of Offaly accolade for his tireless work for Comhaltas and his local parish.
Ms Brady, who was chairperson of the committee that organised the fleadhanna from 2007-09, described them as great community efforts, involving every Comhaltas branch in Offaly and from neighbouring counties, a host of volunteers and organisations such as Offaly County Council, the Gardai, the HSE and the emergency services.
She said the town and county councils had rowed in wholeheartedly behind the effort and recalled one council employee "getting out of bed at 1.30am to solve an issue before the next morning."
Ms Brady also thanked all the groups which had allowed their premises be used as competition venues and landowners for providing car parking spaces.
She said it was appropriate the plaque had been erected on the exterior of the Brewery Tap as its owner, Paul Bell, played a key role in organising the three fleadhanna as the then Chairman of the Offaly Vintners Association.
The Comhaltas chief noted that O'Connor Square, where the plaque is situated, was the epicentre for many Fleadh activities, including the gig rig and the Fleadh office.
Noting that the fleadhanna were then the biggest ever staged, she said townspeople were treated to children playing music in the streets and lots of people speaking Irish.
Ms Brady said that the three years brought huge national and media exposure to Tullamore in an era prior to wi-fi.
"There was a great vision for the Fleadh – it was hard work but it was worth it," she stressed.
Ms Brady also recalled packed trains arriving into town and hundreds of boats moored on the Grand Canal over the three years.
She said the hospitality of the people of Tullamore had been legendary with visitors camping in green areas and being allowed to shower in people's own homes.
Master of Ceremonies, James Hogan explained said the erection of the plaque was a new initiative by Comhaltas to place memorial in all towns which hosted the national Fleadh in the past.
He recalled the huge work which had been undertaken by volunteers, many of whom were no longer with us, over those three fabulous years.
Mr Hogan recalled that hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world descended on Tullamore for those three unforgettable weeks. "You never know it might come back again," he speculated.
He paid tribute to Attracta Brady who spearheaded efforts over those three years with skill, dedication and "dictatorship in a fun way."
Cllr Declan Harvey, Cathaoirleach, Offaly County Council, said it was hard to believe that almost 20 years had passed since the event was staged in Tullamore.
Deputy Tony McCormack said the three weeks were about so much more than music. "They were a celebration of everything that's great about Irish culture and most importantly Irish people."
He stressed the initiative to host the Fleadh had come from Killeigh Comhaltas and described it as an enormous undertaking that required courage, commitment and a tremendous amount of hard work.
Michael Buckley, Cathaoirleach of Offaly CCE, and Jody Conway, Cathaoirleach of Leinster Council CCE, also recalled how successful the three years were with Mr Conway paying tribute to the late John Brady for the seminal role he played in securing the Fleadh and organising it.