Members of Coventry Comhaltas are visiting Letterkenny from 20th April, 2012 to 23rd April 2012. During the visit we will be playing in a concert, take part in sessions, a trip to the Famine Village and take part in a Mass.
St Patrick’s Day Ceili, Friday 16th March 2012 at Christ The King Parish Hall, Westhill Road. 8 pm.
Fri 23rd December 2011 20:00 – 24:00
We are holding our Christmas Ceili at Christ The King Parish Centre, Westhill Road, Coundon. Adults £5. Children £2.50. Family (2 adults and 2 children) £10. Includes Buffett and Raffle.
We were recently visited by Brendan Farrell from The Irish Post, and have since been featured in a number of articles.
All words and pictures below by Brendan Farrell
The Irish Post, August 1 and August 8, 2009
Neal Pointon, age 14, one of the Coventry Comhaltas' talented musicians tutoring 15-year-old Nicola Nixon.
The Hearsall Inn is a very popular pub in the Chapelfields area of Coventry and is run by the Scott family – Peter from Sligo, his Wexford-born wife Joan and their two sons Peter and Daniel.
Peter came to London in 1957 and worked for a time for London Underground but he decided that he would prefer to see some daylight in his working hours so he entered the pub trade. He learned his skills at watering holes such as The Jolly Farmer and the Bag O Nails and then left London and headed for Coventry in 1962.
In Lady Godiva’s city while working in the licensed trade he married his wife Joan in 1976 and he bought the Hearsall Inn nine years ago. The Scott family also run a pub back in Peter’s native Sligo.
On Tuesday evenings the Hearsall Inn welcomes an invasion of Irish traditional musicians of all ages – from the young to the young at heart – and those who are keen to learn the skills on the bodhrán, fiddle, tin whistle, accordian and flute. Yes folks, it’s the weekly seisiun organised by the thriving Coventry branch of Comhaltas.
Donegal-born Hughie Gallagher, chairman on the Coventry branch of Comhaltas, passing on his skills to Hannah Nixon who plays the tin whistle and accordian.
The team including Boo Cullen, Jarlath Mulhern and Hughie Galagher to name but a few now host one of the very best Irish traditional music and singing seisiuns in the Midlands. The committee and older branch members find time to dedicate at least one hour a week to teach young folk many skills on the various instruments.
When the seisiun gets under way at the Hearsall, it’s a sight to make any Irish person proud of their heritage. And it must be good – one of the regulars at the event, when he is not on tour, is Sean Cannon from the Dubliners!
Hello folks its Ceilitime again – hope to see you all at St. John Fisher parish Hall on Sat 24th Sept.
Also can I take this opportunity to thank all the loyal supporters we have had over the last few years you have been wonderful.
Here’s to the next 40 years.
Jarlath
The weekend of June 3rd -5th we held our 40th anniversary as a branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann here in Coventry.
Friday 3rd
Began with several members travelling to Birmingham airport to welcome 15 of our Twinned branch members from Letterkenny Comhaltas, Co. Donegal. Many thanks to Peter Scott (Hearsall Inn) for the loan of the minibus for the weekend.
Friday night we had a fabulous session in the Hearsall Inn and were joined by our two guest musicians from Tipperary and Offaly (Monegal) Ann Coffey (Banjo) and Michael Searson (Button Accordion) respectively, a great nights music followed until the early hours.
Saturday 4th
Our dinner and ceili started with photo’s being taken by John Lawton (Irish Post), the meal was served which was wonderful and our invited Fear an it (Compare) Mr. Vincent Jordan, South Bham CCE who might I say was absolutely brilliant.
Our Guest speaker Mr. Paddy Ryan from Comhaltas HQ in Dublin reminisced of his time here in Coventry and the history of the branch which was well received by the nearly full room. Our Chairman Mr. Hughie Gallagher was presented with a gift on behalf of the Coventry branch from Seamus Gibson from the Letterkenny branch.
The Ceili began at 9 PM and we were thrilled to see regional members from branches Leicester, Nottingham, Northampton and Luton, the music was supplied by the Ivy Leaf Ceili band who were absolutely fantastic, a session took place after the nights proceedings til the early hours.
Sunday 5th
The Millpool pub was the venue as lunch for 30 had been arranged, Landlord Mr. John Carey did not let us down, the meal was delicious (and plenty of it too).
We proceeded on to St. Mary’s Church for our 5pm Traditional Irish Music Mass, the celebrant was a former member of Coventry Comhaltas Fr. David Nixon (Button Accordion), Carmel and John Burke supplied the music during the mass and we all played before mass started. Our younger members played magnificently on the Alter at the end of the mass, to which they fully deserved their standing ovation and rapturous applause. Following onto the Hearsall a mighty session ensued as 35 or more musicians descended on the back room for what has been labelled (by experts) the Mother of all sessions that will never be witnessed again.
Monday 6th I’m sure 18 very tired musicians were glad but sorry to be on their way home, again several members of our branch travelled to Bham airport to wish them Slan go Foill and for a well deserved rest.
Jarlath Mulhern PRO
Coventry CCE
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