Ceol na nÓg Sligeach:

The Battle of the Books

a suite of music composed by Michael Rooney

Sligo musical group Ceol na nÓg performed the premiere of show The Battle of the Books in The Southern Hotel Sligo 

The group comprise young Sligo musicians and dancers in what was a spectacular production. The production is a specially-commissioned music and dance show composed by Sligo harper and composer Michael Rooney.

The Battle of the Books

Saint Colmcille copied a book while a guest of St. Finian. Finian claimed the copy as well as the book, but Colmcille refused. The dispute was brought to the High King of Ireland whose edict was: ’To every cow its calf and to every book its copy’. In consequence, in 561 AD, the High King and Colmcille engaged in battle on the slopes of Benbulben. Aided by an angel, Colmcille won. Thousands of men were slain and the King forced to concede the copy of the psalter to Colmcille.

Its premiere took place on Saturday, November 25, in the Sligo Southern Hotel at 8pm. This performance was the highlight in a concert that included musicians Michael Rooney and June McCormack, musicians from the Sligo Academy of Music and its director Niamh Crowley.
Over 40 of Sligo’s finest young musicians and dancers experienced the excitement of premiering an original composition based on one of Sligo’s greatest pieces of folklore.

The evening included a wine and finger food reception while proceeds went to Ceol na nÓg and Sligo Academy of Music.

Ceol na nÓg Sligeach was formed last January to support and develop the talents of young musicians in Sligo and to provide various forums to showcase their music.

It is comprised of the best of the emerging traditional musicians from Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann branches in Sligo and Leitrim and young classical musicians of the Sligo Academy of Music Sinfonietta Orchestra. They commissioned Michael Rooney to compose The Battle of the Books suite.

The Mary Gallagher School of Dancing is renowned for producing prize-winning dancers at national and international competitions

Performers on the night:

Draiocht

featuring Michael Rooney and June McCormack

Sligo Acadamy of Music

Flute Ensemble and Sinfonietta Orchestra

Ceol na nÓg, Sligeach

featuring over 40 traditional/classical musicians and dancers

Tel. +353-(0) -71-9162962 or +353-(0) -71-9142990

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Click below to view and hear  our prize-winning  Grúpa Cheoil, which was managed by June McCormack and also a snippet from the Battle of the Books performance. 

Play 

(Requires Windows Media Player)

(about 8 mBytes)

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Great results for Fred Finn Branch competitors at All Ireland 2009

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Heartiest congratulations to Seamus McCormack, presently Chairman of the Fred Finn Branch, who has been elected the new National President of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, becoming only the fourth person from the province of Connacht to have previously held the office of President since the foundation of Comhaltas in 1951, the last having been the late Seamus de Brún from Roscommon from 1973 to 1976.

Seamus has been involved in the promotion of Irish culture for many years.

He is a founder member of the Fred Finn Branch and has served as branch chairman since 1989.

Through the branch classes hundreds of young people in the Sligo area have been introduced to Irish music, song and dance. Many branch members have become household names in the traditional music world and in 2008 two senior ceili bands representing the branch were placed first and second at the All Ireland Fleadh in Tullamore.

Seamus put the original Innisfree Ceili Band together in 1989 and this band went on to win an All Ireland title at underage level.

The Innisfree Ceili Band became the first band from West of the Shannon to win a senior title in more than forty years, followed by the Dartry Ceili Band in second place.

Seamus directs the branch music class which is conducted on a weekly basis in Gael Scoil Cnoc na Ré, Maugheraboy. The branch operates a music instrument bank which gives young people access to fiddles, flutes, concertinas, accordions and harps. Bands and grupaí cheoil are prepared for participation in the Fleadh competitons every year.

Seamus has been chairman of Comhaltas in the province of Connacht since 2001 and a member of the Árd Comhairle, the central executive of Comhaltas. He is also chairman of Meitheal an Iarthair, the body which has spearheaded the development of Ceolaras Coleman in Gurteen as a regional resource centre for Comhaltas.

Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann was established in 1951 to promote Irish traditional music, song, dance and the Irish language. Today there are in excess of 415 branches of Comhaltas in fifteen countries on four continents.

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