It was another exceptional year for Center for Irish Music’s students—solo, duet, trio and group competitors—at the Midwest Fleadh Cheoil in St. Louis May 8-10. Hosted by Saint Louis Irish Arts, the Midwest Fleadh Cheoil is a regional qualifying competition for the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (All-Ireland Fleadh), which takes place in Belfast from August 2nd through 9th.
Congratulations to the competitors, both youth and adults, who traveled to Chicago for the 2025 Midwest Fleadh Cheoil!
The annual Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (All Ireland Fleadh) was in Wexford Town in Ireland’s sunny southwest this year. Eleven current Center for Irish Music students (and a couple alums!) made the trip to Wexford (Loch Garman in Irish) the first week of August to take part in classes, competitions, sessions, concerts and general fun at the 2024 event.
Congratulations to the 45 competitors, both youth and adults, who traveled to Chicago for the 2024 Midwest Fleadh Cheoil, hosted by the Institute for Traditional Irish Music from April 26-28th. Students were joined by CIM instructors Hannah Flowers, Chad McAnally, Todd Menton, Brian Miller, Carmen Pasquerella, Norah Rendell, Mary Vanorny and Kate Wade, as well as countless family members who were there to show their support. We're so proud of the incredible musicianship that our students displayed. Congratulations to everyone who competed!
It’s been six years since the Coleman family was featured in the Clare Echo at the All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Ennis, when the Center for Irish Music represented Minnesota for the first time en masse with two ceili bands, and one grúpa cheoil at an international-level level. This year, CIM parent and volunteer Kelly Scanlan, chatted up the owner of Just Books bookstore on Pierce Street, making the headlines once again, this time in the Westmeath Examiner. The story of Americans coming to a small Irish town to experience traditional Irish music at the fleadh is both compelling, and entertaining.
Congratulations to the 41 Center for Irish Music students, ages 8 to 75, who competed...
Claire Vanorny and Ryan Behnke bring home silver medals from the All Ireland Fleadh By...
Following a successful showing at the St. Louis Midwest Fleadh Cheoil, 18 CIM students and their families are traveling to Mullingar for the 2022 All-Ireland Fleadh from August 1-7th.
It was the All-Ireland competitions that prompted us to go to the Fleadh Cheoil in the first place. After returning from Ireland for each of the past two years, many people would often ask us, “How was Ireland? How did your kids do?” Meaning, did they win?
As you probably know, despite lots of Center for Irish Music success at the regional competition (the Midwest Fleadh), very few of our young musicians received any formal recognition in the form of a trophy or a medal from the All-Ireland competitions.
Overheard in a pub somewhere in Drogheda: “Where are the kids from? They’re fantastic!” “Minnesota...