Monthly Archives: March 2016

From Clare to Canberra: The Jack Canny Story Part 1-Threads

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I used to think that a 100 years was a long time – ancient history. Now that I have just passed my own half century, I see it differently – close, not that far away, with threads that weave my own history into that time.

There is a reverberation, an echo from down the years, a depth of influence that County Clare has had, and is still having on, Canberra Irish musicians and dancers, like myself.

I was first alerted to this connection in 2004, when my husband Martin and I stepped into a King O’Malleys pub music session in Canberra on a Sunday night, for the first time. We looked at each other in surprise “Sounds just like the Tulla” we said, almost in unison. It was like an instant trip back to Clare – eerie and beautiful.

Music session at King O'Malleys, Canberra

Pete Hobson, Sue Hobson and Mark Tandy at King O’Malleys session. Photo: N.Stewart

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Your Top 5 Céilí Bands for 2016

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The Dartry Céilí Band from Ireland got the most votes this year in our popular poll, closely chased by bands from the USA and the UK – see full results in the table below.

A fantastic response from all over the world with just over 4,000 votes and 175 bands listed. I thank everyone who took the time to vote.

Special mention goes to a very late entrant, the Tanzanian Céil Band – I suspect this  might be our most exotic entry to date. They are raising funds for the Tanzanian Children’s Project and the band’s slogan is:

Traditional Irish Music for A Better World

My sentiments exactly. Congratulations to all the céilí bands for your dedication and all the enjoyment you bring, no matter how many votes you got-more power to you all.

Happy St.Patrick’s Day and enjoy the music and dance wherever you are in the world.

Nora Stewart
Irish Bliss

RESULTS TABLE BELOW

 

RANK BAND NAME
 VOTES
1 Dartry Céilí Band (IRL) 463
2 Pride of Patuxent Pond/ Southern Maryland Pond Scum Céilí Band (USA) 399
3 Ceol na hÉireann Céilí Band (UK) 351
4 Kilfenora Céilí Band (IRL) 275
5 Abbey Céilí Band (IRL) 259
6 Beartla Ui Flatharta Céilí Band (IRL) 251
7 Full House Céilí Band (IRL) 187
8 Long Note Céilí Band (IRL) 110
9 Four Provinces Céilí Band (SCOT) 91
10 Johnny Reidy Céilí Band (IRL) 82
11 Swallow’s Tail Céilí Band (IRL) 76
12 Rhine Valley Céilí Band (DEU) 74
13 Tulla Céilí Band (IRL) 69
14 Awbeg Céilí Band/ Five Counties (IRL) 48
15= Rise the Dust Céilí Band (IRL) 37
15= Salamanca Céilí Band (IRL) 37
16 Bridge Céilí Band (IRL) 36
17= Inishbofin Céilí Band (IRL) 34
17= Matt Cunningham Céilí Band (IRL) 34
18 Coast Céilí Band (AUS) 33
19 Moylurg Céilí Band (IRL) 32
20= Rambling House Céilí Band (USA) 26
20= Striolán Céilí Band (IRL) 26
21 Ceoltóirí Chicago Céilí Band (USA) 25
22= Knockmore Céilí Band (IRL) 24
Old Bay Céilí Band (USA) 24
Trinity College Céilí Band (IRL) 24
23= Four Courts Céilí Band (IRL) 23
Star of Munster Céilí Band (IRL) 23
24= Glenside Céilí Band (IRL) 22
Innisfree Céilí Band (IRL) 22
Triskell Céilí Band (IRL) 22
25= Bogwanderers Céilí Band (USA) 21
Uí Bhríain Céilí Band (IRL) 21
26= Cape May Céilí Band (USA) 20
Ger Murphy & Ken Cotter (IRL) 20
Taylor’s Cross Céilí Band (IRL) 20
27 Copperplate Céilí Band (NIRL) 19
28= Brian Ború Céilí Band (IRL) 18
28= Michael Sexton Céilí Band (IRL) 18
Templehouse Céilí Band (IRL) 18
29 Shaskeen Céilí Band (IRL) 17
30= Allow Céilí Band (IRL) 16
Ennis Céilí Band (IRL) 16
Gallowglass Céilí Band (IRL) 16
Jimmy Mullarkey Céilí Band (AUS) 16
31 St. Rochs Céilí Band (Scotland) 15
32= Lough Oughter Céilí Band 13
Pride of Erin Céilí Band (IRL) 13
Tim Joe and Anne O’Riordan (IRL) 13
33= Annaly Céilí Band (IRL) 12
Emerald Céilí Band (IRL) 12
J Patrick’s All-Stars (USA) 12
Kilmovee Céilí Band (IRL) 12
Shannonvale Céilí Band (IRL) 12
Táin Céilí Band (IRL) 12
Waterford Comhaltas Céilí Band (IRL) 12
34= Neily O’Connor Céilí Band (IRL) 11
Temple Michael Céilí Band (IRL) 11
35= Ceol na gCroí Céilí Band (USA) 10
Davey Céilí Band (IRL) 10
Heather Breeze Céilí Band (IRL) 10
Turloughmore Céilí Band (Irl) 10
36= Green Gates Céilí Band (USA) 9
Pride of Moyvane Céilí Band (USA) 9
37= Brosna Céilí Band (IRL) 8
Deenagh Céilí Band (IRL) 8
38= Burrishoole Céilí Band (IRL) 7
Céilí Time Céilí Band (NIRL) 7
John Whelan Band (USA) 7
Leitrim Céilí Band (IRL) 7
Liverpool Céilí Band (UK) 7
Micheál Sexton & Pat Walsh (IRL) 7
Roisín Dubh Céilí Band (IRL) 7
Tara Céilí Band (IRL) 7
39= Corner House Canberra Céilí Band (AUS) 6
Ilen Céilí Band (IRL) 6
Laochtain Naofa Céilí Band (IRL) 6
40= Aughrim Slopes Céilí Band (IRL) 5
Carousel Céilí Band (IRL) 5
Eska Riada Céilí Band (IRL) 5
Inishowen Céilí Band (CAN) 5
Jamaica Plain Céilí Band (USA) 5
Knocknagow Céilí Band 5
O’Carolan Country Céilí Band (IRL) 5
Parasol Duo (FRA) 5
Pipers Club Céilí Band (IRL) 5
Tempeall an Gleanntáin Céilí Band (IRL) 5
Thatch Céilí Band (UK) 5
Tipsy House Céilí Band (USA) 5
41= Cabbagetown Céilí Band (CAN) 4
Copenhagen Céilí Band (DNK) 4
Duntally Céilí Band (IRL) 4
Foot Tappers Céilí Band (IRL) 4
Ken Kelleher Céilí Band (IRL) 4
Kilina Céilí Band (IRL) 4
Kincora Céilí Band (IRL) 4
Lynch Family (IRL) 4
Moorings Céilí Band (IRL) 4
Naomh Padraig Céilí Band (IRL) 4
Roazhon Céilí Band (FRA) 4
Siamsa Céilí Band (IRL) 4
Toe for Toe Céilí Band (CHE) 4
42= Barefield Céilí Band (IRL) 3
Castle Céilí Band (IRL) 3
Cogar Céilí Band (IRL) 3
Doon Céilí Band (USA) 3
Fódhla Céilí Band (IRL) 3
Green Jacket Céilí Band (BEL) 3
Leeds Céilí Band (UK) 3
Loughmore Céilí Band 3
Munich Céilí Band (DEU) 3
Ormonde Céilí Band (IRL) 3
Shannon Céilí Band (USA) 3
Swaree Céilí Bandy (DEU) 3
Tangambalanga Céilí Band (AUS) 3
Traditional Irish Musicians Céilí Band 3
Twin Cities Céilí Band (USA) 3
43= All-Star Céilí Band (USA) 2
Blackwater Ceili band (IRL) 2
Broken Pledge Ceili Band 2
Ceoltóirí Mancúin Céilí Band (UK) 2
Crumac Céilí Band (USA) 2
Curragh Céilí Band/ Jerry McCarthy (IRL) 2
Devine’s Diner Céilí Band (USA) 2
Hamilton Céilí Band (CAN) 2
Herschel Arms Céilí Band (UK) 2
Lansdowne Céilí Band (CAN) 2
Living Bridge Céilí Band (IRL) 2
Longridge Céilí Band (IRL) 2
Lough Na Gower Céilí Band 2
Naomh Íde Céilí Band 2
Newborough Céilí Band (IRL) 2
Pete Kelly Céilí Band (USA) 2
Philadelphia Ceili Band 2
Richard Fitzgerald Céilí Band (IRL) 2
Sainak Céilí Band (JPN) 2
Sean Norman Céilí Band (IRL) 2
Slievenamon Group (IRL) 2
St Colmcilles Céilí Band (UK) 2
St.Albans Céilí Band (UK) 2
St.James The Great Céilí Band 2
St.Malachy’s Céilí Band (UK) 2
Tanzania Céilí Band 2
44= Athas- Milwaukee USA 1
Bofield Céilí band 1
Boston CCE Ceili Band 1
Bush Céilí Band (IRL) 1
Cathal McAnulty Céilí Band (NIRL) 1
Ceilidh Rogues Australia 1
Corofin Ceili Band 1
Cúpla Céilí Band (IRL) 1
Donal Ring Céilí Band 1
Green Linnet Céilí Band (IRL) 1
Lone Star Céilí Band (USA) 1
Loughree Céilí Band (IRL) 1
McIlroy Céilí Band (IRL) 1
Na Comharhsanna Ceilí Band 1
Northeast Céilí Band (USA) 1
Ottawa Céilí Band (CAN) 1
Portersharks (USA) 1
Reel Note Ceili Band (UK) 1
Reilly Clan 1
Rosclare Céilí Band (USA) 1
Seacoast Céilí Band (USA) 1
South Jersey Céilí Band (USA) 1

Vote for Your Top 5 Irish Céilí Bands 2016

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It’s on again – the battle of the Irish céilí bands to get a place in the top 5 for 2016. We had a brilliant response last year and looking forward to supporting our old favourites and the newer bands within the ever-expanding stable of wonderful Irish dance musicians.

We dancers are so lucky to have so many talented and energetic musicians to play for us  and giving support  and a vote to our favourite bands is like the least we can do, although you can vote whether you dance or not. You just have to love the music!

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Your Top 5 Sets for 2016

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Thank-you everyone for your 669 votes over a 2 week period…and the winners are:

RANK SET NAME
 VOTES
1 Merchant 52
2 Ballyvourney Jig 47
3 Clare Lancers 44
4 Connemara  (aka Connemara Reel ) 34
5 Clare Plain (Reel) 33
6 Cashel 26
7 Caledonian 22
8 West Kerry 20
9= Antrim Square 18
9= Aran 18
9= Claddagh 18
9= Moycullen 18
10= Borlin 14
10= Clare Orange and Green 14
10= Corofin Plain 14
10= Kilfenora Plain 14
11 Croisloch 13
12= Caragh Lake Jig 12
12= Paris 12
12= Sliabh Luachra (aka North Cork Polka ) 12
13= Labasheeda 11
13= Metal Bridge 11
14= Newport 10
14= Rinkinstown 10
15 Camp 8
16 North Kerry 7
17= Black Valley Square Jig 6
17= Boyne 6
17= Connemara Jig (aka Freres Nantes) 6
17= Derrada 6
17= Hurry the Jug 6
17= South Sligo Lancers 6
18= Auban 5
18= Ballycommon 5
18= Sliabh gCua 5
19= Armagh 4
19= Corballa 4
19= Kildownet Half 4
19= South Galway Reel(aka South Galway Half & South Galway Half ) 4
19= South Kerry 4
20= Ballyduff 3
20= Borlin Jenny 3
20= Clare Plain Polka 3
20= Dublin 3
20= Glencree 3
20= Mazurka 3
20= Melleray Lancers 3
20= Roscommon Lancers 3
20= Sliabh Fraoch 3

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