THE HISTORY OF COMHALTAS IN LAOIS.

Comhaltas í gContae Laoise

Researched by Michael Culliton

Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann was formed in Mullingar in January 1951 when traditional music enthusiasts from Dublin travelled down to meet with similar minded people in Mullingar. Their aim  was to preserve and nurture our rich tradition of music, song and dance for posterity. A lot of our music, song and dance was being performed by individuals or groups at house dances, at fairs and at feis ceoils but they had no national banner or organisation to associate with.

Little did those pioneers realise that the movement that they founded would grow not alone in Ireland but throught the world into one of the most respected and well known cultural organisations globally in the sixty years that followed. There are over 400 branches of Comhaltas at home and abroad today. Laois is no exception with a lot of music, song and dance being performed in various areas around the county. Some counties would have had very strong traditions of music or dancing and with scool teachers, gardai, bank managers or business people taking up posts in other counties the teaching of traditional music and dancing classes began to florish in their adopted counties.



On the fifth of December 1961 some members of all the branches of Comhaltas in Laois gathered on the premises of St. Joseph's Accordeon Band Portlaoise for the purpose of
forming a County Board under the watchful eye of provience of Leinster organiser Mr. Patrick O'Duffy from Birr. P O'Duffy gave a comprehensive report on the foundation of the
organisation, its rules and regulations ( An Bunreacht ),its activities and its progress to date and he also encouraged them to form a Board straight away to take up duty early in the
coming year.

Branches who were represented on the night were Portarlington, Portlaoise,Rathdowney, Clonaslee and Erril.

The following officers were elected: Chairman; Mr. Patrick Brennan, Portarlington, 
Vice Chairman; Mr. Brendan McMahon,

Portarlington, 
Hon. Sec; Mr. John Ireland Pc, Tc. Portlaoise,Treasurer; Mr. Denis O’Riordan, Rathdowney.
 Trustees, Mr. Denis O"Riordan, Rathdowney, Mr. R. Sides, Portlaoise.
 
Those

officers together with two delegates appointed by each branch to constitute the Co. Board for 1962.
 
The chairman, secretary and treasurer were unanimously elected as delegates to
Leinster Council with Mr. O. Keegan, Portarlington and Mr.Vincent Murray Rathdowney assubstitute delegates.
   


Officers of branches in existence in1961:  


Portlaoise: Chairman; John Carroll, Well rd.
, V. Chair; P. J. Connell, Clonminam,
 Secretary; John Ireland T.C. Main St.
 Treasurer; Daniel Tierney, Borris Rd.
 Committee: M. Bergin, John Connell, John McGill, Thomas Dermody, P. O’Lleary Hugh O"Neill. M. Doody.
 
 Portarlington: Chairman; Mr. Brendan McMahon.
 Vchair; M. Hillary.
  

Secretary; Derek Whelan.
 Treasurer;  P.Hearty.
 Committee:  F McCague,  Wm. Dobbyn, D. Lyons, Mrs Cronin, L O’Mahony and George Lyons.



Rathdowney: Not available, perhaps a knowlegable reader might contact us with the details

Clonaslee: Chairman; Mr. Martin Fallon. Secretary: Mr. Peter Hogan. Treasurer; Mr. Michael McCann.
 Committee; Messers; Michael Kennedy, Peter Casey, Thomas McCann,

Frank Dunne(Clonagh), Laurence Dowling, Andrew Conroy Thomas Higgins, Frank Dunne(Gurteen. Errill)


Branches that were formed after the first County Board were as follows:


Raheen, Camross,Knockaroo, Spink, Mountmellick, Cullahill, Raheen/Dunamace, Rathenisca, Ballyroan, Mounthrath and Stradbally.
 


As time passed on some branches disbanded and reformed later,some ammalgamated with other branches and changed their name, while some dissapeared

altogether.
 
Presently seven branches are active in the county; Camross; Clonaslee, Mountmellick, Portlaoise, Portarlington, Ratheniska and Spink.
 


The first county fleadh was held in Portarlington on the 9th September 1962.
 The firstLeinster Fleadh to be held in Laois was held in Portarlington on 22/23 / 6 / 1963'


The fleadh committee were;  Chairman; Mr. Brendan McMahon. Vice Chairman; Mr. M. Turley (snr.)Secretary; Mr. Derek Whelan. Treasurers; Messrs. P. Harty and J. Ireland (Portlaoise)
 Sub committees; Ceili and Concerts; Mr. L. O"Mahony, Competitions; Mr. D. Lyons, Parade; Mr. F. McCague, Catering; Mrs.B Cronin; Stewarding; Mr. Donal Dunne, Decoration of centres;

Mr Tom Norton.
 
Notable winners on the day were, Trios (senior); Sean Ryan trio CCE Portarlington , Marching bands; Scoil na mBrathair CCE Cul an tSudaire, Ballads mna; Annie
Salmon CCE Clonaslee, Whistling (senior); Michael McCann CCE Clonaslee, Lilting(open); Michael McCann, Accordeon 2row U 18; Ellen Flanagan, CCE Portarlington, U 14; James

Rigney CCE Clonaslee.
 
 Another winner on the day, in the uilleann pipes (senior), was Finbar County fleánna were held annually after that in various towns and villages throught Laois.

Some of the locations were as follows; Abbeyleix, Borris in Ossary, Camross, Clonaslee,Durrow, Mountmellick, Mountrath Portarlington, Portlaoise, Rathdowney, Stradbally. Some

of these venues have held the County Fleadh on numerous ocasions.
 
 The Leinster Fleadh was held in Mountrath Hosted by Camros and Raheen branches in 1991 and 1992

All Ireland Winners:


Successful ceili bands; The Bridge (Portarlington) ceili band won sixth . All Irelands, Coillte (Raheen) (under 15) won All Ireland at Sligo and were runners up the
following year in the higher age group, St. Fergals (Camross) (under 18) won an All Ireland  at Clonmel in 2003. The Triogue (Portlaoise) (Senior) were placed at Tullamore and Cavan in 2009 and 10. 


Ceoil an Geimhreadh winners; Laoise have had numerous winners throught the years at all age groups.
 


Scioriacht winners; Camross branch have won numerous All Ireland Scoraiocht competitions at junior and senior levell and are currently the All Ireland champions for 2011.
 


Set dancing winners; Camross senior set dancing have won   had several All Ireland wins at Comortas Amhrain agus Rince held annually in Ballycastle.
 
Half set dancing winners;
The Ballyroan half set have numerous All Ireland wins and are still going strong competing and winning with some of the original founding members still dancing.



Comhaltas All Ireland / Overseas tour managers, Stephen Conroy (rip) and Brendan Reilly have managed Comhaltas tours in Ireland, England and America.
 
Bru Bru Cashel; Many Laois artists have performed on the stage in Bru Bru down throught the years and accompanied them abroadon their wourld wide trips.
 
Many musicians, singers and dancers from Laois have travelled the world with government ministers representing Ireland abroad on trade missions and promotional work through the years.
 


Once again Laois is organising  the Leinster Fleadh Ceoil in Portlaoise on 8th,9th and 10th of July being hosted by Portlaoise branch under the
chairmanship of Mr. P.J.Phelan and we wish them the very best of luck in their mammoth task.