Latest news with #CastlebridgeInspire
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
World Record for biggest Céilí Band is broken at Fleadh in Wexford
Today at Chadwick's Wexford Park, the Guinness World Record for the biggest Céilí Band was smashed when 1,018 musicians from across Ireland, Europe and the world performed. It was completed under the watchful eye of Glen Pollard , who adjudicated the attempt. Advertisement The Wexford record was attended by musicians from countries including the USA, France, Japan, the UK and Canada. Instruments included tin whistles, fiddles, concertina, accordion, banjo, guitar, mandolin, drums, piano and uileann pipes. Unsurprisingly, following last year's successful record for the largest tin whistle ensemble, the tin whistle was the most prevalent instrument played today. It was completed under the watchful eye of Glen Pollard , who adjudicated the attempt. The previous record for the largest céilí band was 384 people, and was set by The Late Late Show, at Croke Park, in Dublin, on March 15th, 2024. A group called Castlebridge Inspire, which celebrates the town's status as the birthplace of the Guinness Book of Records, was invovled in the attempt. Advertisement In an interview this week, John Ryan, who runs Castlebridge Inspire, told : "There are different people involved at different levels. Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil will have their name on the record and they are running it, Wexford County Council is providing resources, Wexford GAA is providing the venue and helping with logistics, and then there are the volunteers. The world record-breaking Ceile Band playing at Wexford Park during the Fleadh. Ireland Fleadh record attempt backed by Wexford birthplace... Read More "Our role is liaising with Guinness World Records to make sure it is an official record, we handle the registrations, the communications. "There is a little bit of nervousness, but after last year's success, there are fewer unknowns, and we remember the emotions of what we achieved last year. "The Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil group has to be recognised for its achievement in the second world record so close to the birthplace of Castlebridge. "The Fleadh Cheoil means so much to the community. We're all in this together, so everyone is focused on the objective."
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Wexford Fleadh Cheoil breaks Guinness World Record for largest céilí band
A Guinness World Record has been broken at the Fleadh Cheoil in Wexford after more than 1,000 people gathered to form the largest céilí band to play together in history. Some 1,018 people gathered at Chadwicks Wexford Park GAA grounds on Thursday evening to attempt to achieve the traditional music festival's second record in the town. Participants played The Wexford Polka, The Gaelscoil Polka and The Little Diamond for more than five minutes. Guinness World Records adjudicator Glen Pollard said any record is special, 'but today is particularly special'. READ MORE 'Your music drove me to emotion, so you did a wonderful job. But at the end of the day, it's all about breaking records,' he said. Last year, organisers broke a separate record after hosting the largest tin whistle ensemble (2,516). Following that success, organisers set their sights on outdoing a record previously set on March 15th last year, when 384 people formed the largest céilí band at the time at Croke Park in Dublin. Glenn Pollard of Guinness Book Of Records with Barbara Walsh of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann after the victory. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien / The Irish Times John Ryan, who was involved in organising Thursday's attempt, said it was a 'more complex' record to break due to the number of instruments involved. 'To see that many musicians coming together with so many different instruments was really special,' he said. Mr Ryan, who runs Castlebridge Inspire, a group that highlights the origins of the book of records, said it felt 'spiritual' to have broken a second record so close to its 'birthplace.' 'It's emotional,' he said. Sisters Ciara (left) and Rebecca Banville from Tathmon, play the banjo and the fiddle. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien / The Irish Times The idea for the famous book is said to have been conceived in Castlebridge, Co Wexford, in 1951 by Guinness Breweries managing director Hugh Beaver after an argument with a fellow hunter as to which game bird was fastest. Unable to find the answer in encyclopedias, he decided to pursue the reference book to host such facts, which was first published some four years later. Since then, more than 150 million copies have been sold.
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Fleadh record attempt supported by Wexford town where Guinness World Records were born
The Fleadh Cheoil in Wexford will feature a world record attempt including a group that hails from the birthplace of the Guinness World Records, Castlebridge. At last year's Fleadh Cheoil, the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Fleadh group successfully set a world record for a tin whistle ensemble, with over 2,000 people taking part. Advertisement This year's attempt will take place at Wexford Park, and it will look to set a Céili Band ensemble record. A group called Castlebridge Inspire, which celebrates the town's status as the birthplace of the Guinness Book of Records, will be involved in facilitating the ambitious attempt. John Ryan, who runs Castlebridge Inspire, told : "Last year we did the tin whistle ensemble Guinness World Record, the CEO Craig Glenday was over adjudicating on that one, we needed 1,015 and we got 2,516 in the end. "We had to play a couple of songs for five minutes. That was probably one of the biggest ensembles at any Fleadh to to date, and it was also the first Fleadh official Guinness World Record attempt. Advertisement "It was so successful that we've decided to do another one this year. This one is the Céilí Band ensemble which will take place on August 7th at Chadwick's Wexford Park. The record to beat this year is 386 participants so that's what the goal is. There are three polkas pre-arranged to play for five minutes, we'll have some dancers, we have 15 different instruments for the record attempt. "This includes banjos, guitars and even a harp, along with the likes of the bodhran." A small town with less than 2,000 residents, Castlebridge is the birthplace of the world famous Guinness World Records. Mr Ryan shared the story of how the records are traced back to the Wexford town. Advertisement Members of Castlebridge Inspire. "We're Castlebridge Inspire, so our vision is to bring the story of the birthplace, to connect that with the world. It's an important story, it all started with an argument. "On November 10th, 1951, the CEO of Guinness was in Wexford in Castlebridge House. They had been hunting down in the Sloblands and they came back and had an argument about what was the fastest game bird in the world. They couldn't resolve that argument so the Guinness boss decided we need a book to sort out these arguments of fact. "That's how the idea was born, and that's how we lay claim to it in Castlebridge. "From an argument, came a book which has gone on to inspire millions of people around the world. In some ways it was the Google of that time. Advertisement "In the 90s when the internet start, the books started to change. Up until that point, it was the go-to. "We celebrate the Castlebridge argument and we have created the rules of arguing here. Two important rules are number 9: Every argument must end in an inspiration, number 10: You must celebrate the argument, don't go off angry, something good can come from it." Mr Ryan said the history of Castlebridge's reputation as a centre of knowledge can be traced much further back than the Guinness World Record origins in 1951. The Fleadh Cheoil means so much to the community. We're all in this together so everyone is focused on the objective. "St Ibar built his monastry in Castlebridge parish in the fifth century in Beggerin, that was pre-Patrician. Then in the 19th century one of Daniel O'Connell's reading rooms was set up in the town. That was all about the education of people, the newspapers and encyclopaedias of the time. Advertisement "The reading room in Castlebridge is now the last reading room in Ireland. Guinness donated it to the community in 1980. "The argument in 1951 led to another great book. There is something about Castlebridge when it comes to books, knowledge and outcomes, and there are amazing local storytellers. "As we move into the age of AI, we're at an important junction in human history and we believe Castelbridge, the birthplace of the Guinness Book of Records, will have a role in solutions for the new world. "All the record holders are always welcome in Castlebridge as the birthplace of the book, so they're always welcome here to tell their story and inspire future record breakers." The reading room in Castlebridge is now the last reading room in Ireland. Returning to Thursday's record attempt, he said a number of groups will be involved in trying to make it a success. "There are different people involved at different levels. Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil will have there name on the record and they are running it, Wexford County Council is providing resources, Wexford GAA is providing the venue and helping with logistics, and then there are the volunteers. "Our role is liaising with Guinness World Records to make sure it is an official record, we handle the registrations, the communications. "There is a little bit of nervousness, but after last year;s success there are fewer unknowns, and we remember the emotions of what we achieved last year. "The Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil group has to be recognised for it's achievement in the second world record so close to the birthplace of Castlebridge. "The Fleadh Cheoil means so much to the community. We're all in this together so everyone is focused on the objective."
RTÉ News
6 days ago
- General
- RTÉ News
Wexford village explores link to Guinness Book of Records
A county Wexford village is undertaking a number of initiatives to highlight its connection to the Guinness Book of World Records as the publication celebrates its 70th year. Castlebridge, north of Wexford town is the birthplace of the book which has sold more than 150 million copies worldwide and inspired record attempts across the globe. Locals say most are unaware of the major impact the the small village has had in creating this powerhouse of the publishing industry and inspiring millions worldwide to engage in record attempts. John Ryan who runs the group, Castlebridge Inspire, said the idea was born after the head of Guinness travelled to Castlebridge to purchase hops for the brewery. "It all started here. This is the birthplace of the Guinness book records," he said. "In 1951, the MD of Guinness, Sir Hugh Beaver was here and there was an argument started after a game shoot, where they were trying to work out the fastest game bird in Europe. The resolution to that argument was to create a book of facts, to resolve all future arguments of fact," Mr Ryan added. The Guinness Book of Records is now in its 70th year, so to mark that the people of Castlebridge are trying to get their hands on at least one copy of every edition that's been published. They are still missing a few but the aim is that they will put them on display to promote the connection. After a recent appeal on RTÉ's Liveline, which prompted multiple listeners to search their attics and scour their bookshelves for old editions, the group was sent ten copies that they had been unable to procure. They are still searching for the 1957, 1963 and 1974 editions but with more than 150 million copies sold to date they are confident they will eventually track them down. Mairead Stafford, a local artist and businesswoman who is involved with the project said the aim is to ultimately display the full collection of the books in Castlebridge House or the local reading rooms which the group are working towards getting restored in the coming years. "The story of Castlebridge and the House and the Guinness World Records is such an amazing story and it's been the hidden secret for so many years," she said. "There's a group of us now that are just trying to get it highlighted and get the story back out there again. It's a global story. It's got so much inspiration in it for everybody." Craig Glenday, Editor in Chief of Guinness Word Records said the appeal of an idea that began in a small village in Wexford continues to endure across the globe today with almost two million books sold last year and an average of 1000 record attempts submitted every month. "They had a big, expensive library at Castlebridge House and yet no books had the answer because books weren't formulated that way. "The encyclopaedias were very different. So Hugh Beaver realised that there'd be people arguing all over the country, about all sorts of things and that some kind of book is needed," Mr Glenday said. He added that Mr Beaver was also thinking of interesting marketing plans for Guinness, "so he had this genius idea putting these two things together". "He said, we'll have a book behind the bar in all the pubs in Britain and Ireland so if you ever have a debate or an argument, you just stop the argument, you have a pint of Guinness, and you reach for the Book of Records. And that's how it got started," Mr Glenday said. "He got Norris and Ross McWhirter, who were twins, identical twins, with this amazing, almost photographic memory and they produced the first edition. It was given free to about 50,000 pubs in the UK and Ireland but it kept getting stolen, so they decided to sell, and it became a best seller." Mr Glenday said the publication has grown into a "global phenomena" and despite a decline in book sales, its place on the bestseller list endures. "It was a best seller that Christmas in the UK. It went on the US the next year. Recently we've done a Mongolian edition, a Korean edition, so people are really hungry for it, and I'm really pleased to see that they're still hungry for it. "Last year we were Christmas number one, we were the number one book on Amazon and its just really satisfying to know that people are still reading actual books, physical books," he said. Mr Glenday said when the internet evolved, people were saying that it was going to kill books and that there will not be any need for books. "But in fact, we've seen that there's so much information now that's the problem. You have this huge, big tsunami of information, not all of it's true," he said. However, he stressed that it is getting worse with fake news and AI. "What we do, is we provide the filter to that. I can tell you the largest tin whistle ensemble happened in Wexford because I was there and I counted everyone. "I can tell you the world's tallest man is eight foot three because I measured him. And that's the real value. When you have so much information you have this filter," he said. The book is no longer associated with the drinks brand that gave it its name and the company behind it has changed hands numerous times over the past three decades. Mr Glenday said: "Diageo who owned Guinness, sold us off at the beginning of the 2000s. They got rid of all the non alcohol assets and we were actually sold to Thomas the Tank Engine. "So Thomas the Tank Engine bought the Guinness Book of Records. Thomas got bought by Bob the Builder, and we got dragged along with that. Bob's now owned by Mattel. "So Barbie owns Bob, I suppose you could say. And at some point we were separated off and sold to the Jim Patterson group, which is a Canadian individual who just lets us get on with it, which is great. "We have this huge reach but such a little company with little humble beginnings, we've got very long tentacles that go all around the world." He said the most popular section is always the human body "because we all have a human body, and we can relate it to some of the records". Mr Glenday also noted enduring categories such as tallest man, shortest man and shortest woman. "We love the fingernails record, everyone remembers the fingernails, it's such a visceral, amazing image. That's someone who's choosing to to grow long fingernails, they're not born that way, they just decide they want to do this and that's fascinating. There's also huge interest in pets," he said. He said the record that changes hands most consistently is oldest person, "for obvious reasons, because they don't necessarily last a long time in that category". He said several different categories depend on what is fashionable at the time. "We have a huge surge in street hockey for some reason, we've had loads of claims for that. And you see trends like fidget spinning, twerking, loom bands, the Harlem Shake, it comes and goes in waves. What's interesting is the book provides that snapshot over time," he said. "This amazing idea that started in Wexford and is still going strong, because it was such a powerful idea and that really caught everyone's imagination. I love the randomness of all this, something that happened during the buying of hops or malt, suddenly turns into a global phenomenon."
Irish Independent
05-06-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Wexford birthplace of Guinness Book of World Records seeks to complete collection of every annual since 1955
At one time it was a source of unending wonder in households across Ireland. When the latest Guinness Book of World Records made its way into the house for Christmas or as a birthday present, it would spark hours of leafing through, analysing facts and figures and becoming entranced by images of the man with the longest fingernails in the world or the person with the record for the most clothes pegs attached to their face. Its now well publicised that Castlebridge, Co Wexford, is the birthplace of the Guinness Book of World Records and as it approaches its 76th anniversary, the local community are urging people to search their shelves and comb their attics for some missing volumes they require to complete the set. "We're building a complete collection of every annual Guinness Book of World Records from 1955 to 2025 right here in Castlebridge, and we're almost there,' the appeal stated. 'Unfortunately, a few editions are still missing and a few of our older books could use an upgrade.' In terms of the missing volumes, the group are seeking to track down the Guinness Book of World Records from 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2003, 2006, 2013, 2022, 2024 and 2025. They are also seeking to replace damaged copies of the editions from 1970, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1983 and 1985. "We've already collected over 50 editions, including a couple of French versions,' the organisers said. 'The majority of books in our possession were handed down by the late Barney Murphy.' So the Wexford public are being asked to have a look in their attics, garages or school libraries and see if they can help complete the village collection. Every donor will be listed as a 'Castlebridge Collection Contributor', will be given a certificate of thanks and will be featured during the 75th anniversary next year. Those with any of the missing copies can get in touch with John Ryan via the Castlebridge Inspire Facebook page.
