Latest news with #FleadhCheoilnahÉireann2025


Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Cllr Garry Laffan takes the chains as Mayor of Wexford in time for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann
The Glynn man succeeds Labour's Catherine 'Biddy' Walsh who stepped into the breach upon the election of her party colleague George Lawlor to Dáil Éireann. Having sampled the atmosphere of stepping out into the cauldron of a packed Croke Park in his days as a member of Wexford's legendary All-Ireland winning team of '96, that experience will come in handy as Cllr Laffan will be required to stand before thousands once again next month as he welcomes them to Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2025. "It'll certainly be a busy week,' he smiles. 'But above all else, you'd have to say it's a great honour. It was a huge success last year, so we won't be looking to re-invent the wheel with it this year. There will be a couple of minor tweaks, but the council, the gardaí and all of the stakeholders have done an amazing job on putting everything in place again. "All we need now is the weather and I can't promise that!' However, it's not just the Fleadh that Cllr Laffan is looking towards with his stint as Mayor. He outlines priorities and big days ahead with the likes of the Carrigfoyle Activity Centre and the Curracloe Water Sports Facility. He also wants to prioritise road safety, with a particular emphasis on a string of dangerous junctions along the N11/N25. Overall though, Cllr Laffan is keen to represent the people of Wexford to the best of his ability during his term with the chains. "I'm delighted to get the opportunity again," he said. 'I think the council is working very well together and ultimately it's my goal to serve the office and the community as best I can.' Wexford Independent Alliance councillor Raymond Shannon was elected as Deputy Mayor, describing it as 'an honour and a privilege'.


Irish Independent
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Wexford trad group going global with gigs in Australia, Canada and France before Fleadh homecoming
Tulua performing during the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2025 official launch in the National Opera House on Saturday evening. ( l to r)- Caoimhe Moran, Diarmuid Murphy, Kayleigh Moran and Cian O'Grady. Pic: Jim Campbell While we can all often feel like we have a lot of balls in the air at any given moment, Wexford trad band TULUA are performing one hell of a juggling act. As well as being college students, the Carrig on Bannow group are also hitting the four corners of the globe with dates in the US, Canada and now Australia. In the coming week the four-piece will pack their instruments and head down under for a number of shows as they continue to grow their reputation and their sound. The first stop on the tour will be Sydney where they will bring their own unique twist on traditional music to the Paddington Bowls venue. They'll play two shows in Sydney, hooking up with American based Irish band Boxing Banjo, who they last shared a stage with in 2022 at the Milwaukee Irish Festival. From there, it will be on to Melbourne for two concerts as part of the National Celtic Festival, where TULUA will top the bill performing at the Culture Ireland official showcase at the Celtic Club venue. This performance will also give TULUA the opportunity to collaborate with young Australian musicians to help them with their Irish music skills. Port Arlington, Victoria is the final stop on this brief visit to Australia where the Wexford band will play three concerts at the Irish Music Festival June 6 to 10. A couple of days later TULUA will return to Wexford for a bit of a rest, before gearing up for an exciting tour of Canada in July and then onto France in August. By this stage, the four piece will be looking forward to playing before a home crowd and what better time to do it than Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2025? TULUA will play St Iberius Church in Wexford on the Thursday of Fleadh week and tickets can be purchased via