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Irish Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Guinness World Record for biggest céilí band set in Wexford
A brand new Guinness World Record for the biggest céilí band has officially been set at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Wexford. On Thursday 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 gathered under the watchful eye of Glen Pollard, who adjudicated the attempt. The Wexford record was attended by musicians from countries including the USA, France, Japan, UK and Canada. Instruments included tin whistles, fiddles, concertina, accordion, banjo, guitar, mandolin, drums, piano and uilleann pipes, to name a few. Unsurprisingly, following last year's successful record for the largest tin whistle ensemble, the tin whistle was the most prevalent instrument played today. 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 15, 2024. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
BreakingNews.ie
5 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
5 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.
