Connacht Fleadh 2022 Kicked Off in Sligo – June 2022
The Connacht Fleadh makes a return this Summer and will take place in Sligo between 20th June and 3rd July 2022. A large number of concerts, recitals, lectures, cultural events and competitions will form the core of the Connacht Fleadh programme, and many of these events will be free to the public. Details can be accessed at the brand new www.connachtfleadh.ie website.
Some of the big acts that will appear on the Gig Rig at the Connacht Fleadh include the Hothouse Flowers, Téada, Moxie, the Blackwater Céilí Band and others, all of whom will play over a series of 4 nights during the festival. In addition, we will see a number of niche events taking place throughout the 2 week programme. These include interesting discussions and lectures on some of the seminal traditional players who have helped put the music of Sligo on the map, as well as broader cultural offerings that put a focus on the places that inspired WB Yeats, for example, or the mythology and music associated with the Hill of Knocknashee.
After a hiatus of 2 years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have already seen the return of County Fleadhanna throughout the country, and the next step for the participants who have qualified from Counties Galway, Mayo, Leitrim, Roscommon and Sligo is to take part in competitions that form a central part of the Connacht Fleadh. The competitions themselves will take place at the Mercy College in Sligo on June 25th and 26th next and details of these are regularly being updated on the Connacht Fleadh website.
We are also running a photo competition with a €1,000 prize fund. The public are asked to submit photos of their county – any aspect, landscape, music, people, etc – whatever photo means something special to them and which portrays some aspect of their county. This competition isn’t restricted to the counties in Connacht, anyone in any county is welcome to get involved. And the best photos will not only receive a substantial prize, but some will also be selected for a photographic exhibition which will take place as part of the Connacht Fleadh, and which will be free to view for visitors to Sligo.
So, follow our social media channels, find Connacht Fleadh on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and updates on tickets and events. You can buy tickets for some of the main events online at www.connachtfleadh.ie and we will keep you posted as we get closer to the festival itself.