Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann

The Fleadh is an annual celebration of Irish culture held in different cities throughout Ireland. It was held in the north for the first time in 2013, for Derry's City of Culture year. This year it was held in Belfast. They estimated 800,000 would come. They got 1.6 million. The craic was mighty.

There were children busking all over city centre, all of which was pedestrianised to support the crowds.

A lot of the children looked pretty bored, however they were raking in the coins.

And they were all very good. There were also groups of adults performing – also excellent. The city was thrumming with music.

The heart of the fleadh is the competitions. Categories include: fiddle, uilleann pipes, tin whistle, harp, flute, dance, ceili bands, composing, story telling, etc. Each category might be further divided by age or by genre (slow airs, mixed). I'd say one-third of the 386-page catalog is for competition schedules.

I volunteered all day Saturday at the Irish singing contest and all day Sunday at the flute/airs contest, followed by flute mixed (jig, reel, air, barn dance). My job was to keep the door closed while each competitor performed in front of the judges. People could sit in on the competitions but only if they were in before the door closed. Below the list of competitors in flute mixed. Not all of them showed up.

Here's me in my volunteer togs with our team leader.

The heart of the Fleadh was the Gig Rig, where lots of bands performed on the grounds of City Hall. One night I went into town to hear 11 female Donegal fiddlers. Powerful stuff.

It was an exhausting week. Highlights were a film called Trad – a coming of age story I highly recommend. And seeing the bursary winners perform at the Ulster Museum – talented young people who are very committed to sharing their knowledge, for instance by teaching at primary schools. One of the teens used part of her bursary money to buy tin whistles for a primary class in Glengormley. I also danced at a ceili at Belfast Castle, whose gardens were lovely in the evening light.

It was a week of FOMO. When I was at home I felt like I was missing Something Important in town. When I was in town, I was often exhausted by the crowds and the noise. Classic introvert.

I also played golf three times during Fleadh week (Tuesday competition, Thursday friendly round, Friday Lady Captain's Day). Lady Captain's Day is the High Holy Day of golf. In addition to walking the dogs that morning, I picked and arranged flowers for two tables, went to the bakery to make a contribution to the morning tea, and made it on time for my tee time.

Here's me stuffing my face after my round. For the first time I am wearing my Master's golf shirt generously given to my by Dara, whose son's friend was a chef at the Master's. Rory won it the last two years so I was hoping for some Rory magic. That didn't happen.

The highlight of the round was the difficult par 3 10th hole. The tee box sits at the top of a long, steep hill, at the bottom of which is a creek. Across the creek and up a steep bank is a circle of bunkers with a green in the middle. My friend Patricia and I got on the green with our drives. A driver for her, an 8 iron for me. She was at the back of the green and I was nearer to the front of the green. The green slopes toward the creek, so she had a difficult downhill putt. She made it, to the shock of all of us. Maybe 20 feet?

I decided not to be outdone so I put a little extra effort into my uphill putt (10 or 15 feet?) and I sunk mine. So we both got birdies and were thrilled with ourselves.

Here we are with our playing partner, Anne, in front of the crest added to the back of the 10th hole – considered our signature hole because it is difficult.

I don't have much to say about the rest of my round. I just can't keep out of trouble, so maybe two bad holes wreck my card.

A footnote that the Fleadh host city hosts for two years – so more madness a year from now, when I expect Lady Captain's Day to occur again during Fleadh week.

2-9 August