The Newbridge CCE AGM will be held tomorrow night, Tuesday, 7th October, at 8:30pm in The Elk.
We would encourage as many members as possible to attend as this is an important forum that will determine branch development, activities and plans for the coming year.
Also, please note that membership is now due for renewal and new members are always welcome.
With music classes now well under way, our monthly session resumes this Thursday night following the long summer break. The juniors meet downstairs in The Elk at 7:30pm while the senior session gets under way upstairs around 9:00pm. As always, a light supper will be served, admission is £3 and everyone is welcome.
Our classes start again in a couple of weeks and we’re having a Registration/Information morning in The Elk next Saturday, 6th September, from 10:00am. We’ll also have a session in the foyer throughout the morning and all musicians are welcome to come along. If there’s demand for classes in instruments we don’t already cater for, we hope to be able to add additional classes this term – enquiries should be directed to info@newbridge-cce.com and we’re particularly interested in starting a harp class if possible.
Membership fees for 2014/15 are also due around now and can be paid during registration – new members are always welcome.
Well done to all our competitors at this year’s All-Ireland Fleadh in Sligo. Although we’ve returned without any silverware, all the groups and bands performed really well and had a thoroughly enjoyable weekend. Everyone can be very proud of their efforts, and our thanks go to all at Ceoltoiri Crosskeys for providing the opportunities for us to participate and for their encouragement and dedicated coaching.
Congratulations to Caoimhe O’Kane and Roisin Magee on their recent successes in the London College of Music grade exams. Both achieved Distinctions – Caoimhe in Grade 8 tin whistle and Roisin in Grade 6 fiddle.
Although we had no-one placed in any of the solo competitions at the Ulster Fleadh at the weekend, several of our musicians have qualified to compete in the All-Ireland Fleadh as members of Ceoltoiri Crosskeys grupai ceoil and ceili bands. All three grupai ceoil and the 15-18 ceili band won their competitions and progress as Ulster champions to Sligo in three weeks time.
Caoimhe O’Kane was in the 12-15 grupa ceoil while Caoimhe Purvis and Roisin Magee played in the 15-18 grupa ceoil (Roisin was also in the winning 15-18 ceili band). In the O-18 grupa ceoil, Hugh Mulholland, Kevin O’Kane, Hilary Scott, Maureen McKee and Amanda Monaghan were our representatives.
Well done to everyone who took part and good luck to those who qualified at the All-Ireland fleadh!
A full list of results is now available at the fleadh website –http://www.ulsterfleadh.com/288-2/
Well done to everyone who represented us at recent feiseanna and fleadhanna. Pictured are Caoimhe O’Kane, winner of the U-15 fiddle, fiddle slow airs and tin whistle slow airs competitions at the Derry fleadh. She also achieved second place in the tin whistle competition. Congratulations as well to Roisin and Patrick Magee who are Antrim champions in U-18 fiddle and U-15 bodhran respectively. Roisin also came second in the fiddle slow airs and Patrick was second in the mandol…in section. All three competed in grupa ceoil and ceili band competitions representing Ceoltoiri Crosskeys/Loughbeg at the Antrim fleadh and Caoimhe and Roisin will be joined at the Ulster fleadh by Caoimhe Purvis who was in the winning U-18 grupa ceoil. Also going to the Ulster fleadh is Padraig Mullan who came second in the U-12 tin whistle slow air at the Derry fleadh. He’s pictured here with, (L-R), Ellie Conway. Caitriona Lagan, Brian Magee and Katy Shivers playing at Feis Carn Tochair where they achieved second place. Ellie and Caitriona also competed at the Derry fleadh and at Feis na nGleann in Cushendall recently.
Next up is the Ulster fleadh in Dromore, Co. Tyrone, on 26th/27th July. Good luck to everybody taking part.
Well done to all the competitors at the Yew Tree Feis on Saturday. The standard in all age groups was exceptionally high. Special congratulations to our prizewinners Tony Diamond, Caitriona Lagan and Ellie Conway.
We’ve just received the sad news of the sudden and untimely passing of Mickey Cassidy, a long-time member and supporter of Newbridge CCE. Our sympathies to his family and friends including his brother Artie and our committee members Mary, Theresa and Bronagh Cassidy. As a mark of respect, tonight’s monthly session has been cancelled. May he Rest in Peace.
Our monthly session for April will be held in The Elk tomorrow evening at the usual times of 7:30pm (junior) and 9:00pm (senior). We also now intend to have a session next month as well, on Thursday, 1st May.
The last day of classes before the long summer break will be Saturday, 12th April. Thanks to everybody who attended this year and to those who helped out with the smooth running of the classes. Thanks also to Danny Quinn and everyone at Anahorish Primary School for their ongoing support in facilitating our classes.
The Derry Fleadh will be held in The Loup/Ballyronan from 23rd-27th April, with the competitions taking place in The Loup Primary School on Saturday, 26th April. There will be a concert on Thursday, 24th April, in Ballyronan which we’ve been invited to play at. Practices are at 10:00am on Saturday mornings (before the classes) in Anahorish for anyone who wants to take part.