Warrenpoint Comhaltas hosts ‘An Chéad Chéim Amach’

After a second year of no Fleadhs, cancelled TradFests and online sessions, the Committee of Warrenpoint Comhaltas forwarded the idea of running a festival to mark, what is traditionally, the beginning of a summer of music.

An Chéad Chéim Amach - The First Step Out - saw a gentle return to live music and to meet other musicians and friends after our time apart. Organised in just three weeks, the festival hosted 5 events from 2nd - 4th July 2021, with events taking place both outdoors and online, signs of our COVID times.

To kick off, on Friday 2nd July, musicians extraordinaire Orlaith McAuliffe (TG4 Young Musician of the Year 2016), Ciaran Fitzgerald (14-Time All-Ireland Champion), Junior Davey (5-Time All Ireland Champion), James Finnegan (The Banjo Buddy) and Meabh Smyth (Fiddler of London 2021) held a Zoom recital - the opening notes to An Chéad Chéim Amach. Despite being divided by hundreds of miles, these musicians entertained and enthralled their audiences through the power of technology, and had feet tapping and hands clapping all over the country.

This recital was the precursor for our online workshops, taking place the following morning. We were delighted to welcome scores of pupils from across the world to Rinn Mhic Giolla Rua for these workshops. Although these were very well received, there was a tangible sense of anticipation in the air as the clock ticked away the minutes to the first steps on the much longed for return to normality.

On Saturday evening, we welcomed our headline act of the festival: an in-person, outdoor concert - one of Northern Ireland’s first live concerts since COVID-19 took over our lives.

Unfortunately, with typical Ulster “thranness” the weather, which had been glorious earlier in the week, decided that dark clouds, cold wind and an ever-present threat of rain would herald the return of live music.

However, determined that the weather would not have the upper hand, Fear an Ti Oisín McCann got proceedings under way by introducing a hastily gathered group of musicians: Banna Gan Ainm, comprising of Timmy Flaherty (Kerry) Alana Flynn (Armagh), Isaac Scanlon (Cavan) and our own Declan Magee, who soon dispelled the gathering gloom with an incredibly tight set.

Alana Flynn, Isaac Scanlon, Timmy Flaherty and Declan Magee performing ‘Ne’er Shall I Wean Her’ as support for Tara Breen, Padraig Rynne and Jim Murray

They were followed on stage by the headline act of the evening, the wonderful Nasc: Tara Breen, Pádraig Rynne and Jim Murray, whose artistry and magic transported the enthralled audience to a place far removed from the gloom of a typical Irish so-called summers evening.

Jim Murray (Guitar) Padraig Rynne (Concertina) and Tara Breen (Fiddle) performing ‘A Slip of a Thing’, one of Jim’s own compositions

Next morning, despite a yellow rainfall warning issued by the Met Office, the clouds were clearing from the South East and the decision was made to run with the finale of the festival: an outdoor session and pop-up Gaeltacht.

Whilst many of the 80+ musicians, from all over the neighbouring counties, (and beyond) who descended, “session starved” on our festival field, told of encountering floods and torrential rain on their journey to us, our little field sat in sunshine, whilst all around us the grey clouds dumped rain all over the surrounding area.

Whether the sheer joy of meeting and playing together after an enforced absence of 474 days generated its own unique micro climatic system or the sun always shines on the righteous……….. I’ll leave you to decide !!

Níl aon amhras ná go bhfuil muid ar bís bheith ar ais!

Part of our audience enjoying Nasc’s performance

Of course, none of this couldn’t have happened without the support of our brilliant committees, who spearheaded and supported this initiative, or our brilliant sponsors who were delighted to be able to support the return of live music.
In particular, Warrenpoint Comhaltas would like to thank:
Comhaltas, The Irish Department for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport, Gaeltacht and Media, The Tinnelly Group, Grant’s Bar, Mayobridge, The Duke Off-Licence, Warrenpoint, O’Hare’s Bakery, Warrenpoint and Royeux Ireland.

Members of our Executive and Youth Committees helping out at our Nasc concert