Overview

THE WORLD FLEADH 2009 GOES WEST
The World Fleadh is now recognised as Ireland's biggest Irish & Celtic Music Festival. The festival was first staged in Kerry in 2006 and was set up as a transient event which would move from location to location until it found its natural home.

After the outstanding success of The World Fleadh in 2007 & 2008 in Portlaoise, The World Fleadh International Irish & Celtic Music Festival returns with a fantastic selection of top Irish traditional, folk Celtic & country music acts alongside quality special guest acts from other musical genres. Festival organisers are delighted to announce that The World Fleadh 2009 will be staged at Castlebar, Co. Mayo between July 31st and August 8th.

The World Fleadh festival offers an exciting array of events. The festival will comprise theatre, outdoor and large scale concerts, céilí's, music, song and dance master classes, workshops and demonstrations, a scheduled session trail, world title competitions, a world food & craft fair, a late night festival club and a variety of other fringe entertainments to cater for all tastes and ages.

Another very exciting feature of this year's festival is the announcement that ‘Ireland's Music Awards' (IMA), the awards ceremony for Irish Traditional, Folk and Celtic Music will take place in Castlebar during the festival. In addition to this the ‘Irish Country Music Awards' (ICMA) will also be hosted as part of The World Fleadh Festival 2009.

Many of this year's festival activities will take place at the Royal Theatre & Events Centre and the Linen Hall Theatre, two of the main entertainment venues in Castlebar.

Pat Jennings, Managing Director of the Royal Theatre & Events Centre, Castlebar is largely responsible for ensuring the event is staged in Castlebar this year. He said of the festival; "This is a great opportunity for Castlebar to be chosen to host The World Fleadh and with our long standing history and love for Irish traditional music, we feel that the event is well matched here in the West of Ireland".

Festival Director of The World Fleadh, Eric Cunningham stated:

"It is with great delighted that I am able to announce that The World Fleadh will be held in Castlebar during 2009. Following the success the event had during its time in Portlaoise, we are looking forward now to a new direction and the town of Castlebar as a town has a lot to offer as a host venue."