It will be the first time the event, commonly known as the All-Ireland Fleadh (pronounced ‘Flah’), will be held in Northern Ireland and will coincide with the city´s year as the UK City of Culture.
Attracting over 11,000 musicians and 150,000 visitors every year, the Fleadh is an exciting and entertaining celebration of Irish culture.
The ten-day event embraces all aspects of Irish traditions including music, song, dance and the Irish language and the streets of Derry~Londonderry will come alive with the throng of celebration.
Performances and impromptu pub and street ‘sessions’ day and night, marching bands, competitions, ceilí bands, concerts, singing, drama, exhibitions, fun-days, pageants and the arts are typically part of the unique and atmospheric festival.
Commenting on the Fleadh being awarded to Derry~Londonderry, Shona McCarthy, Culture Company 2013 Chief Executive, said: “The All-Ireland Fleadh 2013 will be one of the most dazzling jewels in the crown of our year of celebration.”
The 2013 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Derry~Londonderry will build “on the excellent work that has been done by Cavan in recent years and deliver the most spectacular Fleadh to date,” says Shona.
Derry~Londonderry’s year as UK City of Culture 2013 and the lead in year of 2012 will see it play host to a number of events of global significance.
These include a series of events to be staged in the city in the run up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held in London this summer.
Derry~Londonderry is represented in the year-long Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race with an official city boat in the race and, as an official host port, the city will welcome the ten-strong fleet and the local boat home to Derry~Londonderry in July for a spectacular maritime festival.
And among hundreds of events during the City of Culture Celebrations in 2013 Derry-Londonderry will host the Turner Prize, the most important event in the UK’s contemporary art calendar.
Derry~Londonderry is the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples of walled cities in Europe.
It is just an hour and a half’s drive from Belfast and also has an airport serving the UK and Europe.
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