Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2014 is in Sligo and Celtic Music Radio will be there ‘live’ from Sligo on Saturday and Sunday 16-17 August.

Gordon Hotchkiss, Alex Jenkins and Joan McGlinchy will be live from The Glasshouse Hotel in the very heart of Sligo talking to competitors, guests plus live music sessions on Saturday 16 August from 12 noon and on Sunday 17 August from 2.00pm.

Translated, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann means The Music Festival of Ireland and that is exactly what it is. The Fleadh, as it is usually called, is the largest festival of Irish Music and can reach attendances of 400,000 over the course of nine eventful days.

The Fleadh is a competition for amateur musicians. From the mythical times to the present day there have been festivals in Ireland judging and celebrating the skills and arts of entertainers.

The focus was always on individual ability and so it is to this day. Few places in the western world have managed to maintain their musical traditions as successfully as Ireland has. The Fleadh is the showcasing of this tradition as well as  a celebration of the individual skills of the competitors. It is a valuable testament to creativity. It is a celebration of the new ways for doing the old things.

Celtic Music Radio in association with Tourism Ireland will be broadcasting live from The Glasshouse Hotel in Sligo in north-west Ireland on Saturday and Sunday 16-17 August with Gordon Hotchkiss and the rest of team talking to musicians, competitors, visitors and organisers plus live music sessions.