County Armagh performers were among the musicians and dancers helping Belfast celebrate its first Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, as the major Irish traditional music festival brought crowds, street sessions and high-profile visitors to the city.
The Belfast Fleadh ran over the past week and was described as a major success, with locals and tourists filling the city centre. More than 200 events and 180 traditional music competitions took place, while organisers and supporters have already begun campaigning for Belfast to host the festival for a third consecutive year.
That would follow the example of Cavan, which hosted the Fleadh in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The Belfast event returns to the city next summer, according to the Belfast Telegraph report.
Armagh musicians featured in showcase
A showcase presented by the Belfast Bands Forum put the heritage of unionist and Ulster-Scots culture alongside the wider Fleadh programme. It featured flute bands, Lambeg drumming, pipe bands and Scottish country dancing, with the event highlighting what organisers described as the inclusive nature of the festival.
Among those taking part were the Imperial Guards Belfast, Sir Henry Inglesby Fife and Drum, and County Armagh Drum Majors. Highland dance sets were also performed by local dance schools.
The showcase was attended by Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, Belfast Lord Mayor Róis-Máire Donnelly, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Communities Minister Gordon Lyons.
Music and culture filled Belfast city centre
The opening concert at Belfast City Hall on August 2 featured a multicultural programme involving Ards CCÉ, the South Asian Dance Academy, the Belfast Bands Forum, highland pipers and champion Irish dancers led by Riverdance’s Lauren Smyth.
The Lord Mayor described the Fleadh as “a celebration of our culture, that ancient soul flowing out across the city, into our streets and homes”. Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said “respecting another’s culture never diminishes our own” and that “confidence in who we are gives us the freedom to celebrate the richness of others”.
Pedestrianisation of Belfast city centre created space for pop-up traditional music sessions and buskers throughout the week. Commentators noted that the arrangement made the city more accessible for a large event, while also referring to previous trials in areas such as Hill Street in the Cathedral Quarter.
One of the festival’s most widely viewed moments showed First Minister Michelle O’Neill dancing in the city centre with Fermanagh man Pat O’Doherty. O’Neill shared the video online with the message: “When a Fermanagh man asks a Tyrone woman to dance at Fleadh, sure why not?” She later responded to public reaction by saying: “That’s the spirit of the Fleadh!”
Performances, inclusion and unexpected stars
The Comhaltas Gradam Inclusion Awards were held at the Mac on Monday, celebrating members across Ireland who have additional needs. Young people nominated by their local Comhaltas groups performed during an afternoon of music, including Kate Laverty from Loughbeg Comhaltas, who was recognised for her bodhrán skills and performed The Salley Gardens with tin-whistle player Maria Conway.
The temporary Donegal bar was another focal point after a derelict site was transformed with concrete beams used to create a stage for Irish dancers. Charlie, a pug associated with the Donegal bar, became an online favourite after videos showed the dog performing “Mexican waves”.
President of Ireland Catherine Connolly, who attended the opening ceremony, walked around Belfast city centre during the week and stopped to speak with residents. She said the city would welcome visitors “from all corners of Ireland and indeed the world” and called the Fleadh “a celebration of what we have in common and the universality of music, song and dance”.
Bangor-born singer-songwriter Foy Vance performed at the closing ceremony and said he was “bursting with pride”. Actor Anthony Boyle, known for Say Nothing and House of Guinness, was also seen at Kelly’s Cellars and later singing with a band at the Linenhall Bar on Bedford Street.
There was also speculation that Ed Sheeran might make a surprise appearance after his visit to the Wexford Fleadh in 2025. A cross-border group formed through the Ed Sheeran Foundation, featuring musicians from Belfast and Cork, performed at the Gig Rig, but Sheeran did not appear. Some businesses added to the rumours by sharing AI-generated images of the singer in their premises.
With the festival returning next summer and calls growing for Belfast to retain it for another year, the event has placed traditional music, dance and community participation firmly at the centre of Northern Ireland’s cultural conversation. For County Armagh performers who featured in the programme, the Belfast Fleadh provided a prominent stage within that wider celebration.
