Member's statement: Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann: Gaelic Culture

Member's statement by Mr Matthew O'Toole on 10 March 2025.

MLA

Mr Matthew O'Toole

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

10 March 2025

Type

Member's statement

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann: Gaelic Culture

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4840812

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Today, I warmly and delightedly welcome the fact that the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann will come to the great city of Belfast next year. It is the 75th anniversary of the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. In 2026, it will come to the North for only the second time and, for the first time, to this brilliant city — Ireland's second city — which is rich in Irish traditional music and dance and a whole range of dance and culture. The news comes after enormous hard work, particularly from Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireannn in Ards and Belfast and a range of others, to deliver it to this city. It will be amazing for Belfast's economy. It will bring hundreds of thousands of musicians, dancers and people who just want to participate in the festivities and the culture. It will be truly brilliant. Anyone who has been to a Fleadh Cheoil — there was famously a terrific one in Derry in 2013; the first one ever to come to the North — will know how amazing an experience it is. It is truly a huge opportunity for Belfast. It is also an opportunity for us to proudly put on display the diversity of culture in this city. I acknowledge and indeed point to 2013 when the Londonderry Bands Forum was a huge and emotionally resonant part of the fleadh in Derry. I am sure that that level of pluralism will be on display in Belfast when the whole island of Ireland and, indeed, the whole world will see the extraordinary diversity of culture on this island and the way that the city best embodies that extraordinary culture.

I look forward to the hundreds of events, to the tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of visitors, to the economic contribution and to the huge cultural impact that the fleadh will have.

With your indulgence, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, I will use the time that is left to me to acknowledge the passing of a very significant figure in Down GAA: the former Down county chairman Eamonn O'Toole, who is my uncle. Eamonn passed away in the past day. As well as being president of Loughinisland Gaelic Athletic Club (GAC), a club that he helped shape over the past half century and more, he was chairman of the Down county board at the turn of century, a role that he carried out in a reforming and significant way. As well as being a profound loss to his family, who are deeply proud of him, and to the community in Loughinisland, he is an illustration of the amazing contribution that Gaels make to their community and of the amount of energy, patience, diplomacy, volunteerism and service that the GAA embodies. He gave a huge part of his life to serving his community and to building the GAA in Loughinisland, Down and, indeed, Ulster. He was also a civil servant of long standing in the Department of Education and is held in much regard.

Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker.

503 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:02 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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