I was at the Fleadh on the Thursday. There was music about but the atmosphere was very quiet! I then went on to lovely Dunmore East, Waterford where there was a small bluegrass fest.

PeterK's comments on Ballycastle and Ballymena remind me that Comhaltas used to organise an annual Fleadh Rinnce 'us Amhráin (dancing and singing)at Ballycastle. Recently the event has been moved, to Castlewellan I think. The first times I went to Ballycastle for the fleadh, pubs weren't allowed to open on Sundays in the north. But there were often ways round the restrictions (one shebeen I remember in Belfast was in the back of a sweet shop and was called the Sweetie Bottle). I recall one Ballycastle pub opening an illicit beer garden on the Fleadh Sunday. One of the first sights I saw when I followed the music through the back gate was a woman dancing around with a policeman's hat on her head. The RUC man turned out to be sitting at a table, well tipsy; I suppose that made sure the publican wouldn't be prosecuted.