By Dan Walsh at Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann 2025 in Wexford town
After eight sun drenched days of song, story, dance, ceol agus craic, friendship and nostalgia for all ages, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2025 ended with a colurful fireworks display from the Fleadh Harp on Wexford Harbour late on Sunday night.
The Fleadh will be memorable for all of us and for different personal reasons, however, it is confirmed that 800,000 visitors experienced the magic of Wexford town last week – a record attendance at the Fleadh which was first held in Mullingar in 1951!
In a poignant ceremony on the Gig Rig, Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Cllr Joe Sullivan transferred the goodwill and best wishes of Fleadh 2026 to the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Cllr Tracey Kelly. It was in the form of a hand-crafted harp, carved from 4,000 year old bog oak. This will form the perpetual tribute to Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.
Cllr Joe Sullivan said; “Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2025 has been a memorable event for the people of Wexford. The music, the dancing, the atmosphere – it will live on in our memories for years to come. We will look back on the Fleadhanna Cheoil na hÉireann 2024 and 2025 as iconic events in the history of our town, bringing joy to so many”.
Mayor of Wexford, Cllr Gary Laffan commented; “The Fleadh Cheoil has been a great success for the people of Wexford. From the comments we are hearing, it is widely regarded as the most successful Fleadh ever and we are very proud of that. The people of Wexford have embraced the Fleadh, the culture, the music and the Irish language and I hope we will see this legacy thrive in Wexford for years to come.”
Chief Executive of Wexford County Council, Eddie Taaffe said; “We estimate that at least 800,000 people attended Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2025. These figures are derived in conjunction with An Garda Síochána and numbers using the car parks and public transport in the town. There was a palpable buzz all week, and the event as a whole far exceeded our expectations based on 2024.
“We are delighted to have delivered a safe and enjoyable event for so many. I would like to thank the many agencies we worked with, who all helped to make the Fleadh happen – the gardai, the health service, the voluntary services, council teams, security and event control personnel and so many more. We simply couldn’t have made the fleadh the event it was, without them,” said Mr. Taaffe.
Dr Labhrás Ó Murchú, Ard-Stiúrthóir Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann said; “The number of 800,000 fleadh fans at this year’s fleadh is indicative of the unparalleled resurgence in Irish traditional culture. It is truly a peoples’ fleadh, rooted in local communities and now extended to twenty-two countries worldwide. The fleadh in Wexford this year sets the tone for what we predict, when we go to Belfast, will be one of the greatest examples ever of reconciliation, all of us together without exception, celebrating the same culture.”
WexfordLocal.com 