By Veronica Corr
There was a full house for the 50th anniversary celebration of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann’s (CCÉ) Carrickmacross Branch, which took place in The Shirley Arms on Friday night last, where the present committee honoured the founding members of the local voluntary organisation. This joyful event was officiated by Minister Catherine Martin, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, who was delighted to be back in her hometown with her husband Green Party Deputy Francis Noel Duffy, also a native of Carrickmacross, and their children Turlough, Tadhg and Stella, who are involved in their local CCÉ branch in Dublin. They are a very musical family, who can play many instruments.
Minister Martin is a former music teacher who recalled that she used to busk on Grafton Street. Her husband Green Party Deputy Francis Noel Duffy took up the pipes on a landmark birthday recently too. Minister Martin said that it was no secret that she was a lover of Irish traditional music and dance, and it was clear that delivering the keynote address at the Comhaltas event in her beloved Carrickmacross meant a lot to her. Aside from her Ministerial portfolios, as a parent she recognised what Comhaltas did for families and communities alike, saluting members’ spirit of volunteerism…
