SOME of Derry’s best known music stars are returning to the city this week to help celebrate the centenary of the Feis Dhoire Cholmcille.
An institution in the city, the annual cultural festival has proved the springboard for many of Derry’s most famous singers, musicians and actors.
The 100th Feis Dhoire Cholmcille gets underway at venues across the city tomorrow.
Held every year over the Easter holidays, the Feis has witnessed first public performances from Snow Patrol’s, Johnny McDaid, Undertones frontman, Fergal Sharkey, film stars, Bronagh Gallagher and Roma Downey, musician and composer, Phil Coulter and many other accomplished musician to emerge from the city.
The Feis has blended Irish dance, song, music and literature with a diverse range of cultural disciplines.
It even gave birth to a unique phenomenon, “the Feis Mother”, those formidable women who set up camp at the annual festival as daughters and sons danced, sang, recited and played through the week.
The unique place held by Feis Dhoire Cholmcille was made clear earlier this year when a proposal that Derry and Strabane council support this year’s centenary received cross party support.
Former DUP mayor, Hilary McClintock added her praise.
“It is only right we respect the distinguished history associated with the Feis,” she said.
The first ever Feis took place in June 1922, opening in the week that the new Free State army shelled republican forces in Dublin’s Four Courts to start the Civil War.
Its founders included Aghyaran parish priest, Fr Peadar McLoingsigh and musician and music teacher, Mrs Edward Henry O’Doherty (Rose), known throughout the city as Mrs EH.
Each year since, thousands of competitors, young and old, have lined up at the venues across Derry to vie for a Feis medal and, maybe even, win through to the annual Prize Winners’ concert at the end of Feis week.
For many years, Ursula Clifford was Feis secretary – taking over the role from her mother, Sybil Sharkey. She recalls her younger brother, Fergal Sharkey making his debut at the Feis.
“I’m 80 and our Fergal’s 60 – he was the wee late one. My mother, Sybil, made sure we all took part in the Feis. After it Fergal went on to sing on ‘Tea Time with Tommy’ (UTV),” she said.
Following his initial successes on the Feis stage and Tea Time with Tommy, Fergal progressed to “Teenage Kicks” with the Undertones and later still a number one solo hit with “A Good Heart”.
“They all started with the Feis, Johnny McDaid, Phil Coulter, Roma Downey, Nadine Coyle, Bronagh Gallagher. The one I didn’t know about was Sister Clare Crockett (who died in an earthquake in Ecuador in 2016). We found her records when she was a prize in the drama section,” Mrs Clifford said.
In true Feis tradition, when Mrs Clifford retired, the role of secretary fell to her daughter, Aisling Bonner who ensures everything still runs smoothly.
Mrs Bonner said this year’s centenary would open on Easter Tuesday across nine venues in the Millennium Forum, The Playhouse, St Columb’s Hall and St Mary’s College. The special “grá” Derry people have for the Feis was evident from the fact that Bronagh Gallagher and opera singer, Doreen Curran are coming home to adjudicate.
“We’ve about 2,400 entrants this year and we’ve a lot of events to mark the centenary. Every competition will have a centenary prize. We’ve also added a popular music section this year and at the end of the week there’ll be a grand centenary concert in the Millennium Forum on the Sunday night,” she said.
Among the stars lined up for the concert are actor-musician, Bronagh Gallagher, classical crossover soprano, Margaret Keys, opera singer, Doreen Curran, country singer, David James, Best Boy Grip’s Eoin O’Callaghan and saxophonist, Gerard McCrystal.
The Feis runs from tomorrow to Friday with the grand Feis concert at the Millennium Forum on Sunday, April 24.
