Fleadh Cheoil

The Fleadh Cheoil (Irish pronunciation: [ˌfʲlʲaː ˈçoːlʲ]), or "music festival" in English, is an annual Irish arts festival and competition run by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (Irish pronunciation: [ˈkoːl̪ˠt̪ˠəsˠ ˈcoːl̪ˠt̪ˠoːɾʲiː ˈeːɾʲən̪ˠ]), a non-profit organisation that promotes the learning and performance of Irish traditional music and dance internationally and domestically. The group maintains branches in several countries. Each year, a different town or city hosts the Fleadh Cheoil, giving musicians exposure to new styles and repertoire. Over the decades, the Fleadh has been held in large cities, towns and rural villages, Mullingar, Sligo, and Tullamore, among many others. The competition, often seen as the most prestigious and "serious" part of the event, is held alongside a parade, impromptu jam sessions and performances by musicians of global renown, many of them previous All-Ireland winners. Public sessions occur spontaneously throughout the hosting town, with musicians on street corners, in pubs, restaurants and other public places. Competitors and attendees come from across Ireland, as well as many European countries, including Spain and the UK, and from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and others. There are various stages within the competition, with local prerequisite titles required before competing at the Fleadh. In Ireland, county and provincial competitions lead to the Fleadh. Competitions are held in solo and duo categories, divided into the following age ranges: under 12, 12–15, 15–18, over 18 (senior), U-18, Any Age, U-18, U-9, 9–11, 11–13, 13–15, 15–18 (for Cómhra) and O-35.