Irish In Britain

Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is the largest group involved in the preservation and promotion of Irish traditional music. We’re a non–profit cultural movement but because we’re so many different things to different people, it can be hard to keep track of the true scope of our activities! 

If you’re a student of Irish music, you might want to find which one of our 1,000 weekly classes is closest to you. Visit our website to find out more.

For musicians who like to play socially, you might be interested in finding a local Comhaltas music session. And if you’re not sure, how about just going along to listen? 

Audiences around the world have seen our touring groups bringing Irish music, dance and storytelling on annual tours. 

We also run the definitive system of competitions for Irish music, called the ‘Fleadh Cheoil’ (literally ‘feast of music’). Musicians compete in a series of qualifying rounds, culminating in the annual All–Ireland Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. 

We’ve collected an archive of thousands of hours of Irish music recordings, a large print library and a growing collection of videos. You can get a sample of some of this material in the music section of our website. 

In an effort to promote the music of Ireland, we publish recordings, books and tutorials of Irish traditional music. We have been working in Britain for over fifty years teaching Irish music and promoting our culture With over twenty five branches across England, Scotland and Wales so there’s sure to be a branch close to you and we welcome anyone who has an interest and love of traditional Irish culture.