Killeigh woman takes top position in Comhaltas

A Killeigh woman has made history this week by becoming the first Offaly person to be elected as president of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCE).

Attracta Brady, who is a teacher in the Sacred Heart School in Tullamore, and comes from a family steeped in traditional music, becomes only the third woman in the 70-year history of Comhaltas to hold the prestigious position of president.

She takes up her position later this month, replacing outgoing president, Éamonn Ó hArgáin from Kerry.

As she prepares to take the helm of an international organisation with 450 branches in 22 countries around the world, Attracta Brady is under no illusions about the challenges that lie ahead during her three-year term, but admits that she is “really looking forward” to helping to shape the future of Comhaltas.

Among the priorities of the renowned Killeigh musican and lifelong member of Comhaltas is to encourage more young people to become involved in the day to day running of the organisation. Having held positions at practically every level throughout her long involvement, Attracta Brady says there is “nothing more powerful than marrying youth with experience” and she would hope to see more young Comhaltas members working alongside the more experienced members at every level of the organisation during her term of office. “I think there is space for all of us in Comhaltas, and one of the most appealing things about traditional music is the inter-generational aspect, where very young children can play music alongside their parents and grandparents and everyone is welcome.”

Declaring herself to be “a proud Offaly woman first and foremost” the new Comhaltas president says her role – which is voluntary - is largely an Ambassadorial role which will require her to represent every member of the organisation on both the national and international stage. “There will be quite a lot of travelling and a lot of meetings, but in a sense there won't be a whole lot of the job that will be completely new to me as I have worked at practically every level of the organisation for many years” she says.

Coming from a family steeped in traditional music, Attracta Brady and her three siblings were “always encouraged to listen to Irish music and speak Irish” by their parents, John and Eileen, when they were growing up in Fenter, Killeigh. She credits her late Dad, who passed away in 2014, as being the “biggest influence and inspiration” for her as a musician.

While she admits that her late Dad, and also her beloved twin sister, Lelia, who passed away in February of last year, would have been “so proud” to see her achieve her lifelong dream of becoming president of Comhaltas, she says they were right by her side at the Comhaltas Congress in Sligo last weekend.

Also there was her husband and Kilcormac native, Ned O'Connor, who is an award-winning bodhrán player, and the couple's only child, 19-year old Róisin O'Connor who, unsurprisingly, is also a highly accomplished musician and multi-instrumentalist playing flute, fiddle and piano. Last year Róisín played in Carnegie Hall in New York with the Cross Border Ochestra of Ireland in a special concert to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Attracta Brady says she is “deeply humbled” at the huge amount of support and goodwill she has received and regards it as “an enormous privilege” to have been entrusted with the job of leading Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Éireann over the next three years.

The Killeigh branch of Comhaltas, of which Attracta Brady is current chair, was founded in 1968 by her parents, and it also played host to the Fleadh when it came to Tullamore for three years in a row, from 2007 to 2009.

Despite having an Offaly woman at the helm, the new Comhaltas president says it is “unlikely” that the Fleadh will return to her native county in the near future. “The Fleadh is a huge international event now, and the evolution of the modern Fleadh as we know it today actually began in Tullamore, and people still talk about how brilliant the town was as a setting for the Fleadh, so never say never.”