Fleadh Cheoil Listowel, Co. Kerry, Ireland 1973

Listowel sights and sounds for the Fleadh, a festival of Irish traditional music enjoyed by visitors from home and abroad.
The All-Ireland Fleadh took place in Listowel in August of 1973 attracting around 60,000 visitors and traditional music lovers from across the country and around the world.
Sixty thousand lovers and followers and players of Irish traditional music.
With over 1,500 musicians taking part, the festival was a huge success for the Kerry town.
Listowel, with an ear for a tune and an eye for a bit of variety welcomes everyone.
Fans of traditional Irish music from as far afield as Germany, San Francisco, Switzerland, Israel, Massachusetts, France, and England give their reason for attending the Fleadh..
’Fleadh ‘73 Listowel’ was broadcast on 3 October 1973. The programme was presented by Tony MacMahon.

[@barryscannell]

It’s a pity Listowel doesn’t host the Fleadh anymore. It used to be the best place in Ireland for it. And one of Ireland’s best music festivals.

[@SpiralMoss]

The last one I was at in Listowel was in the 90's myself and my friend still talk about it,we left Shannon hitching with 200 Euro in our pockets and nothing else, in our early 20's we had a great weekend... Not a care in the world 😄😄😆

[@peterfawcett9969]

I was told - before the world went crazy, that certain people had had a meeting to bring the Fleadh to Listowel again. A better future and a proper traditional Fleadh can be created by independent minded Kerry.

[@liamhayes1011]

For the Irish our music is our heartbeat.

[@eddie12454]

Wonderful. Been to Listowel. Love tradition Irish music.

[@davidhuff5676]

The Kilfenora jig at the end there, lovely happy tune.

[@wakeywakeypeeps3086]

The ole man and woman playing the fiddle, definitely gone god rest them, 2 baby twins in yellow be nearly 50..1976 myself

[@Legacyrxawd]

That's Julia Clifford (1914-1997) and her brother Dennis Murphy (1910-1974) on the fiddles. with their friend Johnny O'Leary (1923-2004) on accordion, playing (as they usually did) outside the Bank of Ireland on the Square in Listowel.

[@warrenmilford1329]

Ya gotta love that edit, between scenes, at around 1-34, 'And an eye....for a bit of variety". I have a feeling this probably wouldn't show up in a modern day presentation.

[@jamieboyd1771]

I wish i was there ! Incredible

[@THAIRISH_92]

The Breton man, his accent is markedly distinct to a regular French accent. Really can hear some Cornish and Welsh twangs in there. His appearance even looks more Celtic than French!

[@peterfawcett9969]

Changes to the fleadh came gradually and began in 1994 with the introduction of the first Guinness gig rig. Then in 2015 fleadh TV brought stage shows which the new fleadh going public liked. But very quickly the street sessions, which were the entry of the world and made the fleadh unique, were edged out. In Clonmel 2004 there were 18 street sessions - by Ennis 2016 there were just 2. The big musicians who played on the street had now moved to the stage. Most didn't even notice what has happend. As a result the fleadh has has lost the feel of the real traditional country fleadh. * see book Fawcett's Fleadh cce 2017.

[@roisinniloirgneain815]

Yes, Peter, it has changed a lot, as you've just pointed out. Add to this the spectacle of youngsters busking while parents lurk nearby. Sad to see!

[@johnmc3862]

@@roisinniloirgneain815While parents lurk lol!

[@johnmc3862]

100% The organisers become too greedy.

[@Keviin1977]

The year I was born

[@adamtier3263]

Truly magical times to be alive !!

[@paddyboy557]

Johnny Leary on the box at the start

[@choctaw6838]

Saw my first car in video . Ford cortina mark 3

[@Melvorgazh]

Mná Ceilteacha ❤️

[@39Shing]

Would that be Julia Clifford right at the beginning?

[@Legacyrxawd]

It is, with her brother Dennis Murphy on the fiddles. and their friend Johnny O'Leary on accordion

[@micklenihan5206]

I reckon our music is awesome Michael lenihan clonakilty

[@micklenihan5206]

Mike pat donghue if u meet him good human being

[@davidreddington2842]

Not a smart phone in sight xxx

[@petertomspeter8879]

The way Ireland used to be but thanks to our woke politicians never will be again.

[@dellhell8842]

Yep, this clip is a snapshot of the happier side of Irish life in 1973 and yes it wasn't the same again. By 1983 it wasn't the same; some of the younger folk shown here likely had or were in the process of emigrating due to the stagnant economy. In 1963, it wasn't the same either, Lemass was trying hard to make the country more outward looking, having finally shunted Dev off to the Park. In 2023, it will be different again, in post Covid recovery. Change is part of life. Embrace it and attempt to make the most of it. Howling about it on the Internet is futile. There is little point in blaming politicians for change. We elect them. The parties with the most credible plan for change often do the best in elections. A party who campaigns on 'the country is fine as it is, vote for us and we won't change it' is not likely to win many seats.

[@russellfisher8931]

All our freedom has been crushed. (way before covid)

[@dellhell8842]

@@russellfisher8931 If all our freedom was crushed, you wouldn't be able to write about it on a public forum like this. You don't get North Korean malcontents moaning about their lack of freedom on KZbin.

[@russellfisher8931]

@@dellhell8842 I really notice just how bad it is when I return from other European countries (when we could do that), just how stifled our freedoms are. None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.

[@russellfisher8931]

@@dellhell8842 As you mention North Korea, Even in North Korea you can buy beer in a cafe with no problems. In Ireland you can't even get non-alcoholic beer before 10:30am in a licenced establishment. The North Koreans know they have no choice on who governs them. The Irish 'think' they have a choice, but yet are still governed by the effective single party State that is FFG. Watch as both factions of what is effectively same party take turns to govern, since the foundation of the State.

[@paulseoighemcgee5772]

Ah my sainted people - ahhh.... a gnath duine ghaeil na hEireann , mo cháirde fíor ah naa deeny yeal na hare ahn , moh harjurr feer you ordinary folk gael of eire , my friends certain .... oh éire , albá misses you ... no craic without the gallant gan craic gan saoil Interesting quirky factoid : Paddy wasn't the first Partner or cymreag to become a saint of jesus' message - albhú or elvis , a bee keeper and community worker , was the first celtic christian to grace éire's fair forested , elf enchanted edenic idyll ... according to some , jesus' message stopped a rake a often nasty shennanigans like king sacrifice , child sacrifice , wife sacrifice ... ok human sacrifice .... so , er , human rights deffo become conceptualised by the slightly more efficient alphabet the welsh brought with them , evidenced by the Adamhán conference on civilian protective protocols , signed with celtic low key pomp in 698 CE ... so , that was cool . What a film it would make , ai. And there's a part for O Hara's son , Biddy , no problem , the old magooster won't fail ye ' aunty Biddy ... come here , give me a kiss ... no a phoil .... go on biddy just here ... peck .... hahahaha.... ohmygodyorimpossible.... see ya ... giggling and irked , biddy goes back to her Tolstoy ... you realise she's a goth ... Follow up scene - Biddy greets the proddy's wife with the tea and spill on the TD chat . The prod leaves beaming before snapping back to defence mode as she passes her old flame , a carpenter taking the aft off to chill with some old uni mates .... who came to éire as refugees from some scrape or other and now are balla pals , their sun seems to be the drummer .

[@Will-cl9os]

Spot the "refugee"...oh no you can't

[@michaelbarry3038]

You'd love to get them day's back, happy carefree day's the good time's in the Emerald isle