Niamh Loney’s Blog

"I was 9 years old when I first heard about Comhaltas and the Leeds CCÉ branch through a family friend. I was told there was a local music branch at the Leeds Irish Centre that taught Irish Traditional music in a group setting. I had already started to learn to play the fiddle from the age 7 but wasn’t really enjoying it too much. As soon as I attended the classes, it brought me back into the music world and expanded my love for the instrument. Now I’m 21 years old and still continue my lessons every Tuesday and I’ve been working for Leeds Irish centre for 3 years. Over the years, I’ve attended local sessions, attended the annual St. Patrick’s parade several times.

To be part of Comhaltas is something I am really proud of, especially when I see other people in the branch succeeding and everybody is supporting each other to do well. I am just about to finish my Primary Education degree at Leeds Trinity University and I am going to try and incorporate Irish music into my teachings. My background and experience of having learnt through the branch and the connection I felt to the other members is something I want to bring to my teaching and promote wider in the school’s community.

I am particularly proud to be a part of the Leeds branch as we tend to do quite well in the regional and All Britain fleadhanna and it’s amazing to see so many people succeed, particularly the younger ones who will be the future of the branch. As a younger member, I am here to be helping hand to any of our new beginners. Especially supporting them through the stressful competition seasons. 

St. Patrick’s day is one of my favourite days of the year. The Paddy’s day parade is something that brings the whole of Leeds together from any cultural background. There is a lot of preparation involved to make the day run smoothly and it always pays off. We travel around on these massive floats throughout the streets of Leeds. So many individuals and organisations are involved from Irish dancers, schools and our Comhaltas branch. I know a lot of people appreciate the effort we put in, especially the older Irish generation that are now seeing their traditions and history being celebrated and acknowledged as part of the fabric of the city. 

After the parade, I see the flurry of people flood through the Leeds Irish centre’s doors to continue all the celebrations. The parade brings a huge sense of community to the city and I hope it is something that we continue to do for many more years to come. I’m proud to be a member of the Leeds CCÉ branch and Comhaltas. I’m proud to continue encouraging my community to become more involved in a culture that I’ve enjoyed so much."