Bitter row at Ards and North Down Council over Irish music and culture festival resolved
Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026 celebrated at Commercial Court Belfast
A controversy over a Fleadh Cheoil fringe event in Bangor appears to have been resolved after local unionist politicians agreed for it to be held on the same day as a pipe band championship.
At the monthly full meeting of Ards and North Down Borough Council at Bangor Castle on Wednesday (February 25), after months of delay, unionist councillors finally agreed to the original date proposed by officials for the Fleadh event, which has been conceived as a precursor event to the festival, which starts in Belfast on Sunday, August 2.
In January, a bitter row exploded at the council after it was revealed that the Fleadh Fringe was planned for Holborn Square car park, Bangor on Saturday August 1, the same day as the 73rd Ulster Championships of the Pipe Bands by the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association NI, at Ward Park, Bangor.
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A report for the council’s Place and Prosperity Committee stated the local authority would have a budget of £36,700 to spend on the Pipe Bands event, and up to £40,000 for the Fringe Fleadh event, subject to rates setting and procurement.
Unionists in the council questioned the two events being held on the same day, and delayed a decision on the Fleadh, while the TUV, who are not represented at the local authority, lodged a formal equality impact complaint to the council stating that having the two events on the same day would create “conflict.” They said the pipe championships were “playing second fiddle” to the Fleadh, and repeated erroneous claims that the Fleadh was receiving twice the budget to that of the pipes.
Newtownards DUP Councillor Colin Kennedy said the Fleadh Cheoil fringe event would “create ill feeling” and added the people of Ards and North Down were being “bounced into” paying up to £40,000 to hold the event.
Bitter words were exchanged between the DUP and Alliance, and the council’s sole nationalist representative, during an hour-long acrimonious debate at the Ards and North Down monthly council meeting in January. SDLP Councillor Joe Boyle said DUP councillors were being “dragged kicking and screaming” over an event that “they don’t really want.”
The DUP, UUP and Unionist Independents delayed any commitment to the Fleadh event, for council officers to look at giving the event another date so it would not “clash” with the pipe championship.
Belfast will host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, the world’s biggest celebration of Irish music and culture, from Sunday August 2 to Sunday August 9. Qualifying competitors from all over the world will showcase the best of traditional music, song, dance and language in All-Ireland competitions.
With a minimum of 700,000 visitors from across the world, it is anticipated to be the biggest cultural event ever held in Belfast. The Fleadh in Wexford last year generated an estimated €60 million into the local economy, attracting over 800,000 visitors.
Tourism NI estimates the 2026 Fleadh will bring £60 million into the Northern Ireland economy. Ards Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is the host branch for Fleadh Belfast, and was a bid partner with Belfast City Council. Ards CCE will mark their 50th anniversary this year.
At the February meeting of the council on Wednesday, the Fleadh Fringe was at last given the green light, after a council officer update report again recommended it for Saturday August 1, at Holborn Square car park, on the same day as the Ulster Pipe Band Championships.
Regarding a proposed alternative date on Friday July 31, the report states: “This date is unlikely to maximise the opportunity to gain visitors travelling to the Belfast Fleadh.”
It adds: “The proposed event concept for Saturday August 1 is to hold the event between 1 and 9pm. As Friday is a working day the potential available audience will be reduced. An event time of 6 to 9pm is likely, meaning the estimated attendance could potentially be reduced by up to 50 percent (c.5,000 to c.2,500).”
It states: “The proposed event concept with the support of Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association NI was to showcase Bangor for “the day” as a place of musical excellence and to gain best potential advantage from that aspect, i.e encourage more attendees. This would not be the case with two separate dates and with the Friday evening event most likely having lower numbers of spectators.”
The report stated that Ards CCÉ indicated they would not be available to participate in July dates.
The DUP forwarded an amendment accepting the recommendation from officers to hold the Fleadh Fringe and Ulster Pipe Band Championships on Saturday August 1, but also asking officials to look at a review of the council’s event strategy.
The amendment states the council will also “task a group to look again at the events calendar, how it is populated, to review (the council’s) events strategy, to determine whether it is delivering its stated aims, and to assess how the council are adequately supporting volunteer-led events.”
On a recorded vote, 36 elected members voted in favour of the amendment, with two Independent Unionists voting against, Councillor Steven Irvine, and Councillor Wesley Irvine.
DUP Councillor Alistair Cathcart, who proposed the amendment, said in the chamber: “It was always about the process, and not the event, despite attempts across the chamber to mislead.”
He added: “The report tonight from the officers highlights the concerns that we had. This is the information that should have been presented on the night. It was fairly obvious that concerns about a clash, the vagueness of the budget, and use of the car park would have come up.
“Information was simply not provided (at the last council meeting), but even now it is still vague. We hear there is no question about value for money – we don’t even know how much it is going to cost.
“As part of the DUP group, we are not going to apologise for asking questions about how ratepayer money is being spent in this borough.”
Alliance Alderman Martin McRandal said at the meeting: “I think it is good that after four meetings a unionist has made a proposal that will actually see this event go ahead. It has taken far too long.
“Although it smacks of face-saving, I will support it, so that we can get on with it.”
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