Sunday Céilí

Céilí enthusiasts from all over Roscommon and further afield will be eagerly anticipating Sunday’s Céilí with the Templehouse Céilí Band. The Céilí commences at 4pm.

Even if you haven’t been to a Céilí before this is a ‘must get to’ event where the craic will be non-stop. It’s the most enjoyable form of workout there is, especially after a weekend of big breakfasts and plenty of pints!

This will be the best Céilí in the Country this year. Don’t miss it!

The Templehouse Céilí Band has been around just about as long as the set dancing revival, and they have maintained their popularity with dancers for more than ten years. Its team of six highly experienced musicians deliver the best dance music there is. An international crowd of dancers enjoy them annually in Miltown Malbay during the Willie Clancy Summer School and their two classic recordings have been in regular use around the world for nine years.

The band was formed in 1989 after a sudden inspiration by Kieran Hanrahan, the banjo player who's best known today for presenting Céilí House on RTÉ radio. Kieran had just married his wife Pat in America and on the couple's return to Dublin there was a wedding party with a mighty session. Kieran played was a member of Stockton's Wing and some of the others were there, including Paul Roche, flute, as well two musicians who played for dancers in the Merchant Pub, Seamus Meehan on piano accordion and Mary Corcoran on piano. Kieran was so delighted with the music that night that he wanted to form a ceili band to play for set dancing, which was enjoying great popularity at the time.

Within days Kieran was on the phone making plans. In addition to Paul, Seamus, Mary and himself, they wanted to complete the band with a drummer and a singer. Mick Gaynor agreed to play the drums and Maureen Fahy joined both to sing and play the fiddle. The seven met in Dublin pubs to practise selections of tunes for the sets.

The first gig was at a charity concert in Dublin and they played regularly at the Garda Club in Harrington Street, Dublin, for a couple of months. They made an appearance on Bibi Baskin's television program - Bibi featured Stockton's Wing and the Templehouse Céilí Band showed viewers another side of the musicians.

The band has always done a lot of travelling. They were invited to Moscow by Aer Rianta for the opening of a shop there and were joined by Irish dancers and Russian musicians. Aer Rianta were already familiar with Templehouse as they used to hold ceili s twice a year in Shannon Airport. Templehouse also played at festivals in Copenhagen, Washington, New York, Milwaukee and the Catskills. They're also regular visitors to Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and London.

The band is named after the Templehouse Reel. They were unaware that there is a Templehouse in Co Sligo until the owner of that house met them after a gig and brought them to his 18th century mansion.

Templehouse is probably the first Céilí band to make recordings for set dancing. They produced two recordings soon after they started playing, Music for Sets, Volumes 1 and 2. Connie Ryan had quickly taken an interest in the band and assisted with the recordings. They have a limited availability today, but the band is considering producing a new recording in the new year. They also made a video in Ballyvourney called Irish Hooley, another in Dublin called Take the Floor and third made in Monkstown. They have also worked with Olive Hurley to make videos of step and Céilí dancing.

The band's pianist, Mary Corcoran, from Inchicore, Dublin, began her musical career at on fiddle and piano the age of seven, gaining experience in the Piper's Club Céilí Band and by entering competitions. She won All-Ireland firsts in piano and piano accordion. Mary's entire family is musical but she's the only traditional player among them. Today she's in demand as an accompanist for many well known musicians and groups, including John Regan, Macalla, Gay McKeown (her husband), Joe Burke and Brendan McGlinchey, and has recently played with the Chieftains for a new album. Mary is the Templehouse Céilí Band's manager.

Roma Casey from Palmerstown in Dublin plays fiddle for the band. She was taught by Sean Keane of the Chieftains and has won All-Ireland firsts in fiddle and tin whistle. She was a member of the group Blasket Sound, which toured the world, and today she can be heard in Dublin sessions at Noones, Hughes and the Barn Owl when the band isn't performing.