Episode 4 Féilte is Fleadh

My great hope is that when this year is over,

when the Fleadh is over and the City of Culture is over,

that great buzz, the great confidence I now feel in Derry, will continue.

A young woman who's making her mark, and she's all dolled up today.

She came on Monday in jeans and a T-shirt, then everybody started talking about her.

Look at you, fancified. Cara Ni Mhaonaigh, ladies and gentlemen.

Hello, Fleadh. How are yous?

It'd be great if you were a bit higher or I was shorter

cos there's about four foot difference between us.

-I'm trying to say, "Cara, stand up," but you are standing up.

-I can jump.

I can leim. That's another one for you, leim.

Have you ever thought about why Limavady is called Limavady?

Leim a' Mhadaidh is the leg of the dog.

No, it's the jump of the dog. You need legs to jump. You're close.

Fantastic.

Leim a' Mhadaidh - an argument occurred between two farmers over...

what would farmers argue about but land?

One says, "If my dog can jump that river there, the land's mine."

Well, the dog had great legs

and look at it now, it's still Limavady. Leim a' Mhadaidh!

Yee-hoo!

Best of luck, guys.

I'm trying to hide it, but I can feel my eyes closing.

I've been on call, like, I've been working 24 hours a day for months,

down at the Provincial Fleadh Na, at the bus, talking to people all day.

I can't lie, I'm exhausted.

I love it, and I'm so passionate,

I just wanted to keep going, keep people happy.

Doire abu. Come on, Derry, keep it going until the last day.

But I'm ready to drop!

There were two people from Galway...

Lundy, Colonel Lundy?

# Oh, river run

# River deep

# River guide

# And I'll sing you to sleep. #

I grew up going to fleadhs, and the summer holidays,

we were just basically put in the car and driven all around the country,

and so, like, to actually come back full circle,

to be performing in Derry City tonight...

I'm just from out the road in Dungiven

and to see the way Derry has changed over the last couple of years

and City of Culture, it's an incredible place

and I'm sure everybody who's travelled

to come to Derry for the Fleadh, they'll not be disappointed.

There's a real buzz happening, so yeah, it's a bit different

from whenever I was sort of travelling around Ireland

going to fleadhs years ago, you know. I'm so proud.

It's a great honour to have been asked to come perform here tonight.

# River high, river low

# River come

# And I'll show you where to go. #

I came into a concert the other night and it was amazing.

There was a great atmosphere in the city, and this morning

when we arrived, because the crew were setting everything up,

I just went out for a dander about,

and there was a few people already playing music down on the riverfront

this morning, a few kids, and it's just really healthy and good,

and anybody who could even say that trad music is under threat,

you know, maybe a lot of youngsters aren't playing it any more,

if they came here this week,

they would see a whole different side to that.

I mean, it's completely flourishing.

It's amazing. There was a little boy down yesterday playing a whistle

and he must have been five. It's fantastic, you know.

CHEERING

Number two in your programme

is Craobh Eadain Mhoir from County Derry.

APPLAUSE

A big hand for Craobh Eadain Mhoir, County Derry.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

It went very well for us.

We were happy enough with how the band played and all,

so this is completely different now, to play on a stage.

We were very happy with it.

Hopefully it'll open new doors for us and we'll do it again.

I think there's actually chat

of looking for the band to go to Sligo next year for the Fleadh,

so early talks at the minute,

so the more people we can get it out to, to see what we're like,

the better, so hopefully Sligo will be the start of that too, the South.

We wanted to just pay tribute to the musicians from Derry,

the musicians from the north of this island, really,

that kept the music tradition alive during, you know, dark times, really.

And there you go, that's another nice aspect to the Fleadh as well,

that you have people like that, that I remember growing up.

Feile Atha Cliath had it last time.

We're taking it and it's coming back home to roost,

here in Derry-stroke- Londonderry-stroke-Derry.

From a fundraising viewpoint, you're always looking for new ideas,

and it also tied in with the Fleadh,

the fact that the Fleadh was in Derry,

Irish dancing would be very much part of that culture

and it just seemed to be a perfect fit.

Welcome Eamonn Holmes here to the front row!

I just think this is an amazing coming together of people,

and it's just amazing how music and the arts unite people,

no matter what side of this river that you're on,

and this Fleadh has been really something special.

Three, two, one!

WHISTLE BLOWS

CHEERING

It was a very emotional thing, because to break a world record

is not something you do every day of your life,

and everybody there the day will remember the day they went to Derry

and they stood in what used to be an army camp

and danced and broke a world record. I think it's fantastic.

MUSIC BUILDS

What we have seen in this city over the course of the last week

has been the most joyous, happiest,

the most memorable event ever to be held in the ancient city of Derry.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The proudest aspect, for me, anyway, of this Fleadh was

the participation of representatives from the unionist community.

I thought it was absolutely wonderful.

CHEERING

DRUMBEAT

As we bid farewell to the Fleadh, as it makes its journey to Sligo,

I just want to say to you one final thing.

When you leave here this evening, take this thought with you.

You all, individually,

have contributed to the cultural life of this city

and to the path towards peace and reconciliation.

CHEERING

You have made history with us here at this Fleadh.

Go raibh mile maith agat.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

I feel like the Fleadh coming over the border, it's so positive.

We put the work in, and we're good.

HE LAUGHS

-Here's my 9.30 appointment.

-Thanks a million.

-OK, folks.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd