Munster’s finest in trad to face off at MTU

Four days of vibrant traditional music competitions will kick off at MTU’s Cork campus next week as part of the wider Munster Fleadh 2025 festival.

From 16-19 July, Fleadh Cheoil na Mumham (Munster Fleadh Cheoil) competitions will take place on MTU’s Bishopstown campus in Cork city.

The highly anticipated event will bring competitors from the six counties of Munster together as they aim to win a coveted place in Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann festival in Wexford this August.

The categories for the competitions are set dancing, céilí dancing, sean-nós dancing, music, singing, storytelling, and Comhrá Gaeilge.

Speaking ahead of the festivities, MTU President, Professor Maggie Cusack, said: “With just one week to go, we are really looking forward to welcoming the Fleadh Cheoil performers, their families, loved ones, friends, and the wider public to our campuses.

“MTU is proud to play host to this vibrant celebration of Irish arts, music and culture. We look forward to opening our doors to the community and providing a welcoming, inclusive space for an event that highlights the richness of our cultural heritage and the vital role the arts play in community life,” she added.

More than 3,000 competitors and 15,000 visitors are expected to converge on Cork for the wider Munster Fleadh 2025 festival which will be officially opened tomorrow, Friday, and will run throughout Cork city until 19 July.

This year will mark the university’s third involvement with the festival, having hosted events at the MTU Cork School of Music during the 2017 festival, and again at its Kerry campus in 2023.

Professor Alistair Payne, Dean of Faculty of Creative and Performing Arts and Media, said: “MTU has a long tradition and heritage as a centre of excellence for the creative and performing arts, particularly through MTU Cork School of Music (CSM).

“The musical life of Ireland is rich and varied, and the staff and students of MTU CSM and the newly established Faculty of Creative and Performing Arts and Media play a pivotal role through performances and their involvement with musical organisations locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally”.

As well as its Bishopstown campus, the MTU Cork School of Music will also be involved in this year’s festival. The school on Union Quay will host a series of concerts at its Curtis theatre, including a performance by trad group Téada tomorrow evening, and the Mairtín Ó Connor Trio next Thursday.

For full competition and festival details see munsterfleadh.ie. Tickets for headline concerts can be purchased online at eventbrite.ie.