Emily and Livia Safko with some of their fleadh trophies.
The Delaware Valley will be well represented this year at the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Sligo, the annual “Olympics” of Irish traditional music sponsored by Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, the international organization dedicated to the preservation of Irish music and culture. A total of 10 local Irish traditional music performers, most of them under 18, qualified at the annual Fleadh (pronounced “flag:) in Parsippany, NJ, last weekend for what are known as the All-Irelands. Some of them have already competed—and won—there.
One competitor, fiddler and concertina player Livia Safko of Medford Lakes, NJ, made Comhaltas (pronounced coal-tas) history when she placed first in four competitions at the Fleadh, any one of which would qualify her to compete in Sligo, which is hosting its second All-Irelands competition.
Livia took first in the under 15 duets, which she won with her older sister, Emily, on harp. The other firsts: under 12 fiddle, under 12 fiddle slow airs, and concertina.
Emily Safko also took home firsts in under 15 harp and harp slow airs.
Other local musicians also brought home trophies—some almost as big as they are. Catherine Bouvier of Merchantsville, NJ, a student of local harper Kathy DeAngelo, took home first place in under 12 harp and her twin sister, Olivia, won second place.
The Converse Trio—fiddlers Haley Richardson of Elmer, NJ, and Alexander Weir of West Chester along with piper Keegan Loesel of Kennett Square—took home first place in under 18 trios. They earned a third place in trios in last year’s All-Ireland completion, also in Sligo. Richardson and Loesel also won second place in duets in Parsippany last weekend.
Richardson, a second place winner in slow airs in Sligo in 2014, won first in under 15 fiddle and second in fiddle slow airs. Loesel took firsts in under 18 whistle slow air and uillean pipes solos and slow airs. Weir, a third place winner in fiddle slow airs in Sligo, earned a first in under 18 fiddle slow airs in Parsippany.
Fiddler Patrick “Patch” Glennan of Mantua, NJ, won a silver medal in his first competition.
Another Jersey winner: Katherine Highet of Voorhees, a second place in over 18 harp.
Mary Kay Mann of Media also won first places in over 18 harp slow airs and flute.
One interesting thing many of these winners have in common: They are or were members of the Next Generation, a group of young performers who play together at the Irish Center in Philadelphia, led by husband-and-wife team Dennis Gormley and Kathy DeAngelo (Comhaltas Hall of Famers) and Chris Brennan Hagy. “This is how they met each other and started playing together,” says DeAngelo. “[This is a] point of pride for me and Dennis. Six of them are or were my students.”
The photos below were shared with us by Katherine Ball Weir, Amy Safko, and Kathy DeAngelo.
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