Tulla Ceili Band

Tulla Ceili Band ...

The word céilí (pronounced kay' lee) describes an evening of music and dancing. The primary purpose of céilí bands is to provide music for the dancers, but many of these bands produced music of such high quality and spirit that demand grew for them to record their music.

When it comes to céilí band history in County Clare and Ireland, the Kilfenora Céilí Band and the Tulla Ceili Band immediately come to mind as the as the primary exponents. They drew on the abundance of great traditional musicians in County Clare and built up a large repertoire of traditional music for dancing sets.

The Band was formed in 1946, by Paddy Canny and P.J. Hayes, their passion for traditional Irish music and talent set the tone for the band. The Tulla Céilí Band has celebrated its 60th year in existence. They toured all over the world and even played at New York City's Carnegie Hall. On their trip to America in 1997 the band received a presentation from Mayor Rudolf Giuliani at New York City Hall.

In recent years, the Tulla Céilí Band has concentrated on what they do best, and with the revivals in Irish music and set dancing they've become more popular than ever. Their favourite places to play are some of the local halls in Clare and Galway - McCarthy's of Kilbeacanty near Gort, the Claddagh Hall in Galway City, and the Boree Log in Lissycasey. Their two biggest céilís of the year are held during the Willie Clancy Summer School, and they play for annual festivals in Ennis, Killanena and Feakle.

Albums recorded by the band include "Echoes of Erin", "The Claddagh Ring", "Ireland Green", "Sweetheart in the Spring" and “A Celebration of 50 Years".

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