The first Fleadh was held in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, in 1951. This week, the town should be bustling with musicians and music lovers, as the Fleadh was to return to the town after nearly 70 years.

Like all large-scale gatherings of late, the Fleadh is cancelled. But a new initiative by TG4 and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is bringing the essence of the Fleadh into homes around the country.

Fleadh2020 started airing on TG4 on Thursday night and will continue each night at 9.30pm until Sunday 9 August. It is also available on www.tg4.ie.

The show is presented by Dáithí Ó Sé, Doireann Ní Ghlacáin and Kieran Hanrahan.

There are two music stages, one with a socially distanced audience, where musicians who would normally come to the Fleadh will perform.

The programmes are comprised of music, song, dance and stories.

Each of the four shows will focus on a different province, starting with Munster and on to Connacht, Ulster and finishing in Leinster.

On Saturday, the Ulster show will include a performance from Michael Flatley.

Along with a regional focus, there will be music from musicians around the world; from Scotland to New York, Tokyo and Brisbane, as well as plenty of chat and Fleadh stories along the way too.

See next week’s Irish Country Living for an in-depth interview with Fleadh 2020 presenter Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, as she speaks about the strong Irish cultural influences in her life growing up in Dublin.

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