The disruption caused by Storm Kathleen last weekend was not enough to stop local group the Blackwater Céilí Band, as they returned to London to perform for the first time since 2019. The award-winning band from Co. Tyrone were invited to provide entertainment and headline the prestigious ‘Fiddler of London’ festival and competition held in the London Irish Centre in Camden.
Now in its fourth year, The Fiddler of London has grown into a global inclusive event with entries from all age groups and interest from all over the world. It has evolved into a remarkable festival that proudly embodies the essence of Irish music and talent, and a previous recipient in 2022 was local talent Úna McGlinchey from Omagh. This year attracted competitors from all over Ireland, the UK and USA, and the deserving winner was young fiddler River McGann from Co. Clare.
Following the live competition on the night, attended by Irish Ambassador Mr. Martin Fraser, the Blackwater provided the music for the closing céilí event, performing to a packed Irish Centre. The band’s button accordion player from Fivemiletown, Michael Curran, said afterwards:
“We were thrilled to get the opportunity to perform in London again, the Irish Centre in Camden is a hub of cultural activity and has been a focal point for the Irish diaspora in London for almost seventy years. The audience included a mix of visitors and settled emigrants and it was great to showcase our brand of music to everyone in attendance.”
The adverse weather conditions caused by Storm Kathleen disrupted some of the band members travel arrangements, with flights on the Saturday morning delayed and rescheduled. However, following everyone’s safe arrival in the afternoon, the Blackwater travelled across the city to one of London’s most famous landmarks, the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to record a short promotional video for their social media pages.
The Blackwater Céilí Band are well-known across Ireland and beyond for their dynamic and energetic performances, captivating audiences and dancers alike. The band rose to national prominence in 2018 when they were crowned All-Ireland Senior Céilí Band Champions and have since recorded extensively and featured on national media including RTÉ, BBC and TG4.
The Co. Tyrone members of the band include Michael Curran (Fivemiletown, button accordion), Ryan Hackett (Eskra, piano accordion), James McCaffrey (Dromore, flute), Michael Coney (Coalisland, flute), Mark McCrystall (Omagh, piano) and Eugene McKenna (Augher, fiddle). Further details of upcoming Blackwater events can be found on their social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, and their website www.blackwaterceiliband.com.
