Cois na hAbhna Celebrates 40 Years of Music, Song and Dance
15th March 2023
St Patrick’s Day will see a landmark event in the cultural life of the county with celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of the official opening of Cois na hAbhna, The Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann cultural centre on the Gort Road in Ennis.
Work on the iconic building began in July 1979, after agreement was reached to acquire a plot of land from Clare County Council on what was then the outskirts of Ennis.
“Raising funds was the biggest challenge back then” says Frank Whelan, Chairman of the board of Cois na hAbhna, “But the Comhaltas members were up to the task! We had sponsored walks and raffles, sales of work and church gate collections but the most memorable event was a ‘Raise the Roof’ ceili we held here with Frank Custy’s Band from Toonagh. It was a daytime concert. We just had ten concrete pillars up at the time, and the roof… but no walls at all! We had a huge crowd though, with great craic and a few bob was raised as well!”
Such was the commitment to the centre that five members went guarantor for a bank loan to complete the construction. They were brothers Dan and Pat Liddy from Newmarket, Frank Custy from Toonagh, Larry Blake from Kilmihil and Francie O’Halloran from Ennis. Fortunately they were never called on to fulfill the guarantee and due to their efforts and those of many other volunteers, the building was debt free at the end of 1984.
The huge time and effort all paid off when, On St. Patrick’s Day 1983, after almost four years of construction, Cois na hAbhna officially opened it’s doors to the public. After almost a quarter of a century of use, during which time it gained a reputation as one of the finest ceili dancing venues in the country and a centre of excellence for teaching music, 2007 saw a major refurbishment and a new era for the centre began.
“We’ve come a long way since Frank Custy played the first notes here with only the bare roof and no walls!’ recalls Frank Whelan. “Now Cois na hAbhna serves as the regional base of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann for the Meitheal region comprising the counties of Galway, Clare, Limerick and Kerry. It is a hive of activity all year round with Set and Céilí Dancing, Concerts and an ever growing number of community events and it’s Teach Cheoil hosts regular sessions. Music, song and dance classes are also a big part of Cois na hAbhna activities with up to 500 students coming through the doors each week.” To mark the 40th Anniversary, a special Celebration Concert will be held at Cois na hAbhna on the evening of Friday March 17th, St Patrick’s Day. There will be a reception from 7.00pm with the concert starting at 8.00pm. The event is free and all are welcome. The concert will be live streamed on Vimeo. Cois na hAbhna 40th Anniversary Concert
