Book celebrating the centenary of Derry Feis to be published soon

‘Feis Dhoire Cholmcille, Celebrating a Century of Culture’ will be available for all feis enthusiasts to snap up at local launch events and book stores.

Written and edited by former journalist Eamon Sweeney and with contributions from journalist Catherine McGinty, the book has taken over a year to produce. Though in excess of 300 pages Mr. Sweeney says that it represents a ‘mere sample’ of those who have contributed to the feis since 1922.

He said: “The feis committee felt it was important to document in print the cultural contribution of the institution has made to the city and its hinterlands in the last century.

"And while the book is over 100,000 words long and it is a thorough examination, it represents a snapshot of the feis as it would have taken a work of several volumes to capture a wider view of it.

“The book begins with a look at the fairly tragic historical circumstances and political situation into which the institution was born. But the work moves on to show how the feis provided an oasis of calm and concentration on all aspects of our culture no matter what was happening outside the performance arenas.

"It also takes a look at some of the central figures involved in the establishment of Derry Feis including of course Mrs. Edward Henry (Rose) O’Doherty. And thanks to her family we have been able to print some rarely, if ever seen pictures of the woman still regarded as the ‘mother’ of the feis’.

"It also examines the lives and works of the highly prestigious adjudicators brought onboard from the outset by the likes of Mrs. O’Doherty. One of those figures actually stated way back in 1922 that the ‘gliteratti’ of Dublin’s amateur musical circles needed to come to Derry to be ‘awakened’ to the real standard of performance being set in this city.”

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‘Celebrating a Century of Culture’ also looks at the social development of Derry.

Mr. Sweeney continued: “The feis committee were astute enough to retain a copy of every single feis programme since 1922. I was lucky enough to be able to access these when writing the book and quickly realised that they are a treasure trove of local historical markers.

"They contain links to family businesses and trades that have long since gone and advertisements for products that also no longer exist and to put it mildly, thankfully do not conform to any sense of modern political correctness.”

The book would have been impossible without the archives of the Derry Journal.

“The ‘Journal’ has been intrinsically linked with Derry Feis since it began and that continues to be the case. Without the access granted by the editor and staff of the ‘Journal’ to the photographic and editorial archives this work simply wouldn’t exist.

"In fact, for many years the print works at the ‘Journal’ produced the feis programme and the paper continues to carry feis results, reports and prize winners’ photographs each year in print and of course now online as well. We are very thankful to the paper for its great and very gracious assistance in producing this book,” he added.

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There is also a commemorative aspect in remembering some of the well-known figures heavily associated with the feis.

Included is the recently deceased and highly respected Gaelic language columnist Liam McLaughlin who gave an interview before his passing in January. The contributions of the late Maureen Hegarty, James MacCafferty and many others are also included.

‘Celebrating a Century of Culture’ contains almost 50 personal interviews with past competitors across all the artistic disciplines held annually at the feis.

One interview with Feis Registrar Ursula Clifford sums the dedication of the organisation committee over the years. In particular her family, the Sharkeys, are synonymous with the institution.

In an extract Ursula says: “Our house was taken over from around August or September until after the feis each year. But we were used to it.

"My father was a saint - but I don’t think he ever had a choice. And he never put his foot in the feis. Then, at Easter week, any new babies there were in the family, he had to look after them.”

RETRO PHOTOS SPECIAL! Derry Feis in 1976 and 1977

The MacCafferty family too have an inextricable link to the feis and Pat MacCafferty, Feis Music Secretary recalls with typical humour his initial childhood competitive outings during Easter week and his later outings as a young man.

Pat says: “I was at Rosemount Boys’ School at the time, and I sang an Irish song, and I was useless. Honest to God. You see at that age I was a very nervous child, although I know that people would say that they couldn’t believe I would be nervous about anything when they know me now and the way I am.

“I think I did another two years at the feis and after that, at the age of 12, I said goodbye. I was useless on stage, but as I moved on and matured a bit, I went back in 1962 for my first solo – the bass solo. I won. I was the only one in for it. That year, I won the bass solo in Letterkenny, Moville, and Carndonagh too.”

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Mr. Sweeney said: “A lot of the interviews are with famous names such as Dana, Bronagh Gallagher, Roma Downey, Margaret Keys, Mairead Carlin and Jonny Logan whose famous father Charlie Sherrard came from William Street and who had a hugely successful singing career himself under the stage name Patrick O’Hagan.

“But the book is also intended to applaud all those who ever took part in the feis, even if was just once, and did not go onto to pursue careers in the arts. These are the people to whom the feis truly owes its greatest debt of gratitude.”

Feis Doire Colmcille: a century of culture from a city of music, song and dance