A place as remote as the City of Perth (Western Australia) on the edge of the Indian Ocean, is not where you might expect to find a thriving community of Irish traditional music. Things like this do not just happen, they are the creation of someone’s vision and hard work with the odd bit of good luck thrown in. The person responsible for this vision is Sean Doherty who has for the last 17 years has been the driving force behind the Perth branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann.
Whilst Comaltas had it’s celebrations of 50 years in 2001, the Perth branch celebrated 21 years music-making in the “sun capital” of Australia. During the past 17 years of this time the Perth branch has grown under the able stewardship of Sean Doherty who has now resigned from his leadership role at our recent AGM. Under his guidance the organization has grown from a handful of people to over 110 members, both young and old with a healthy mixture of Irish-born and Australian-born. During this time he not only guided the running of the organization and provided the driving force behind it, he also tirelessly spent time teaching endless pupils. His home became a virtual one-man music school. Many evenings of every week would see he, and his late wife Margaret, open their house to parents bringing their children for lessons in Irish Music. Also for much of the this time all Branch committee meetings were held in the Doherty household. Up to the time of her death in 1999, Margaret was also a hard working companion, helping with all the day to day organization and with Bodhran and Set-dancing classes. In 1997 Sean and Margaret were awarded the “Brendan Award” by the Irish community in Perth for their contribution to Irish Culture. Many of Sean’s pupils have gone on to a career in Irish Music and among them is his daughter Fiona, who now lives in Ireland and is teaching the fiddle there, as too is Robert Stafford.
The Perth branch of Comhaltas meets every Monday evening in the Irish Club, which is located in Subiaco, near the centre of Perth. Classes are divided into groups according to the players’ ability and cater for all the traditional instruments. This year we have also recommenced Irish language classes. Whilst this is happening there is also Set dancing classes, and when this finishes there is a session in the bar until late. As well as the regular weekly classes and sessions we always run an annual music competition and camp. The latter has proved so popular that we have now started running two each year and this may increase further. For the camps we draw on whatever local talent that we can access such as Ray McNamara (who has sadly left us to return to Ireland) and Ivan O’Connor. Sometimes we have been lucky enough to have visiting musicians to do workshops and these have in recent times included Liz Doherty, June McCormack and Michael Rooney. While Liz Doherty gave her workshop here she was touring with Gino Lupari, and he gave an informal very entertaining instruction session to a handful of aspiring bodhran players sitting under the trees in glorious afternoon sunshine with the occasional accompaniment from some passing kookaburras.
Visitors are most welcome to pop in anytime. Over the years we have had a lot of talented musicians visit us from the four corners of the globe. We endeavour to make their stay a memorable one.