Fears mount over future of West Tyrone Feis

DESPITE a legacy dating back to the 1940s, 2023 could spell the end of the West Tyrone Feis, unless a new wave of volunteers come forward to take up the mantle.

That’s the warning from Fr Kevin Mullan, who has been at the helm of the local cultural and music festival for decades.

Fr Mullan said he and the rest of the ‘ageing’ committee have pledged to see this coming year’s events out, after which point they will be stepping down.

Fr Mullan, chairman of the West Tyrone Feis, says the annual event has ‘been a part of the lifeblood of our community for many years’.

However, in order to save the much-loved institution, he is asking local people with a love of the feis to step up to the plate and carry it into the future.

“We have had a few volunteers sign up recently, but, as it stands, there simply isn’t enough to carry the feis into the future,” said Fr Mullan.

This coming year, Fr Mullan and the committee are inviting prospective volunteers to shadow them as they prepare for the West Tyrone Feis of 2023.

Daunted

“Sometimes people are daunted by the idea of being asked to do things that they have never done before,” said Fr Mullan.

“So that’s why we are asking people to come along this year to see how we do it.

“Then, when we pass the responsibility over to them the following year, they can use what they have learned from us and add their own ideas too.”

Volunteers are needed to help with various sections, including poetry, dancing, classical music, Irish language, art and craft and traditional music.

“Yes, being a volunteer does take up quite a bit of time, but the reward you get makes every second worth it.

“If it weren’t for my age and energy, I’d keep doing it forever,” said Fr Mullan, before going on to explain what he sees as the essential value of the feis.

Celebrated

“In a world in which we are rightly concerned with mental health, especially in children, the feis should be celebrated and protected. It gives young people confidence and self-worth. They get up in front of a crowd, do their performance, and come off the stage saying, ‘Look, I can stand on stage before a crowded room and they all pay attention and listen’.

“Some people have used the feis as a launch pad to go on and become successful performers, while others benefit in more subtle ways, building character and confidence.”

Fr Mullan was unable to put his finger on the exact year that the West Tyrone Feis first ran, but, testament to its longevity, he believes anyone who would remember the earliest days of the Feis are sadly no longer with us.

Anyone who wants to help keep this piece of our cultural history alive should contact West Tyrone Feis secretary, Catherine Simmonds on 028 82249577.