Feis Ceoil

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Feis Ceoil (Irish: Festival of Music) is an annual Irish cultural festival of music and dance. It was first organized in 1897 by Dr. Annie Patterson and consisted of competitions for performance and composition and was supported by all musicians of the day, both national and classical. Since then the Feis has undergone many changes to accommodate the development of music in Ireland.

Feis Ceoil has now expanded to more than 170 competitions in all instruments, including voice, and covering all ages from 8 years upwards.

Famous competitors over the festival's history include tenor John McCormack, author James Joyce (as a singer), broadcaster Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin and violinist Cora Venus Lunny.

While the Feis claims to cater to all instruments, there is still no percussion category, for either soloists or ensembles. The only competitions they may enter are the chamber music and contemporary cups, and even to do this there has been much debate and opposition by the conservative board. In 2006 the Royal Irish Academy of Music Percussion Ensemble were awarded first prize in the Chamber Music Competition, becoming the first percussion ensemble in the Feis's history to enter and win.