The Irish in Britain, including those of Irish descent, make up a significant part of the UK population. Here, you will find news, entertainment, events, sports and features from the local Irish Post newspaper.

Irish traditional music’s annual cultural extravaganza was back in Ulster after an absence of 25 years and it was a triumphal return.

All the hard preparatory work put in by the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil committee was rewarded as over 150,000 musicians and music fans from all over the world poured into Letterkenny to revel in the music and craic.

“We are very pleased with the way it went,” said fleadh chairman Paddy Tunney.

“Organising an event of this size is a huge undertaking, and the feedback from our visitors has been very positive, which is very encouraging for all of us who have been involved.

“One happy musician said to me that it had been ‘a clinking weekend’ and that just about sums it up, in every sense. I think we’ve shown that we can do it.”

The Comhaltas Ard Comhairle meeting however on September 11 failed to confirm Letterkenny as the venue for the 2006 All-Ireland Fleadh. Perhaps some of the complaints about poor signposting to venues or prices for meals that were increased to almost double after 2pm and accommodation prices doubled from the previous weekend might be a factor in delaying their deliberations.

Medal winners from Britain competing at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

Fiddle: 2nd: Claire Friel, CCÉ, Irish Minstrels, Glasgow, Scotland, U-12.

Button accordian: 1st: Damien Mullane, CCÉ, West London, Senior.

Flute: 1st: Orlaith McAuliffe, CCÉ, East London, U-15.

Whistle: 3rd: Mairéad Hussey, CCÉ, Tara O’Carolan, Manchester, U-12; 1st: Orlaith McAuliffe, CCÉ, East London, U-15; 3rd: Sheila Friel, CCÉ, Irish Minstrels, Glasgow, U-15.

Piano accordion: 3rd: Jordan Green, CCÉ, Johnny Doherty, Motherwell, Scotland; 3rd: Kevin Murphy, CCÉ, Irish Minstrels, Glasgow; 2nd: Kathleen Boyle, CCÉ, Irish Minstrels, Glasgow, Senior.

Uilleann pipes: 3rd: Grace Lemon, CCÉ, Cambridge, U-15.

Mouth organ: 1st: Clare Friel, CCÉ, Irish Minstrels, Glasgow, U-12; 2nd: Edward Gaughan, CCÉ, West London, U-12; 2nd:Róisín Anne Hughes, CCÉ, Irish Minstrels, Glasgow, U-18.

Mandolin: 3rd: Samantha Hughes, CCÉ, Bedford Senior.

One row melodeon: 1st: Damien Mullane, CCÉ, West London, Senior.

Bodhran: 1st: David Foley, CCÉ, Irish Minstrels, Glasgow, U-15; 3rd: Adam Brown, CCÉ, Cambridge, U-18.

War pipes: 2nd: Greg Robbins, East, London, Senior.

Miscellaneous: 2nd: Conor Healy, CCÉ, South Birmingham, U-12.

Céilí band drummer: 1st: Sean O’Neill, CCÉ, Johnny Doherty, Motherwell, Scotland, U-15; 2nd: Carys McGoldrick, CCÉ, St. Patricks, Coatbridge, Scotland, U-15.

Accompaniment: 3rd: Nathan Carter, CCÉ, Liverpool, U-15; 3rd: Jackie Wynne, CCÉ, North London, Senior.

Fiddle slow airs: 3rd: Laura O’Grady, CCÉ, West London, U-18.

Uilleann pipes slow airs: 1st: Grace Lemon, CCÉ, Cambridge, U-12.

Flute slow airs: 2nd: Orlaith McAuliffe, CCÉ, East London, U-15.

Whistle slow airs: 2nd: Orlaith McAuliffe, CCÉ, East London, U-15.

Duets: 1st: Mairéad McManus & Katie Boyle, CCÉ, Irish Minstrels, Glasgow, Senior.

Céilí bands: 1st: St. Roch’s A, CCÉ, Irish Minstrels, Glasgow, Scotland, U-12.

English singing — ladies: 1st: Claire Friel, CCÉ, Irish Minstrels, Glasgow, Scotland, U-12.

English singing — men: 2nd: Nathan Carter, CCÉ, Liverpool, U-15; 3rd: Séamus Brogan, CCÉ, St. Alban’s, Senior.

Whistling: 3rd: Conor Healy, CCÉ, South Birmingham, U-12; 3rd: Hugh Sheehan, CCÉ, South Birmingham, U-15.

Newly-composed ballads — English: 2nd: David Oldroyd, Northern Region, Britain.