The word ceili (pronounced kay' lee) describes an evening of music and dancing. The primary purpose of ceili bands is to provide music for the dancers, but many of these bands produced music of such high quality and spirit that demand grew for them to record their music.
When it comes to ceili band history in County Clare and Ireland, the Kilfenora Ceili Band and the Tulla Ceili Band immediately come to mind as the as the primary exponents. They drew on the abundance of great traditional musicians in County Clare and built up a large repertoire of traditional music for dancing sets.
The Band was formed in 1946, by Paddy Canny and P.J. Hayes, their passion for traditional Irish music and talent set the tone for the band. The Tulla Ceili Band has celebrated its 60th year in existence. They toured all over the world and even played at New York City's Carnegie Hall. On their trip to America in 1997 the band received a presentation from Mayor Rudolf Giuliani at New York City Hall.