Belfast Fleadh Parade Decision Raises Questions Over Council’s Lack of Records

Belfast City Council has confirmed that it holds no correspondence, reports, meeting minutes, risk assessments or other documentation explaining why the official All-Ireland Fleadh marching band parade was not held in Belfast.

The response, dated 17 September 2026, followed a Freedom of Information request submitted by Marching Bands Ireland on 23 July.

The FOI request sought information about the proposed parade, including the planning behind the event and the reasons for the decision not to hold it.

The Council’s response raises questions about the explanation previously provided by the Fleadh organisers, who said in July that the decision followed “detailed operational planning”.

July statement referred to detailed planning

On 24 July, the Fleadh Team issued a statement to Marching Bands Ireland from the official Belfast City Council email address.

The statement confirmed that there would be no official All-Ireland Fleadh parade in Belfast and said:

“This decision was taken following detailed operational planning and consideration of a range of factors associated with delivering an event of the scale and complexity of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Belfast.”

However, in response to the FOI request, Belfast City Council said it held no correspondence with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann relating to the proposed parade.

The Council also confirmed that it held no correspondence with the PSNI, Department for Infrastructure or any other public authority concerning the event.

No reports, briefing papers, meeting minutes or notes discussing whether the parade would take place were identified.

The Council further stated that it held no traffic-management, event-management or risk assessment documents relating to the parade, or documentation explaining the reasons for the decision not to hold it.

The response does not establish that operational planning did not take place. It does, however, mean that the Council has not identified records supporting the explanation given in the July statement.

It also leaves uncertainty over which organisation was responsible for the planning and where any related documentation may be held.

Uncertainty over who made the decision

The July statement referred to the Fleadh Team but did not identify the organisation or individuals who made the decision that the official parade would not proceed.

It is also unclear what role Belfast City Council played in the decision-making process, particularly given that the statement was issued from a Council email address.

The FOI response does not establish whether the decision was made by Comhaltas, a wider Fleadh organising team or another organisation, nor does it set out the Council’s involvement.

The Council also confirmed that it held no recorded information identifying when it was first informed that the parade would not take place.

Marching band venues included in earlier planning

The FOI response did include extracts from a presentation relating to Belfast’s bid to host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

The presentation, titled Ards CCÉ and Belfast’s bid to host the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, includes a site visit held and an indicative list of venues for Comhaltas events.

The venue table lists marching pipe bands at Titanic Quarter and the Slipways.

Belfast City Council advised that the venue for the marching band competitions was considered as part of the bidding process and associated site visits.

However, it confirmed that it held no correspondence relating to the selection of the venue for the All-Ireland marching band competitions. It also held no specific correspondence with Comhaltas concerning the decision to use Titanic Slipways.

The documents show that marching bands were included in the proposed Fleadh arrangements and that venues were considered during the bidding process.

They do not explain why an official All-Ireland marching band parade was not held.

Questions remain over the explanation

The cancellation of the official parade affected marching bands, participants and supporters who would have expected the event to form part of the All-Ireland Fleadh programme in Belfast.

The organisers’ July statement referred to detailed operational planning and a range of factors associated with delivering the event. The Council’s FOI response, meanwhile, identifies no records relating to the proposed parade, the reasons for the decision or when the Council was informed that it would not take place.

It is important to note that the response only confirms what Belfast City Council says it holds. It does not establish what records may have been held by Comhaltas or other organisations involved in the Fleadh.

Nor does the absence of Council-held documentation prove that planning did not take place.

Nevertheless, the difference between the public explanation and the records identified by the Council warrants clarification.

The relevant organisations should explain who made the decision, what operational considerations were involved and which organisation holds any records relating to the planning process.

Marching bands and their supporters are entitled to a clear explanation of why an official All-Ireland Fleadh parade was not held in Belfast. The reference to operational complexity provides a broad explanation, but does not set out the specific circumstances behind the decision.

Marching Bands Ireland has contacted the Belfast City Council and Comhaltas for clarification and will report any responses received.

Source: Belfast City Council Freedom of Information response dated 17 September 2026, and statement issued by the Fleadh Team on 24 July 2026.