The All Ireland Fleadh takes place annually every year in different locations across Ireland. The marching bands competition is one of the many events that take place across a busy week at the Fleadh. The band competitiontakes place in an outdoor arena it must be 40 x 20 metres. After the results are announced all the bands parade around the host townshowing off their silver ware. The competitions still remain competitive despite the decline in numbers over the last two decades, especially in the Senior sections where any band could win and only one or two marks separates first and second place.
In each competition there are 3 adjudicators. Two of them judge the Music and Drums and the other one judges the Marching Drill and Presentation. There are 45 marks available for Music from each Judge and 15 Marks for Drums and percussion from each judge, that totals to 60 marks. The other adjudicator has a maximum of 40 marks; they are distributed as 10 for presentation, 5 for Drum Major and 25 for Drill.
Each band performs for 10 to 12 minutes they play a range Irish traditional music including jigs, reels, polka, marches and slow airs. While they are in the arena they must also perform a marching drill routine, this allows each band to show off their marching skills but also be tested as the adjudicators watch very closely on their lines and turns. At the end of the competition the marks are totalled for each band from the three judges and the winner is the band who has the most points. Each section is marked separately so there is a winner in each section.
Qualification;
Each band must compete at their countyFleadh and then the provincial Fleadh in order to qualify for the Fleadh Cheoil. In each qualification stage the bands that place 1st and 2nd go through to the next stage. Occasionally the adjudicators recommends one of the third place competitors to go through to the next stage, if their performance was to a high enough level. In the Senior competitions the All Ireland winners from the previous year automatically qualify for the next years All Ireland and so they do not have to compete at their county or provincial Fleadh. The majority of the marching bands now come from Ulster and it remains one of the only competitive provincial Fleadhs.
There are several different sections in the competition they are:
•Junior Accordion
•Junior Miscellaneous
•Junior Flute
•Senior Accordion
•Senior Miacellaneous
•Senior Flute
•Pipe Band
