The Canberra Ceili Band

The Canberra Ceili Band was Pete Hobson's idea, in 2001, born out of the excellent musicians he plays with regularly at the weekly session at King O'Malley's. Pete is also the Band's Musical Director. The session is used to select, sort and arrange the tunes.

The 2002 National Folk Festival Irish Ceili. Jesse Rowan (centre) was due to have her second son, Breandan, in two weeks! (Picture courtesy of Lawrie Brown)

In 2002 at the National Folk Festival there were eighteen players, including Dave O'Neill (fiddle), Liz Doherty (Fiddle) and Patrick Lyons (Uillean Pipes and whistle).

With about twenty members, the Canberra Ceili Band is enthusiastically received by dancers . At right Jesse is singing at the Yarralumla Woolshed with young Breandan on her hip in 2003. You can see this great heritage woolshed below, with some members of the CCB playing for a dance.

(Pictures courtesy of Lawrie Brown)

The 2003 National Folk Festival

For the second year in a row the Canberra Ceili Band ran the Ceili at the National Folk Festival at Easter in 2003. Margaret and Bill Winnett called for the dances. Some of the members of the Ceili Band are pictured from left to right (above):

Lyn Finch, Pete Hobson (fiddle,), Kevin Bradley (fiddle), Sue Hobson (fiddle), Dee Stephens (fiddle), Mark Tandy (box), Kevin Doyle (box), Terry McGee (flute), Peter Stratford (percussion), Jon Millard (whistle), Tim Shirley (flute), Peter Logue (keyboard), Alex Burke (flute). There are some more hidden behind, who are (hopefully) pictured below.