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REPRESENTING MICHIGAN IN THE WORLD'S PREMIER IRISH MUSIC COMPETITION
Hi! We’re Keala Venema and Lino Venema — cousins, musical partners, and emerging artists in the West Michigan Irish music scene.
We have some exciting news!!
We won First place in the Over-18 Duo category at the Midwest Fleadh Cheoil in Chicago this April! That means we’ve earned the rare and incredible opportunity to compete at the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil — the final round of this international Irish music competition — taking place this August in Wexford, Ireland.
WHAT IS THE FLEADH CHEOIL?
Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, or the All-Ireland Fleadh, is the world’s largest annual festival of Irish music, song, and dance. They host competitions for Solo, Duet, Trio, and Ceili Band categories. Competitors qualify by winning at County and Provincial levels and advance to compete for the All-Ireland title.
A JOURNEY WITH DEEP MEANING
In April, Lino’s mother, Yoko Venema, who was a lifelong lover of Irish music, passed away — just before she had the chance to see us win the Midwest Fleadh. This trip to Ireland and the opportunity to perform on the world stage is incredibly meaningful for us as we’re doing it in her honor — carrying her love for this music with us every step of the way.
WHY WE’RE FUNDRAISING
Getting to Ireland is our dream, but it comes with significant travel costs. We’re fundraising to help cover the expenses so we can represent Michigan — and the U.S. — on this global stage.
We’re budgeting for a 10-day trip, which will include both the competition and a chance to learn from and connect with some of the top Irish traditional musicians in the world.
COST BREAKDOWN (PER PERSON)
✈️ Airfare: $700
️ Lodging & Food: $1,500
Local travel (bus, train, Uber): $250
Irish Music Workshop: $70
TOTAL: $2,520 each ($5,040 total)
WHY IT MATTERS
The Fleadh isn’t just a competition — it’s the heart of Irish music culture worldwide. Being there gives us the opportunity to grow our skills and bring them home to the West Michigan music scene. We intend to pay this forward to our local community through teaching, performing, and sharing Irish music in new ways.
This trip is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we’re so honored to be representing our state.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Your donation — big or small — will help make this dream a reality. Every dollar goes directly toward making this trip possible. If you can’t donate but want to support us, please share this on social media with your friends, family, or anyone who loves music!
LEARN MORE
Official Fleadh Site: https://comhaltas.ie/event/fleadh-cheoil-na-heireann-2/
Irish Music Workshop (Feakle Festival): https://feaklefestival.ie/festival-event/workshops/
For those who want to keep up with our journey from August 3-14, you can view Keala's facebook updates here:
THANK YOU for supporting us in this exciting journey .
We’re ready to give it our all — and bring a bit of West Michigan to Wexford, Ireland!
With gratitude,
Keala & Lino Venema