1. To be eligible to compete a ceili band must have a minimum of 8 members and a maximum of 10.

2. A minimum of 6 members of the band must be 18 years of age or over.

3. Members may only play one instrument.

4. Bands must play in full ensemble throughout their performance, save that a brief intro may be provided in a traditional céilí band manner by drum, piano, accordion, concertina or double bass.

5. Performance shall be entirely acoustic save where amplification is provided by the organizers.

6. Uniforms are not required for bands but are strongly encouraged.

7. Electronic instruments, singers, guitars and bodhrans bag or war pipes and harps are not permitted. A piano will be provided on stage left (band’s left) by the competition organizers, which may not be moved from this position.

8. All bands must contain a piano player or drum or both. Other acceptable instruments are: flute, tin whistle, fiddle, viola, cello, double bass, all accordions/melodeons, uileann pipes, harmonica, bass, snare and cymbal drums, concertina, banjo, piano, saxophone, clarinet, oboe and trumpet. Bands are expected to be evenly balanced and blended in their instrumentation.

9. Band running orders will be decided by band leaders drawing a number from a bag, box or hat or similar, and bands must play in the order drawn.

10. All bands must report to the organizers at least 15 minutes before 7pm at the West County Hotel venue and must be available 15 minutes before they are rostered to play. The Call Steward shall terminate a competition after the completion of the performance by the last available competitor, unless he/she has been previously notified that the missing competitor is delayed in which case the competition shall be shall open for a maximum of fifteen minutes. Once the Call Steward has closed the competition it cannot be reopened.

11. Each band must provide the stewards or the organizers in advance with a simple list of the band’s instruments and their number and must identify the number and type of all of their chosen performance pieces in the order they intend to play them.(tune names are not required) This list must not disclose the identity of the band.

12. Bands must play one selection containing a minimum of two reels and a maximum of three in succession. They must also play one or two double jigs in succession and one or two marches or one or two clan marches in succession. In addition the must play one other piece.

13. The miscellaneous piece chosen shall be one only of the following Tune types: Polka(in any of the regional styles), Hornpipe, Jig (single, hop or slip), Slide, Set Dance, March, Mazurka, Planxty, Fling, Barn Dance, Schottische, strathspey, germans, Quadrilles, military two-steps, Clan March, waltz or other dance tune to be performed in ceili band traditional fashion, be it Irish or of other origin, newly composed or of traditional origin, provided that the band shall not perform another clan march if they have already played a clan march as one of their other pieces.

14. In the unlikely event of a tie for any prize place, any band may be recalled and will have to play one selection of reels or jigs not already played by them. To minimize a recall the audience shall have a casting vote as follows: if there is a tie for any placing the tied band with the most audience first preferences shall be awarded one additional point by the independent scrutinizer to decide that placing. If there is still a tie at that point (for example if more than a two-way tie) then the next highest preferred audience band shall receive a point to decide the next place and so on. The casting vote process shall proceed in that way even where points may earlier have been deducted from any band in accordance with rule 34 hereunder.

15. If the audience’s own ballot is tied a bundle of ten ballots (or less if ten are not available in any box) will be taken from each band’s first preference vote boxes and the second preference vote only of those papers shall then be counted. The tied band with the highest second preference vote will then be awarded one point to decide the audiences placing of that band. The second highest second preferences of the same sample (and lower preferences where the need arises) will be used to decide any lower placed ties in the audience vote in the same manner.

16. Bands shall play all tunes twice only but a (two part only) tune which is played singly may be played up to four times (AB AB AB AB). Tunes which contain a mixture of single and double elements or which have more than two parts shall be played twice only.

17. A majority of the nominated adjudicators may (in consultation with the independent scrutinizer and the organizers) require any band to be recalled to repeat any or all of their already played performance pieces. The adjudicators shall not be obliged to offer reasons for a recall in these circumstances. In the event of such a recall or any recall, the individual adjudicators will vote again but the original audience votes will remain valid.

18. Harmonies and chords are permitted.

19. Bands that play extra tunes or who Breach any of the rules set out herein may be disqualified immediately or may be penalized by the deduction of points to be decided by the independent scrutinizer in consultation with the organizers and where appropriate with the individual adjudicators. No objections will be raised to any such decision as may be made in this regard.

20. An individual band member may compete with only one band save in exceptional circumstances by advance permission of the organizers.

21. Bands must present to play when called and must not remain on stage except to the reasonable extent necessary to deliver their performance.

22. The winning band must make itself available for a brief encore performance on stage after the competition concludes (not exceeding 10 minutes in duration save with the organizer’s consent).

23. First prize shall consist of a Cash Prize of 5,000 euro. Second prize shall be 2,000 euro and third prize shall be 1,000 euro. It should be noted that where only five or less bands compete there shall be no obligation to pay out the first prize fund of 5,000 euro and the second and third place funds will be awarded in lieu to first and second winners only and respectively.

24. No communication with the individual nominated adjudicators will be tolerated on the day of competition– before or during the competition - except through the organizers.

25. A band shall not identify itself directly or indirectly to the adjudicators during the competition.

26. The adjudication shall be by secret ballot scrutinized by an independent scrutinizer of conspicuous integrity who will be identified.

27. The named adjudicators will sit apart from each other and shall not confer in relation to the competition while it is underway save in any situation whereby any issue is not reasonably capable of being resolved by the application of these written rules and in such event shall proceed as they see fit subject to approval by the independent scrutinizer.

28. Insofar as reasonably possible in the absolute discretion of the organizers the nominated adjudicators shall be visually screened from the bands and bands shall be identified to them by number only.

29. Insofar as reasonably possible nominated adjudicators shall be chosen so as to provide a fair balance of experience, opinion and origin including geographic origin.

30. Adjudicators are expected to give their full attention to the bands while they are performing but may make notes for themselves which they may in their discretion allow to be given to the relevant band after the competition, and may if they wish elaborate on their views in any form after the conclusion of the competition.

31. Once the draw for running order of bands has take place and again according as each band is about to play, The call steward shall announce the band as being the band named on the audience ballot paper by reference only to the letter that that band is referred to by on the ballot paper.

32. Audience members who are 18 years or over,( in the opinion of door staff) shall be entitled to one ballot paper on payment of the entry ticket fee of 15 euro and may mark it: 1,2,3 etc., in their order of preference of bands. Ballot papers will be collected immediately following the last band’s performance and the first preference vote will be counted openly by a minimum of 3 stewards who will allot first preference votes to each band. The band with the most firsts will be deemed the audience’s choice for first place, the second highest number of firsts being deemed second and so on in descending order. Only ballot papers which disclose a clear and unambiguous first preference shall be admitted. Bands may nominate one representative to supervise the counting of votes but the final decision in relation to a particular paper or the presence of a representative, (who must not interfere unreasonably in the count) shall reside with the independent scrutinizer.

33. There shall be a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 nominated adjudicators in addition to the audience. Their ballot shall be weighted as one individual adjudication. Each adjudication will be weighted equally, points being awarded 11, 9, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, to first, second and third places, etc., respectively, in descending order.

34. In the interests of conspicuous fairness, the independent scrutinizer shall, , unless he or she deems it inappropriate unfair or unnecessary having regard to the final audience vote, in consultation with the vote counters, impose a balancing points reduction on competing Clare bands in the following way: if there are only three bands from Clare competing each shall have their final total points reduced by one point. If there are only two then each band shall be reduced 2 points. If only one Clare band competes it shall be reduced 3 points. No Clare band shall be so penalized unless it polls 20% or higher of the audience first preference votes. The decision as to the origin of a band shall conclusively lie with the organizers. The deduction of points shall take place before the aggregation of the audience vote result with that of the other adjudicators and irrespective of subsequent tied results which might arise in the aggregation of all adjudications..

35. A band may be declined initial entry in the competition in the absolute discretion of the organizers, who may require interested bands to demonstrate competence to the organizers satisfaction. This may involve the production of a demo recording of one or two pieces of music in advance.

36. A band which wins first place three years in succession shall not enter the competition in its next year save with the agreement vouched to the organizers by that band of a majority of the bands entered for that competition except that band.

37. The entry fee for bands shall be set by the organizers, currently a nominal one euro. In consideration of participating for the guaranteed prizes all bands who confirm their participation shall agree to appear and compete and agree to the advertising of the event and association therewith as the organizers may proceed.

38. Heats shall only be required in the event that band numbers make the running off of the competition in one sitting an unreasonable prospect in the organizers discretion. In such event arrangements will be made with each band well in advance of the competition.

39. No unauthorized recording or broadcasting of the competition or any part of it may take place save with the organizers strict permission obtained in advance. In this regard, however, the competition all or part may be audio or visually recorded or broadcast by nominated persons on agreed terms with the organizers. This may include but not be limited to RTE, TG4, or other local, national or international television or radio broadcasting media. All bands assign all rights in their performance both moral and legal and editorial control to the organizers for these purposes and the promotion celebration and advertising of the competition. For these purposes participation and performance by a band shall be deemed to be a general unconditional consent to such recording and/or broadcasting and a waiver of all intellectual property therein. Bands are deemed by their participation to warrant that they have the right to perform their chosen pieces under these conditions and indemnify the organizers and their servants agents and contractors accordingly. Nothing herein shall prevent a band from nominating one person only to record the competition on a personal recording device for personal limited and non-commercial purposes only.

40. These rules may be varied by the organizers where circumstances merit in exceptional circumstances only and this document and the rules contained and set out herein are the sole property of John Rynne. © John Rynne & co Solicitors 13 Abbey St Ennis Co. Clare. No unauthorized reproduction storage alteration or transmission in whole or in part is permitted. The organizers reserve the absolute right to cancel the competition without liability. Participation by a band is deemed full acceptance of these rules and conditions.

Band Entry

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