Largely due to the Great Famine, Ireland suffered a significant loss of culture, resulting in millions of deaths and emigration. For the first half of the twenty-first century, traditional Irish folk music and dance struggled. With no one to pass on the knowledge and enthusiasm for Irish song, people quickly lost interest in the Celtic heritage. Virtually the only help they received from popular culture was something played in the United States and secretly in homes in Ireland. Irish musicians kept their hobby a secret for fear of ridicule and community rejection. They played mainly in country houses and pubs, and mainly for dancing. Only in the mid-1900s did a revival suddenly begin. During the revival, not only can Irish music become popular again, but also its continued evolution. Many events and people contributed to the sudden love for folk music, but only a few can be singled out as having directly touched the revival: Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, Sean O'Riada, and the music's rise to popularity in the United States. In January 1951, a group of people from the Thomas Street Pipers' Club and music enthusiasts from County Westmeath met in Mullingar. The two ideas discussed were already ideals that both groups had talked about with each other. The collective set out to find an organization whose main purpose was to promote traditional Irish music and agreed that the organization should host an annual festival to celebrate Irish music, song and dance (Comhaltas: History). A month later, the group met again and decided a The Fleadh Cheoil would be held once a year, the first time in May 1951 over the Whitsun weekend. Fleadh Cheoil's goal was to promote traditional music and stop its decline in popularity. The first Fl...... middle of paper...... Web. November 18, 2013. "Comhaltas: History." Comhaltas: History. Np, nd Web. November 18, 2013. Eder, Bruce. "The leaders." All the music. Np, nd Web. November 18, 2013.Geignan, Tom. "The Story of the Clancy Brothers." Irish America. NP, April-May 2009. Web. November 18, 2013. "Guest Post: The Influence of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem on Bob Dylan." Web log post. All Irish-American. Np, 03 July 2010. Web. 18 November 2013. "Irish Folk Revival." Arts of Ireland - Music. DCU, Dublin. October 14, 2013. Lecture.Lynch, John. "Music of the Gaels." Editorial. Braille Music Magazine June 1999: n. page Traditional Irish music. 2006. Network. November 18, 2013. Sawyers, June S. “Tribal Chiefs, Through a Long Lens.” Celtic music, a complete guide. Np: Da Capo, 2000. N. pag. The Irish letter. 2004. Network. 18 November 2013."The story so far..." The Dubliners. Np, nd Web. November 18. 2013.