Foster & Allen to be officially honoured by Comhaltas during Fleadh
Mick Foster and Tony Allen will be formally honoured for their contribution to Irish culture and heritage with the Gradam Award from Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Éireann during the Fleadh Ceoil na hÉireann next week.
The Gradam Na hÉigse Award award is to honour the long-time commitment to Irish culture and heritage and last year's recipients of the prestigious award were former President Mary McAleese and former Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
The duo, along with Mullingar songwriting brothers Sean and Frank O'Meara will receive the award on on Thursday, August 10, at 2.30pm at the Cathedral Of Christ The King Mullingar during Fleadh Ceoil na hÉireann 2023.
Foster & Allen are two of the most successful recording and touring artists to hail from Westmeath. Tony was born in Mount Temple village in south Westmeath while Mick Foster moved to Mullingar with his family in 1960 and has lived there ever since.
Foster & Allen will celebrate 50 years in the music business as Foster & Allen in 2025, a feat achieved by very few acts. Foster & Allen have been great ambassadors for their county and country all around the world playing and singing the best of Irish music and song.
Mick Foster has a great and distinguished association with Fleadh Ceoil na hÉireann. He started going to Fleadh Ceoils in 1962 and in 1963 he won his first Leinster Junior in Portarlington, Co. Laois. The following year he won the Junior All Ireland in Clones, Co. Monaghan. Again, in Clones in 1968 he won the Senior All Ireland and he repeated the performance in Listowel, Co. Kerry in 1970.
Sean O'Meara and Frank O’Meara, brothers from St Bridget's Terrace, Mullingar, who wrote the famous Irish song Grace, will also receive the Gradam Award on Thursday.
The song was written in 1985 about the artist Grace Gifford who married Joseph Mary Plunkett in the chapel at Kilmainham Gaol just hours before he was executed in 1916.
Grace has been recorded by numerous Irish and International artists and is now one of the most popular ever Irish songs. It was also recently recorded by Foster & Allen and released on their latest album We’ll Meet Again.
The O'Meara brothers are prolific songwriters having written many other songs recorded by International & Irish artists including: Meet Me At The Pillar (Dublin City Ramblers), Roisin (Jim McCann), Grace (Rod Stewart) and You’re All That I Need (Daniel O’Donnell).
It is very fitting that during Fleadh 2023 in Mullingar Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann has decided to honour Westmeath people that have made a substantial contribution to Irish culture and heritage.