The promotional motto of last summer’s Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann held in Cavan town for the first time in 56 years was “Let Cavan Surprise You.”

And so it did as record crowds were claimed in a recession year and organizational kudos from the Comhaltas director general Senator Labhras O’Murchu on down were showered on the Cavan people who ran an innovative and very efficient fleadh.

And they did so amidst all the economic turmoil of 2010 that both provided great stress in advance and jubilation and economic reward afterwards for a job well done and tourism boost for the Breffni county.

If seeing is believing that Cavan could host such a successful national event that drew over 800 students to the Scoil Eigse as part of the over 200,000 people said to visit the Fleadh, you have your chance. The news comes from the event chairman, the unflappable Martin Donohoe, born and bred in Cavan town, that the All-Ireland Fleadh DVD is now available and on sale for Christmas.

Produced by Willie Fogarty, the CCE video maven, it contains three hours of sights and sounds from the August fleadh.

You can order it from Martin Donohoe by phone at 353-86-234-2270 or email to cavanmusiclive@gmail.com. Price is €20 for the DVD plus €4 for package and postage (approximately $31 at today’s rates).

If you want to spent a Christmas in Cavan via Shannonside Northern Sound radio on the web, Father Christmas (a/k/a Martin Donohoe) plans a Christmas night special on his Saturday evening radio program The Wind That Blows. With live music and special guests from noon until 2 p.m. New York time, you’ll get a healthy helping of virtual mince pie, chunes and yarns to make the Yuletide bright across the fiber optics universe at www.shannonside.ie.