Name change for Ottawa CCE Branch to "Ottawa Irish Arts"

Why have we changed our public-facing name?

Dear Members, a chairde, 

This is a note to let you know that the public name for CCE Ottawa is changed to “Ottawa Irish Arts.” Our legal name, and our affiliation with Comhaltas, will not change. Why are we doing this? Read on to find out.

Since its inception in 1975 our branch has been named “Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Ottawa Branch.” This name served us well for many years, but as time moves on, so have many of our founding and long- time members. Many of those members were first and second generation Irish, and had first-hand knowledge of the Comhaltas organization.

Using the branch's legal name, which is in the Irish language, for public outreach is becoming increasingly difficult as it is difficult to pronounce (for non-Irish), and literally has no meaning to non-Irish. It is after all in another language. Changing our public facing name allows us to reach out to the broader Ottawa community in order to maintain, and hopefully grow, our activities of preserving traditional Irish culture.

By changing our name to “Ottawa Irish Arts” we tell people where we are, the culture we represent, and the types of activities we pursue. It is easy to spell, pronounce, and is consistent with many other Comhaltas branches. 

Over time we will migrate the website and other media to the new name.

We are still a Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann branch. From here on, I strongly encourage all members to consciously use the name Ottawa Irish Arts, particularly when reaching out to new people or groups.

Thank you, Le meas,

Craig Hamm
Chair/ Cathaoirleach,
Ottawa Irish Arts (Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Ottawa Branch)
On behalf of the Executive