You might recall I posted last week on Ennistymon and the magical falls on the Inagh River. Well late yesterday evening I was coming home through Ennistymon again and noticed the scene had changed considerably. What a difference a week makes. Here is a before and after shot and a couple of other photos. It was really weird to see donkeys grazing in the Clare sunshine where last week was a raging torrent.
Final day of a fabulous three day Festival saw an enthusiastic crowd wowed by Gavin Moore, Siobhan Peoples, Murty Ryan and Pat Marsh, Lisa O’Neill, the New Road, The Unwanted, Dezi Donnelly and Mike McGoldrick, Damien Dempsey and Blackie O’Connell and friends.
Well it just gets better! Highlights today were the talented Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello, the delightful and inventive Twin Headed Wolf, the amazing Mick O’Brien and Caoimhin O Raghallaigh, the beautiful Whileaways, the energetic and dynamic Moxie and The Bonny Men, the unbelievable Mairtin O’Connor, Cathal Hayden and Seamie O’Dowd, the sensational Solas, a guest appearance from Luka Bloom and the captivating and charismatic Kila.
What a fabulous line up for the first day! Here are some highlights. The wonderful songs of Cillian King, the gorgeous Anna, Clare and Shiela of the Friel Sisters, The amazing Chris Droney with his family, the fabulous Ilis Kennedy and Pauline Scanlon who make up Lumiere, the legendary Paddy Glackin and Liam O’Flynn and the outrageous Seamus Begley and Jim Murray. Who could ask for more!
Cascade on the Inagh River at Ennistynmon
The Inagh River at Ennistymon
Another view of cascades on the Inagh River at Ennistymon
The Inagh River and the Falls Hotel.
Reed beds on the Inagh River at Ennistymon
Detail from the wall of a stone bridge on the Inagh River at Ennistymon
Lonely foxglove in the forest near Ennistymon
Creek near Ennistymon
Creek near Ennistymon
Foam traces of swirls and eddies in the Inagh River Ennistymon, after heavy rain
Tranquil Inagh River just below the falls at Ennistymon
Another view of the Falls at Ennistymon
Here I am in the village of Ennistymon. Or is is Ennistimon? They can’t seem to make up their minds. Most of the shops including the Post Office (who you’d think would know) spell it with a ‘y’. Pretty much all the road signs spell it with an ‘i’. This confusion about spelling of the town names in Clare is everywhere. Is it Lahinch or Lehinch, Corrofin or Corofin, Ballyvaughan or Ballyvaghan. Maybe it’s all over Ireland and not just Clare. I don’t know. I’ll report back on this another time. Anyway I digress.
The Humours of Ennistymon is one of my favourite jigs and as I say I am here in Ennistymon. There seems to be some confusion about the definition of the ‘Humours’ common in numerous tune names referring to places. I like the definition that it relates to the ‘vibe’ of a place and in particular the waters as they refer to the medieval concept of ‘humours’ or fluids, the balance of which make up life. I spent a few hours yesterday experiencing the ‘vibe’ or the ‘Humours’ of Ennistymon.
Sisters and fiddle players, who live locally, Yvonne and Caroline Casey, both independently said I must do this walk. So when there was a sufficient break in the weather I headed for Ennistymon. There had been torrential rain earlier in the day so this meant there was plenty of water flowing in the Inagh River on the banks of which the pretty town is situated.
“Just head past the bridge, through the arch and past the Falls Hotel” so that’s what I did. I was rewarded with a lovely vista as the river cascaded over giant flat steps eroded from the interbedded sandstone and shale. I followed the trail through a dripping rainforest with moss covered banks, occasional giant trees, thick lush scrub (as we would call it), some of which I recognised such as holly and ivy (they do grow together as in the song), ferns, epiphytes and flowering plants such as daisies, buttercups, lilies and foxglove. The swirling waters generated a froth which when it hit the calmer water spread out and formed thin lines which traced the eddies and swirls in the now calm river. I have not seen this before. The river flowed gently past the Falls Hotel, a Resort and Spa Hotel built around a Georgian Mansion from the 1740s and run as an hotel since the 1930s. The forest opened out as the river entered a thick reed bed. I turned to follow a path up a tributary with its water bubbling over rocks from its source deep within the forest.
I spent hours experimenting with my Canon 5D looking for the perfect shot of, first the falls, and then the creek, taking care not to ignore the many photographic opportunities of the surrounding forest. Of course there is no such thing as the ‘perfect’ shot but I am happy enough with the results. I have attached some of what I think are my better shots. Hope you like them.
How many ways can you photograph the Eiffel Tower and make it look interesting or original? This is the problem I had the other day at the Cliffs of Moher. I had resisted going because I took lots of photos last time and wanted to avoid the crowds, but the day was fine with patches of sunshine so I headed out there one afternoon about 3.00, It was a memorable afternoon. I walked past O’Briens tower and around the cliffs towards Doolin getting perspectives that were unfamiliar.
The Cliffs are a special place. I love the way you can walk out unrestricted onto overhanging rock platforms and stare down at the swirling ocean hundreds of feet below. Back home we would have railing fences preventing you getting near the cliff edge but here there is just an incomprehensible pictogram which seems more concerned with the welfare of the grass and the birds and the phone number of a suicide help line. I love the lush green blanket that drapes over the cliff edge sometimes going half way down the slope until the alternating bands of sandstone and shale eventually assert their dominance, And as at Loop Head sea birds nesting precariously on tiny rocky ledges where along with a dozen others they seem to have reached a harmonious arrangement.
The light was iffy and didn’t help the photography but I stayed until 8pm. At this time I was pretty much on my own. The evening chill meant the tourists were back in their B&Bs though it would be still light until 10.30. I should have stayed but unfortunately I had a session to go to!
Dolphin at Loop Head
Loop Head
Loop Head
It was only by chance that I ended up here. Loop Head is the most westerly point of Clare and is not far from the town of Kilrush. I went to Kilrush one day last week (an hour away from Ennis) because the Internet said there was a session on Tuesday nights at Crotty’s. We always believe what we read on the Internet don’t we? Well when I enquired of the publican the response was “Oh that only happens in the Summer”. Apparently June does not count as Summer. “Anyway since you’ve come this far” he says “why don’t you go out to Loop Head”. So I did. There was light rain (what the locals here call mist) but not unpleasant. There was a light house but they charged to see that so I just explored the cliff edges and was rewarded with breeding colonies of seabirds, dolphins playing in the water around the precipitous cliffs, carpets of fluffy pink flowers, squishy bog like mosses and only the odd German tourist. Here are some photos I took. They don’t really do the place justice.
Session at The Diamond with Blackie O’Connell, Siobhan Peoples and Cyril O’Donoghue
Siobhan Peoples and Cyril O’Donoghue Fleadh Nua 2014
Blackie and Siobhan
Yvonne Casey and Josephine Marsh at Brogan’s Fleadh Nua
Siobhan Peoples and Tola Custy at Faffa’s. Final session at Fleadh Nua 2014
Yvonne Casey and Josephine Marsh
Mary and Scorcha
Session at Brogan’s with Tom Delaney and Eric Healy and friends
Session at the Old Ground with Mary MacNamara and her daughter Scorcha and Geraldine Cotter.
Blackie O’Connells pipes at the Diamond Bar Ennis
Session at THe Copper Jug Ennis with Andrew MacNamara and Tara Breen
The momentum of the Fleadh and the buzz around Ennis built as we approached the weekend. The crowds got bigger and the sessions got better. I went to 24 sessions during the 8 days and I can honestly say I didn’t go to one I didn’t enjoy.
The Fleadh Nua has been a terrific way to start my Ireland journey. I have been overwhelmed by the people and the music and it is everything I had expected or hoped for. I have played with most of Clare’s top musicians and others less heralded but just as good. I have met a lot of interesting people from Europe and the US (Hi Veronika and Holger, Thomas, Thierry, Sally Ann, Caroline, Kieran, Jessica) all with a singular passion for Irish music and all keen to learn more in their own individual way. I have been welcomed by most her who are happy to share the music. I have met some wonderful Irish people who drive from all over to listen to the music for the Fleadh. They are so knowledgeable and like it that you are interested. I have watched my fiddle playing grow. The nerves are still there when asked to start a tune but a week ago I never dreamed I would be playing alongside the likes of Siobhan Peoples, Tola Custy, Blackie O’Connell, Josephine Marsh, Mary MacNamara or Eamonn Cotter and holding my own. Or listening to some wonderful singing from Niamh Parsons and Noirin Lynch and many others. Or the impromptu dancing of the gorgeous Lenka. The variety of approaches to the music is incredible From the driving pipes and fiddle of Blackie and Siobhan to the gentle flowing pace of Mary Mac and Geraldine Cotter and the sweet tones of Yvonne Casey’s fiddle with Josephine’s exquisite box playing.
After this concentrated week the music is starting to get into my head. I am recognising tunes and playing along (well sort of) after a few hearings. Whether they stick is another matter but the process of learning by ear, something I have struggled with for many years is beginning to happen for me. What helps is that they play tunes here often five or six times, sometimes more. It is not until the third or fourth time that you can really feel the groove and the intensity builds and the music suddenly lifts. This is lost when the tune is only played twice. As Josephine said when I discussed this with her during a break after a particularly satisfying set “Why stop if you’re enjoying it?”
The way music is weaved in and out of the fabric of the culture in this part of the world is revealed every night and day. One strikes up a conversation and it soon gets to “you here for the Fleadh?” And they will proceed to tell you where the best music is.
The pleasure that musicians get playing with each other is obvious as is the respect that they seem to hold for each other. This is reflected in the multitude of different collaboration in the many different locations. For example I have seen Siobhan Peoples play with Murty Ryan, with Blackie O’Connell and Tola Custy at different times.
The Café sessions where the music is taken out of the pubs and away from the constant pub noise reveals its soul and demands undivided attention have been an unsung highlight.
I continue to be inspired.
After what could well have been the worst fish and chips I have ever had (why don’t any of the pubs in Tullamore have any Irish food?) at the Wolftrap pub we made tracks to Athlone for the 5:00 session at Sean’s Bar.
Lunch at the Wolftrap – possibly the worst fish and chips I have ever had.
A very narrow pub amongst very old looking buildings on the waterfront and in the shadow of the imposing Athlone Castle.
Sean’s Bar in Athlone
Session in Seans Bar
There is a piece of the original wattle and daub wall on display in the pub and it is easy to believe it is 1100 years old. Of course the 5:00 session wasn’t going to start until six so as we were heading out of the pub for a coffee I heard my name called out. It was Shane the banjo player from last night at Grogan’s. He was with is partner Neve and I waited with them as the musicians drifted in. A piper (Greg), the guitarist from Grogan’s (Seamus), a fiddler (Oisin) and a couple of others. The pub was pretty quiet but filled up as the night wore on. The music was high quality as usual. Played at a pretty gentle pace and quite a tunes I knew. Greg was really knowledgeable and good to talk to. Again I was made really welcome. Played until 8:30 and after dinner with Marion in a nice restaurant across the river (Thyme) drove back to Tullamore by 11. An early night!
In the washup after the issues with the Tullamore house Marion had decided to go to Belfast so I dropped her at the station and I headed west (through the now constant rain) – via Birr then Portumna with a stop off at the Castle. A fascinating place built around 1610. it was destroyed by fire in the early 1800s and left derelict until restoration began in 1948.
Portumna Castle and Gardens
The rain eased up as I passed through Tipperary and Galway and into Clare through towns familiar from tune names – Scarriff, the Cross of Spancil Hill and Tulla and then into Ennis. I had forgotten what a charming place Ennis was with its narrow medieval streets and its plethora of pubs. So I explored it until it was time to check into my B&B. Ryehill is about three k’s out of town on the Tulla road and turns out to be more like a motel with a few rooms upstairs above a petrol station. Pretty basic but it’s a bed and its ok at around 30 euros a day.
Time to check out the sessions. Over the coming week there will be 73 scheduled pub sessions! Building up to next weekend when there will be as many as 18 sessions a night. How do I choose?
Sessions at Fleadh Nua 2014
Not thinking too far ahead I notice Siobanh Peoples is playing at Faffa’s at 6.00 that night (Sunday). This pub turned out to be quite hard to find as it is actually called F Considine’s. Anyhow 6.00 turned into 7.30 and still no sign of a start. Sitting there feeling a bit stupid I got chatting to an older couple – Mick and Lizie Mulcahey. Mick is from Cork and Lizie is American and they spend 5 months of every year in Ireland. They had driven up from Cork (1 ½ hours) just for the night. He was a box player and a wealth of information and knowledge. As the musicians arrived they all greeted him and he seemed to know everyone. Full of information about who I should listen to and where I should go. Connie O’Connoly a fiddle player from Ballyvourney, Seanus Connoly, Gerry Carrington, Monday at Scully’s in Cork to hear Sliabh Luca, Peter Carbery (box) and Padraigh Mcgovern (pipes), the Con Curtin weekend in Brosna at the end of June. etc. The musicians started to arrive and unfortunately Siobanh wasn’t there. Apparently she was at a wedding in Limerick and would be back later in the week. The leader of the session was Murty Ryan on the box and there was a guitar and two flutes and a very quiet fiddle player from France. The tunes were fast and I didn’t know many but I did join in occasionally. I was happy to just sit outside the circle and soak it up. At about 9:30 Mick said he was going to another session at Tommy Steele’s. This had been recommended by the guys at Athlone so I was keen to go also.
It was in full swing when we got there. Liam Lewis on the fiddle – a fairly reserved guy but brilliant player. Graham Dunne on guitar and a larger than life character John Rynne on flute. There were a couple of others – Gerry on banjo and Alf on fiddle and later joined by Kieran (that’s a girl) a flute player from New York. The tunes were fantastic and the crack was hilarious as the Guinness (which they were drinking from bottles rather than draft) flowed. A lot of banter and jokes often at my and the girl from New York’s expense. Musically I was out of my depth most of the time but didn’t mind and played along where I could. It was so good to listen to. They were very interested in my story. Liam had spent some time in Perth in the early 80’s teaching fiddle and knew Sean Doherty, and Graham had a brother in Melbourne and had played Port Fairy a couple of years ago. It was a great atmosphere. Everybody seemed to know everyone else. There was a game of digital scrabble happening on an ipad between Graham and John and a couple of ladies in the crowd the tablet being passed back and forth between tunes. About 1130 Graham and Liam packed up but the others showed no sign of slowing. Graham on hearing I was staying in a B&B said he might be able to help and that he had a couple of spare rooms in his house a bit out of town – an old cottage up towards Corofin and said it was a bit out in the country as if that would turn me off the idea. He gave me his number and said he would take me out to have a look. I could not believe it and was overwhelmed by the warmth and generosity of these people.
Those left played on in an empty pub until 2.00. The publican not seeming to mind. John would occasionally make comments on the way I played a tune or bits I got wrong but it was done in such a way that I actually felt good about it. He was clearly listening to me and seemed keen to help and I reflected on a great night as I walked back to my car which I had a little trouble finding.
I eventually got to sleep about 3:00 still feeling the effects of jet lag, lack of sleep and a cold but content.
Every morning of the Fleadh Nua there were to be Café sessions so I headed off to the first of these on Monday morning. This was led by Murty Ryan who I had met at Faffa’s. About half a dozen players some from France, Germany. On Tuesday it was Liam Lewis (Joe Rynne didn’t turn up), It was really great playing familiar tunes slowly and sitting next to Liam listening to his masterful playing. Wednesday, Yvonne Casey and Eoin O’Neill and Thursday Geraldine and Eamon Cotter. Just beautiful playing and terrific with tunes played up to five times and not too fast. A treat to be playing music in the daytime in the beautiful surrounds of the Rowan Tree Café.
Lunchtime has been occupied by Riches of Clare concerts. stand out so far was Tola Custy, Karol Lynch and Gerry Paul on Wednesday and Thursday with the Quigney’s and Mark Donnellan playing beautiful music from East Clare.
Every afternoon there is a slow session led by Frank Custy and this has been dominated by vistiors each of whom were given a go at kicking off a tune. The standard was variable but it was great fun interspersed with set dances, songs and recitations. This will also be on every afternoon. Met a character, Martin Minogue who claims to be a cousin of Kylie and Dani. I believe him. He has a 120 year old bodhran. Check out the video on Facebook. A highlight was on Wednesday when we were joined by Tola Custy who is an amazing fiddler. I talked to him afterwards and he is an interesting person with a deep understanding of the music and the land. As it turns out he will be a neighbour (see later). He would be happy to give me lessons if he was around but suggested his sister Mary and gave me her number.
On Tuesday I contacted Graham regarding his offer to stay andd drove out to his cottage. It is set in the glorious Clare country side in a quiet country lane about 5 k from Ennis towards Corofin and next to a farm. Very plain from the outside and very basic on the inside. Beautifully chaotic with guitars and books strewn around. I loved it. Turns out he is married to Niamh Parsons one of Irelands top singers (formerly with Arcady) and he accompanies her on tour and recordings. We seemed to click and he agreed I would move in on Sunday and come to dinner to meet Niamh who is coming down from Dublin at the weekend. It’s funny how things have just fallen into place beyond my wildest expectations.
The sessions are now coming so fast and furious that I can’t report on each one so I might leave it there for now and summarise on my next post. Not sure when that will be as it looks like I will need to go to London on Monday for a further interview for the job I am going for. I hope it doesn’t mean I have to cut the trip too short! Being optimistic.
So many photos and videos to post. I’ll try when Fleadh Nua is over. Meanwhile I am posting on Facebook if you are interested.
See you soon.
Well I am here. Can’t believe it. The less said about the trip the better. No complaints about Emirates but I can’t sit still in an airline seat for 20 hours let alone sleep. Playing Space invaders (the version where you fight for elbow space on the armrest!) with the 20 stone Russian in the adjacent seat is not conducive to sleep. Still I did catch up all eight episodes of the first series of Breaking Bad!
Everything had gone so smoothly there had to be something lurking around the corner. It arrived in the shape of the Immigration man from Hell! With a small grab bag of mainly assorted Aussies and Kiwis we watched all manner of people ushered through the Euro line, without a glance at their passport while we queued for over half an hour. I had no forewarning of the treatment I was to get. My big mistake was booking a return ticket five months out. He did not accept my explanation that I was away for five months but wasn’t going to spend all that time in Ireland. He was not impressed with the suggestion that I was going out of Ireland and then returning, saying I had to go back to Australia before I could start another three months! And for half an hour I was interrogated as to where I was staying (prove it!); why was I here; how much money I had; and how it was all my fault anyway that I was in this situation. I actually thought at one point he wasn’t going to let me in but In the end he gave me three months telling me I had to change my return ticket. This guy would have found a reason to turn St Peter away from the pearly gates. It certainly wasn’t the warm embrace and welcome that I had naïvely expected. But that wasn’t the end of it. An hour to sort out a hire car! Anyway I was finally on the M1 heading into town to pick up Marion and Dermot who were waiting for me at Jury’s Inn in the city.
It was a squeeze – three bodies and a half a dozen suitcases in a Nissan Micra but we were soon on the Motorway out of town and with green fields rolling by we were in Tullamore by mid afternoon.
[Enda had kindly let us use his house as a base and very comfortable it is too but our stay there turned out to be very short (more on that another time) and we made plans to go our separate ways from Sunday staying only three nights.]
A quick search of the internet revealed a session at the Eugene’s bar in Kelly’s hotel in town. The article was 10 years old so it was a risk. I couldn’t raise them by phone to confirm but it was worth a punt if not a pint….
Rolling up at 9.30 to an empty lounge there was of course no sign of any session. It looked promising however with the walls covered in musical instruments and memorabilia. It was the most Irish of Irish pubs.
Eugene’s Bar at Kellys Hotel
Marion and Dermot in the Session bar at Kelly’s Hotel Tullamore
Aoife) was also pretty damn good! (a later search of the internet showed her to be an All Ireland champion. http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_286_4_aoife_green/
As the only fiddle there I joined in where I could and I even started a set! They were surprisingly generous in their acknowledgement but nevertheless I felt as if I had gate crashed a party at the big end of town. I sang a couple of songs and despite managing to start in the wrong key carried it off without disgracing myself.
Session at Eugene’s Bar in Tullamore May 17 2014
It was a very friendly pub. Marion and Dermot engaged in deep conversation with all and sundry and many people came over for a chat and to find out who we were. By the end of the night we were all best friends! At 1230 it was over and with only two hours sleep since I had left Australia I suddenly hit the wall.
The next day kicked off with porridge and a big fry up – bacon, eggs, black pudding, white pudding mushrooms, sausages – really getting into the swing of things now. Faced with the daunting challenge of filling in time till the next session I succumbed to the regulation visit to the Tullamore Dew “Heritage Centre” which turned out to be a shop selling bottles of whisky (at higher prices than Dunne’s) and souvenirs in a warehouse nestled on the banks of the Grand Canal. Pretty enough but hardly a ‘Heritage Centre’
Then drove out to Clonmacnoise on hedge-lined back roads through rolling green hills. The ‘real’ Ireland? Clonmacnoise is an old monastery apparently founded in 546AD becoming a major centre by the 9th century when it was associated with the Kings of Connacht and later with the kings of Meath and of Tara.
Celtic cross at Clonmacnoise
It’s an amazing place with an amazing history. Attacked by the Irish, the Vikings and the Normans on a multitude of occasions surviving and thriving to the 12th Century from when it started to decline. Of course I took lots of photos and I’ll post some when they are sorted.
Meanwhile I had discovered a session was on that night at Grogan’s pub in Glasson just outside Athlone.
Grogan Pub in Glasson, near Athlone
We arrived just before the scheduled starting time to an overflowing front bar packed with golfers celebrating some tournament that day. Fighting our way through to a separate bar off the side we saw an empty table with the giveaway of a piano accordion and a whistle on the seat. We took our seats and introductions all round. This time I remembered some of the names with Ellen on the accordion and Roy on a Djembe drum and Cormack on the whistle and flute. There was a guitar and a banjo and that was it. The pub was really noisy and unlike the previous night the musicians were pretty much ignored and left to get on with it. A lot of familiar tunes played at a lovely pace.
So I found myself playing well over 50% of the time. I was soon kicking tunes off and quite a number of the Perth tunes seemed to be new to them so I found myself playing alone. I couldn’t believe it – here I was in a pub in a little village in the middle of Ireland playing a tune with top musicians and them listening to me! The hard work of the last few months is starting to pay off as I was playing with confidence and while I made heaps of mistakes it didn’t seem to matter.
Paying a tune with Cormack
Session at Grogan’s. Dermot singing the Rare Auld Times
Session at Grogan’s.
It was all tunes with only a break for a rendition of the Rare Auld Times by Dermott which was well received. It struck me that we hadn’t seen a fiddle in either session. According to Ellen “fiddles aren’t very popular in the Midlands@ It seems to be mainly flute, banjo and accordion. And no bodhrans either. The tunes went on without a break until well after 1:30 by which time the musicians were the only ones left – everyone else having staggered off into the now chilly night air.
The word is that there is a session on Saturday in Athlone at Sean’s Bar. Apparently the oldest pub in Ireland – even Europe. Possibly the World! Been there since 900AD.
I’ll be there!
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