My Journey

Solar Eclipse in Co. Clare

Posted on March 20, 2015 by singersong

I dutifully set the alarm for 8 am after the usual late night playing tunes, so that I could see the much hyped total eclipse of the sun. Well it’s not actually total where we are but it was to be pretty damn close. I didn’t have high hopes as there was a thick blanket of fog when I drove home last night at 1 am. Sure enough I looked out the window at as the alarm sounded to a complete whiteout and promptly rolled back over to sleep.

Something woke me up an hour later and made me look out the window again This was what I saw peeking through the haze.

First glimpse of the eclipse March 20 2015

I madly grabbed the camera put the telephoto on and, while mindful of all the dire warnings that I would lose my sight, pointed it in the general direction and fired away. Of course I didn’t have a sun filter so the first shots were completely blown out but the fog was working in my favour and as the slowly diminishing sun peeped in and out I kept clicking. For the technically minded I shot on my Canon 5D Mark 2 at the lowest ISO and on programmed automatic stopped down between 1 and 1 2/3 stops to cut the light. I only had a 200m lens so couldn’t get in that close.

It was an amazing experience as I watched the light fade. As we reached near “total” the fog closed in and there wasn’t enough light from the sun to get a shot. So I turned my attention to the rocks and the sea. It was deathly quiet. Eerily so. I think the word ‘eerie’ must have been coined during a total eclipse of the sun. It was not as dark as I expected but it was the quietness and stillness that struck me. Not even familiar sounds like the birds, which are my constant companions, or the lowing of cows, which only minutes earlier had welcomed the dawn. The only sound was the restless sea and even it was unusually quiet. It lasted about ten minutes as the light gradually returned and I heard the first quack of a wild duck heralding the new dawn.

For a moment the fog thinned and I saw the sun emerge on the other side of the moon. Just for a moment. Long enough to take one last photo. Then as the sun became bright enough to penetrate the haze it was impossible to photograph let alone look at.

In the end I had to be grateful for the fog and cloud. It enabled me to witness something that the gods have continually conspired to prevent me seeing.

Roll on 2024.

Eclipse, Caherush March 20 2015. About 15 minutes before “total”.

Eclipse over Mt Callan from Caherush March 20 2015

Eclipse Caherush, March 20, 2015. Minutes before “total” and just before the cloud covered the sun.

Caherush during the “total” period of the eclipse March 20 2015

Eclipse, Caherush March 20 2015, Minutes after “total”, the sun emerges briefly before being covered by cloud again.

Categories: My Journey, Real Ireland, Wild Ireland | Tags: Clare, eclipse, eclipse of the sun, Ireland, March 20th 2015, photography, solar eclipse, total eclipse, travel | Leave a comment

Is it really six months??

Posted on December 2, 2014 by singersong

I have now been in Ireland over six months.

I was going to write some profound piece about my time here and reflect on my experiences since I arrived at Dublin Airport with my fiddle on back in mid-May. I was going to write about the fact that I have played music at an organised session every night since I have been here, about the fact that I have played in at least 400 sessions possibly as many as 500, about the fact that I have attended over twenty Festivals and Summer Schools, about the fact that I have played music in Clare, Sligo, Lietrim, Mayo, Offaly, Galway, Tipperary, Cork, Dublin and Armagh, about the fact that I have had lessons from Tola Custy, Siobhan Peoples, Maurice Lennon, Yvonne Kane, Eileen O’Brien, Martin Hayes, Yvonne Casey, James Kelly, Liam O’Connor and many others, about the many ‘famous’ musicians I have played with and met, about the wonderful places I have visited in Clare and beyond, about my house by the sea, about….. But no. I won’t even mention those things.

Instead I just want to talk about the music over the last three nights. Firstly at PJ Kelly’s Bar in Ennis on Saturday night, then at Pepper’s in Feakle on Sunday, at home on Monday afternoon and at Fitz’s Bar in Hotel Doolin that evening. Because these three nights say everything about why I am here and why I can’t see myself returning to Australia for the foreseeable future.

Saturday night had kicked off with a CD launch upstairs at the Old Ground. Dymphna O‘Sullivan, wonderful Ennis based concertina player had gathered together an eclectic collection of musicians who entertained a large crowd for well over two hours. There was great variety with visiting musicians including Joe Carey from Mayo and members of the Droney family, and a whistler (the ‘put-your-lips-together-and-blow’ type of whistler), along with elite players from Clare including Eoin O’Neill, Eileen O’Brien, Joan Hanranhan, Eileen Cotter and many others. There was dancing including sean nos, step dancing and a set to finish it off. While I love listening to Irish music in the concert situation it always leaves me wanting more and the desire to play becomes overpowering. So the word was that some of the musicians would be heading down to Kelly’s. This is my regular Saturday session as I love the tinge of Tulla provided by regulars Andrew MacNamara, Brid O’Gorman and Joan Hanrahan.

I arrived at 11:00 to an already packed bar. I knew half the musicians there, which was great as I felt welcomed but it didn’t help get a seat! I was lucky to get a stool just outside the circle. They were already in full swing so I wasted no time in getting the fiddle out. Plenty of tunes I knew and at a good steady pace – just the way I like it! Though as the Guinness flowed of course the music got faster. More musicians arrived as the CD launch wound down and there were soon 14 musicians playing. Other well-known musicians arrived but could not get a seat. Unfazed, they were happy to stand at the bar and listen. And that’s what makes nights such as these special. Egos are put to one side. It’s all about the music and the craic. It’s when the realities of being a working musician get subsumed by the sheer pleasure of making music and listening to music and being with others who are making music. The music lifts off the page or from out of the cd cover and becomes real.

This was indeed one of those nights. The music might not have always been to everyone’s taste with four accordions but it’s hard to imagine how you could have a better time in a pub. There was impromptu dancing, some gorgeous singing, waltzes and of course the Guinness and the cider. The music didn’t even stop when an older guy, who I had noticed earlier, head drooped on his chest sleeping at the bar, fell off his stool, crashing to the floor among the musicians. It was in the middle of a haunting air being played on the accordion and while a few concerned punters went to his aid the tune carried on and by the time the air had changed to a reel the fellow was back on his stool and his coke refilled (yes the tap had been turned off for him) as if nothing had happened.

As a couple of musicians drifted away I took a seat near the fire in the thick of it relishing my privileged position. I could not wipe the smile off my face and I observed that sense of joy in all the players and I should say the listeners. The music and craic went until 2 am by which time the increasingly panicky publican was desperately trying to clear the bar for fear the Gardaí might pay a visit.

This experience only happened to me because I live here. A visitor might stumble on this session if he or she is lucky, but would they feel part of it, or would they just be an observer. This is a dilemma for those irregular visitors. Sure you can find great sessions in Festivals but it is somehow different. I was the only foreigner here. In a Festival situation the session might be dominated by visitors . Not that that is necessarily a bad thing but it does change the tone and quality. This was ‘real’. This was Irish people enjoying their music and tradition for themselves. This was as close to ‘authentic’ as I can imagine a Session in 21st Century Ireland could be. I arrived home at 3am satisfied and fulfilled.

A friend had told me there was to be music the next day from 4pm at Pepper’s Bar in Feakle. This was to celebrate the 40th year of management by Gary Pepper. For those who don’t know, Peppers is one of the iconic venues for East Clare music. A favourite haunt for Martin Hayes and his father PJ it is still a great place for the craic. Where better than to celebrate my 200th continuous night (sorry, I said I wasn’t going to mention it) than here. And what a fabulous night it was. It was like being back at the Feakle Festival, one of the summer’s great events, but without the crowds. The music was in full swing when I arrived at 4pm being led by Pat O’Connor, and Padraig MacDonncha. They were joined later in the evening by Andrew MacNamara, Eileen O’Brien and Deidre McSherry. When I left exhausted at 12pm after eight hours of pretty much continuous playing and surviving on bar snacks, they were still at it. There’s not much more to say except that it was a privilege to be there. I never got home that night though as I realised too late that I didn’t have enough petrol to drive home to Caherush and when I got to Ennis at 1am could not find an open garage. I shouldn’t have been surprised by this but with my car computer telling me I had 8 km left in the tank I knocked on Graham’s door at Kilnamona. It was 3.30am and a few whiskeys later that I finally got to bed. Thanks mate!

Not long after I eventually got home on Monday I was disturbed by a knock on the door. Disturbed is not the right word as it was John Joe Tuttle, long time resident and fiddler from Crosses of Anagh just outside Miltown Malbay. I had played with him occasionally at Friels in Miltown and had invited him to call in. Here he was taking me up on this and we settled down in front of the fire with a cup of tea (he did refuse my offer of a whiskey) for a couple of hours of wonderful tunes and reminiscences. John Joe knew PJ Talty, whose house we were in, as well as Willie Clancy and Paddy Canny and everyone else since. He had played with them in kitchens, in Ceili Bands and from the late 50s in pubs. It was an absolute treat for me as he shared tunes he learnt from his early days in West Clare to ones he had learnt just this week. He had a particular liking for the tunes of Sean Ryan and said they were very popular in those days. I then joined him for a few tunes which was the icing on a wonderful afternoon.

That night I headed to Hotel Doolin for the regular Monday session. This session is led by Eoin O’Neill, Quentin Cooper, Adam Shapiro and Jon O’Connell. In the short while it has been going it has become the session in Doolin and for that matter in the whole of West Clare. The pub is always full, with locals and visitors alike and attracts wonderful musicians such as Conor Byrne, Luka Bloom and Noirin Lynch. What sets this session apart is that anything goes. Of course it is rooted in trad and you will get driving reels and haunting songs but you will also get some blues, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley or something from the Balkans. Every night is different.

When I walked in there was a buzz already and that was before the music had even started. There was standing room only and a sense of eager anticipation. From the first tune the night did not disappoint. There was wild applause after each number and reverential silence for the songs. Wonderful singers from the floor and the pace didn’t let up until after midnight.

This was not just a show for the tourists. It felt like the real thing. The musicians gave their all and the punters lapped it up. This is the picture of Ireland that visitors take away and talk about and why they come back year after year to Doolin. Kayla and Emily from Canada, Emma and Becca from Melbourne and Ro from Adelaide and the many others I didn’t meet who were here for one or two nights went away with the experience of a lifetime.

So these three nights say everything about why I came here.

The Ireland I have discovered is surprisingly close to the romantic vision that I came here with. Of course I have had issues, particularly with bureaucracy and rules and regulations, but probably no more than a foreigner would have anywhere else in the world, but the folks of Clare are friendly and welcoming. I have met a host of wonderful people and have been made to feel part of this community, when I was at Kilnamona and now at Caherush. Maybe it is the same all over Ireland I can’t say but when I come back from my travels it is like coming home.

I would like to thank all the musicians and lovers of music and dancing who have made my first six months in Ireland so special. I can’t possibly name everyone but I should single out the people I play with at the regular sessions around Clare – in Ennis, Ennistymon, Miltown, Lahinch, Doolin, Feakle and beyond. People who put up with my musical inadequacies and make me feel welcome. People whose playing from the heart keeps me grounded and ensures that it will be a long time before I have ‘delusions of competence’ but who at the same time inspire me to keep going. To the many people with whom I have shared a Guinness and a story and to the many, many friends I have made from Holland, Belgium, Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, Canada, Switzerland, Japan, the US, Britain and wherever who share this passion for Irish Music and the Irish experience.

I don’t regret for a moment my decision to base myself in Clare as the words of Christy Moore ring constantly in my ears – “Flutes and fiddles everywhere, If it’s music you want you should go to Clare”.

Thanks

Evening fog. The road to Feakle

Eileen O’Brien, Pepper’s Feakle

Deidre McSherry. Pepper’s Feakle

Andrew MacNamara, Padraig Mac Donncha. Peppers Feakle

Peppers Feakle

Andrew MacNamara, Pat O’Connor, Padraigh MacDonncha

Happy Birthday Eileen. Peppers Feakle

Festive fiddle

Peppers Feakle

Enjoying the craic. Peppers Feakle

John Joe Tuttle. At my house in Caherush. December 2014

Kayla and Emily visiting from Canada. Fitz’s Bar Doolin

Conor Byrne. Fitz’s Bar Doolin

Quentin Cooper, Adam Shapiro, Eoin O’Neill. Fitz’s Bar Doolin

Luka Bloom. Fitz’s Bar

Elaine Doonan, Jon O’ Connell. Fitz’s Bar

Sign Fitz’s Bar Doolin

Categories: My Journey | Tags: Clare, Doolin, Ennis, Feakle, Festival, Hotel Doolin, Ireland, Irish music, music, Peppers Feakle, photography, Sessions, traditional music, travel | 9 Comments

Home

Posted on October 21, 2014 by singersong

Well it has been a month since I have posted and a lot has happened. I have kept telling myself I will catch up when winter arrives but it never did. We have had an amazing warm September and the first couple of weeks of October with more blue skies. That all camne to an end last week and we have had our first taste of winter. I am ready for it!

Those of you following me on Facebook will know that I have found a house to rent. I can’t believe where I have ended up. A magic place on the water between Spanish Point and Quilty near Miltown Malbay in west Clare.

My cottage is at the end of a row of houses that stretches along the Clogher Road to Point Caherush. It is situated on the edge of the land where it meets the rocky shore. Surrounded by gravel and a high wall there is no softening green garden but the starkness somehow seems appropriate. Adjacent is an old whitewashed stone shed with a slate roof and behind that are large domed sheds that constitute the operations base for my landlord’s extensive farmland, which stretches beyond in all directions to the sea. Everyone here talks about nothing but the storms last January and the damage done by the high tides, but I am assured by the owner that the new seawall will keep the ocean out.

The house looks directly south across a shallow bay and to the treeless plains and hills that are so characteristic of this part of West Clare. In the distance I can see Quilty and the round tower of its church poking above the horizon. And out beyond the now calm ocean is the uninhabited Mutton Island only accessible by boat. I have a table and benches, like those provided at picnic sites, outside my front door and from here I can see the sun rise over the hills to my left and watch it all the way to where it disappears into the Atlantic Ocean on the right. The last month has provided glorious clear blue skies and amazing sunrises and sunsets. For most of the day the sun streams invitingly into the house filling it with light.

The bay is forever changing moods. At low tide the ocean floor is exposed across its entire width. Rocks and seaweed predominate with pools of water left behind temporarily. It is not what is conventionally regarded as appealing. At high tide the rocks are completely covered and though there is no pristine white sandy beach, just boulders and kelp and various flotsam bordering the calm waters, the scene has a raw beauty that is captivating. There are very few people. Occasionally I will see someone collecting periwinkles or the landlord’s brother collecting and drying seaweed for his business or the occasional walker or a mother pushing a pram but for the most part there are just the sea birds, which provide plenty of movement and interest and there is Valdo, the neighbour’s border collie who spends all day chasing them.

Just a handful of steps and I am on a rock platform that stretches along the northern side of the bay to the end of the point. The rocks dip largely to the south at about 20 degrees and the sandstone and shale layers provide a series of steps which one seems to be forever climbing. At low tide you can walk all the way around the point. At the end of the point the calmness of the bay gives way to breakers which hint at the power that the Atlantic can unleash. For now though it is has been mostly peaceful but I have had a little taste of its power last weekend. There are some spectacular folds in the rock layers and the dip changes from the south to the north and back to the south providing plenty of geological interest. If I walk the other way I walk across the boulders and weed best negotiated at high tide. There is an exposed layer of peat just above the high tide mark. It provides a fascinating insight into the formation of this unique part of the Irish landscape as abundant, partially decomposed trees, branches and roots protrude from the ground. Further round the point towards Quilty is a cliff face formed of jagged, loosely consolidated boulders that appears to be a glacial moraine and the weathering of this cliff contributes to the mix of irregular and rounded boulders seen on the shore.

I am seeing it at its absolute best but I already love this place. It is not the Ireland I expected to live in but I finally have a sense of place and I am so looking forward to spending the next year here.

To cap all this off the house has a rich musical heritage. It was the home of JC Talty, who played pipes and flute with the Tulla Ceili Band for 35 years, until his death in 2006. He was mates with Willie Clancy, Paddy Canny and Leo Rowsome among others. It is inspiring to think that these guys may well have played music in this house. It was also a favourite place for his niece Brid O’Donoghue the well-known Miltown whistler who came here after school regularly to learn her craft from her uncle.

As I said the place has many moods. I have tried to capture this with some of these photos from my first month here.

I will soon get to posting some of my thoughts and adventures from a truly wonderful summer.

Categories: My Journey, Wild Ireland | Tags: Caherush, Clare, Ireland, Irish music, Miltown Malbay, photography, Quilty, Spanish Point, traditional music, travel, West Clare | 3 Comments

100 Nights of Sessions – 100 photos!

Posted on August 31, 2014 by singersong

Traidphicnic. Spiddal 2014. “Will I know the next tune?” Siofra Barker

Tubbercurry 2014. Alistair Cassidy. For my next trick…….

Tubbercurry 2014. John Joe Kelly

Tubbercurry 2014. Flute session

Tubbercurry 2014. Paddy Ryan

Ennis 2014. Brogan’s. Yvonne Casey, Josephine Marsh and Fu Akamine.

Drumshanbo 2014. Keith from Wales.

Drumshanbo 2014. Albert from Barcelona

Drumshanbo 2014. Caroline from France

Drumshanbo 2014. Jose from Barcelona

Drumshanbo 2014.

Drumshanbo 2014. Concentration!

Drumshanbo 2014. The kids take over the High Street.

Achill Island 2014. Brendan Begley at the Valley House

Feakle 2014. Fiddles!

Feakle 2014. Pat O’Connor

Feakle 2014. Vincent Griffin

Feakle 2014. Maurice Lennon and Vincent Griffin

Tubbercurry 2014. Alistair Cassidy. Snap!

Willy Clancy Festival. Milltown Malbay 2014. Geraldine Cotter and Kieron Hanrahan.

Tubercurry 2014. Johnny Og Connolly and friends.

Feakle 2014. Yvonne Kane and Cormac Begley

Feakle 2014. Edel Fox, Yvonne Kane, Cormac Begley and friends

Feakle 2014. Joan Hanrahan and Dympna O’Sullivan.

Feakle 2014. Steve from England

Feakle 2014. Eileen O’Brien

Feakle 2014. Young Clare musicians

Feakle 2014. Eoghan O’Sullivan, Dennis Cahill.

Feakle 2014 Eileen O’Brien and Pat O’Connor

Feakle 2014. Thierry Masure

Feakle 2014. Antoin Mac Gabhann

Feakle 2014. Dennis Cahill

Feakle 2014

Sligo 2014. Irish music played by Spaniards in the Itailian Quarter. Jose and Montse.

Traidphicnic Spiddal. Tola Custy, Laoise Kelly and Mike McGoldrick.

Traidphicnic Spiddal 2014. Magic fingers. Mike McGoldrick

Tubbercurry 2014. Nicolle Figueroa Gallaga.

Tubbercurry 2014. Emmy and Veronika from Netherlands

Tubbercurry 2014. Rita from Switzerland

Willy Clancy Festival. Milltown Malbay 2014. Adam Shapiro

Willy Clancy Festival. Milltown Malbay 2014. Friels Hotel. Can’t compete with the World Cup and Brazil vs Germany.

Willy Clancy Festival. Milltown Malbay 2014. John Rynne,

Feakle 2014. Orla Harrington, Eileen O’Brien, Andrew MacNamara

Willy Clancy Festival. Milltown Malbay 2014. Enjoying the Craic

Traidphicnic Spiddal. Tola Custy

Feakle 2014 Seamus Begley at Peppers

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Sean Keane

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Laura Ugur and John Rynne

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014.

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Musician’s Corner

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Gerry Harrington demonstrating the Stroh Viol to James Kelly’s fiddle class

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Maurice Lennon and Sean Ryan

Tubbercurry 2014. The (virtual) reality of the modern session

Tubercurry 2014. Phillip Duffy

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Sean Ryan

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. The next generation.

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Adam Shapiro and Patricia Wang

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Busking in the Miltown sun

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Let there be light. And there was. And it shone upon the fiddler

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Fiddler

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Fu Akamine and Patricia Wang

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. The genesis of a session, Coore.

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Coore

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Liz Coleman

Traidphicnic, Spiddal. Florianne Blanke

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Sean Keane, John Joe Tuttle and friends

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Harry Bradley, Sean McKeown, Connie Connell.

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. The front bar at Friels. Gerard Callaghan, Rick Epping (in the mirror) Mick Creehan, Mick Hand

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Rick Epping, Mary Bergin, Mick Hand and Mick Creehan

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014.

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Kevin Rowsome

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Stefan, Dermie Diamond, Angela Creehan, Sinnead Nic Dhonnachadgh

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Pat Mullins, Macdaragh Mac Dhonnachadgh, Maurice Lennon, Sean Ryan

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. All boxed in at the Blondes.

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Lorraine O’Brien, Catherine McEvoy, a bemused Jackie Daly, Aoife Granville, Niall Kenny and Conal O’Grada. Revenge of the flutes.

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay, 2014. Crosses of Anagh. Alistair Cassidy and Daire Mulhern

Willie Calncy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014, Street Session with Leon Agnew, Antoin Mac Gabhann and Seamus Sands

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Frank Kelly and Leon Agnew

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Enjoying the craic at Friels. Niamh Parsons

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Antoin Mac Gabhann

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Seamus Sands

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Alistair Cassidy, Crosses of Anagh

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. In the sunshine at the Blondes. Ciarán Mac Aodhagáin, Siún Ní Ghlacáin, Damien O’Reilly

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. the Blondes.

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Niall Kenny and Caitlin Ni Ghabhann, John Flynn

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Caitlin Ni Gabbhan in the sunshine at Blondes

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Gilles Tabary on flute

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014.

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay 2014. Aine Ni Chellaigh, Josephine Boland and Declan Fay

Feakle 2014. Sorcha Costella, Brian Donnelly and Aisling Hunt.

Fleadh Cheoil Sligo 2014. Street buskers

Feakle 2014. Peppers – Half set dance to the music of Seamus Begley

Fleadh Cheoil. Sligo 2014. Seamus Tansey at Shoot the Crows

Fleadh Cheoil. Sligo 2014 Christina and Fiona from London

Achill. 2014.. Brendan Begley and Harry Bradley

Fleadh Cheoil Sligo 2014, Liam Kelly and Shane Mitchell, Martin McGinley at Riverside Hotel.

Willie Clancy Week. Miltown Malbay. My last free Willie

Willie Clancy Week, Miltown Malbay, Geraldine and Martha Clancy at Mullagh

Willie Clancy Week Miltown Malbay, 2014

Willie Clancy Week Miltown Malbay 2014. James Kelly

Recently I completed my 100^th continuous night of Sessions since I came to Ireland. Not something I set out to do but over the moon that it has panned out that way. Since I started at Tullamore on 15^th May and then Ennis three days later for the Fleadh Nua I have not missed a night of playing Irish music and have not felt like missing one. My hundredth night was just a lovely quiet way to ‘celebrate’ with Joan Hanrahan and friends at Kelly’s Bar in Ennis – a classic Irish Pub with a long pedigree of traditional sessions.

It would be impossible to estimate how many sessions I have participated in as on some days such as in Miltown or any of the other festival for that matter I might have played in half a dozen. Quality has been variable as you would expect but at every session I felt privileged to be there.

I have played with musicians both ‘famous’ and unheralded (but not necessarily less talented), with musicians from all over Ireland and almost every part of the globe, musicians from 8 years old to 88 and beginners and masters of the tradition. And not only players but lovers of the music who might have travelled from Cork or Canada or Sligo or Sweden to just sit and listen for hours. All brought together to share this wonderful secret we all have that is Irish music. Shhh! Don’t tell anyone.

I have been to eleven festivals so far including Doolin, Willie Week, Spiddal TraidPhicnic, Tulla, Clare Fleadh at Kilaloe, Tubercurry, Drumshanbo, Achill, Feakle and the Fleadh Cheoil at Sligo. I have been to Workshops and Summer Schools and had lessons from fiddlers such as Maurice Lennon, James Kelly, Paddy Ryan, Tola Custy, Siobhan Peoples, John Daly, Liam O’Connor, Martin Hayes, Eileen O’Brien, Yvonne Kane and Yvonne Casey. So if I still can’t play the fiddle after all that then I have only myself to blame.

Whether I will continue at this pace I don’t know but for me the journey is not over and while I get something from each session I go to I will keep going.

I have put together 100 photos to celebrate these 100 days. Some are amongst my favourite photos and others are of the many wonderful people I have met, but collectively I hope they give some feel for the mood and magic that is an Irish music session. Photos come from Miltown, Tubercurry, Drumshanbo, Spiddal, Achill and Feakle. I have included photos from sessions before Willlie Week in my earlier blogs. Where possible I have tried to identify everyone. Thanks Niamh and Graham for your help. If I have missed anyone my apologies and please let me know and I will edit the caption, and if I have spelt your name wrong, apologies again.

Thanks for the tunes!

Categories: Festivals, My Journey, Sessions, Trad Irish Music | Tags: Achill, Clare, Drumshanbo, Feakle, Festival, Fleadh, Ireland, Irish music, photography, Sessions, Sligo, traditional music, travel, Tubbercurry, Willie Clancy | 2 Comments

A New Home?

Posted on August 21, 2014 by singersong

It’s been so long since I blogged and so much has happened. The really big news for me which I got today is that I have approval to stay in Ireland for the next 12 months. The journey which I started three months ago is not over. I can now plan for the future. Buy a car and rent a house for starters. And see if Ireland is really for me. Everyone (and I mean everyone!) tells me I won’t be able to handle the winter. We’ll see.

In the last six weeks I have been on the Festival trail. A journey that has taken me through Clare (Willie Week, Tulla and Feakle Festivals and the Clare Fleadh at Kilaloe) to Galway (TradPhicnic at Spiddal), Sligo (Fleadh Cheoil and Tubercurry), Leitrim (Drumshanbo) and Mayo (Achill Island summer school). I have attended concerts, lectures, workshops, recitals and of course sessioned relentlessly. Indeed every day for the past 97 days! Is there a Guinness record for that?

It has been a wonderful experience but the festival season has come to an end. I haven’t dared look until I knew what my visa status was but I am sure there will be some fantastic events ahead of me. Perhaps more space in between them now!

It just occurred to me that the reason I have come here is to learn fiddle and while I have played fiddle every day, sometimes for 10 hours in a day I have not done any ‘practice’. Playing in sessions is not practice. I have hundreds of hours of recordings of workshops, sessions and concerts to sort. Great material for new tunes.

Of course I ’learnt’ heaps of new tunes at the Schools, from James Kelly, Paddy Ryan, John Daly, Liam O’Connor, Tola Custy, Siobhan Peoples, Martin Hayes, Eileen O’Brien and Yvonne Kane, but am having trouble recalling any of them. So there’s a lot of work there for me. Likewise I have literally thousands of photos to sort from the Festivals and from my travels through Mayo and Connemarra as well as here in Clare.

I have met some wonderful people and have some great stories to tell, so bear with me and I will start posting again when I can.

A quick thankyou to everyone who has supported me and encouraged me in what I am doing over here. I won’t name you all but you know who you are. I have been warmly accepted into the musical and broader community here in Clare and am really looking forward to the year(s) ahead.

In the meantime with my mind firmly on where I might live for the next year I have identified a few likely properties. The views can’t be faulted!

Stay Tuned…..

Castle near Mullaghmore, Sligo

House on Inishbiggle, Achill. Co Mayo

House in Connemarra

Benbulben, Sligo

Connemarra, Co Glaway

Keel, Achill Island. Co Mayo

Achill Island Co Mayo

Achill Island. Co Mayo

Co Sligo

Innisheer, Co Galway

Cottage, Connemarra, Co Galway

Connemarra, Co Mayo

Categories: My Journey | Tags: Achill, Connemarra, Drumshanbo, Feakle, festival Clare, Galway, houses, Ireland, Lietrim, Mayo, music, ruins, Sessions, Sligo, traditional music, travel, Tubercurry | 2 Comments

From Athlone to Ennis

Posted on May 22, 2014 by singersong

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.

Categories: My Journey | 2 Comments

Tullamore

Posted on May 17, 2014 by singersong

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!

Categories: My Journey, Sessions, Trad Irish Music | Leave a comment

A New beginning?

Posted on May 10, 2014 by singersong

It’s a cool showery Perth Saturday and in between the showers my former life is disappearing in boxes into a shipping container. The container is rapidly filling with the accumulation of things that represent a lifetime of collecting, hoarding and acquiring. I can’t let go so I will pay to have it stored until who knows when.

Plan B has become Plan A. Unable to find any work since being ‘let go’ last July I am off to live in Ireland for a while. Maybe six months. Maybe longer. I want to discover the country, the people and most of all the music. And after forty years of struggle, to finally learn to play the fiddle properly! And where better than Ireland to improve my photographic skills?

Whatever won’t fit into two bags stays behind. Not easy for me but I’m sure I’ll adjust to the simpler lifestyle.

I leave for Dublin on Wednesday. Then Țullamore and Ennis. Beyond that nothing is planned.

Drop back every now and then and I’ll try and keep up regular posts on how it’s going.

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