Posts Tagged With: Festival

Fleadh Nua Ennis Day 4

Posted on May 21, 2015 by singersong

Wednesday and struggling to get myself up early enough to get to the Café session at 11.00 am. Glad I did though. Eamonn and Geraldine Cotter at the Tea Cosy. Just brilliant. With the sun streaming (occasionally) in the front window and just a lovely atmosphere with free tea and scones. A lunch time concert at the O’Connell statue by kids from a local school. So much music. And what was also brilliant was seeing these kids dance. Many of them are of obvious non-Irish extraction but they were throwing themselves into it with enthusiasm. What a wonderful way to feel part of your adopted homeland.

A bit of a break for me then until the evening at Knox’s again for a reprise with the Healys and Brian O’Loughlin. Just great driving tunes. Joined for this one by friend Maureen just arrived from Perth. A great introduction for her to the music scene in Ennis. Finished the night with some tunes with Siobhann Peoples, Murty Ryan and Desi Kelliher at a packed Dan O’Connells.

What will tomorrow bring?

Categories: Festivals, Sessions, Trad Irish Music | Tags: Clare, Ennis, Festival, Fleadh Nua, Ireland, Irish music, music, photography, Sessions, traditional music, travel | 1 Comment

Fleadh Nua 2015 Day 3

Posted on May 20, 2015 by singersong

A much brighter day Tuesday with the storms and freezing wind of the day before somewhat abated. So off to the Café session at Food Heaven. This is a large modern café with plenty of room for the musicians, today led by Murty Ryan and Desi Kelliher. These sessions continue to be well received by the punters.

The Riches of Clare concert was moved to the Sanctuary Night Club behind the Queens Hotel due to overcrowding at the Museum. I had misgivings about how an acoustic gig would work in this cavernous space but the sound was great. It certainly helped having musicians of the quality of James Devitt, Christy Barry, Conor McCarthy & John Faulkner. It really was lovely music with two terrific songs from John. Great to hear Christy play Christy Barry Nos 1 and 2.

I skipped the Fionn Seissun today but there was an early session at Knox’s with Hugh and Eric Healy, Brian O’Laughlin and Caroline. Brilliant stuff. Clogher Road got yet another airing! Then it was on to Cruises again to finish the evening with Quentin Cooper and Eoin O’Neill and the usual mob of reprobates.

You can feel the build up to the weekend as more musicians arrive every day.

Categories: Concerts, Festivals, Sessions, Trad Irish Music | Tags: Clare, concert, Ennis, Festival, Fleadh Nua, Ireland, Irish music, music, photography, Sessions, traditional music, travel | 1 Comment

Fleadh Nua 2015 Day 2

Posted on May 19, 2015 by singersong

It’s Monday and the day kicked off with a brunch session at Cafe Aroma. You had to get there early to get a seat even though no one knew who the musicians would be. What a nice surprise to get Blackie O’Connell and Cyril O’Donoghue. The foreign contingent lapped it up and Blackie made everyone feel welcome.

I missed the lunchtime Riches of Clare concert with Niamh O’Dea, Anne Marie McCormack and friends but my spy on the ground tells me it was brilliant high energy entertainment.

Another permanent feature of Fleadh Nua is the afternoon Fionn Seissun. The venue has moved but the format remains the same. Frank Custy and his friends lead the beginner’s session and everyone gets a go at starting a tune or song. I even sung; giving the Clogher Road an airing.

The evening concluded with tunes at Cruises led by Yvonne Casey and Brid O’Gorman, with musicians from France, Japan, UK, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Wales, USA, and Australia and hardly an Irishman to be seen. Lovely to see an ovation from the appreciative audience at the end.

All roads lead to Ennis.

Baltimore Fiddle Fair

Posted on May 13, 2015 by singersong

Baltimore lies in the very southwest corner of Ireland in one of the most beautiful parts of Ireland – West Cork. It is a very pretty town nestled on a protected harbour with a strong maritime heritage. Very popular with the yachty set but for one weekend a year the sound of clinking gins-and-tonic is replaced by fiddles and pipes. That is the Baltimore Fiddle Fair and that’s where I headed for the last Festival of my first year in Ireland, which is rapidly coming to a close. And a fitting way to end the year it was.

Four days of music centred on the fiddle and covering many genres. We heard Old Timey, Cape Breton, Bluegrass, Swedish, Gypsy Swing, Scots and a variety of traditional Irish. There were fiddlers of the class of Gerry O’Connor, Zoe Conway, Liam O’Connor, Danny Diamond, Dermot McLaughlin and Shane Cook. The core of the festival was the concerts though I have to admit I only attended one, so I can’t really comment on them but the one I did attend was a show stopper. Warmed up by the fiddle and pipes of Liam O’Connor and Sean McKeown the crowd was blown away by Swedish superband Väsen. I had never heard of them (shame on me) but I know them now. Slick and professional and as tight a sound as you will ever hear, with five string viola, nyckelharpa and guitar combining effortlessly. This music was a revelation with its dynamic range and variations in tempo and rhythm. I was truly ‘polskafied’.

I attended five workshops. A big stretch but I was able to get exposure to Donegal style, Old Timey and Cape Breton as well as picking the brains of Gerry O’Connor and Zoe Conway. I never tire of these workshops. Every time I learn something.

But of course as always it was the sessions that kept me occupied. Every day from around 1 pm there was continuous music in the venues around the Square and in the evenings, after the concerts, Casey’s Hotel raged with as many as four sessions until at least 4am every night. There were visitors from all over the world and I met some wonderful new people including John from Wales, Patrizia and Angelica from Austria, Julie from Denmark, who is cycling around Ireland (https://www.facebook.com/TourdeFolk), Liam from Queensland, Kathleen from Boston, Larry from Tipp, the delightful, Joleen, Karen and Lorna who make up the Henry Girls from Donegal and caught up with old friends again such as Trish from Dublin, Clare from Cork and Aina from France.

You meet all kinds at a festival such as this and for me that is what makes travelling to them worthwhile. Every evening, we were joined at Casey’s by Jeremy Irons. Self-effacing and just happy to sit in on the edges of the session and find his way in and out of tunes. Clearly revelling in the craic and a world that is a long way from Hollywood.

And I had the great pleasure to meet renowned Danish artist Claus Havemann. I chatted to him outside Bushes Bar as he stood there having a cigarette and staring across to Sherkin Island where he has had a home for thirty years and spends his time when not in Denmark. He told me of his journey in art over the last forty years which took him from Surrealism to Realism to Modernism to Minimalism to his current works which reinterpret the masters. He told me that he once painted a picture during his Minimalist period called ‘Yellow’ which was essentially dozens of layers of blue paint. The title made perfect sense to me when he explained that yellow is opposite blue on the colour wheel. I have included a couple of his paintings. I especially like the Velazquez ‘copy’, one of a series in which he paints in the style of the master but puts in modern references such as a Picasso and Miro on the wall and his interpretiaon of the Vermeer as a portrait of his daughter. See more at http://www.claushavemann.com/

Speaking of Sherkin Island, one of the highlights of the Festival was a session at the Island Rest Hotel. Sherkin is only a few minutes by boat and has about 90 residents. I met many of them that night as they lapped up the seriously good music from the visiting musicians shipped over (literally) for the event. There were some great contributions from locals also including songs and some impromptu dancing from Mary and her artist friends. I have never been to a session where I was picked up and delivered back by boat and the memory of this one will stay a long time.

I was intrigued by the Algiers Bar where I also played, having spent quite a bit of time in Algeria during my geology days. Turns out this pays homage to the notorious event in 1631 known as the Sack of Baltimore when Barbary pirates (comprising Dutch, Algerians and Ottomans) attacked Baltimore and captured 108 English settlers who were transported back to North Africa as slaves. Funny how we think of slavery in terms of Africans being sent to the new world, but in the century from 1580 to 1680 there were up to a million Europeans taken as part of the Barbary slave trade. Baltimore was abandoned and the village deserted for generations.

The face of the festival is Declan McCarthy. It was his brainwave back in 1992 and he is still running it. And what a trooper he is. Everything (well nearly everything) ran smoothly. The venues, the workshops and the support of the town. Hat’s off to him! Speaking of the venues some of the workshops were held at the magnificent stately home Inish Beg and at the famous Glebe Gardens. Along with the church, sailing club and a specially erected marque they really got it right with, of course, the fabulous location. And unlike many other festivals where you’re lucky if you can buy a bucket of chips there were great food options with the Glebe Café a standout.

I was absolutely shattered at the end of this week. Workshops every morning and some afternoons, sessions all day and surviving on just a few hours sleep. To fiddle a bit with the words of Richard Thompson in Beeswing “you wouldn’t want it any other way”.

Categories: Concerts, Festivals, Sessions, The Fiddle, Trad Irish Music | Tags: Algiers, Baltimore, Baltimore Fiddle Fair, Barbary, concert, Cork, Festival, fiddle, Glebe Gardens, Ireland, Irish music, music, photography, session, Sessions, Sherkin Island, traditional music, travel, West Cork | 3 Comments

Super Sunday

Posted on May 4, 2015 by singersong

What a Sunday.

After a very late night at the Cuckoo Fleadh in Kinvara in Galway I was slow to get started but discovered the perfect antidote at Byrnes Restaurant in Ennistymon. Yvonne Casey and Jon O’Connell. This was as close to pure as you could hope for. It was a sublime combination of music and place. Outside after the night’s heavy rain the Ennistymon falls were gushing. Inside a fiddle and guitar melted together in the hands of two world class players. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t all Irish. At times the small but appreciative audience were mesmerised. I came away enervated but and itching to play.

So off to Kinvara again for the Cuckoo Fleadh. There were sessions everywhere by the time I arrived. The highlight for the day was a session with Brid Harper and eight fiddles. At least until the noise from the local lads became too much. Hope I dont offend anyone but I am a fiddler, and for a change to hear eight of them with only a whistle, flute and concertina was heaven. Great to catch up for tunes with with Moya and Sandra in the back bar of Connollys and with Bridge and Siofra. On top of 11 hours of music the previous day (including a madcap session with Andrew MacNamara and Eileen O’Brien and meeting and playing with Eilish O’Connor again, after 33 years!) I was well satisfied

Then off for a session at the Blacksticks Pub at O’Callaghan’s Mills. It lies somewhere between Feakle and Tulla and is one of those rare gems of pubs. It only has music on holiday Sundays and the session in the kitchen, led by Pat O’Connor and John Canny and attended by locals from Feakle and Tulla was a real little window into East Clare. I will talk more about this in another place but I got home at 3.30am, after pretty much circumnavigating Clare, tired and satisfied.

Categories: Festivals, Sessions, Trad Irish Music | Tags: Blacksticks, Byrne's Restaurant, Clare, Cuckoo Fleadh, Ennistymon, Feakle, Festival, fiddle, Galway, Ireland, Irish music, Jon O'Connell, Kinvara, music, O'Callaghan's Mills, photography, Sessions, traditional music, travel, Tulla, Yvonne Casey | Leave a comment

Corofin Traditional Festival, Co Clare

Posted on March 10, 2015 by singersong

The festival at Corofin is the 25th festival I have been to in Ireland since I arrived in May 2014. Is it the best? Hard to answer but for me it had everything. Some festivals have better workshops, bigger concerts, more variety, but this one to my mind gets the balance just right. Let me tell you about it.

The festival committee headed by the dynamic O’Reilly brothers have developed a tried and true formula and know better than to tinker with it. In fact the Festival won the MórGlór award last year in recognition of its contribution to music in Clare and the efforts of the organisers to put on a consistent and high quality festival.

Corofin is a small village on the edge of Clare’s spectacular Burren (see my blogs at https://singersongblog.wordpress.com/2014/06/20/the-burren/ and https://singersongblog.wordpress.com/2014/08/29/the-burren-again/) about 14 km from Ennis. The festival was held over the week 2nd March to 8th March 2015. It kicked off on the Monday night and there were events every night until the weekend when the festival proper got into full swing. I didn’t attend the opening by Eoin O’Neill on Monday (I was still enjoying the final session of the Russell Weekend in Doolin (https://singersongblog.wordpress.com/2015/03/06/russell-weekend-doolin-co-clare/) so I can’t comment on that but Tuesday and Wednesday saw two more free events in the Teach Ceoil. This is an intimate venue where there is a great connection between the artists and the audience. On Tuesday we heard Mick, Donal and Conor McCague launching their album of mainly Mick’s original compositions. It was lovely music, a highlight for me being; yes you guessed it, the fiddle playing of Donal. Wednesday was a tribute night to the irrepressible Joe Rynne from Inagh who has had such a big influence on music in North Clare As recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award, we were treated to some wonderful cameos from members of his family, from renowned flute players, Christy Barry and Brid O’Donoghue and then finishing with an all in session comprising 25 of Joe’s friends, many of them legends themselves and some previous members of the Corofin Hall of Fame. Their playing of the ‘Tulla’ set was something to behold.

Then there were three concerts on Thursday Friday and Saturday. One can’t be everywhere so the only one of these I saw was on Friday with the Yanks, a group of yes, you guessed it, Americans, led by 2014 All Ireland Senior Fiddle Champion Dylan Foley and the most gorgeous flute from Conal Ó Gráda with Colm Murphy backing on bodhran. I had never heard flute playing quite like that of Conal. It was light, full of energy and spirit and I was mesmerised. Performers at the other concerts included Angelina Carberry and Dan Broudar, Noel Hill and Liam O’Connor and Jesse Smith and Colm Gannon, and while it was disappointing not to see everyone, I was able to catch up with some of these at the various sessions.

I attended the fiddle workshop and in the allocated three hours we had an hour each from Jesse Smith, Dylan Foley and Conor McEvoy. This was nowhere near enough time and in particular Jesse Smiths’ insightful perspective was particularly helpful to me.

This festival however very much revolves around the virtually continuous sessions that take place from Friday night to the death on Sunday evening. It is a musicians’ festival and quality players turn up in droves and this brings a big contingent of international trad followers. It felt at times a bit like Willie Week without the baggage, if you know what I mean. Of course there were some sessions that didn’t deliver, just as in any festival – too much noise, too big, whatever; but there were so many that did. I played on the Saturday (not counting the workshop) from 2:30 to close at around 2am (after three hours sleep the night before) and again on the Sunday for twelve hours, exhausted but satisfied. There were both large sessions such as at Crowley’s on Saturday where despite there being possibly forty musicians, the music was fast and tight and had a good strong pulse, and there were small intimate sessions, such as with Stefan and Paolo at the Anglers Rest on Sunday or on Saturday where I had the great pleasure of playing with the incredibly talented Sarah, Ellen and Seamus O’Gorman, All Ireland champions from Waterford and the future of fiddle playing in Ireland. Great stuff. And I have to mention the Sunday evening session at the Angler’s Rest, with Derek Hickey, Claire Egan, Eoin O’Neill (box), Liam O’Brien, Dan Brouder, Angelina Carberry and Geraldine Cotter among others. This was sublime music played at a gentle pace and with wonderful restraint and despite the number of boxes you could hear each instrument clearly. It became almost hypnotic at times and a largely silent and appreciative crowd were treated to a memorable evening and a great finale to a weekend of wonderful music. Great to be part of it.

I caught up with a host of overseas musicians, some regular visitors to Clare who include Corofin on their must-visit list along with Willie Week and the Tradfest in Ennis and judging by the variety of inter-county number plates jostling for parking space there were visitors from all over Ireland drawn to this celebration of the best of Irish music. And as usual I made many new friends. Who wouldn’t want to be part of the traditional music scene?

There was not a bed to be had in Corofin as I discovered when my car was locked inside the Centra Car park, but that’s another story!

I only had one issue, and I mention it as something for the organisers to think about next time. There was a fantastic session going at Bofey Quinn’s on Saturday evening and the place was packed and buzzing. At 10pm the musicians who play at the regular scheduled session arrived and virtually mid-tune the session came to an abrupt end. As the regulars took over, the pub quickly cleared both of musicians and drinkers. This was not in the best interests of the Festival or the pub. I don’t know what the answer is but, like I say, I just mention it as something to think about.

Fair play to the O’Reilly brothers who seem to be the driving force behind this festival (I hope that’s not being unfair to others who contribute), while at the same time appear in the concerts, do MC’ing and turn up at sessions all over town as well as being at the end of the phone to answer requests for lost caps. Thank you.

So is it the best? Let me just say if it was a restaurant I’d give it three hats!

See you there next year.

Categories: Festivals, Trad Irish Music | Tags: Clare, Corofin, Festival, fiddle, Irish music, music, photography, Sessions, traditional music, travel | Leave a comment

Russell Weekend, Doolin. Co. Clare

Posted on March 6, 2015 by singersong

Another week another festival. This time in my backyard at Doolin, pretty much the spiritual home of traditional music in Clare. This festival, held over the weekend 27^th February to 2^nd March 2015, honours the Russell family but in particular the much loved Micho Russell who died tragically in 1994. This is now its 14^th year.

Doolin, for those who don’t know it has three pubs and a hotel and is spread out over a couple of kilometres just north of the famed Cliffs of Moher, Ireland’s biggest natural attraction. So it gets lots of foreign visitors. It has been something of a mecca for those seeking traditional music and for most of the year there is music every night in all the pubs. In itself this has brought about quite a change in Doolin as the pubs are very crowded and noisy and ironically it is not always the best place in Clare to hear traditional music. But there is no denying that the craic is mighty. This festival seems to mark the reawakening of Doolin from its winter slumber. Not that there wasn’t any music through the winter (take the Monday session at Hotel Doolin for instance) but this weekend brings out the punters in a big way and is a promise of what’s to come.

The festival kicked off on the Friday with the opening function in the hall. This was a showcase for the young talent of the district and the hall was packed with proud parents and relatives. And they had a lot to be proud of. From whistle-toting tots, who could hardly read and write, to All Ireland age champions on a variety of instruments. For over an hour there was a cavalcade of young musicians and dancers. I couldn’t help feel a sense of wonder at how important this music was to the soul of Ireland and how great it was that this was being passed to the kids. Yes kids learn musical instruments all over the world but nothing like here in Ireland. I have said it before but the future of Irish traditional music and dance seems safe. I was particularly taken with the set dancing where they were clearly enjoying themselves, even though they all had to rush to a disco afterwards. Good to keep a sense of perspective.

Then there was the main concert. This is traditionally held on the Saturday afternoon and was a cracker. I loved the format with all the musicians on stage, taking turns at solos and interspersed with performances from the whole band. With musicians such as Oisín Mac Diarmada and Kieran Hanrahan and the amazign Seamus O’Donnell, the music was absolutely brilliant. We also had some brilliant sean nos dancing from Samantha Harvey and two show stopping performances from the 74 year old dancing singing fiddler Desssie O’Halloran, who had the enthusiastic crowd on their feet. For me the high point of the concert was the saxophone playing of Seamus O’Donnell including a soulful rendition of Danny Boy. Something I had never heard before. I was sceptical but wow!. What a lift it gave to the music. Not ‘traditional’ I know but played from the heart.

There was copious quantities of food and wine afterwards and then a singing session capping a great evening.

I love to attend workshops. I had not heard of the tutor so it was to be a complete surprise. After two very late nights it was a wonder that I actually managed to turn up. And I am so glad I did. Unusually the fiddle workshop was scheduled for McGann’s pub, definitely a new one for me. I was the only one there. So I had a one on one with Catriana Ruine. I learnt five tunes but learned so much more than that, just playing and listening, It sounded so great just two fiddles in a quiet pub with the main distraction the crackling from the fire. I was very pleased with how quickly I picked up the tunes. When Catriana left I stayed in my corner near the fire and played tunes on my own for nearly an hour as the pub filled with diners, who happily, largely ignored me. It felt so good. Somehow I got inspiration from the moment. I don’t know where I got the confidence from but here I was, me playing on my own in one of the most famous music pubs in Ireland to a full house (even though they were more interested in their black pudding and crispy bacon than me) and playing competently enough not to be asked to shut it. All good things however come to an end and unceremoniously the piped music was turned on and I couldn’t compete. As I packed my fiddle away I was met with a lovely burst of applause from the diners which really surprised me as I didn’t think anyone was actually listening.

The workshop on the Sunday was equally good but for different reasons. There were two of us this time, and eventually our tutor turned up. We had the irrepressible and enthusiastic Cáit Ryan from Upperchurch in Tipperary. And while we only learned a couple of tunes, for one so young she was so full of good advice. In particular emphasising the importance of learning to sing in Irish. I now have a new challenge! We even had a crack at the air Ned from the Hills. This time the pub was not the best place as we were constantly interrupted, sitting as we were on the way to the toilets. Her family runs a music pub in Tipperary called Jim of the Mills, a place that is now firmly on my agenda to visit.

The sessions continued all afternoon and night over the weekend with musicians of quality. Highlights for me were a session that went at least 7 hours with the Clancy sisters and Mary Shannon at McGanns, some quiet tunes with Adam Shapiro and Terrry Bingham at O’Connors on Sunday and, at least for a while, some great music at McGanns with James Cullinan and others on Sunday. I say for a while because this session was brutally murdered by the arrival of two additional guitars (there was already one) competing with each other to see who could be the loudest and drowning completely the music. A shame. Fiddles were packed up and flutes disassembled and pretty soon the lads had McGann’s to themselves. The arrival of a cahone was the final plunge of the knife. This was more than made up for though on the Monday. James Cullinan again, his wife Carol, Noel O’Donoghue and Kevin Griffin kicked off in O’Connor’s at 3pm They were joined at various stages by others such as Donie Nolan, Seamus MacMahon, Carmel O’Dea, Anita Broderick and a couple of very talented kids, until it finally concluded at 12:30 am . A marathon 9 ½ hours of the most wonderful music that ebbed and flowed with the change in personnel. no guitars, no spoons and no bodhrans! Despite the pub noise that increased through the evening the music stayed pure and real. I changed my plans to go to Corofin that night and stayed to the very end. I had heard of James Cullinan’s quality and was not disappointed. And for a couple of hours I had the added privilege of meeting and playing with Carmel O’Dea. Another class fiddler. It was also special to hear a wonderful version of the Clogher Road from the fine voice of Donie Nolan. This is a session that will stay with me for years. Unfortunately I could not drag myself away so I missed what looked like another mighty session with Terry Bingham, Christy Barry and Anne Rynne in the other bar.

The craic was mighty, as they say, all weekend. I met lots of new people and everyone was so friendly. I have to share one story. As I walked past the bar in McGann’s, with my fiddle on my back one young guy grabbed my arm and stopped me saying “you play the spoons”. A bit taken aback I pointed to my fiddle and said “no what makes you think that?” “You just look like it” came the response. I wasn’t sure what to say when he finally registered my accent. “Fuck! you’re American” he blurts out. After telling him he had now insulted me on two counts, we parted the best of friends. Just love it…..

A fabulous festival and as I drove home that night through the light snowfalls I thought on this and the many other festivals I have attended. Every festival I go to gives me something. That’s why I keep going. Can’t wait for Corofin.

Categories: Festivals, Trad Irish Music | Tags: Clare, dancing, Doolin, Festival, fiddle, Ireland, Irish music, Micho Russell, photography, Russell Weekend, Sessions, traditional music, travel | 1 Comment

Scoil Cheoil an Earraigh, Ballyferriter, Co Kerry

Posted on February 26, 2015 by singersong

I have just returned from another festival/school, this time at Ballyferriter on the Dingle Peninsular in West Kerry. And it really was a beauty. It is called the Scoil Cheoil an Earraigh which translates slightly optimistically as Spring Music School.

The Dingle version of Spring involved rain, hail, mist and wild winds whipping up the Atlantic, but in the warmth of one of the many sessions you didn’t notice. Ballyferriter is almost the classic Irish village, with mandatory three pubs, hotel, church and shop. What sets it apart is its glorious setting right at the western end of the peninsular sandwiched between Slea Head and Mt Brandon . When the rain stopped as it did on a couple of occasions and the mist lifts, Mt Brandon, all 952 metres of it, stands proud with is snow capped peak and to the west the beaches and hills beckon. It is obvious why this area was chosen to film the seminal classic Ryan’s Daughter. It is also very compact so everything is within staggering distance and this is important when you are trying to find your way home at 6am.

Everyone said I would love Kerry and I do. This festival was a wonderful introduction to the Kingdom and the music. This blog is just about the Festival. I will post some pictures later of Dingle’s spectacular scenery.

The Scoil Cheoil Earraigh seems to hold a special place for many people. For some it is the only festival they attend. Of course there is a strong local contingent but there are also visitors from many other counties and from the UK, France, Russia, Germany. So what is it that brings them here?

It is not a huge festival and it benefits from this. It was very well organised with no obvious hitches. The workshops over three days were with top class tutors. How many opportunities would a guitarist have spend three days with Steve Cooney? Many of the tutors performed in a number of impressive concerts along with other headline acts. The stamp of the Begleys was everywhere. I’m not sure what the collective name for a lot of Begleys is – perhaps a boggle of Begleys but whatever it is it translates to pure musical genius. Along with Seamus and Breanndán with their vibrant and pulsating rhythms interspersed with wonderful soulful songs sung in Irish was Breanndán’s son Cormac displaying his virtuosity on a range of concertinas and other members of the extended Begley family popping up in various sessions. But it wasn’t just the Begley show. Other guests included Galway’s Páraic Mac Donnchadha on the banjo, Connie O’Connell renowned fiddler from Cork, Steve Cooney, back together in a big way with Seamus and adding his driving rhythms to a variety of other artists and in sessions, Harry Bradley , musician of the year last year, Tommy McCarthy a traveller singer with an extraordinary presence, and a huge repertoire of songs and fascinating stories and Brendan Powers from NZ master harmonica player across many genres stirring up the trad scene by utilising technology to take the music into uncharted territory. There were also informal concerts in cafes which was a great counterpoint to the frenetic energy of the sessions.

I just loved the way the whole festival was conducted in Irish. It didn’t seem to matter that you didn’t understand much of what was going on. This was West Kerry being West Kerry and while visitors were welcome it was very much a showcase for the unique heritage of this part of the world. This was reflected in the music which was of course riddled with polkas and slides, the spontaneous dancing of sets and half sets – vigorous and energetic, reflecting the music, the craic and the warm welcome all visitors received. I attended a lecture on the origins of polkas and while I didn’t understand a word I picked up enough from the slides and musical examples to be totally riveted.

The workshop was one of the best I have been to in the last year – and I have been to plenty. We had two tutors. Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, well known for his many musical collaborations including more recently the Gloaming, who explored dynamics and how to extract more feeling. We didn’t learn a tune but it was a revelation. And young Aiden Connolly showed the group (exclusively adults) how to play polkas and slides – something that had never been explained so clearly to me before. I came away inspired which is what a good School should do.

There was a concert on Saturday, in the wonderful setting of St Vincent’s church, of all the workshop groups led by their tutors. This was the most successful format of any I have seen where similar things have been tried. Everyone played in their seat eliminating massive logistical problems. The highlight was the finale with all groups led by Breanndán Begley playing a stirring version of Fáinne Geal an Lae.

What to say about the sessions. These were numerous and exhausting. All the ‘stars’ who appeared at the concert joined into various sessions. Something that doesn’t always happen. Those who were at the Bar an Bhuailtin on Saturday night will never forget the musical treat provided by Begley, Cooney, O’Connell and a host of others until six in the morning, There was a session in Tig an t-Saorsaig with a contingent of musicians from Thurles where sets of reels lasted forty minutes without a break and another session at Tigh Ui Cháthain led by Cormac Begley on his bass concertina and Páraic Mac Donnchadha on banjo which must have gone for eleven hours and it would not surprise me if they didn’t repeat a tune in that time. Spellbinding. But for me the real highlights were playing in quiet sessions such as with Alph Duggan on the Thursday and with Fergal, Breige and Anja on the Sunday with hardly an audience just sharing tunes and songs.

As I say I have never played music in Kerry before so I should talk a little about my introduction to their music. While the Corca Dhuibhne (Dingle peninsular) is not part of the Sliabh Luachra, the more widely known home of polkas, the West Kerry Gaeltach has a long musical tradition and much in common. The music played here historically was for the West Kerry dance sets and comprised mainly polkas, slides and occasionally hornpipes. For many years this music was considered ‘foreign’ having been thought to have been brought in by the occupying military forces, but the Goodman collection of the late 19^th Century demonstrated a rich tradition which was largely ignored by collectors such as O’Neill and Breathnach. Polkas were among the first tunes I learnt many years ago when starting out on the fiddle. They were considered easy. And of course in Australia no one knew how to play them properly so they were pretty awful. I couldn’t play reels, so in my various bush bands we used polkas instead. We got away with it with the unsophisticated Aussie audiences but it was hardly satisfying. So I developed a dislike for them and it seems this is shared by many over here as well. Even in Clare you rarely hear them unless you’re playing with someone from that tradition such as Jacky Daly. Hearing these tunes however delivered by masters steeped in this tradition and on its home turf was a revelation. The tunes are full of an internal energy that drives the music forward all the time. They are infectious. The rhythm sucks you in and drags you onto the floor to dance. I wouldn’t say I have come away converted but I will take this body of music much more seriously and revisit those hackneyed tunes I rejected so many years ago. Thanks Ballyferriter.

I say well done to the organisers for a memorable experience. I understand the lure of this place and its music and I too will be back.

Categories: Festivals, Sessions, Trad Irish Music | Tags: Ballyferriter, Brendan Begley, Connie O’Connell, Dingle, Festival, Ireland, Irish music, Kerry, music, photography, polkas, School, Seamus Begley, Sessions, slides, steve cooney, traditional music, travel, West Kerry | 3 Comments

Feile Na Tana, Carlingford Co Louth.

Posted on February 11, 2015 by singersong

Carlingford is the prettiest of towns in the very north of the Republic of Ireland. It is situated on a beautiful Lough and across the water is Northern Ireland in the shape of the Mountains of Mourne. It has ruined castles and abbeys and medieval gates and quaint contorted narrow streets and beautiful done up pubs and a backdrop of the Cooley Mountains dotted with the patchy remains of a recent snowfall. The perfect location for a Festival?

The Feile Na Tana is a new weekend winter school and was held in Carlingford on the first weekend of February. It is the brainchild of renowned fiddler Zoe Conway and her partner guitarist John McIntyre. She managed to assemble an extraordinary array of top class musicians for a programme of workshops and concerts. Zoe herself, Seamus Begley, Noel Hill, Mary Bergin, Gerry O’Connor and many others gave one day workshops to packed classes. There were a number of concerts where the talents of these musicians were on display to an enthusiastic audience of grateful locals.

The opening night had Zoe and John with some local young talent. I was blown away by the two youngsters who kicked off the night (sorry can’t remember their names) particularly the bright yellow bodhran doing a remarkable impersonation of John Joe Kelly. There was also a group of young musicians from Dublin, Caiseach, who put in a great set and Zoe and John did not disappoint.

Workshops the next day were split into two sessions – a great idea. I can only speak for the Fiddle but the tune choice from Zoe Conway was excellent and there was plenty of good advice to improve tone and feel. Well worth the trip alone.

The main concert was played to a packed house and was kicked off with a work entitled “Re imagining Songs and Music of Oriel”. It was performed by a huge ensemble of students from four local schools and included some of their own compositions. This was a wonderful experience for the kids and well received by the audience, filled no doubt with many proud parents. A great initiative and something that will hopefully stay with these kids and fan the musical fire within them. There was also a smaller group of young musicians from Wicklow and some wonderful songs from renowned local singer and author Padraigín Ní Uallacháin. And then the main act of the night, a brilliant performance from Seamus Begley and Donogh Hennessy joined later by the incomparable Noel Hill.

The tutor’s concert on the Sunday afternoon however was the highlight for me. An extraordinary line up of talent playing together and individually left the crowd wanting more.

I met some great new people especially at the Session on Sunday at Omeath, about ten kilometres away, including Rose, Clayton and Stuart from Boston, Kenji and Satoko from Japan and local musicians Gearoid, Ciaran and Andrew among others.

Thanks Zoe and John. See you next year.

Categories: Festivals, Trad Irish Music | Tags: Carlingford, Feile Tana, Festival, fiddle, Ireland, Irish music, John McIntyre, Louth, Mary Bergin, music, Noel Hill, Northern Ireland, photography, Seamus Begley, Sessions, traditional music, travel, Winter School, Zoe Conway | 3 Comments

Scoil Gheimhridh Ghaoth Dobhair. Winter School, Gweedore.

Posted on January 5, 2015 by singersong

I posted the other day on the final night of the Winter School in Gweedore, County Donegal. Here is a selection of photographs from the earlier days of the Festival which ran from 27^th December 2014 to 1^st January 2015.

I am going to let the photos do the talking but as you will see it was a fabulous event. Can’t speak for the other workshops but Brid Harper’s fiddle was outstanding. Concerts and recitals from Boys of the Lough, Liz Carroll and Brid Harper, Harry Bradley, Brendan Begley, Seamus Begley, Seamie O’Dowd and great sessions where humble plebs like me could find themselves playing next to these guys or a host of others, perhaps less well known but just as good. A smooth, well-organised Festival. Great job Conor Byrne and all the volunteers who made it all happen. There were even a couple of days of sunshine.