Posts Tagged With: Ireland

Man of Aran

Posted on April 29, 2015 by singersong

What is it about islands? Why do they have such appeal to us? All around the world they are treasured as special. Sometimes the residents are fiercely protective. In Australia we have many that hold a singular place and I was lucky enough to live on one such of these – Magnetic Island on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. There are others though; Rottnest Island, where you can’t live but it is still very dear to the heart of Perth people, or Kangaroo Island off South Australia, or the beautiful Lord Howe Island among them. Ireland has a few too, such as Tory, Achill, Skellig and of course the Aran Islands.

Mention the Aran Islands and you immediately have my attention. The place has a mysterious lure. Despite knowing little about it (except that it is where the Clancy Brothers got their jumpers from and one of the most omnipresent tunes in sessions around the world is named after one of the Islands) it was a place I felt I must visit. I have been on two separate occasions. First, on a freezing summer’s day in July 2014, to Inisheer for an overnight stay; and more recently over three glorious sunny, warm days in April 2015. That’s Irish weather for you – freezing in Summer and hot in Spring!

The Islands are accessed either from Galway or Doolin, in my case for both trips I took the boat from Doolin, half an hour from my home in Caherush. My first visit was a spontaneous decision based on the fact there was blue sky in the morning. Of course by the time the boat left the weather had turned and the squally rain and howling wind off the Atlantic made for a very rough half hour crossing which took over an hour as we were buffeted by giant waves. At one point we stopped in the middle of the ocean in a futile attempt to retrieve a feral buoy. This was in contrast to my trip to Inis Mór when the sea was mirror calm with not a ripple. So I saw the islands in its various moods.

Technically the islands are part of Galway, but geographically, geologically and culturally they belong to Clare as the three Aran Islands are an extension of the Burren. They all have that wild inspiring landscape that I found so enriching in north Clare and that I have blogged about before. https://singersongblog.wordpress.com/2014/06/20/the-burren/

https://singersongblog.wordpress.com/2014/08/29/the-burren-again/

So back to my first question. With the Aran Islands, is it that inconvenience mixed with expectation that getting there involves that makes it attractive to visitors? Or that feeling that once there you are completely cut off (well maybe not now with smartphones). Or the slower pace? How would it be to actually live there?

Of course many do and Melissa and Johnny Gillan and their five children are among them. Melissa is from Maine and married an Irishman from Aran who after their second child convinced her to leave the States and start a new life on Inis Mór. Melissa tells the story way better than I could on her blog (which is how we met) http://thearanartisan.com/2014/11/08/i-live-in-aran/. I have never seen anyone happier. She now has five kids and an enviable lifestyle where she has created a paradise – a garden that sustains her family within this harsh environment and is moving towards her dream of starting a business based on this. The whole family is involved, with the kids nurturing the garden and animals with a sense of pride. Her philosophy is captured by the layout of the garden beds which spell the word LOVE and which was revealed with delight by her kids after an enthusiastic guided tour. I was invited to dinner there one night, which comprised razor clams gathered on the shore, a tuna steak from a fish caught by Johnny’s brother off the coast, potatoes, carrots, kale, rhubarb crumble and a parsnip cake. All from the garden and made with skill and affection. The kids embrace the lifestyle. I was reminded a little of the zest for living my own kids had on Magnetic Island for the three years we lived there. Melissa and Johnny may not be your typical Aran family, I don’t know, but I also met Cóil and Grainne, both young islanders who gave up their day to show me around their island with an obvious pride. I was greeted with nothing but warmth and hospitality.

Both the Islands I visited seem to have somewhat different characters. Inis Mór (the Big Island) has sweeping landscapes with hardly a tree; massive limestone pavements and steep cliffs. It doesn’t seem heavily populated but there are about 900 people spread across the entire island. Inis Oírr is smaller with about a third of that but the houses are more concentrated around the main settlement of Inveragh and the fields as defined by the stone walls seem smaller. Both have the same sparse pasture, lush in places barren in others. Inis Mór has more tourists and a lot more bicycles but it is easy to avoid the day trippers by starting early. The evenings everywhere are gloriously empty of people except for the inevitable craic behind the walls of Ti Whatty or Rory’s.

Inisheer. Stone walls and fields

Inisheer. Drystone walls and one room cottage

Inisheer in the morning light

Inisheer

Inisheer. Off to fiddle lesson?

Inis Mor. Coping with the elements

Inis Mor.

Inis Mor

There is plenty for the tourist. On Inis Mór, bike hire is popular and the circuit to the Dún Aonghasa fort is a well-worn trail. But off the beaten track are some amazing sites such as the Black Fort, the Seven Churches and Teampull Bheanáin, reputedly the smallest church in the world measuring around 3m x 2m. This unusual church can be seen from all around the island and was the best location I found for viewing the unique Burren flora. Then there is the spectacular Worm Hole or Poll na bPeist. It is a hole in the rock platform that looks like it has been sliced out by the hand of Fin McCool himself. There is a more prosaic explanation that relates to erosion along mutually orthogonal jointing but let’s stick with Fin McCool, I think! Connected with this is a blow hole where the back pressure from the hole causes the sea to shoot up periodically higher than the cliff. This is an awe-inspiring place that has been put on the tourist map by the Red Bull people who have filmed one of their diving videos here.

Inis Mor. Teampull Bheanáin

Inis Mor. Blowhole at the Worm Hole. Poll na bPeist

The Islands, and in particular Inis Mór is well known for the excellent preservation of their megalithic circle forts. Dún Aonghasa gets the most attention, but others such as Black Fort are just as interesting and much quieter. These forts are fascinating and here on Aran occupy a coastal positon where the cliffs are used as one line of defence and a semicircular stone rampart as the other enclosing a headland within which was a settlement. There were also a number of outer walls in some cases and unique and spectacularly well preserved examples of chevaux de frise. These are fields of sharp limestone lugged into place and designed to make cavalry or foot progress difficult and retreat impossible. They were placed about 30m away from the wall as this was the range of hand thrown projectiles of the time. The original structures at Dún Aonghasa appear to date from around 1000 BC which places them near the end of the Bronze Age. The famous portal tomb at Poulnabrone on the mainland is much older (3,800BC) as are other tombs on Aran which date to 1850 BC. This first period of settlement at Dún Aonghasa ended about 700BC but then the site was added to and inhabited during medieval times and later. I spent hours at these forts mesmerised by the ambience and the anicientness (if that is a word!)

Inis Mor. Dun Aengus fort

Inis Mor. Dun Aengus fort. Cheval de frise

Inis Mor. Dun Aengus fort

Inis Mor. Rock platform Dun Aengus fort

Inis Mor. Inside the inner wall Dun Aengas

Inis Mor. Inner wall. Dun Aengus fort, showing remarkable stone work

Inis Mor. Dun Aengus fort. Stone was quarried from the steep face near the wall. Note the crack!

Inis Mor. Black Fort. Cheval de frise with glacial erratic

Inis Mor. Black Fort showing walls of medieval houses

Inis Mor. Black Fort from inside the enclosure

Inis Mor. Black Fort and cheval de frise

Inis Mor. Black Fort and cheval de fries

The landscape helps make this a unique world. I have talked here and elsewhere about the typical Burren landforms, but I should mention the widespread glacial erratics, dropped by melting glaciers. Well that is the scientific explanation. Local legend has it that they were left by giants who were throwing stones at each other (Fin McCool again!) Doesn’t this make sense? How else could boulders of granite from Connemara get onto the Aran Islands? The Burren is known world wide for its flora with its rare combination of alpine and Mediterranean plants. Spring is the best time to see it and in the three days I was on Inis Mor I witnessed an explosion of life with the spring gentians and orchids bursting into flower. The wildlife does not disappoint either with seals, water birds, birds of prey and dolphins all on show at various times.

Inis Mor. Glacial erratics near Black Fort

Limestone Pavement Inis Mor

Inis Mor. Burren landscape

Inis Mor. Typical Burren stone wall. How does it stay up?

Inis Mor. Near Black Fort. Crumbling coastline

Beach near Kilronan. Inis Mor

On each of my visits to Aran I was resigned to having nights without music but on each occasion I discovered the craic. On Inis Oírr I met Mícheál O’hÁlmháin, the leading musical identity on the Island and members of his family and we played in the hotel until the small hours and on Inis Mór I met three French guys, Alex, Mathieu and Victor who turned out to be amazing guitarists and with Michelle, Lea and Rom from Switzerland we had two nights of Celtic meets Gypsy Jazz meets 70s rock meets Europop! On Inis Oírr I also stumbled onto an Irish language summer camp. It was held in the hall and I was drawn by the distinctive sound of irish dancing. The front door was open but what I saw was not what I expected. It was full with teenagers maybe 150 of them having the time of their lives. They were playing a game of musical statues to the recorded music of a ceili band. I stayed and watched as they threw themselves into a succession of musical and dance numbers including a country and western song about Connemara in Irish, some updated versions of set dances, line dancing and some pop songs. I was impressed that here was a camp dedicated to preserving the Irish language and culture but prepared to do it in a modern way that was relevant to today’s youth but still respectful of the heritage. And then to top all that while on Inis Mór and thanks to an invitation from Melissa I played with the local Island kids at the regular Comhaltas gathering with Galway Bay as a backdrop.

There is a lot more I could say about these Islands but by now I think I have probably lost all my readers (If you have read this far please let me know – it would be nice to know if anyone reads beyond the first paragraph!), so I will let the pictures talk from here. Just a few more images that give a taste of these islands that I am sure I will return to regularly.

Inisheer. Fisherman returns escorted by dolphin

Inis Mor. Stairway to Heaven?

Categories: Real Ireland, Wild Ireland | Tags: Aran Islands, Black Fort, Burren, Clare, Cliffs, Dun Aengus, Galway, Inis Oirr, Inish Mor, Inisheer, Inishmore, Ireland, photography, Sessions, traditional music, travel | 4 Comments

Off to Offaly. What’s it Offer Me?

Posted on April 15, 2015 by singersong

The Midlands of Ireland gets a bad rap. It comprises the counties of Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath. Major towns are Athlone, Mullingar and Tullamore. The whole Midlands is unfairly seen as a cultural backwater, dreary and nothing but boring bog land. Author and Irish Times columnist Michael Viney has described the Midlands as “a wearily protracted obstacle between Dublin and the west … a slow ticking-off of dull little towns on a lot of flattish land drained by sluggish rivers”.

At the invitation of a friend, Christina, who owns a B&B in Kinnitty, Co. Offaly. I spent a few days seeing for myself.

And I say this characterisation is unfair. Yes there is plenty of bog land but in my four days, mainly in Offaly, I found music every night, discovered the Slieve Bloom Mountains, enjoyed a fine meal at Castle Kinnitty, absorbed the Georgian architecture in Birr and walked through a sculpture park in Lough Boora. I met plenty of lovely people as I have everywhere in Ireland. Offaly had plenty to offer me!

I stayed at beautiful Ardmore House. This elegant grand house, now a B&B, was built in 1840 by the Bernards who lived in the nearby Kinnity Castle. More on that later. It was used as a doctors’ surgery and residence until the 1970s. It had various owners after that and was bought in a run-down state over 20 years ago by Christina who has restored it in a labour of love. Set in lovely formal grounds and with huge bedrooms fitted with period furniture. There is a wonderful ambience about the place and views from every window over the rolling hills on the edge of town and beyond to the Slieve Blooms. http://www.kinnitty.com/about.html.

This was my base from which to explore Offaly. And I didn’t have to go far. Across the road near the Church is a stone pyramid, a mausoleum for members of the Bernard Family. It was built in 1834 and houses the remains of six people including one bitten by a rabid dog. The stone work is wonderful with blocks laid at an angle to get the pyramid shape. The mortar pattern is etched through the steel door which gives a great senses of unity. The last internment was in 1905.

Ardmore House, Kinnity

Elegant Georgian architecture. Ardmore House, Kinnity

Bernard’s Pyramid, Kinnitty.

Bernard’s Pyramid, Kinnitty

Anyway I digress. The main reason I came of course was to play music. Wednesday nights sees a regular session in this part of the county. It is led by the talented Kinsella family and rotates between four pubs in surrounding villages. This night saw the music at Bergin’s at Killoyn (pronunced ‘Killine’). Other nights are at the Slieve Bloom in Kinnitty, Burton’s at Ballybritt and Dempsey’s at Cadamstown.

This is one of those sessions that exists soley for the community. The pub was packed with regulars who were there just for the music. If there are tourists then they either come by accident or they are directed here by their hosts. I am told that on other nights this pub is nearly empty. This is a clear sign that the music is strong here and that people are into it. While the quality of the music may be better in Clare you can’t argue with the enthusiastic way it is played and the reception it receives. There were about fifteen musicians of all ages but as the night wore on many more singers were coaxed from the crowd. The tunes were well led by gifted box player Padraig Kinsella, and members of his family. It is worth commenting here that the perception that Offaly is a backwater is belied by its successes in the All Ireland Fleadhs. Players from Offaly including Padraig have won the All Ireland for button accordion eleven times, significantly more than from any other county. I certainly didn’t appreciate this. There was a lot of singing but no shortage of tunes and even after most of the musicians had packed up soon after midnight more singers came out of the crowd and we left at 2am with the session still in full swing.

As my readers would know I attempt to play music every night. So when we discovered there was a session in Eugene Kelly’s on Thursday off we went. What I had forgotten, until I got there, was that this was the first place I had played music in Ireland, when I had arrived in May 2014. I remembered meeting concertina player, Aoife Greene (another All Ireland winner) there that night and she was here again. She recognised me even though I now have a beard and long hair. Some great tunes followed and plenty of songs though the session was somewhat throttled by one member of the audience who insisted on sitting in the circle and making her presence well and truly felt. Though in fairness she could sing.

On the last night Christina had organised a house session at Ardmore. Some of the musicians who I had met at Bergin’s were there and others, friends of Christina, had come from as far away as Westport in Mayo as well as some locals. It was a privilege to be part of this. Great tunes and songs, excellent food, fine whiskey and a turf fire. Only thing missing was some dancing and you could have been at a house session a hundred years ago.

In between these sessions I got out and about. The weather was stunning. Clear blue skies and around 18 degrees. County Offaly has the earliest evidence of human habitation in Ireland dating from 6500 BC at Lough Boora just down the road. There would have been lakes there then, long since turned into bogs and subsequently mined out by Bord na Móna (the company created in 1946 to exploit bogs mainly in the Midlands) Here at Lough Boora however it is now returned to lakes and a nature reserve. I visited there and took a short walk was through a sculpture park. All the installations were inspired by the unique land and the bog and its history of mining. I was very impressed. Great opportunity for some photos a little different from what I was used to. I really enjoyed trying my hand at something different.

There was also the Slieve Bloom Mountain range. More low hills actually but there were expansive views of the countryside . It is renowned as the birthplace and early home of legendary Finn MacCool but I was more taken with the forests of pine and beech, just breaking out with the spring growth. It was at that wonderful point where the trees still have that winter nakedness but there is a tinge of bright green from the new shoots.

Kinnitty Castle has had a chequered history. It’s current predicament is at least as bad as anything it has faced since the site was first settled. It is worth relating briefly as reflects a lot of the story of Ireland.

The site was known to be an ancient druid ceremonial ground; it was a monastery in the 6^th century with links to Clonmacnoise along with which it was a major learning centre in Europe at the time. It was raided by the Vikings and then rebuilt by the Normans with a castle and Abbey. It became the stronghold of the O’Carrolls around the 11^th Century through to the 17^th century. A new castle was built by the O’Carrolls in 1630 and confiscated by the English in 1641. In 1664 it was granted to an English officer Thomas Winter. It was sold by the Winter family to the Bernards family in 1764 and became known as Castle Bernard. The current look of the castle was a result of work commissioned in 1811. The work was carried out by the Pain Brothers who built Dromoland and is a wonderful example of neo gothic architecture.

In 1922, the Castle was burned down by the Republican forces. Rebuilt in 1928 by the Bernard family who lived there until 1946 when it was sold to Lord Decies who in turn sold it to the State in 1951. It became run down but was purchased by the Ryan family in 1994 and renovated and transformed into a luxurious 37 bedroom hotel.

The castle was forced into receivership by the KBC Ireland Bank and despite a number of attempts to sell it is still being run by the receivers as a going concern. It is popular for weddings, understandably, and I have to say the steak was delicious. The hotel is full of amazing period furniture, most of it huge and befitting the grand proportions of the house. The bank seized all this along with the hotel but the Ryans claim that the effects are their own personal assets. It is all very messy with legal action and accusations flying everywhere and as of now you could buy this special castle for a mere seven million euros and make the bank go away.

The English heritage is apparent in nearby Birr also. Birr also has a magnificent castle which is the family home of the current Earle of Rosse, but goes back to the O’Carrrols again who had one of their castles there in the 15^th Century. In 1620 it was granted to a Sir Laurence Parsons in the course of the Stuart plantation, c. 1620. Sir Laurence Parsons built most of the structure of the present castle. But this was not the main attraction for me.

The town is well regarded for the excellence of the preservation of the Georgian architecture. A walk down the main thoroughfare of Emmett Street (formerly Cumberland Street) and the Oxmantown Mall and St John’s Mall give ample evidence of this. I was taken with the elegance of the buildings and the unity of streetscape which was a defining characteristic of Georgian city planning There were simple family homes and there were clearly more ornate, but still conforming to the same simple elegant ethos, homes of the wealthy. I loved the arched door treatments, the fanlights above the doors, the beautifully proportioned multi-paned windows and some of the less noticeable details such as the cast iron gate handles.

I was walking down Oxmantown Mall photographing the front of a blue doored two story mansion when the owner came out. We got chatting and retired vet, Sam Glendinning took me through the archway which accessed the back and showed me his formal walled garden. He was in the process of renewing it as it had become overgrown but there was enough to see what a marvelous space it was. A magnolia in flower was a feature with a central lawn and garden beds and trees around the boundary. It was so quite; not a noise though we were right in the middle of town. I was entranced. Sam said it may be for sale if he could convince his wife to move into something smaller but he wouldn’t name a price. Out of my league I would think.

Other claims to fame of this town are the largest telescope in the world built by the then Earl of Rosse in 1845. (Why build a telescope in Ireland where there averages up to 225 days of rain a year?), the world’s first auto fatality when Mary Wood was thrown out of the steam car she was a passenger in as it rounded a corner on Cumberland Street and an Australian connection where Dame Nellie Melba sang from the balcony of Hotel Dooley, an event remembered today with Melba’s Nightclub

I left Offaly on the Saturday and as if to say goodbye the weather broke. I enjoyed my time there and thanks Christina for your hospitality. It didn’t take long though and Saturday night I was back in the swing of things with tunes at Friels in Miltown with Yvonne Casey, Josephine Marsh and John Joe Tuttle.

Categories: My Journey, Sessions, Trad Irish Music | Tags: Ardmore, Birr, bog land, bogs, Bord Mona, Georgian architecture, Ireland, Irish music, Kinnitty, Kinnitty Castle, Lord Rosse, Lough Boora, Midlands, music, Offaly, photography, sculpture, Sessions, Slieve Bloom, traditional music, travel, Tullamore | 6 Comments

Trish’s Soda Bread

Posted on March 25, 2015 by singersong

Soda Bread is made in a few countries other than Ireland but it remains quintessentially Irish. So I decided to learn how to make it. Never refuse an invitation is one of my rules here in Ireland so when Trish from Lahinch offered to show me I jumped at the opportunity. What is Soda Bread? It is a simple quick bread that uses sodium bicarbonate (what the Irish call ’bread soda’) as the leavening agent instead of yeast. It relies on mixing buttermilk (weak acid) with the soda (alkaline) to produce tiny carbon dioxide bubbles which cause the bread to rise. It does not need kneading or time to stand. It has an Australian equivalent in Damper widely made in rural Australia and popular with indigenous Australians.

Trish’s Soda Bred – the final product

Here is Trish’s Recipe which she got from her mother and who knows how far back it goes beyond that. Trish’s recipe uses half and half white flour and wholemeal flour but it can be mixed in any proportion depending on taste. It’s very simple – here goes. Take 20 ounces of mixed wholemeal and plain flour and add one heaped teaspoon of bread soda. Crush it between the fingers to break up the lumps. Mix. Add buttermilk, a little at a time, and lightly mix until consistent slightly sticky dough is attained. Salt is optional. Make into a ball with a little flour on the bench and flatten into the desired shape and place on a floured baking tray. Make fairly deep cuts into quarters and place into a preheated oven at 200˚C for about 30-35 minutes. Check regularly in last five minutes. Tap bottom – a hollow sound means it is cooked! That’s it. The proof is in the pudding and it was delicious with Kerry butter and Irish Cheddar or spread with Clare jam (Strawberry and Baileys!). I had a go and mine was made with just white flour and with raisins (about 3-4 oz). Pretty proud of it – check the final photo. It’s in the freezer so yet to taste it. Thanks Trish for taking the time to open another window for me on the real Ireland. Give me half an hour’s notice if you’re coming to visit and I’ll have a hot loaf ready for you!

1. Add 10 oz wholemeal flour

2. Add 10 oz plain flour

3. Add heaped teaspoon baking soda

4. Add buttermilk

5. Mix to make dough

6. Round and flatten to shape

7. Quarter

8. Place in oven at 200 deg

9. Tap bottom to check if cooked

10. Ready to serve

11. Portions can be frozen and eaten later

12. Sliced soda bread delicious with butter and jam

13. My version of Trish’s soda bread with white flour and raisins

Categories: Real Ireland | Tags: bread, Clare, cooking, damper, Ireland, irish cooking, Lahinch, photography, soda bread, travel | 4 Comments

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

St Patricks Day in Ennis. Fifty Shades of Green.

Posted on March 19, 2015 by singersong

My first St Patrick’s Day in Ireland.

It has always been something I have avoided in Oz. An excuse for all and sundry to parade themselves as being Irish (whether they are or not) fuelled by green beer and endless renditions of Wild Rover and the Fields of Athenry. Not always a pretty sight. And sessions on St Pats Day are non existent as every person who can hold a fiddle or accordion is gigging somewhere that night. So I was keen to find out what it was like back here.

St Patrick’s Day honours the death of St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, in 461 and it is celebrated as a national holiday in Ireland and Northern Ireland and around the world by the Irish diaspora. It has moved from being a religious holiday to a day of secular celebration much to the chagrin of the church. I like this quote from Father Vincent Twomey who wrote in 2007, “It is time to reclaim St Patrick’s Day as a church festival without mindless alcohol-fuelled revelry” and concluded that “it is time to bring the piety and the fun together.” This plea seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

March 17^th was a glorious sunny day in Clare so I headed into Ennis. The place was decorated with bunting and flags in preparation for the Parade, which kicked off at 11.00. Parades are a big deal here and every town and village has one. Not as big as Dublin of course which is now supposedly beats that in New York but definitely not as small as the one in Dripsey in Co Cork (which celebrates the fact that it has the shortest parade in the world – 100 yards between the village’s two pubs).

They are often staggered so the limited number of brass bands and prime movers can rotate between the villages. Community groups and schools go to a lot of effort and there are prizes for the best float or display. And everyone dresses up, with green of course being the dominant colour. At least fifty shades of green. Somehow it’s not tacky as it tends to be in Australia. It is the Irish celebrating their Irishness. So I saw nothing incongruous in leprechaun beards and green wigs as I might have in Australia if worn by Australians.

The other thing that struck me as the Parade moved past me was that just as in Australia now, Ireland is a multi-layered society and a quick flick through the photos shows groups with a diversity of ethnic identities. There is a strong representation of support groups for people with special needs. It was quite a window into what is important to the people of Clare. The whole thing is very much a family day and this spilled over into the pubs and restaurants with family groups continuing the celebrations as others geared up for a big night.

I had heard there would be tunes all day at Cruises so at 1:00 I joined Eric and Hugh Healy with Brian O’Loughlin and Catherine for some great tunes. Energetic and fast – great fun. Accompanied as we were by a young lad who practiced his dance steps continuously for well over two hours! Gradually the families left the pub and by 4 pm there was a change in musicians to Eoin O’Neill and Quentin Cooper and friends. The pub was rapidly filling up but at 6:00 I decided to head back to Friels at Miltown Malbay where there was a session in full swing when I arrived with with Damien O’Reilly, Caoilfhionn Ni Fhrighil, Eamonn O’Riordan, Brian Mooney and Thiery Masur . The pub was packed like I haven’t seen it since Willie Week and there was plently to like about the music. At 8.30 it wound up and my next stop was Liscannor where Ennis band Los Paddys de las Pampas were playing at Egans. I have to say I had never heard them before and wasn’t sure what to expect – Ireland meets South America? But with talent like Adam Shapiro and Kirsten Allstaff involved it had to be good. And what a great night. The music was surprisingly infectious and even a boring old fart like me was up on the dance floor bopping along. There were some great cameos from Clara Buettler and two flamenco dancing sisters (can’t remember their names) and then Lenka Hoffmanova took to the floor looking resplendent in her dress of orange white and green. Flamenco meets sean nos! Great stuff!

Now that was how St Patricks Day should be celebrated.

Categories: Real Ireland, Sessions, Trad Irish Music | Tags: celebration, Cruises, diaspora, Dublin, Ennis, Friels, Ireland, Irish music, Liscannor, Miltown Malbay, Northern Ireland, Parade, photography, Saint Patrick, session, Sessions, St Patrick's Day, traditional music, travel | 4 Comments

Wild Dingle, Co. Kerry

Posted on March 12, 2015 by singersong

With all the festivals of late I haven’t had any time to post any pictures from the various road trips I have made in the last few weeks. So I will try and catch up slowly. This post is about the beautiful Dingle Peninsular. When at Ballyferriter (https://singersongblog.wordpress.com/2015/02/26/scoil-cheoil-an-earraigh-ballyferriter-co-kerry/) I had a couple of opportunities, with breaks in the weather, to get out and have a look at the countryside between Slea Head and Mount Brandon. I was pretty lucky but it was frustrating as well as I couldn’t help thinking she was like a heavily-veiled Turkish dancer shyly lifting her shroud to reveal the beauty within and then quickly covering up again. Tantalising me with fleeting glimpses, just as the sun peeks out before another squall or hailstorm swept in. You had to be quick with the camera to catch it. There was a snowfall the day before I arrived and another while I was there so Mt Brandon had a good dusting which, when the mist lifted, contributed to an Alpine feel.

The west Kerry landscape is so beautiful. A little more ordered than Clare (without the wildness of the Burren) but a patchwork of stone-walled verdant fields dotted with quaint villages – almost the archetypal Ireland. It has a rugged Atlantic coastline in common with West Clare and some spectacular beaches, which on this particular weekend were being pounded by some mighty waves. It is no wonder the area attracts tourists in droves along with artists, filmmakers, musicians and people seeking the ‘real’ Ireland.

Here are some photos which I think will give a taste of the extraordinary beauty of this part of Ireland. But it is only a taste and I will return to have another look and explore further when the weather is kinder. So expect more.

Categories: Wild Ireland | Tags: Ballyferriter, Clare, Dingle, Dingle Peninsular, Ireland, Kerry, Mount Brandon, photography, Slea Head, travel | 4 Comments

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

Burren Backroom Series Concert Ennis

Posted on March 3, 2015 by singersong

A concert of traditional Irish music was held in Ennis on Thursday 26^th February at the Queens Hotel, not a usual venue for this style of music but those who braved the cold February night were well rewarded.

The concert was staged by Tommy McCarthy, from Galway and Boston, in aid of the Walk in my Shoes campaign to support the St Patrick’s Mental Health Foundation. This Foundation helps vulnerable young adults with a need for mental health services. This is one of a series of concerts which Tommy has staged under the banner ‘Burren Backdoor Series’ and it follows on from an earlier successful Facebook campaign involving traditional musicians in Ireland and the US.

Tommy gathered together an extraordinary array of talent mostly from Clare but with a few welcome blow-ins from places such as Donegal, Galway and Tipperary, all who generously gave their services to the cause. What a night.

The evening was very ably hosted by Paula Carroll, one of the presenters on Clare FM’s West Wind programme (which by the way is unquestionably the best nightly Irish traditional music show in the world and a showcase for music from Clare and elsewhere). The show began with the Tulla Junior Ceili Band, all aged between 11 and 14 and displaying a maturity way beyond this. They certainly captured that Tulla sound and this augurs well for the senior band in years to come. Their act had plenty of variety with a shortened brush dance and a delightful recitation from young seanchaí (shanachie), Naois O’Sullivan entitled ‘The Restaurant’. Great to see this fading tradition being handed down from her grandfather, who is also a shanachie. This well and truly set the scene.

There were too many acts and too many wonderful musicians to describe individually. So what were the highlights? A good mix of songs from Mullagh’s own PJ Murrihy and, the internationally renowned Sean Tyrell singing of his native Galway and at the end of the evening a beautiful rendition of Beeswing, but the night belonged to traditional instrumental music. There was a group of local musicians led by Siobhan Peoples who called themselves simply “The Ennis Trad Musicians”, with that energetic sound that regulars at Faffas or Dan O’Connell’s would be very familiar with and there were delicious counterpoints from groups such as the Boruma Trio (Andrew MacNamara, Eileen O’Brien and Geraldine Cotter) with their self-deprecating description of the band as the ‘RTE Light Orchestra’ (though they showed they could pump it out too with a rousing rendition of the Bucks, Rakish Paddy and the High Reel to finish their set!) and the sweet combination of the harp and concertina of Eimear Coughlan and Francis Cunningham. In between we had the McCarthy family Tommy, Louise, daughter Rose and from Miltown, Tommy’s sister Bernadette, a group from Lissycasey, who call themselves ‘In Tune’ (and they were!), which spanned the generation gap, and I have to say my favourite of the night, some gorgeous fiddle playing from Yvonne Casey with tasteful bouzouki from Eoin O’Neill. There was a group called Moher (another ensemble of Clare musicians), some strong representation from Miltown Malbay with regulars from Friel’s Pub and the incomparable Frankie Gavin for good measure. Frankie was worth the 20 euros alone and it was great to see him with just Geraldine Cotter’s piano and without the distraction of other instruments. His effortless bowing and vivacious playing, though definitely not “Clare-style”, was undeniably music from the top drawer and the product of a musician who has been at the top of his game for over forty years.

For those lucky enough to attend, despite the cold inside and out, which even with numerous layers left me with cold knees and toes throughout (God knows how they could play in t-shirts!!), it was a memorable evening with well over four hours of class music.

Another reminder why so many of us call Clare home!

Well done Tommy.

Categories: Concerts, Trad Irish Music | Tags: Burren Backroom Series, concert, Ennis, Frankie Gavin, Ireland, Irish music, photography, Queen's Hotel, Siobhan Peoples, Tommy McCarthy, traditional music, travel, Tulla, Yvonne Casey | 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

Brogan’s Bar Ennis

Posted on February 14, 2015 by singersong

On Saturday 14th February Brogan’s Bar in Ennis will change management. Over the last five decades it has been a go-to traditional music venue in this town and has achieved legendary status with Irish musicians all around the world. Two of it’s regular stalwarts, Eoin O’Neill and Quentin Cooper, had their last session there on Thursday. It was a wonderful celebration and a fitting farewell. I will have more to say on Brogan’s and what it meant to Ennis and traditional music in Clare and beyond in an upcoming blog and I will include a selection of my best photos from the last nine months, but in the meanwhile here are some images from that last magic night.