There is no way I could give an adequate report of our trip here, but the musical highlights are such:
Steve Powers and Shannaquay were a great way to start our stay! Steve gave us a warm welcome on what was to be a very wet week plus in Ireland. I acquired a Dixon F for me (what a lovely sound!) two two piece Doolins, and a nickel Gen D that made its way into the bag on its own. We’ll come back to that in a moment. Shannaquay has what is probably the best location of any store in Adare. If you get there, just look up the street. Yep, thats it!
Monday night at Sculley’s in Newmarket(for anyone following this Cat’s story, Sculley’s was where I heard my first session 2 years ago!) I got to talking with an Irish born tourist who was bemoaning the fact that he WAS going to buy a whistle, and MEANT to start learning, and the Gen in my bag sort of begged to be gifted to him, as gifts are meant to be passed on, and random acts of kindness. The man was utterly beside himself with glee and asked if I’d play it.
The session had just moved into Boulavogue, and from my corner I joined very quietly on the Gen. That got me roped into the rest of the session, and I joined as I might, started the two tunes I was fairly certain I could do myself proud on, and had a thoroughly enjoyable night. Two button accordions, two fiddles, one set of pipes and me. Two old men came over after and were very, very nice with their compliments. I had a great time there!
Three nights later, up in Gorteen, Co. Sligo, we went to the Roisin Dubh and sat in on a session that RIPPED. . .six fiddles, as many flutes, one to three whistles (including a Susato played by a guy who had to have been in his eighties) depending on whether the lone bodhran player swapped to the whistle and whether I felt I could keep up and knew the tune, at least four button accordions, a banjo and piano. They were quite insistent that I start tunes, and out again came Lark in the Morning and Dingle Regatta. Happily, after that if I twiddled something, someone would nod and THEY would start it. Warm, funny, wonderful people who truly enjoyed sharing their musical heritage.
The next night was utterly magical. Tyghre and I weren’t going to go out, but a fiddler had come to the house where we were staying to see our host (who due to severe allergies to scented products can no longer go out to the pubs where he indulged in his love of the music) and he brought his fiddle and flute, the host’s daughter brought out her bodhran (played so delicately it was an utter joy to experience!) host got spoons, and I pulled out the whistles.
The music started about 9:00, the poteen was brought out (OMG! kick like a mule and NO ZERO NADA in the way of hangover!), the other houseguests gathered round, and we played, sang, joked, told stories,… I cashed in my chips at 1:30 and the guys stuck around and had cigars (outside thankfully) and kept going for another hour or so. This is craic as it was meant to be!
A few nights later at The Hatch in Ballaghaderreen there was a very nice little session with about 9 people. I got into a great discussion with another punter and skipped playing, though two people who had met me previously encouraged me to join. The whistler there was about 70, and he also played…a Susato.
Back at the Roisin Dubh a few nights later, and a much much smaller crowd. Those who recognized me asked if I was on strike, and I said I was. . .so happy to listen. Of course by this time I was starting to fade into bronchitis and the smoke was unbearable. Couldn’t play much of anything. There is a young button accordion player there who has to be heard to be believed. I’m hoping that I got his solos down on tape. One woman came in and played a whistle, I think a Walton. . .but swapped over to. . .A SUSATO. I was starting to feel as if I may have missed the boat on this instrument! Anyway, that session was piano, banjo, two button accordions, her whistle and a guy playing a Boehm flute. Our companion’s bodhran got passed around to three enthusiastic locals who mostly played with their hand rather than the tipper.
We had a great time. Aside from the music we saw the Cliffs of Moher (tried on a day when gale force winds kicked up and I decided it was not a great place to be on crutches, then came back a week later), a portal tomb from neolithic times, a great stone circle that took some real fancy crutchwork to achieve, a castle here and a house there, a bit of museums, lots of scenery, and had a thoroughly wonderful time!
Anyway, five utterly different sessions
Tyghress
…And I go on, pursuing through the hours,
Another tiger, the one not found in verse.
Jorge Luis Borges
[ This Message was edited by: tyghress on 2002-05-29 15:17 ]
At any rate, they don’t delete your extra photos is seems, they just won’t allow you to up load more until you’ve delete enough to get you back under the 5 picture limit, once that kicks in.