Hi all,
We just might be able to get over to Ireland this summer (keep your fingers crossed)!!!
We are looking at the Blas summer school at University of Limerick - anyone any experience with it? It sounds great - 2 weeks with top performers, lessons, sessions, lectures etc. We have also checked out Willy week - any others we could look into? Thanks,
Sue
Heya,
I might be spelling it wrong but I’ve heard that the Feakle festival, in East Clare, is quite good. A little less touristic than Miltown, and music of very good quality. But this is a short festival of 3-5 days I think. The festival I had fun with this summer was the Miss Crotty festival (again, must be spelling it wrong) in Kilrush. The music was amazing, but the thing is they don’t have whistle lessons… But I think Chris Laughlin would agree that nothing beats Willie Week, especially for me, this is where I’ve meat the girl of my dreams! 
Hey Az,
When the heck are you coming down to Boston. We should stay in better touch.
Yeah, Willy Week is nuts! As far as schools go, My favorite was Schoil Achlla on Achill Island in Mayo. It’s a very barren location, but the tuition and the music at night are incomperable. The Feakle Festival is, indeed, supposed to be fantastic, but it’s only a couple of days long.
One way or the other, stay in touch with Az and I and we’ll help you out.
Best,
Chris
Ehhh Chris!
I will actually try to get my arse in Boston in february, will let you know because have many things to settle first. Believe it or not, I’m moving to Cork on march 15th!! My girlfriend is in Montreal from february 26th to march 5th, and then a few days after I’m selling everything and heading east! THAT’S adventure!
Holy #*&(@ Az!! That’s awesome. Does she have a hot sister?
Your pal,
Chris
She has a hot sister, and her sister even plays whistle and flute. There’s a big turnoff though, she’s playing on a Susato… Anyway, you know where to go now if you come back around the Cork area… Just bought the airplane tickets and very excited about this!
Cork is a great place, and there are
some extraordinary shops for whistles.
Also whistle music on the
streets. I’m green with envy.
Good for you, laddy.
Too many of them altogether, seriously 22-24 feb, Doolin Micho weekend, includes classes, 8-10 march Corofin trad weekend, including classes, Willie week, Tubbercurry, Drumshambo, Mrs Crotty, Feakle, Tulla
An ever increasing stream of places puts on these things to bring a biit of business into town and sticks a few people in the local school to do a ‘masterclass’. They can all be worthwhile although not all of them are all that well organised (the one that had posters up during the Willie clancy week springs to mind, it had the name of the school, nice photos, fancy print job, but they forgot to put on the location and dates)
You have to make it work for yourself to a certain extend.
I dislike a whole town full of organised sessions, it’s great if you just want to sit down with the musicianers provided and play their tunes, it’s not so great if you want to start up something for yourself or with the people you run into. But then what suits me may not be exactly what suits you if you travel thousends of miles to get to something, I suppose the nyou want to be more or less certain you can sit down with a particular player or players. But as an example: I was playing in Crotty’s with Michael Tubridy and a crowd of Japanese, Sean MacNamara fromt he Liverpool Ceili band and a few others, during the last Mrs C weekend, and going nicely. In come the people who had the gig and they start playing, the accordeon player was not too bad but not too great either and that put an end to the session as we had it. I hate that, but the organisers insist on those things as they want people in to drink the pints they are selling. NAd they don’t want to depend on spontaneous sessions starting up (or not as the case may be).
Mrs Crotty is otherwise a nice weekend I always greatly enjoy, but then if I get bored I get in the car and am home in half an hour.
I didn’t go to Feakle this year (it was pissing with rain)but it’s usually nice enough too.
For the number of good musicians turning up Willie is still unsurpassed. The town gets a bit taken over by the not so great music these days and it’s busy and it’s tacky in some ways, when you get a bit out of town there’s still nice quiet music to be had. Haven’t missed one since my first in 1980. And it is one of the few that is still put on with the music taking precedence, not in the first place to use the music bringing trade into the town.
Azalin, last Crotty weekend, were you at the concert int the Vandeleur gardens on Sunday?? (I was the solo piper in the middle of it all) And did you have a look at the photo exhibition 
[ This Message was edited by: Peter Laban on 2002-02-03 05:40 ]
Thanks Az,
That’s cool about the sister, but if she plays Susatos then I think I’ll forget about it
Chris
Peter,
Nope I didnt go at sunday’s concert, I was at Martin Hayes’concert the day before though, really enjoyed. Maybe I’ll see you this year in Miltown Malbay then! You must have seen my girlfriend at one point, she’s been playing fiddle in sessions at Willie Clancy for the past few years. Well, who knows…
Chris, I’ll try to brainwash her sister not to play on Susatos anymore, I’ll tell ya if I’m successful! Maybe with a Sindt in her hands, she’ll come back from the dark side!
Thanks all for the advice.
Az, where in Cork will you be - we will be staying with friends in Cork, 5 minute walk from the University so I’m told. May bump into you there!
Sue
Whistlepeg,
My girlfriend will start looking for an appartment for me next week, I still don’t know where I’m gonna be living, can you imagine? Will let you know as soon as I know myself, and we gotta meet for sure, as fellow whistlers and canadians!