Lodging in/around Miltown Malbay for a while this summer?

Poststructural Pub
1

Okay, so my dastardly plans come to light. I’m writing up a grant proposal to send me to Ireland this summer to do some ethnomusicological research. The dates are tenuous, but will probably be from the beginning of June to mid-late July. I plan to spend some of that time in Ennis (where I’ve found a hostel), but I’d like to spend a great deal of time in Miltown Malbay (especially around Willie Week :smiley:) and can’t find much in my price range. So I was wondering if anyone in or around that area has a place I could sleep? I am able to pay a fairly decent sum of money (through the grant), but hotels and the like are too expensive for the extended amount of time I’ll be staying. I can pay a flat sum for lodging, or I can do a per-night rate, and if you’d like to feed me from time to time (certainly not a requirement), I can pay for that, too. I would need to be within walking distance of some good music/musicians.

Other than that, I’m not too picky. :stuck_out_tongue: Does anyone know someone with an attic or a root cellar or a wood shed they wouldn’t mind renting for a month or so? I can bring a sleeping bag. Really. Please PM or e-mail me with your price. In the mean time, I’ll keep looking for other solutions.

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My first impulse was to post something mildly taking the mickey by suggesting Lahiff’s campsite or the wilds of Spanish Point carpark t opitch a tent

I thought the better of it though.

Nothing in Ireland comes cheap, accomodation during the summer least of all.

Just some random thoughts on the rest of your project:

There’s two ways you can go about a project like this: 1. you take the money and go on the piss for six weeks and talk to a few people you meet at the local gig-session and write a report based on that or 2. you prepare yourself, get to know about Clare music if you’re going to be there, and make a bit of a plan about what pivotal musicians want to see and what to talk about with them. It’s probably wise to give a bit of notice and check if the people you want to see have time for you rather than to arrive on the doorstep, summer is a busy time and well, you won’t be the only summer visitor on a mission.

Nine or ten years ago for example I had a visit from a German girl who had managed to get a grant to do a paper on Irish music. In fact she was dumped on me by the woman of her B&B who was anxious to be rid of her. Anyway she had no clue about Irish music at all, really nothing at all although she said she was really into it and offered to sing the Star of the Co Down to her own guitar playing. She never read, or even heard of, the basic introductions like Breandan Breathnach’s Folk music and Dances or Tomas O Canainn book let alone having any awareness of the basics written about in these books.
That really was a waste of time. Avoid putting people in a situation like that.

Some years ago (and I think I mentioned this episode on the forums at the time) I was in town on a sunny afternoon, it must have been a friday around two, all the pensioners were in town doing their shopping. Anyhow, I ran into Kitty Hayes, had a chat and we were soon joined by piper Michael Falsey and singer Michael Haren, JC Talty was taking a bit of the sunshine leaning against a wall a bit further up the street and Jackie Daly drove by in his Nissan Micra hooting the horn and shouting something at us. Meanwhile right across the street three obviously English tourists were throwing their banjo Bodhran and accordeon in the boot of their car after a quick stroll around the pubs on the mainstreet, saying ‘let’s go to Doolin there’s obviously no music in this dump’ (yeah right, two O clock on the friday afternoon, what would you expect). I mean, there’s music there but you will have to know where to find it, it won’t come out to meet you on arrival and if you don’t know the local musicians you may pass them by without ever knowing they were there at all.

The way your question is phrased shows there’s a bit of a gap between your expectations and the realities of (rural) Ireland. You will need to prepare a bit more and if you don’t have wheels : expect to walk long distances, in soft drizzle most likely. So bring the wellies and the raincoat.

The Willie Clancy Summer school publishes a list of accomodation, usually around the end of march/april, look at their website for more information.

Oidreacht an Clar runs a few short courses around the time of the Willie Clancy week that may be useful to you look at www.oac.ie

More practical and more of a comhaltas affair is the Meitheal Summer School, this year july 16-20 but in Limerick www.tradweek.com

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Just wanted to say that the hostel in Ennis is really good, you’ll like it. I had an impromptu session there with a whistler and a melodeon player, quite fun.

Also, all the attics, root cellars and wood sheds in Miltown will be booked up LONG before Willie Week begins - so if you do find anything, book it now. You could ask Azalin for advice, he’s got a friend who runs a B&B a shortish walk out of town.

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Hey Beth, long time no see :slight_smile: John wasnt really a friend, but I used to stay at his B&B every year. Alas, I’ve learned of his death last summer. I don’t think his faimily took over the B&B… Sad news…

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Thanks, guys.

Mr. Laban, I promise I’m not some underprepared dude showing up looking for a time. If I’m not _over_prepared, I won’t get this grant. Hell, if I am overprepared, I might not get it. I have to show them that I’m going to produce something that’s worthy of being published. As an undergraduate who’s never done any fieldwork, that’s a big step, but I’m on the same starting ground as everyone else, I suppose. I appreciate your suggestion that I understand how Clare music works and make a plan well in advance and contact people I want to see. I’ve already, even though I’m only filling out proposals, started some of that. I’ve not made phone calls or anything, of course, because I could be turned down for money, but I’ll be doing that as soon as it’s approved.

I admit that I’m fairly ignorant of the “realities of (rural) Ireland,” as you put it. Saying it now, it seems obvious that there would be extended walking sessions to get places, and I don’t mind that. I will surely bring the wellies.

Another reason I’d like to bum a room off of someone is that it’s more in line with the academic precedent in anthropology. What I mean is, when you study the !Kung in the Kalahari, you don’t stay in a nearby hotel and go and visit them every day, so what makes me think I can stay in a Best Western (or what have you) and do a proper study? Participant observation is the name of the game, and that doesn’t stop when you sleep. But I’ll do what I have to, even if it does mean taking advantage of a local campsite. I’m not too proud for that. I’ve camped more than once in my life, and think I could do it again successfully.

Thanks again, guys.

6

I knew I was stating the obvious but on the other hand we also see quite a few people coming through every year to whom these things are not apparently that obvious.

There was also a tongue in cheek reference there: you won’t find woodsheds or rootcellars here. You also haven’t seen the state of the campsites (and their toilets if they have any) :wink:

Another understatement was about the distances, I can walk into town in 45 minutes but you’ll find musicians living much further out, you will probably need to get at least a bike and a map from the Ordnance survey rambler series to get anywhere effectively without depending on people driving you. You’ll find people’s addresses here only refer you to a general area, which makes them hard to locate.

Everybody will have to fend for themselves booking accomodation (been there done that). I’ll be happy to answer any direct questions if that’s any help. Just drop a PM.

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While less effective for more rural places (like Feakle, with only two services a week), get yourself a Bus Eireann bus timetable when you arrive. When I was there in 2003 they were sold at main bus stations for about 6 euro. It may help out a lot if you find yourself wanting to go longer distances, say from Ennis to Westport or something. Some buses even let you attach your bicycle to a rack at the front, though I don’t know how to determine this in advance.

When you start scheduling your visits, allow yourself a week or so at the beginning to get used to the area you’re in, how to get around, where to get food and do laundry…that way you won’t be feeling quite so frazzled and can get into the right mindset for the area you’re in. Things move slower than in the states, and events/problems seem to always work out but at their own pace.

By the way, I got to Feakle via a rideshare with a friend of mine who I had met in Miltown and happened to stumble across the next month at the bus station in Galway. He had arranged a lift from Ennis with a farmer that he was going to work for, so we travelled together. I got out of Feakle by joining a local bus service designed to help elderly and isolated people get to town. It was a fantastic trip, lol.

PS… You might like to look at this: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/6e7f9/d9/

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Things have changed since Beth was here though. You can get your info from the Buseirreann website and download the timetables as PDF here

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Even better!

Checking out the Student travel link on that site reminds me - before you go, get yourself an International Student Identity Card (ISIC). it doesn’t cost much. It’ll get you discounts on bus fares, apparently, and on some hostels.

Once you have one, you might be able to snag some discounted flight tickets at STA Travel.

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I looked into the bus system as a way to get from Ennis to Miltown Malbay, but I plan to keep my research really local (for the most part), so I won’t much be traveling farther out of town than a bicycle will carry me, I’d say. Not for research, anyway. Very good to have the bus schedule, though. I’ll have to sit down and come up with some things to do in my spare time while I’m there. Very easy to forget, when you’re punching out a proposal. :laughing:

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There’s good surfing in Spansih Point and Lahinch

or if you’re up for it you ca ncatch the Ail na Serracht wave below the Cliffs of Moher

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Sorry to butt in on something I know absolutely nothing about, but why do you need to go at the height of the tourist influx? Why not go in the off-season when things are calmer, prices lower, and the people you want to see more available? Going during Willie Week is like saying the only time you can possibly go to Miami is during Super Bowl, or to Hollywood during the Oscars. :boggle:

djm

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Well, it really is the only time I can go. I have school and stuff. And while I could do a study abroad thing during the school year, that would have to be on my own ticket. This is essentially free, covered by a grant.

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Oh man I’m so envious - I only wish there was a grant I could apply for here that sent me over. Hope all the planning goes smoothly for you!