We’ll see you soon Thomas.
I was just in town and was once more saddened, this time by the news of the death of dancer, storyteller, singer, raconteur and overall character Marty O’Malley. Death is not pulling any punches and they are coming hard and fast. Marty is seen below in a picture taken during a public interview conducted by Tom Munnelly two years ago.
The Willie week will start with a big funeral.
The weather was actually nice for an hour just now but most of the day it’s been pissing with rain and it’s not set to improve much before tuesday.
I was at a funeral this morning, after that the town was busy and wet and in full Willie swing: people setting up to sell things and people waiting for something to happen. I couldn’t be bothered and didn’t hang about.
I don’t think I would care to hang about during full Willie swing either.
Hehe I did that on purpose.
Just had a quick look at the opening and what new CDs instruments and all that stuff that’s going to be launched and unleashed. I usually find the first days of the invasion hard to cope with but it’s good to see familiar faces arriving again.
[edit to add]
Sunday is still wet so didn’t bother about going into town until after the annual CD/Book launch wine and cheese on cream crackers reception. Not a lot of music going and even less worth going inside for. Saw a couple of guys stuff a rental bike in the boot of a car, looked dodgy that.
There are noisy things outside in the street.
! That one’s worth a thousand words for sure! (cursewords, maybe?)
I’ll keep up a running comment of some things I see happening:
In the Hall Reg Hall did a talk on Irish music in London from the 50s to 70s:
And as the sun came out so did some street-players.
Who is the smiling deaf girl?
Mondaynight is the night of the fiddleconcert. A local archive is being set up, recording and documenting all concerts is part of that project (see also this thread about a double CD with recordings from last year which is meant to raise funds for the project). My son is actually working for the project this week, assisting with the recording and doing photographs, children:suddenly they’re 15 and doing that sort of things. As I have to drop him in and take him home again I had an excuse to go along and for the first time in years photograph the concert as well. Below a few faces, and a random selection at that, out of the many who were on (the battery of the camera went flat while I was checking the pics so I couldn’t upload any further).
Siobhan and Tommy Peoples:
Mick Coneelly:
Tony Linnane:
Aidan O Donnell:
Breandan McGlinchey:
Martin Hayes:
Lovely work, Peter. They’d all be fools not to bid for your pictures for their next album covers. That’s a fabulous shot of Tommy Peoples, right up there with the painting of him on the cover of The Quiet Glen. 
Beautiful work, Peter. Tell me, did Martin Hayes play his slow style or did he let loose?
Susan
this is lovely stuff.
Tell me, did Martin Hayes play his slow style or did he let loose?
He played with Mark Donnellan and they were in PJoe and Francie mode (their fathers) so it was pretty straight forward tune-playing.
Brilliant stuff Peter. Please keep it up… I wish I was there now
Pat.
OK Pat, I’ll do some more and throw in the Lunchtime pipers 
I forgot about the lunchtime recital yesterday to be honest. Cian Talty did the young piper thing on the Bflat Harrington.
Today’s Young Piper, and that rare example of the species: a happy looking one, Sheila:
Nollaig McCarthy, on a nice Kennedy Csharp:
Mick O Conor did a lovely tribute to Mick Tubridy in the afternoon, which, if anything, could maybe had more people playing than it did. Tuesdaynight is the night of the Flute and Whistle recital, a few of the many faces that were on tonight:
Tara Diamond:
Emer Mayock:
Sean Ryan:
Patsy Hanly:
June McCormack:
Geraldine Cotter:
Cathal McConnell, admitting that if you’ve seen it before, it wears a bit. He did it anyway:
There was a bit of decent enough music in town although nothing like it used to be. Seamus Bugler, PJ Howell and their crowd were in Hillery’s during the day as has become the habit over the past few years. After the flute concert there was a nice bit going in the back of the Central with John Kelly, Brid Donohue, PJ Howell, Rick Epping, Seamus Glackin, Sean Og Potts, Siobhan ni Chonorain, Ian Roome and others but as I considered to sit down the offspring told me he wanted to go home, which was fair enough he is working for the school and the archive and had a 14 hour day. Home it was.
Hi Peter
Great photos. 
Nice to see Shiela has got her new set. Did she play flute and whistle too?, she is a tasty flautist and whistle player as well.
David
Hya Peter thanks for the foties great stuff…Young Sheila Friel at the top is wan o my students.Its a Galloway set and she has had it a couple of years now I would think so buck up Davey and pay attention to the music and not the musician
Keep up the commentary Peter…and I think ye are quite right aboot pishy weather..Milltown is an ordeal at the best of times but the weather NEEDS to be fine otherwise misery…
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam
Sheila played lovely, nice detail in her playing. My own pet peeve, and that applies to most pipers is that I’d like to hear a bit more lift, rhythmic emphasis or whatever you call it (and I don’t mean the beats, she’s a lovely solid player).
It’s nice to see that NPU gives a spot to young players and that the lunchtime recitals have moved away from the usual suspects so that pipers who have been around long but weren’t much asked for the concerts get heard as well.
Yesterday was lovely and sunny, today, so far, is drizzly. As it usually is on piping day 
Hi Peter. Great to read your daily updates on the Willie Clancy week. I’m heading over tonight. Tell me, are they still running the piping recital in the same venue, where the dancing takes place? If so, I’ll probably see you there tomorrow.
Pity the weather’s not been too kind. This’ll be about my 20th visit, and the first time I haven’t been for the whole week. Not expecting great things in comparison to years past but you never know.
The photos are marvellous. The Aidan O Donnell one looks like Ciarán O Maonaigh to me but Tommy Peoples still looks like Tommy Peoples.
Maybe see you around.
Conan
The Aidan O Donnell one looks like Ciarán O Maonaigh
Oops, I have always seen the two of them together and for no specific reason always thought Ciaran was the big and curly one. I don’t know why. Hope this puts it right:
Piping is in the hall, I won’t say ‘where the dancing is’ as there seem to be dancing classes just about everywhere these days.
Nice photography! Has anyone ever told you you’re wasted on those pipes?