I caught a nice quiet session in Cleary’s one afternoon with Padraig MacMathuna, Connie O’Connell and I think Joe Thoma on pipes and 2 fiddles - playing down in “C”. Nice sound, and lovely playing.
Enjoyed my time at Willie Clancy. Spent all 6 days in Dave Hegarty and Jim Wenham’s reed making class. Finbar Mac Loughlin was in great form and had a B set that he made ther. and it Sounded superb. All the boys stopped by (Gay, Jimmy, Mick, Ronan etc).
Jim Wenham, the co-reed making teacher is making a concert chanter from Cillian’s plans. Jim is a great reedmaker and his chanter sounded and performed lovely!!! Dead n in tune and easy to play.
Every sessiun (in town) that I was at offered zero space to sit and play. I reckon you’d have to get there quite early to get a seat. I did play at the Crosses and at Moroney’s, both being great sessuins; the former w/Gary Hastings and the later w/the Cotter family.
There was a nice house sessiun with Mickey Dunne (thanksto Mike Mullins) that was relaxed and wonderful! There’s much to say but you won’t catch me writing a Thomas-style novel about it!
Finally, Dave Hegarty is class!
Hope to be there again next year!
I’d like to hear a report on the class in uilleann pipes measurement, taught by Cillian Ó Bríain and Geoff Wooff. Did anyone here attend?
heard only good stuff about it!
We camped out in Doolin and drove into Miltown, Sunday through to Friday. We found a nice session each day in Miltown, sometimes two, afternoon & evening. Seems timing and patience are good allies. There is nearly always a lull between 5.30 pm and 7 pm when people leave an afternoon session in order to eat or because the tunes have dried up. A good time to pounce and secure a seat, or even start a new session, or just sit there and wait until a new shift of musicians wander in and a new session starts up. One evening we drove to Murphy’s at Liscannor where a big session started up, more musicians than public, and met up with Cocusflute who guided us to a nice pub, Killshanny House, where we played some tunes, just three flutes and two fiddles. Cocusflute had a very nice sounding cocus Olwell six-key and I believe Joe was playing on a blackwood Olwell? Thanks for that Cocusflute.
Did someone take over Quelly’s? Is it still open as a pub?
PD.
No, and no, AFAIK. The door was ajar one afternoon but apparently only to get some air…
Apparently Mrs Fahey had got a keg in for a few of her old friends from over the years, but none of us found out till we had left!!