Session Sounds

Maurice O'Keeffe, fiddle player

2011-06-01T10:34:00.009Z

Recently, Christine and I were on our way back to Dingle from Cork when we decided to veer off the main road and drove through the lovely soft Sliabh Luachra country. Sliabh Luachra means rushy mountain. We went through Newmarket where Scully's Pub is located and where they have a great session every Monday night. We then headed for Killarney, but we came to a block in the road and a detour directing us through Kishkeam. We had not planned to go there and I thought it was odd that we were being directed to the very place where my paternal grandfather was born, where the old family farm still stands and where the Murphy family grave is. It was my birthday and thinking that this was some kind of sign, we decided to make a pause.

I enquired at the post office about an elderly musician, well known, and was pointed up the road. Stopping at the crest of the hill by a house marked by a metal fiddle on the wall, we knocked at the door and went inside. There was Maurice O’Keefe who is 92 years old and still playing fiddle and in the Sliabh Luachra style that I love. Christine was given a chair, I was to sit next to the master and we commenced playing while the ban an tí brought tea and biscuits. Christine joined in with her whistle. Maurice was delighted and said it was as though we had been playing together for years. The tunes were very rhythmical and melodious, mostly polkas and hornpipes. He maintained it was a new band. When I told how we came to be there because of the detour, Maurice pointed up and said, the man above had brought us. He also said he would keep playing until his last day, and anyone playing music could not but be happy.

I hope that I have been able to convey, to some extent at least, how special an occasion this was for us. Maurice has a music festival named after him and here is a link to a report in The Corkman newspaper about it.

Winter Sessions in Dingle

2010-12-05T21:44:00.004Z

After a busy summer, the traditional Irish music scene has wound down to just a few places offering regular sessions. An Droichead Beag (The Small Bridge) offers music all year round and so does John Benny Moriarty and O'Flaherty. Marina Inn continues too with its early Sunday session starting at 6pm and a Thursday evening sessions starting at 9:30 pm.

Very lively session today at Marina Inn lead by Con Durham on uilleann pipes and Tim O'Shea on guitar, and there were 16 musicians in all. In addition to the two mentioned, there were 5 fiddles, 2 flutes, 2 banjos, 2 penny whistles, 2 concertinas including myself and 1 mandolin.

Great Session!

2010-03-02T12:13:00.004Z

Great session at Marina Inn on Sunday. It was lead by Con Durham on pipes and Tommy O'Sullivan on guitar. We had 14 musicians which is very unusual at this time of year(4 fiddles, 3 flutes, uillean pipes, guitar, banjo, mandolin, bodhran, accordion and harmonica.) The music was first rate and the momentum was amazing.

Maura Begley Musical Evening

2009-08-11T14:40:00.009Z

On the other side of the mountain, over Conor Pass, there is a very special musical event every Monday night starting at 8pm. The hostess is Maura Begley who opens her 200 year old thatched cottage for a musical happening. Maura creates an atmosphere that is warm and friendly and encouraging for even the shyest person to participate and everyone is asked to play something, sing a song, tell a story or recite a poem.

Maura is a member of one of the leading traditional Irish music families in Ireland. A couple of her brothers are famous box players but Maura herself is up there with the best of them. She plays mostly piano accordion and harp but I have seen her play numerous other instruments. She also sings, mostly in Irish, with a lovely voice.

We have a young woman visiting us from Germany and we took her to Maura's last night so that she could get a glimpse of the kind of social event that once was common all over Ireland but now is very rare. Being the height of the tourist season, the place was packed. There were several families with children and the talent was amazing.

A couple of old timers from nearby Tralee kept us laughing all evening with stories about the old days and the exploits of some extraordinary local characters.

If you are visiting Dingle, it is well worth the half hour trip over the mountain for some great Irish hospitality and entertainment.
As an extra bonus, the scenery on the way is spectacular.

Dingle Traditional Irish Music Maura Begley

CD Launch at O'Flaherty's Pub

2009-07-29T19:14:00.010Z

On Monday night we had a great turn-out at O'Flaherty's Pub for the launch of Mazz O'Flaherty's new CD The Borrowed Angels. Many of Dingle's musicians were there to show their support and the event was hosted by Adi Roche with elegance and humour.

Mazz O'Flaherty

Mazz sang some songs from the new CD. In addition to composing, performing and painting, Mazz runs The Dingle Record Shop and the new CD will be available shortly from the shop website.

Ide Maire

Needless-to-say we did not miss the opportunity for a few tunes and there was lots of talent in the house. Éilís Kennedy sang The Factory Girl from her CD, Time to Sail. Mary Greene and Noel Shine sang a few songs of their own composition. Fergus O'Flaherty was on hand with his banjo and accordion to lead a session with lively jigs, reels and polkas.

Mazz, Adi & Éilís

I often feel that it is a great privilege for me to to be able to play in the sessions with the wonderful musicians in Dingle. I definitely had that experience on Monday night.

Dingle O'Flaherty's Pub

An Chonair Bar Session

2009-05-19T23:03:00.011Z

An Chonair Bar in Dingle has long been a venue for traditional Irish music. A new session has been added every Monday at 9 pm. The location is Spa Road on the way out of town towards Conor Pass.

The leading musician is piper Con Durham and he is usually joined by various musician friends. I attended the session last Monday and I must say it was fabulous. The atmosphere was warm and cosy with an open fire and the music was great.

We had Con on the pipes, two fiddles, guitar, banjo, penny whistle, harmonica and mandolin.

The customers were very engaged and there were several bursts of spontaneous dancing to the lively music.

Myself with Con

Scoil Cheoil an Earraigh

2009-02-23T21:04:00.017Z

Scoil Cheoil an Earraigh 2009 took place from February 18 to 22 in the village of Ballyferriter which is a few miles west of Dingle.

Musical offering on opening night

Scoil Cheoil an Earraigh is a Traditional Music School which concentrates on the style of music and song from the Dingle Peninsula gaeltacht of Corca Dhuibhne. 2009 was the fifth year for the school. The participants were all ages and many of them were young.

The following classes were offered:
Harp Deirdre Grainbhéal
Accordion Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich & Eoin Ó Beaglaoich
Bodhrán Colm Murphy
Banjo & Mandolin Des Kelliher
Uileann Pipes Cillian Ó Briain
Fiddle Úna Ní Chíosáin & Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh
Tin Whistle Bríd Donnelly
Flute Aoife Grainbhéal
Concertina Cormac Ó Beaglaoich & Mary McNamara
Bag Pipes Allan MacDonald
Mouth Organ Rick Epping
Sean-nós Dancing Róisín Ní Mhainín
Singing in the sean nós style Aine Uí Laoithe, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh

In addition master classes were given by Mary McNamara on concertina, Mary Bergin on tin whistle and Mick Mulcahy on box.

Rick Epping & his merry men
The Harmonica, Mouth Organ was a new addition this year and I was very happy to participate in the lessons. The teacher, Rick Epping is an American who has spent many years Ireland. He worked for Hohner for a number of years and it was he who designed the Hohner XB40 harmonica. The participants were all older men like myself. There is altogether very little interest in the harmonica in traditional Irish circles now-a-days. Rick Epping may well change that; everyone at the event was very impressed with his playing.

I was delighted that we did not spend all of our time learning tunes as is often done. Rather, Rick spent time explaining the instrument, demonstrating techniques and teaching us how to play in a better way. We learned how to bend notes and how to play an octave by blocking two holes with the tongue.

My daughter, Deirdre took part in the sean nós singing and she was delighted with it. It was all in Irish and it was in the old style(sean nós.)

There were concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings and there were lots of informal sessions that went on into the night. I joined the one at Hotel Óstán Cheann Sibéalhotel. It was lead by John FitzGerald on box with his wife Mary on keyboard and children Sean on fiddle, Kieran on concertina and Aine also on concertina. This is a very talented family from Kildare and I was delighted to spend the night with them. A number of other musicians also joined in as the night went on. This session as well as some of the others went on until the small hours of the morning.

Outdoor session on final day

Lively Session at Marina Inn

2009-01-15T21:41:00.004Z

You would expect things to be really quite now after a busy Christmas in Dingle, and we did start out our Sunday session with just three musicians and three customers. However by the end, we had twelve musicians and the premises was pretty full. The session was led, as usual, by uillean piper Con Durham and Eon Knightley came with his accordion. There were concertinas, harmonicas, fiddles, flutes, mandolin and voice. And the music was great.

A Bit of German Culture

2008-12-17T18:26:00.004Z

Friederich von Flotow

During the past two weeks Christine and I were in Leipzig to see our daughter and family. While there, we took in cultural events not available to us in West Kerry. Leipzig is a great musical town going all the way back to Johann Sebastian Bach who was Kapellmeister at the St. Thomas Church there. We attended the German opera Martha by Friedrich von Flotow (1812-1883) in nearby Dessau and a wonderful performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado at the Leipzig School of Music.

I have written about Thomas Moore in a previous post. The melody of his well-known song, The Last Rose of Summer, is the leitmotif of the opera Martha. Introduced in Act 2, the lovely and plaintive melody represents the young lovers’ longing. It seems that popular airs were often introduced informally to operas in the middle of the nineteenth century as show-pieces for the singers. In Martha the custom is perpetuated. There is a beautiful horn solo of the melody, very delicately played for this performance by our son-in-law, Paul Goodman. The song is sung twice, once by the female lead Lady Harriet Durham, soprano and then later by the male lead Lord Tristan Mickleford, tenor.

The Mikado was delightful and I must say that the translation into German worked very well. It was especially poignant for a place that was formerly behind the iron curtain to make a parody of the unbridled power of state officials. We were surprised to find that Sullivan who was of Irish/Italian decent did his musical training in Leipzig and spent several years there.

End of Season

2008-10-20T21:12:00.011Z

With just 10 days to go to winter months November, December and January, the number of visitors to Dingle has dropped off significantly since the busy summer season.

Most pubs are half empty even on weekends. The sessions generally are fewer and smaller at this time of year.

However Marina Inn has been bucking the trend with lots of musicians. Last week there were 15 people playing, including a group from France that calls themselves The Chums.

It was more like a céilí band than a session. The music was fantastic. This week there were 10-12 musicians. The prospect looks great for the dark winter months.

Chicago Musicians at Flaherty's

2008-08-19T21:17:00.007Z

A typical session has about half a dozen musicians. I was astonished therefore when I dropped into Flaherty’s Pub a few nights ago to find the place crawling with musicians.

In addition to locals Maidhc Dainín Ó Sé on box, Aoife Granville on fiddle, Deirdre Granville on harp, there were over thirty young musicians from Chicago. They travelled to

Ireland

to play at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Tullamore and were making a few stops on the way. It is my understanding that they were invited to make a stop in Dingle by Deirdre Granville.

The buzz in the place was amazing and the music was great. They were supposed to leave for Killarney at 10 pm but nobody wanted to leave so they persuaded the bus driver to stay an extra hour.

Willie Clancy Summer School

2008-07-16T16:16:00.004Z

Popular hangout for musicians

After several years of promising myself, I finally went with Christine to the annual Willie Clancy Summer School for traditional Irish music. It was held in the coastal town of Milltown Malbay in County Clare. It runs for a week, this year from 5 July to 13 July and the events go from morning to night.

Portable classrooms for lessons

The day began with a three-hour music classes for the various instruments, taught by the top musicians in the country. There were classes for whistle and flute, concertina, banjo, harmonica, button accordion, fiddle and harp.

musicians on the go

In the afternoon there were lectures and demonstrations and in the evening, a recital with a focus on a different instrument each evening. There are also singing and dancing lessons with an emphasis on the lovely Sean Nós or old style.

A group of English musicians

There were informal sessions going all day and night in pubs, in restaurants, on the street corner, anywhere and everywhere. It was amazing to stroll through the town and hear music coming from all sides.

Sessions at Milltown Malbay Restaurant

There were five or six different concertina classes and I joined one taught by Hugh Healy. Hugh is an excellent concertina player and a very good teacher too. The class consisted mostly of school age children with a few adults. I learned a few good tunes and some useful techniques.

I had to make do with a Kodac throw-away camera because the battery on my digital camera was flat.

Hugh Healy has a great CD on which he plays concertina together with his brother Colm on box. You can listen to it here.

Bank Holiday Session

2008-06-02T14:18:00.010Z

Finbarr, Lucinda, Con and Matt

June bank holiday weekend is always a lively time in Dingle and with the great weather we have been having there are lots of people in town. On such occasions it is not unusual to have visiting musicians drop in to the sessions.

At our regular weekly session with Con Durham and Tommy O’Sullivan at Marina Inn last night we were joined by the well-known fiddle player Matt Cranitch. He has a wonderful Sliabh Luachra style and he gave our session a great lift. Matt is the author of The Irish Fiddle Book, one of the most comprehensive instructional texts available to students of the fiddle. He is a member of the group Sliabh Notes together with Tommy O’Sullivan and Donal Murphy.

The Sliabh Luachra style of playing Irish music comes from a loosely defined area in North West Cork, North East of Kerry and the Southern tip of Limerick. It is a very lively style and the music includes lots of polkas and slides. I grew up with this kind of music in our house since my grandfather was a fiddle player from that area.

Kieran Jordan

We were also joined by Boston Irish dancer Kieran Jordan. Kieran is very much a woman by the way and not a man as you would expect from the name. She has a lovely Sean Nós style of dancing. She danced a jig to the great enjoyment of the audience and then was asked to dance again. To everyone’s delight she hopped up on a table and let fly with a reel. Read more about Kieran and see clips of her dancing on her website.

Technorati Tags
Dingle Traditional Irish Music Sliabh Luachra

Classical Music in Dingle

2008-05-24T15:39:00.008Z

It is interesting to note that although Dingle is blessed with so many talented musicians, there are few possibilities to hear classical music here. Recently, we were contacted by our friend Johannes Moora offering to bring a concert to Dingle. The program consisted of Schumann and Mendelssohn songs with piano accompaniment and some short solo pieces for piano.

We found a very suitable venue in Emlagh House that has a beautiful upright piano. Emlaigh, a luxury country house, won the AA Guest Accommodation of the Year 2005.

The singer was soprano Iris Pedroli and was outstanding. She has a beautiful clear voice with a lovely texture. The pianist, Renate Poncette was also first rate. Johannes Moora interspersed the program with interesting extracts of diaries and letters of Robert Schumann.

Here is a copy of the program:

Clck on Program for a clearer image!

Féile na Bealtaine Dingle Peninsula

2008-04-24T19:37:00.003Z

Aigedlige Fife and Drums

A number of people have visited my blog looking for information on this year’s Féile na Bealtaine. I was waiting for the printed program to appear. However, it is now just a week away and it is still not available so I thought I had better post some information. The following information was taken from this week's Kerryman.

The event will take place this year from April 30 to May 5^th. There is a good website Féile na Bealtaine 2008 showing the wide range of events that will be available.

Festival Highlights

Cathy Davey: Best Irish female winner at the Irish Meteor Awards

Citizen Havel: Irish Film premiere of the movie on the life of Vaclav Havel, former president of Czech Republic

The Mystery of Life on Earth: A lecture by Alex Antar on climate change.

Kila: Irish Folk Music/World Music group

Political Symposium: Does Irish aid help Lesotho? With Irish Ambassador to Lesotho, Mr. Paddy Fay

Aigedlige Clique: Our good friends from the Basel, Switzerland marching band will be back with us again this year.

Technorati Tags
Dingle Féile na Bealtaine

French Musicians at O'Flaherty's Pub

2008-04-18T21:11:00.004Z

We took visitors from Stuttgart out on Wednesday night to the session at Flaherty’s Pub. You never know who is going to show for a session and that is just what makes it so special.

This was a fabulous session with hosts Fergus and Mazz O’Flaherty and visitors from

France

brought in by our resident French bodhran player, Eric Marini.

There was Alexis Guterrez on violin, Evelyne on bouzouki and the Petat family playing box and concertina. They had no trouble joining in many Irish tunes and there were some lovely contributions of traditional French music. Check out their Dissidanses page on MySpace.

Stuttgart Eurythmeum in Dingle

2008-04-18T15:59:00.011Z

This week we had a visit from the Stuttgart Eurythmeum with a performance of the Grimm fairytale “The King of the Golden Mountain.” See blog post at Anthroposophy Ireland.

Quiet Town-Lively Music

2008-02-10T23:00:00.003Z

It is the quietest time of the year in Dingle with very few tourists and many of the locals away in search of the sun. But there was nothing quiet about the session at the Marina Inn in Dingle this evening. It was lead by Con Durham on Uilleann pipes with Tony Small on guitar. In addition there were three fiddles, a penny whistle, a flute and myself, mostly on harmonica but occasionally on concertina or bones.

Con is a regular at Marina and I’ve written about him before. Tony Small, originally from Galway has been playing regularly in Dingle for the last couple of years but this was the first time that I bumped into him. He is a good musician and I enjoyed playing with him. His accompaniment to the uillean pipes was excellent and in addition he sang several interesting ballads with a strong clear voice.

I

Christmas Shepherds' Play

2007-12-28T13:28:00.000Z

The Camphill Community in Dingle put on the Christmas Shepherd’s Play for the second time this year. This is a musical play with 18 songs and I was asked to do the music. I invited some session friends, Gordon and Rose Saunders to play with me. We are used to playing Irish music in the key of “G” or “D.” These songs are mostly in “F” “Bb” and one in “Eb” which was a bit challenging but with a little practice, we got the hang of it.

A.C.Harwood who translated the plays into English gives a background in his preface. The Shepherds’ Play is one of three plays that were found sometime around 1845 by Karl Julius Schroer on the little island of Oberufer on the Danube River near Pressburg in Austria. Schroer was one of Rudolf Steiner’s teachers. Sometime in the sixteenth or early seventeenth century a group of German people moved there from Lake Constance and brought with them the cycle of religious plays which they had received from their ancestors. The peasants of Oberufer had preserved the plays, both the text and the tradition of acting, unaltered down through the generations.

Through Steiner, the plays were brought to the Waldorf Schools and it has become a tradition that the teachers put on the plays at Christmas time as a gift to their students. Camphill follows the same tradition.

Camphill
Dingle

Christmas Swim in Dingle

2007-12-25T21:19:00.000Z

There is a tradition here for people to take a swim in Dingle Bay on Christmas Day to raise funds for the care of the coast. Usually forty to fifty brave souls show up with an equal number looking on. Here is a short video of this year's event.

Dingle Festivals
Christmas Swim

John Benny's Pub Session

2007-11-17T12:32:00.000Z

John Benny Moriarty's Pub, generally referred to as John Benny’s, is located on Strand Street in Dingle. They serve food all day and have self catering accommodation. It is one of the primary locations for traditional Irish music in town.

John Benny, a very good West Kerry style box player, frequently leads the session himself. And, if you are in Dingle on a Wednesday night, don’t miss his wife Eilis Kennedy. She plays whistle and timber flute and she has a beautiful voice with a texture that is unique. Eilis has her own website with biographical information, performance schedules and you can listen to selections from her CD’s.

Seán Briggs & Cillian O'Briain

There is a session every night during the season and on weekends and some evenings during the off-season. John Benny's also offers an opportunity to experience Irish set dancing every Monday night. All sessions begin at 9:30 pm.

Pub Session Dingle

Paudie's Bar Session #2

2007-09-28T20:44:00.000Z

Aina, Eoin and myself
Last night I dropped into Paudie’s to find Eoin Knightly on box, Aina Davis on fiddle and Michael Smurthwaite on guitar in a session and the place was hopping. These guys have a vibrancy that is contagious. Often, they were unable to retain their seats and were up and dancing while playing.

Michael Smurthwaite
The audience was largely American and loved every minute of it. I played along with my harmonicas and with the bones. There was a great interest in the bones and several people wanted to examine them and try them out.

Box and Fiddle

We concluded the night by taking the music around the room with everybody joining in the singing.

Bones Dingle Pub Session

Paudie’s Bar Session

2007-08-01T11:11:00.000Z

Dingle Bay Hotel

A very friendly and social session can be found at Paudie’s bar in Dingle. There is traditional music most nights during the season and occasionally there is an Elvis evening. Paudie’s Bar is located within the Dingle Bay Hotel on Strand Street.

Rose, Gordon & Tomás

I particularly like Tuesdays and Fridays with Tomás Flahive, Gordon and Rose Saunders. This little group creates a warm, friendly and inclusive session. Tomás is a local box player with a very lyrical style. Gordon plays guitar and banjo and is the singer of the group. This session does have more singing than most others. Rose plays an assortment of instruments.

On Mondays and Thursdays there is a very lively session with Aina Davis, Eoin Knightly and Rob Lowther. The musicians themselves are half dancing as they play.

Eoin Duignan, uilleann piper, usually plays on Sundays. Eoin also runs the concerts at St. James’ Church.

Sessions usually begin at 9:30 pm.

Dingle Music Sessions Pub Sessions

Folk Concert at St. James' Church

2007-05-17T15:53:00.000Z

At St. James’ Church, Main Street, Dingle, in a quiet setting with good acoustics, you can hear many musicians that play in the pub sessions. Performances are every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Tickets at the door cost €15. Due to limited seating it is recommended to get advance tickets which are also less expensive from the Tourist Office, music shops in town or at Murphys Ice Cream.

The event is put on by Eoin Duignan, uilleann piper, low whistle player and composer. Eoin usually takes to the stage at some point in the evening himself. Eoin was a member of the well-known traditional Irish music group The Wild Geese that toured Europe throughout the 1970’s. He has been living in Dingle for the past 20 years. For more information on Eoin and his recorded music go to his website. You can listen to Eoin playing at St. James' and view some great Dingle scenery at this You Tube link.

At St. James’s you will have an opportunity to hear some of the best traditional Irish musicians in the locality. Also, Eoin attracts talented musicians from other parts of the country. The presentations are intimate and the standard is very high.

St. James’ Church is a small and simple structure built in the year 1807. It is said that the original church on the same site was built by the Spanish. After the reformation it was taken over by Church of Ireland. As mentioned in my previous blog entry, Dingle has a long historical connection with Spain and with Santiago de Compostella and was one of the starting points for pilgrims.

Dingle Eoin Duignan St. James' Church

Féile na Bealtaine (Beltane Festival)

2007-05-01T14:24:00.000Z

The Celtic year starts with Samhain at the beginning of November followed by Imbolc in February, Beltane in May and Lughnasadh in August. These are the main Celtic festivals and they fall half way between the more usual festivals celebrated in March, June, September and December. In Ireland, spring begins with Imbolc, summer begins with Beltane, Autumn with Lughnasadh and winter with Samhain. We celebrate festivals at all of these times here.

The Beltane Festival in Dingle/An Daingean goes on for a whole week with art exhibits, book launchings, poetry and of course music. There is a theme each year and this year it is the relationship between Dingle and Santiageo de Compostela. Dingle was one of the main starting points for pilgrims going to Compostela going back to the 16^th century. It is with great pleasure that the connection is being re-established this year with the sailing of the Tall Ship Jeanie Johnston on May 1^st. with 29 pilgrims plus crew.

The Jeanie Johnston is a replica of a well-known famine ship. Check out the link for a full description of the ship and its history. It is hoped that this trip will not be just a one-time affair but rather that the tradition of Dingle as a starting point for the pilgrimage will be re-established.

The Spanish Ambassador to Ireland, His Excellency Senor Jose de Carvajal Salido was present to cut the ribbon for a plaque commemorating the long tradition between Dingle and Santiago de Compostela.
Music for the opening event was provided by the Dingle Marching Band and by Mark Crickard and Maurice Mc Kenna.
There is an extensive program of events for the week including performers such as Aslan, Mary Black, David KittJodavino, Rojda & Her Band, Moya Brennan and many others.

Technorati tags: Santiago de Compostela Beltane Jeanie Johnston Dingle

An Droichead Beag Session

2007-03-22T21:00:00.000Z

An Droichead Beag (The Little Bridge) is the only pub in Dingle offering music seven nights a week all year around. Many the town’s talented traditional Irish musicians can be heard here including John Brown, Bréanainn and Séamus Ó Beaglaoich, Eoin Duignan, Aoife Granville, Michael Herlihy, Jon Saunders and Tommy Sullivan.

You can be assured of a good session any night at Droichead Beag. It is one of the larger establishments in town with several rooms

The Tuesday night session is more relaxed than the busy weekend with a warm and friendly atmosphere. It is lead by Michael Herlihy on box with John Brown on guitar. Michael is a lively West Kerry style box player who owns and operates the music shop, Siopa Ceol an Daingin, on Main Street just up the street from An Droichead Beag. John is well-know for his singing and guitar playing in and around Dingle.

There is a CD available called The Mighty Session that features some of Ireland's leading musicians that have played at An Droichead Beag over time.

Also Aoife Granville who plays violin and flute there on Mondays and Saturdays has a new CD out called Sráid Eoin Shuffle. CD is available from the local music shops or by mail order from Mulligan in Galway.

As with most sessions in Dingle, the music gets started at about 9:30 pm.

Dingle, Traditional Irish Music, Music Sessions

Marina Inn Session

2007-03-04T23:12:00.000Z

The Marina Inn is unique for its early session on Sunday, starting at about 6 pm. Family visitors will appreciate the early session since children and even teenagers under 18 are not allowed in pubs after 9 pm (10 pm in the summer); all of the other sessions in town begin at 9:30 pm or later.

Marina Inn is located on Strand Street in Dingle /An Daingean opposite the Tourist Office. The establishment is frequented by locals and tourists and it is also a favorite hang-out for the fishermen that come into the Dingle Harbor to process and unload their catch. It is not unusual to hear Spanish or Portuguese spoken at the bar. Food is served up to 9 pm in the summer and earlier off season. The specialty is, of course, locally caught fish.

The Sunday session is regarded as one of the best in town and is one of my favorites. It is lead by champion piper Con Durham with Tommy O'Sullivan, guitar player and singer. Tommy who is referred to as "One of the great contemporary folk voices of Ireland" has a wonderful new album called Song Ablaze. Other regulars are Lucinda Cook on uilleann pipes, Phillip Crickard and Mark Crickard both on fiddle.

Last Sunday we had a great session with 2 uilleann pipers, 3 fiddles, 1 mandolin, 1 guitar, and me on harmonica. Claire Horgan joined us to sing a few songs in Irish and it was beautifully done in the old style.

Marina Inn is also home to the Quay Wren, a penny whistle and Drum band, one of the main groups that make up the Wren Day festivities on St. Stephen Day, December 26^th. This group is also guided by Con Durham, who plays the whistle on that day.

In the summertime there is a session most nights but only the Sunday one is early.

Dingle/An Daingean, Music Sessions, Irish Music

O'Flaherty's Pub Session

2007-01-06T20:35:00.000Z

O’Flaherty’s Pub is located on Bridge Street in Dingle/An Daingean and generally has one of the best traditional Irish music sessions in town. A lively session can be enjoyed there any evening in the summer and on week-ends in the off-season. Visiting musicians are welcome.

The pub is owned and operated by Fergus O’Flaherty who leads the session playing both box (button accordion) and banjo. I have on occasion heard him play tin whistle,
low whistle, mandola, guitar and fiddle.

Here is a recent session with myself on the left with Fergus centre and Tommy Lynch on the box. Fergus' sister Mazz, who runs the local music shop, drops in sometimes to sing a few songs. Other regulars at O’Flaherty’s are Maidhc Dainín Ó Sé on box, Mark Crickard on fiddle, Gus Cero on guitar, Eric Marini on bodhrán and Cillian O’ Briain on uilleann pipes with his wife Bríd on Irish timber flute. Cillian is also a well known uilleann pipe maker.

Fergus also heads up the Green and Gold Wren, playing the fife himself. The band plays and marches through the town on Wren Day, December 26th. This group also makes up a substantial part of the Dingle/An Daingean fife and drum band that plays for various events during the year.

Started in 1846, the pub still has the original flagstones on the floor brought in from Valentia Island. The walls are covered by old posters and photographs depicting the history of Ireland starting in the 18th century with the Gratton Parliament and ending with a facsimile of the Belfast agreement. Flaherty’s is also a GAA hub and this is reflected by the many photos of the teams and personalities of the local GAA clubs.

Music Sessions Traditional Irish Music Dingle/An Daingean Uilleann pipes

Book Launch at Kruger's Pub

2006-12-22T01:03:00.000Z

Last Sunday there was a celebration for the posthumous launch of the biographical book Are you Going Home Now? by Michael Delaney (Mícheál Ó Dubhshláine.) The event took place at Kruger’s Pub in Dún Chaoin which is said to be the most westerly pub in Ireland. Michael was, until his recent retirement, the principal of Scoil Náisiúnta Naomh Gobnait, Dún Chaoin and was once at the centre of a local controversy that became a national issue. It was even featured as cover story for National Geographic at the time. Michael began teaching at the school in an unofficial capacity after the government of the day closed the school in 1970 and local people funded his salary. For more information on Michael go to Gaelport.

One thing I have to say for the people of West Kerry is that they really know how to celebrate- how to make an occasion special. There was a great turn-out for the book launch with poets, singers and musicians aplenty. We even had some songs in the old style (sean nós.)

There is in any case a great session every Sunday evening at Kruger’s with box player Aine Ui Laoithe, whistle and bohran player Eilín Chéarna and fiddler Feargal Mac Amhlaoibh. Although the standard is very high, it is an open session with a welcome to visiting musicians. Aine and Eilín have a very good CD of music and songs of the Blasket Islands called Mná an Oilean.

I will give a source for the book Are You Going Home Now? as soon as distribution is worked out.

Irish Music Sessions

Finbarr's Folly

2006-12-18T23:58:00.000Z

Here is a poem that I wrote about our cat. It describes actual events of our first weeks together. The illustrations were done by Christine.

Finbarr’s Folly

't was on a stormy winter night
The rain was pouring down
As I went out into the dark
And walked around the town

I heard a little kitten cry
Her pain it touched my soul
I peered into the darkness
The wretch was in a hole

With all the dirt and oily black
She scarce looked like a cat
With slimy hair and skinny tail
She looked more like a rat

I bundled her inside my coat
And headed for the house
What was I to tell my wife
That I had found a mouse?

How could you bring that creature home?
Was how she greeted me
How could I leave it lying there?
Was plain enough to see

The kitten was a sorry sight
She really was so ill
We took her to the vet in town
And had to pay the bill

Her skin was plagued with ringworm
And mites were in her ears
Her fur was full of fleas
And her eyes were wet with tears

My wife, she caught the ringworm
It spread all over her skin
And I, I felt so guilty
Having brought the nuisance in.

Cat was banished to the balcony
Looking out upon the bay
And I made for her a little house
With a cozy bed of hay

Now she looks so pretty
With fur that’s soft and white
The children like to play with her
And she brings us all delight

We call her Finbarr's Folly
My wife came up with that
And, thinking it all over now
I'd still bring home the cat

Harmonica and Traditional Irish Music

2006-12-18T20:42:00.000Z

The harmonica is the world’s best-selling musical instrument. It is inexpensive, easy to carry around and it is suitable for many different kinds of music, from blues to rock to folk and even classical music.

Back in Cork in the 40’s and 50’s, whenever people got together for a social event it was inevitable that there would be singing and music. Often somebody would pull a harmonica out of his pocket and sometimes that person was me.

There was lots of music in our house since I grew up in a family of fiddle players. There was my grandfather who would have played with a Slíbh Luchra style being from Kishkeam which is in the North-west corner of County Cork. He would hold the fiddle very low on his chest and played with a great lilt and was very strict about rhythm. He often told me how he learned from his father. My father played too and my older brother played very well. The tradition is being carried on by my son Kieran who can be heard now and then in the sessions in Dingle. That makes five generations.

To participate in a session you need to have at least two diatonic harmonicas, a ‘G’ and a low ‘D’. I tried using a chromatic harmonica and found it difficult since there are too many draw notes for the above mentioned keys and I got out of breath. There is one problem to be overcome with the ‘G’ if you have the standard 10 hole model and that is-there is no low ’E’. You can however modify it. For instructions on how to make the modification go to the website of Steve Shaw and click on “Tuning-A Big Issue”. Steve does a great job of explaining all you things you need to know harmonicas for session playing so I will leave that to him.

I go out to play in the sessions in Dingle a couple of times a week. When I first started, four years ago, I destroyed a harmonica every two to three weeks. That was when I consulted Steve Shaw who pointed out that a harmonica has to be blown softly. He recommended using an amplifier. From then on I had no further trouble with the destruction of the instruments. However, amplifiers are not always welcome at the sessions. They had to put up with me until I discovered a new type of harmonica developed by Hohner USA called the XB-40. Pat Missin has a good review on the product.

XB-40 was made especially for musicians that wanted to bend the notes. It is, however, also much louder than other harmonicas. For the past six months or so I have been able to manage without the amplifier and without destroying the instruments. XB-40 is available in several keys including the essential ones for Irish music namely, 'G' and 'lowD'. The cost is about $80 in the US and about £48 by mail order from England. I frequently use Harmonicas Direct in the UK ; they have good service and reasonable prices.

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Thomas Moore

2006-12-18T20:38:00.000Z

You don’t hear the songs of Thomas Moore much anymore. I have been surprised when I played his tunes at the pub sessions that many people had never even heard them. So, I have been doing my bit to revive Mr. Moore. I try to play at least one such tune at a session with the result that one local musician now calls me Thomas Moore.

Thomas Moore was born in Dublin on the 28th of May 1780.
Goethe considered him to be one of the best poets of that time. Moore made a very good living from his writing.

According to the Norton Anthology for English Literature: Thomas Moore has a permanent place in literary history as the friend and biographer of Byron and as the preeminent "Irish melodist" He was a best-selling author for most of his career, rivaling and sometimes outdistancing Byron.

He wrote a long romantic Oriental poem called Lalla Rookh in 1817 for which he was paid £3000. This was the largest sum ever offered for a single poem up to that time. It was a good investment for the publisher, selling out more than twenty editions during the author's lifetime.

It seems that Moore was concerned that many of the old tunes were being lost and making them into songs kept them going and made them available to everyone.

I particularly like the song Avenging and Bright that was written in the early 1800’s and the words were put to an old Irish air Crooghan A Venee. On the surface, the song is about Deirdre and the sons of Usna and how they were betrayed by Conor Mac Nessa King of Ulster. The song expresses anger with the king . However it really expresses Moore’s anger with the then King of England, George lV for not supporting catholic emancipation.

Avenging and Bright

Avenging and bright fall the swift sword of Erin
On him who the brave sons of Usna betrayed;
For ev'ry fond eye he hath wakened a tear in,
A drop from his heart wounds shall weep o'er her blade.

By the red cloud that hung over Conor's dark dwelling,
When Ulad's three champions lay sleeping in gore-
By the billows of war, which so often, high swelling,
Have wafted these heroes to victory's shore.

We swear to avenge them! No joy shall be tasted,
The harp shall be silent, the maiden unwed;
Our halls shall be mute, and our fields shall lie wasted
Till vengeance is wreak'd on the murderer's head.

Yes, monarch! tho' sweet are our home recollections,
Though sweet are the tears that from tenderness fall;
Though sweet are our friendships, our hopes, our affections,
Revenge on a tyrant is sweetest of all!

The musical notes can be found at
Folk Info.org

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Rhythm Bones

2006-12-18T20:34:00.000Z

Rhythm Bones – percussion instrument used in traditional Irish music.
According to Rhythm Bones Society, the percussion use of bones has been traced back to 3000 BC. They have some very interesting information on their web site—history, types, uses, current artists and where to buy.
Bones can easily be made from the rib bones of cow or sheep, they can also be made of various kinds of wood or even synthetic materials. My bones are from the cow purchased from the local butcher and I got several so that I could later choose the best ones. I asked for bones that were not too curved. I boiled them until the meat was completely peeled off, allowed them to dry for several weeks and then cut to about 6 inches length. Sandpaper was used to obtain a smooth finish and then they were oiled. It takes about a year before they really dry and season to make the best sound.
Bones should not be over-used in a session then they really pick up the mood. When I do play the bones the cameras often start to flash. They are very popular with tourists.
Tutorials
Dublin born performer, composer and academic Mel Mercier received his first bodhrán and bones lessons from his father, Peadar Mercier, a member of The Chieftains until 1976. He has an instruction video. Check the internet--most of the vendors seem to be in the US.
Also Tommy Hayes from the well-known musical family in Clare has an instructional DVD Bodhran, Bones & Spoons.

Technorati Tags: Traditional Irish Music Rhythm Bones

Learning Traditional Irish Music

2006-12-18T20:20:00.000Z

I have often been told that I should learn traditional Irish music by ear rather than from notes. But, I have only been able to do this with the slow airs; the dance music is just too fast. I have endless CD’s but I can never play along with them. Then a friend told me that you can get software to slow music down and a brief search lead me to Amazing Slow Downer. Just pop a CD into your computer, boot up the program and you’re away. You can slow down a tune to the point where you can play along and then speed up as you get the hang of it. The pitch does not change! You can however also change the pitch, if you want to, even to the point of changing the key. This is very handy for tunes that come in awkward keys.There are other programs out there for the same purpose but I am not familiar with them. Amazing Slow Down is highly recommended by existing users.Thank you Pat for the tip.

Mighty session last Sunday

2006-12-18T19:57:00.000Z

A try-out before venturing out to the pub sessions. I am not convinced though that I had the full attention of my audience. Dingle is a very lively place for traditional Irish music and the Marina Inn was hopping last Sunday. We had a great box player, five fiddles, two guitars and myself on harmonica and concertina. If you are in the neighborhood, check it out every Sunday starting at 6 pm.