So sad to say good-bye to Kerry and all my friends here. BUT – one last session at Prendeville’s with Jackie O’Connor, Terrence Quinn and PJ on bouzouki. The town was flying as they
sell their livestock right on main street.
Later that night Georgia and I are in Tig Coili’s on Shop Street, Galway City. Fun times with Liz Hanrahan and Kevin Whelan.
I did my flat out festival day today – 12 hours of sessions from 3pm to 3 am. #1 was with very good musicians Jackie Daly, Matt Cranitch, Paul De Grae and Connie O’Connell. The firs three of those had visited Newfoundland this July for the first annual Seamus Creagh festival. I had seen the pics on Facebook but wanted to make sure my fellow Canadians had taken good care of them.
Next 6pm session at the Crown with Donal Cullinane and Mike Roche. John McAulliffe bent my ear about Liz Carroll, Scottish Music, and the proper lattitude and longtitude om my city, Edmonton.
Next 10pm session at Kearney’s with Dennis O’Connor and Con Moynihan. That one was flying. Georgia left with some of the youn musicians for another session then at 1am told me she was at the River Island Hotel where the sessions go all night. I followed her there and met Tim Edey http://www.myspace.com/begleyandedey.He is a fabulous nylon string guitarist from England – hugely influeced by Stephen Cooney. More tunes and stagger home at 3 am.
I was sitting in the kitchen at the window at the farm when these 2 cheerful and energetic women appeared and started waving and smiling at me. I never saw the two of them before but i went to the door and it turns out they are daughters of my friend Kathleen Nolan, who died earlier this year at the age of 80. I would talk to Kathleen at pub sessions during the festival. she loved music and was very active and interested in many things. I guess she would mention me to the family “this friendly Canadian man and his daughter”. They didn’t know me but they tracked me down and brought me the funeral card from the mass – so sweet. I was very touched to be included in their thoughts. It was great craic around the table with Annie serving tea and a fresh loaf out of the oven. Teresa and Kate were talking a mile a minute about anything and everything. One anecdote: when someone was in a hurry their father would say “you’re a dirty fright, sit down and relax”. God Bless you Kathleen Nolan RIP.
Tuesday 25-October-2011. Kevin took me for a hike to the north side of the island. We were up there once before when I visited him in 2006. Absolutely beautiful scenery – small waterfalls, high cliffs, views of the mainland and Inishturk, a neighbouring island. Did I mention my camera is broken -grrrrrr. “Lens Error”.We had a good bit of sun for our hike.
After dinner we set up by the fire and played tunes until late. Then Kevin started making me CD’s of music i should have. One very interesting coincidence is we have a common friend in Canada: Papper. There is only one man I ever met named Papper so you either know him or you don’t. I met him on my first trip to PEI in 1980. Kevin met him in 2007 when he spent 5 monthes in Cape Breton attending CBU. Now Kevin owns a lovely fiddle made by Papper.
Monday 24-October-2011. Kevin is renovating his seaside cottage and typical of most irish, when I ask what I can do he repl
ies “Nothing, You’re grand.” I grabbed a broom and started cleaning rubble, then he gave me a pail and a screen to get the styrofoam bits out of the plaster and dust. We walked to town that night to make a session – Kevin had one visitor who asked to meet at the pub and his cousin Peader, a fine singer and DADGAD guitarist was about. The presidential debate was on the TV so we watched that til 11:30 pm then played music from midnight til 3:30 am. Very fun, I Love island life. Although it was a starry night this is a very rural place with a thin windy, hilly road. Was it ever dark – took a while for my eyes to become accustomed to the darkness. Basically i could see the wet tire tracks on the road.
After 4.5 hours sleep I got up and went to Mass in Renmore with the Fuller/Byrne family. Then off to Inishbofin off the Galway coast. It is about 1.5 hours through beautiful, scenic Connemara. Good thing it was scenic as I seemed to spend lots of time following a slow moving farmer hauling cattle. It is also a road where you will encounter sheep or horse riders. Got to the ferry with 10 minutes to spare. Parked on the pier under a “No Parking” sign. “You’ll be grand this time of year”. So now I am staying with my friend Kevin Abeyta, another fine fiddler. This island is absolutely beautiful. Lots of seaside, boats, old stone cottages, sheep, cattle, dogs. Kevin and I played tunes til 2am at the house by the fire.
We were celebrating Michael Flannagan’s birthday in Brosna today so I must make the 200 km trip back south. I stopped to see my friend Dave Harper in Tubber which is in the Burren close to Crusheen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burren
The Burren is a beautiful area of the country with unique vegetation. Harper bought himself a cottage recently and is using his building skills to make a beautiful home for himself and his partner Yuka.
Then back to Castleisland where I met up with Jackie O’Connor. He gave me a huge feed of cabbage and bacon then we warmed up on some of our new tunes. Terrence collected us at 9:30 and we drove to Brosna. It is fun for me to listen to the 2 lads chat about Kerry history, local characters and football. We arrived at Flannagan’s bar and the place was packed to the rafters with patrons there to wish Michael Flannagan a happy 93rd birthday which had occurred the previous day. So if I have this right he was born on October 20th, 1918. Michael was in fine form directing various patrons, including myself, to sing a song. The amount of food they put out was quite amazing; wee Irish sausages on toothpicks, sandwiches and birthday cake. It seemed I was meant to eat a plate of 20 sandwiches by myself. There was a lovely 10 year old box player, Patrick Moriarity, who gave us some great tunes. He place 3rd in the All Ireland this year. Jackie, Terrence and I played til near 1am then made our way home.
Still in Galway City. Went to a huge session on Forster Street run by Sean Flannagan on box. Lovely 200 year old pub. There were some Breton folks playing waltzes and singing in French – the one man had a version of a melodica (keyboard that you blow into) with a chromatic button accordion fingering. Michael Chan was there on fiddle as well. Also met a man named Jim Cotter who was trying to organize a festival in West Cork in honour of his ailing brother. He announced to the entire pub that all musicians who showed up would be given food and accommodation. “he must have an awfull big house” said someone. Also of interest was they were showing an NHL ice hockey match between the Philadelphia Flyers (boo- Chris Pronger) and the Washington Capitals ( Yay – Alexander Ovechkin)
Met up with V at Tig Neachtain’s and Corrina McGarrigle at Kelly’s and kept bumping into people I know. Returned to Rob’s at Renmore then back to town for 2 sessions. The first at Coili’s with Paul Bradley, fiddle and Declan Corey, mandolin. Then up to cook’s Corner for a lovely tune with Kevin Whelan banjo; Michael Chang fiddle; Greg guitar; Sean accordion; Gregorio fiddle and whistle; Lynn fiddle; and Patricia fiddle.
Another great night in Flannagan’s. Michael was in fine form and sang the house favourite “Red is the Rose”. Jigs, reels and hornpipes till the cows came home.
