A grá for a fleadh

Slideways

Wistful thoughts of home today lads.

Was listening to the wireless in Perth WA today and caught the tail end of a segment on AM radio and they were playing Cooleys Reel. Jaysus lads, got a purel longing for the auld sod and a Fleadh.

Was home in Sligo for the All Ireland Fleadh in 2015 and it was an epic show.

Has Ireland moved on now, is it only the flat capped farmers that frequent these or do the mixed denizens of After Hours still enjoy a jig and a reel?

biko

I do love a fleadh and go to Clancy festival every year

Woke Hogan

Slideways wrote: »

Wistful thoughts of home today lads.

Was listening to the wireless in Perth WA today and caught the tail end of a segment on AM radio and they were playing Cooleys Reel. Jaysus lads, got a purel longing for the auld sod and a Fleadh.

Was home in Sligo for the All Ireland Fleadh in 2015 and it was an epic show.

Has Ireland moved on now, is it only the flat capped farmers that frequent these or do the mixed denizens of After Hours still enjoy a jig and a reel?

Ireland hasn't moved on in the four years you were last at the Fleadh, no.

kneemos

Would they not upgrade to MW?

Soft day más é to thoil é you son of Éire and we the poor people Ireland on the auld sod with not two praties to rub together Soft Day

JohnnyFlash

I absolutely love the Fleadh. I’d go so far as to say it’s the highlight of my year if Galway aren’t winning a senior All Ireland. Playing music, drinking heaps of porter, ridin’ randy women - what’s not to like.

Yesterday got off to a perfect start. Cracked into the pints good and early, and was almost comatose with drink by the time we got on stage. Played a top class set in fairness, and spotted a couple of gamey looking birds giving me the lusty eye. Sobered up after a feed of carvery, and headed to see a few more acts. Bumped into one of the women I saw giving me the old ‘bulge assessment’ earlier on and got chatting to her. Three hours later and we were back in my hotel room doing some serious ‘jigs and reels’ of our own. Plenty of pipe played, which I’m always a fan of. Played the old ‘one button accordion’ myself. Just an excellent day - the trad music is great for getting the horn up.

biko

Stay classy Johnny

topper75

Yes this culture is going strong. I am Clare-based listener but not a player. I don't really wander much. But there were two good years of it in Ennis lately. I believe the Drogheda one was good being placed between two large urban centres. I hit Willie C fest most years. 2019 was good on the last Sat. Always good and authentic. You can meet a lot of great people from not just all over Ireland but all over the world who have fallen under the spell of this style.

It is a music form to get you going alright - myself, if I were brave enough to box in the ring, I would come to this:

:pac:

JohnnyFlash

topper75 wrote: »

Yes this culture is going strong. I am Clare-based listener but not a player. I don't really wander much. But there were two good years of it in Ennis lately. I believe the Drogheda one was good being placed between two large urban centres. I hit Willie C fest most years. 2019 was good on the last Sat. Always good and authentic. You can meet a lot of great people from not just all over Ireland but all over the world who have fallen under the spell of this style.

It is a music form to get you going alright - myself, if I were brave enough to box in the ring, I would come to this:

:pac:

I do think Ennis was a better host town than Drogheda.

BarryD2

Slideways wrote: »

Wistful thoughts of home today lads.

Was listening to the wireless in Perth WA today and caught the tail end of a segment on AM radio and they were playing Cooleys Reel. Jaysus lads, got a purel longing for the auld sod and a Fleadh.

Would there not be a few tunes to be found out in Perth? If you look around, there might well be a regular session going there somewhere.

EmmetSpiceland

Been to the fleadh in Sligo, Tullamore and Ennis. It has its “charms” alright but it’s not Cork Jazz Festival.

You get less of the musical “Ailtirí na hAiséirghe” types if you stay away from the main events and stick to the smaller pubs and venues.

Jazz has its **** but the self appointed “guardians” of Irish music, and culture, are insufferable.

JohnnyFlash

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Been to the fleadh in Sligo, Tullamore and Ennis. It has its “charms” alright but it’s not Cork Jazz Festival.

You get less of the musical “Ailtirí na hAiséirghe” types if you stay away from the main events and stick to the smaller pubs and venues.

Jazz has its **** but the self appointed “guardians” of Irish music, and culture, are insufferable.

Know the sort, Emmet. Avoid like the plague. They’ve a special look - think Liam Ó Maonlaí from the Hothouse Flowers, cord trousers, tweed jackets, those small glasses that they peer through.

EmmetSpiceland

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Know the sort, Emmet. Avoid like the plague. They’ve a special look - think Liam Ó Maonlaí from the Hothouse Flowers, cord trousers, tweed jackets, those small glasses that they peer through.

Ah yes, paired up with a skinny, quiet guy with short hair, shaved face, and a horrible, wiry, green jumper. Never cracking a smile.

Fair whack of them always seem to be “teachers” too. Used to telling others what to do, I guess. Not so easy when it’s not kids they’re dealing with though. Sanctimonious tosspots.

Slideways

BarryD2 wrote: »

Would there not be a few tunes to be found out in Perth? If you look around, there might well be a regular session going there somewhere.

Indeed I did go to a few sessions here. There’s one prominent musician here that tends to frequent them wherever they are.

Plastic paddy, great musician but a voice like Christy Hennessy on helium and to top it off he tries to sing songs like The rare Auld times

Noveight

Lisdoonvarna In September > any Fleadh, anywhere.

ToddyDoody

In Droighead Nua, meaning New Bridge but not Newbridge.

BarryD2

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Jazz has its **** but the self appointed “guardians” of Irish music, and culture, are insufferable.

Usually involved in CCE, running the fleadh competitions, judging quality, giving out awards and so on. It's the other side of Irish trad, quite at odds with the general nature of the tradition.

nothing

ToddyDoody wrote: »

In Droighead Nua, meaning New Bridge but not Newbridge.

Droichead Nua is Newbridge. Droichead Atha is Drogheda.

bodhrandude

Dum dicka dum tick dum ticka dum tick dum ticka dum tick THUuuunk!

ToddyDoody

nothing wrote: »

Droichead Nua is Newbridge. Droichead Atha is Drogheda.

You're right. Jeez my Irish / posts are sh*te.

nothing

ToddyDoody wrote: »

You're right. Jeez my Irish / posts are sh*te.

Many of us are in those boats Toddy

Woke Hogan

I was told before that most Irish speakers don't actually speak Irish amongst themselves privately. Preferring to use English, their actual dominant language. Then they switch to Irish in public to convince people it's still thriving.

JohnnyFlash

Woke Hogan wrote: »

I was told before that most Irish speakers don't actually speak Irish amongst themselves privately. Preferring to use English, their actual dominant language. Then they switch to Irish in public to convince people it's still thriving.

The Connies are mad for getting grants. That’s why they pretend to speak Irish. Sucking greedily on the tits of the Irish state.

Woke Hogan

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

The Connies are mad for getting grants. That’s why they pretend to speak Irish. Sucking greedily on the tits of the Irish state.

Didn't you say you were an Irish speaker before?

JohnnyFlash

Woke Hogan wrote: »

Didn't you say you were an Irish speaker before?

I did, a chara. A true son of Róisín.

Woke Hogan

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I did, a chara. A true son of Róisín.

Fair play.


So is there any truth to my friend's theory?

JohnnyFlash

Woke Hogan wrote: »

Fair play.


So is there any truth to my friend's theory?

No, it’s not true. The grants bit is true though.

JohnnyFlash

Must say there’s a slightly different atmosphere at the Fleadh this year. There’s a heavy police presence on the streets. Getting ‘gee-eyed’ from drink has always been a long-standing Fleadh tradition, but there’s a concerted effort to get people back into pubs and not have them canning on the streets.