Fleadh 2015

Gave my money to the Burger Shack in O Connell Street. €5 for a fab and delish burger (didn't like the Charcoal Grill ones at €6). Thankfully there was no plastic yappy dog stalls (actually I did see one over the weekend ).

What'll we do next year now

I made it for Sunday evening, was wandering about looking for a potential session, the pubs in the immediate town centre were packed to the brim so I took a walk further past Wine St and up by the Bus Stop shop and on to a pub called Donaghys' which I think had an amazing session, three flutes, three fiddles, myself and another guy on the bodhrans, two banjos and a nice bouzouki player, a tight accordionist joined the sesh in which I stayed for nearly three hours, half the folk being from Glasgow. The only thing I didn't like was Donaghys' stinginess with a round of free drinks. Now I'm not one to moan about not getting free booze but that session looked like it had been going on all afternoon and when I got talking to the Scottish banjo player they didn't at all get one free drink from the bar even though the pub was fairly packed with listeners. Is it not my understanding that Guinness donate a free barrell to each bar participating in the Fleadh Cheoill session trail to give visiting musicians a free drink on the house for the craic. I didn't mind really as I enjoyed the music anyway and paid for three pints and then went on my way, but I did have a word with some of the bar staff about this Guinness deal.

I squeezed into Shoots for a brief set or three in the company of Seamus Tansey and a bunch of others but had to escape as I was in danger of vapourising from the heat in there. Tansey asked me exasperated, where are you going, you've just arrived, but the seat I was sitting in was on temporary loan and I said to him I had to cool off. When Shoot the Crows gets so packed it just too bloody warm in there. Watched some amazing kids and youth groups in the streets, solo pipers and combos playing wonderful music, even if there was a top heavy bodhran in the background.

Heard some fellah play the Cottage Groves, one of my favourite reels on the box at the corner going up from Wine St to the taxi ranks, I whipped out my wee tambourine goatskin bodhran and shocked the life out of him when I came pounding along, a nice moment.

Met some folk from Dundalk, trad heads but also Electric Picnic heads, so we had a blether, I sang a song and then we agreed to meet up at the Picnic in two weeks time.

And my good friend Denis who looked after me while we listened to some of the session craic from RnaG, ate some lovely food and I drank some cans of stout.

On my way back to Galway today I got a lift from one of my heroes of the bodhran, Tommy Hayes and was delighted when he told me that he is playing a gig with a few others in the Body & Soul part of Electric Picnic festival.

Great weekend , out Thurs Sat and Sun, Sat was amazing as far as the atmosphere and crowds, was in McGarrigles , Shoots, Swagman, Connollys, Source at one point, one of the best nights ever in Sligo,
Highlights were the Quakers in 5th on Thurs who were good crack and I caught Rackhouse on Sunday also. There was an excellent session on in Connollys Sat night with Brian McDonagh Jarleth McTiernan amongst the crowd.

Only downside was the rain on Sun eve when Seamie ODowd was playing on the GIG Rig took a bit of a soaking but didn't dampen the spirits.
Food wise burgers from The Food Experience and an amazing Burrito from Street Cart which will be hit again.

Taxi fares definitely seemed a little inconsistent..

i.e

- Taxi from Caltragh to Church Street / Market Yard was €8.50 last Monday night at 8PM.
- Taxi from Caltragh to Holborn Street was €7.00 last Saturday night at 9.30PM.

And have the Hailo receipts to prove it.. nothing worth complaining about personally, but that's a relatively short journey compared to what some would have been charged.

I got several taxis to Ballymote, it can be hit and miss at the best of times,
Our regular Hackney who had a load dropped us for 15 euro one night , a mate living about 2 miles closer to sligo was 30euro another night, I had a mate staying in mine who landed out in the very Am for 40euro.
To be honest I have paid all the prices above at time's over the years.

bennyc wrote: »

I got several taxis to Ballymote, it can be hit and miss at the best of times,
Our regular Hackney who had a load dropped us for 15 euro one night , a mate living about 2 miles closer to sligo was 30euro another night, I had a mate staying in mine who landed out in the very Am for 40euro.
To be honest I have paid all the prices above at time's over the years.

You did well. A taxi to grange cost me 30e one night. I'd been using Furey's busses all the time for a fiver a pop but one night I had to get home fast.

Henlars67 wrote: »

€30 for a taxi to Grange seems about right. What's the problem?

I was comparing it to 15e to Ballymote.

sligojoek wrote: »

I had to get home fast.

Was herself in heat?

gordongekko wrote: »

Was herself in heat?

That would be worth 30e.