Fleadh 2015

Moll9676 wrote: »

we may not get to Sligo due to transport difficulties and that any activities don't cost much

Where are you

Moll9676 wrote: »

I have a friend coming over from Spain for a few days and I am trying to come up with things to do.
We are both 18 and she wants to experience "irish traditions"
Any suggestions on what to do??
Bear in mind some days we may not get to Sligo due to transport difficulties and that any activities don't cost much

It would be handy to know what area of the county you're in as different towns/areas vary quite a bit in what's available. Can't imagine getting into town to be too difficult as the organisers last year planned it quite well with free shuttle buses from villages, campsites and parking areas into town, while blocking off the town centre.

Plazaman wrote: »

You wouldn't think the Fleadh was starting on Sunday week if you walk around Sligo today. Remember last year there was bunting and banners flooding the streets months beforehand, this year not a dickie bird. Is it because we know we're not going to get it in 2016 that there is less hype?

I've noticed quite a lot of premises have tidied themselves up with new paint. Foleys pub being one of the nicest jobs! I've seen a few posters up on the way in to town but nothing in the town itelf. There was a shop in town putting up Fleadh stickers on their window yesterday while I was in. I'd imagine they're holding off last year because of the crappy weather we had for the Fleadh last year.

I look forward to a warm welcome when I venture up to this next weekend. The last Fleadh I was at was the Derry one two years ago and if this is half as good I should be in for a good un.

Best pub for a "cure" of a Sunday afternoon?

The Fleadh sounds like a great plan.

The main festivities will be taking place over the weekend (14th to 16th) and you can wander around, listen to music on the streets or in pubs and generally enjoy the buzz. Sligo's a grand sized town so if you get public transport there you should have no problem walking around the different venues.

Certain events and the competitions that are held will be ticketed, but honestly unless you have a real interest in the music or in a particular instrument I'd say there's no need to pay in as there will be plenty of sessions and whatnot happening around the place.

castletownman wrote: »

I look forward to a warm welcome when I venture up to this next weekend. The last Fleadh I was at was the Derry one two years ago and if this is half as good I should be in for a good un.

Best pub for a "cure" of a Sunday afternoon?

I do my curing in Connollys.

Only until the new lessee took over.

TireeTerror wrote: »

Can anyone who speaks Gaelic explain the pronounciation of "fleadh" to me? My girlfriend works in the town and as we were driving I saw a sign and said "oh look there is a trad music festival called fleadh (I pronounced it like fleeeeeaaah) and she said they pronounce it "fla".

Do Irish people pronounce it like "fla"? I cant work out how it would sound like that considering the spelling of it.

Your girlfriend is correct

TireeTerror wrote: »

So how is it that its pronounced like that? Those letters would appear to be pronounced like fleeah.

I noticed a lot of people also pronounce Tiocfaidh ar la as chucky ar la. I have questioned so many people about how tiocfaidh produces a "ch" sound but everyone just says "thats how its pronounced" without any proper explanation. Are there other examples of the letters tioc having a "chu" sound?

I should probably take this to a language section of boards!

Its just the Irish language. Fleadh is pronounced Fla, because the dh is silent (almost) and in terms of tiocfaidh, again there's a silent dh and also a silent f.

This also varies by county too, as each one will have their own version of it.

For example, asking how you are in one place might be "Conas atá tú" , whereas in another it might be "Cad é mar atá sibh"

El Weirdo wrote: »

You are using English pronunciation conventions when they don't apply to Irish. Why would they?

Precisely, the way a letter in pronounced in one language, would be pronounced differently in another language.

Anyway, getting back to the Fleadh, anyone recommend any good pubs for sessions this evening or tonight. Have heard there has been good ones in Furreys, Foleys, and McGarrigles so far this week, and woukd rather go straight into a couple rather than go searching around them all to find the good few ones.

Fleadh Tv was good tonight, looks good for the weekend if your not out or in Sligo.

Looking for a lift from Galway to the fleadh this afternoon or evening if anyone can help out, will chip in for fuel costs and the craic.

jonathan mark wrote: »

where can i find out who playing tonight Saturday?

http://sligomusicians.com/

http://www.fleadhcheoil.ie/fleadh-events/today/

Most of the hot food was just frozen economy stuff. I never saw any food of real quality despite the awesome equipment used to cook on.

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.