Jay The Fiddler
For the Love of Fiddle.

Gigs

Tuesday 31-10-17 The Trip to Durrow

I steel myself for the trip to see Tommy Lanigan & Michelle O’Regan in Kilkenny. Google maps says it’s 2 hours 39 minutes but I know better.

Kilkenny is hard to get to from Kerry as there are no direct roads. Last time it took 4 hours. Dr. Google says 2′ 40 “if I go north to Limerick and take the Dublin road (M50) for 8 km. That’s where everything went wrong. 2 hours to that point but the directions are on my phone and I am not reading them well. I stiop at a petrol station, “Google says take the turn into Mooreville” ” This whole area is called Mooreville” “My friend’s house is called ‘Gorteen'” “Oh, many places have that name”. So I am sent to Durrow, the only consolation being we play a reel called “The Trip to Durrow”. I arrive in Kilkenny (Marble City) and ring Michelle. Her directions only do for a couple of km’s then things aren’t matching the instructions. I ask a man at the petrol station and I’m sure he mishears the landmark I asked for “Kilcreene Hospital”. Oh Alicrane Hospital, that’s in Waterforford”. But hes stops a young woman dressed as a cat (It’s Halloween). “Actually I’m looking for Ballycallan”. “That’s where I live” Will I follow you?” Yay!

Irish people in general are inquisitive and direct. I knew enough to ask my guide’s name -Amy. “Oh Amy her grandfather had this house.” And “Why the heck did you go to Durrow?”

Finn is a tall lad now at 16. Ellie is 13 and out at a Hallpween party. Maybe 5’10”. Michelle is cooking lamb chops – so very Irish. Tommy and I break out the instruments after supper and play and tell stories until midnight me on fiddle and he on bodhran and bouzouki. He is a great singer and used to tour with Davey Arthur. Some sad stories; his brother Paul passed away this year at 52. He closes his eyes and sings the song he sang at the funeral. It’s and an adaption of “The Shores of Lough Bran”. I’m holding back the tears. It’s another privileged moment which I seem to often be privy to. Tommy is a heart man and a philosopher so it’s always a joy to hear his insights. We finish off a 6 back of Budweiser. “I don’t consider that beer.” “Neither do I.”

The next morning after a breakfast of porridge and fresh laid eggs (they have hens) Michelle give me fantastic directions back to Castleisland that take an hour off the trip.

 

Monday 30-10-17

I want to play with Dennis O’Connor and Con Moynihan – the local musicians playing Sliabh Luchra music. I call into McCarthy’s at 3:00 and it is so packed with musicians and listeners that it is impossible. I walk across the street to The Crown and find a lovely quiet session with Connor Daly on fiddle. “oh I remember you; you’re Georgia’s father”. I am getting used to that. Also playing are Maura O’Connor concertina, Darragh Horan guitar, David Healy box, & Michael (Mee-hawl in Irish) Broderick banjo. Some great tunes with some joy in the playing. Michael’ sister Eileen Broderick voice, its sitting behind us. She knows Spencer Murray from Edmonton as they were at U Limerick together last year doing the Trad program.
Next I wander up to the half Barrel where there is a great crowd and the Sliabh Luchra session I was looking for with Dennis O’Connor banjo, Tom O’Connell banjo and Niall O’Connor grey Paulo Soprano box. The session continues till 8-ish. The only musicians left are Sheila Coakley whistle and Joan Hanrahan box and myself. But there are dancers so we are pressed into service playing slides and polkas. Clear the tables and 4 couples are up dancing fast and furious.
Dirk Hofman bodhran from Holland calls in then Greta Curtin comes to collect the 2 of us and take us to Brosna. Dirk and I meet yearly at the POK and take turns driving to Brosna so the other can drink. But at the Saturday session Greta offers to be the driver “as long as you don’t fight over who will drive next year!”
A great night in Brosna with Greta & me playing loads of tunes and singing from myself and all and sundry. Greta’s parents Liam & are present. And the Baron. And Tom And Michael Moriarity. At 2:00 am Greta packs up the concertina and it’s back to CI. Next year Dirk. Next year Greta.

Thursday 26-10-17

I Call on old friend Dave Harper in Tubber (means  “well”) in the Burren near Crusheen. It’s the legendary Thursday session in Fafa’s in Ennis with Siobhan Peoples and Blackie O’Connell. Also present are Conal O’Kane guitar from Philadelphia, Peter (Foxy) Carberry from Capermote Co. Limerick.

Foxy is a lovely singer with the gravelly voice. Now some singers don’t want you overplaying behind them but he was kicking my ankle to play along. After the most gorgeous version of “Rainy Night in Soho” by Shane MacGowan he turns to me and says “I play music so I can Meet people like you”. Sweet!

The session cranks on til 3:00 am.

Canada Day at Fort Edmonton

Georgia and I had a great 3 days at the Fort for “Dominion Day”. The parade was especially fun. Weather was also perfect!

Upcoming Gigs

Where Jay is Playing;

July 29 & 30, 2017

Georgia & I will be performing on 1885 from noon to 3:00pm for Culture Days

Friday -Ennis to Castleisland

We are staying at the Banner Lodge in Ennis.
I am up first and after checking the local news on the WIFI (Oilers are 7-1 to start the season!!!) I call in for my continental breakfast which includes porridge (yay). The man of the house is Noel Carr who knows a lot about Irish Trad Music. He is happy to sit with me and talk about all the goings on in Ireland, Canada, Ennis and of course the reckon’ American election (I swear the campaigning has been dragging on for 5 years!). Once Georgia is sorted we hit the streets to find our friend John. I know he works in a charity shop so we start canvassing them. In the second one we ask for John and your one shopping knows immediately and gives us great directions. Hugs and kisses in the St. Vincent de Paul, a short visit and we arrange the annual meeting/ dinner that Johnny puts on for us every year. We call across the street to a hair stylist “T-Fades” operated by John’s son Tolla. It is a bustling modern barber -3 chairs full. Tolls son “rena” was born this week. Congrats!

Your man from Britanny - Johann

We actually make good time to Kerry and avoid the Bank holiday rush.
Hello Tony Halsall “how are ye?”.
Johnny Cahill Collects us at 7:00 to take us to visit his mother Ann who since last year has moved into a Lodge in Tralee. At the age of 93 she is as sharp as ever but obviously getting feeble. Georgia and I put on a mini concert and staff members appear dancing.
The first night of the Patrick O’Keeffe and we have a mighty session in Kearney’s with Sean Abeyta who is Kevin’s twin. How many musicians were at the table? 20? 30? Not sure. Henry is There with his drum and Pat O’Leary on the box. Sean drops us home at 2:00 am.

 

Tobernalt Holy Well

Brian and Gay live very close to an interesting historic site: Tobernalt Holy Well.

It is a secret place where Catholics came to worship when they were forbidden to do so under British Penal Laws.

These were oppresive laws that were in effect (at some times more vehemently enforced) during the years 1594-1920 (!). Their primary goal was to destroy the Catholic faith and replace it with the Anglican Church or Church of England. This of course was hugely unsuccessful and led to covert masses served at midnight in a secret place with a stone for an altar. Breaking the law was often meant with secure perseution including death.

As well “Catholics were barred from membership in the Irish Parliament, and the major landholders had most of their lands confiscated under the Adventurers Act.” wikipedia

The following prayer greets the visitor at the entrance to Tobernalt Holy Well:

Pilgrim walk softly, this is holy ground.
It has been made holy by the feet of generations
Who came here to worship God
To hear mass
To honour Our Lady
To pray for their needs and for peace.

Here are memories of a poor, persecuted people.
They braved death to come.
They walked barefoot through the woods
To worship in secret.

Here are memories of hunted priests
Offering mass in this hallowed place,
At the risk of their lives.

Will their sufferings and sacrifices be in vain?

They have handed us a torch.
Let us keep that torch alight.

After visiting the well we went for a walk by a beautiful lake.called Lough Gill.

Loading Turf

First the turf is skinned, then cut, then footed and when dry it is loaded. Check out the link on footing; there’s some hilarious quotes. (“It’s like the recession: you can look at it whatever way you want but there’s no easy way out”. And “It’s 4 sods that make up a central supporting structure, sort of like the U2 360 claw.”)

Walking up the bog

So what could be more Irish than tossing turf in the bog? I was over the moon to be on the work crew. In Canada a bog is lowland; marshland. In Ireland Bog is where there is turf or peat or sod. It is decomposed vegetation which can be burned in the fireplace. It can be on top of a mountain. And it covers 1/6 of Ireland.

Jackie, Annie Jason. Anthony, Joe and myself were the crew. Joe provided the tractor and wagon. The rest of us provided strong backs. It is cut in April or May then footed and left to dry then collected in the fall for your winter heat source.

Cut peat laid in the field to dry.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day : +15 and sunny. It is hard work tossing it into the trailer but you get in a rhythm and go. Better than using a horse and cart. It took less than 2 hours to get the first load in. Jackie had previously referred to it as “The biggest pile of shit I’ve ever seen!” To be true some was quite damp but more than half had dried nicely.

 

A foot of turf

 

 

Foots of turf

Of course there is food involved so we returned to the farm for “tea” which was the tea, and sandwiches and biscuits. It is very rural here and we were on back roads. Every passing car was met with a comment as such: “Oh that’s Bridie Taylor, she just lost her husband in the spring.” Or that’s Dan Daly – he’s getting a load of hay”. Great fun with the locals! Note what a eautiful valley that Castleisland is behind the crew.

Annie O'Connor, Jackie O'Connor, Joe Herlihy, Anthony Daly, Jason Fleming
Hard at work!

Wednesday

I called into The Half Barrel to chat with publican Kathleen O’Connor. Looks like we’ll play there on Fair Day, Tuesday November 1st. John Lordon was having a pint so I jopined him to talk politics, history, stories and not much in general – just fun pub talk. Then I visited with Joe & Ellen Herlihy. I guess I am going with Joe, Jackie and Annie to the bog tomorrow. Back at the farm Jackie and I played our favourite tunes; The Galway Reel, Josephine Keegan’s No. 1, Cosa Mulligan, The Morning Mist Hornpipe, The Spotted Dog Jig, Eddie Kelly’s No. 2, and so on. Jackie is quite excited about his new Danish Quadrille.

Galway, Lough Atalia


I said good-bye to V as he went to walk his bordr collie “Beauty” along the sea to Salthill. I walked back to my car in Renmore along Lough Atalia, which means Salt Lake.

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