I have been attending fleadhs for over twenty years now and thought that although this year was good, there seemed to be less visitors than previous years.
I know the weather did't help but the atmosphere seemed to be some what lacking?
I had a ball as always but for first timers I think it lacked the usual bizazz and buzz! may be its just me getting old or maybe others think the same?
I have to agree, I had a good time and as always the standard of the comps were very high but there was something missing. Maybe the change of venue next year will freshen things up a bit.
Blame the economic climate. People can't afford to travel so much. Less commercial sponsorship for all sorts of events - the Tour of Ireland cycle race last week was cut from 5 stages to 3 for this reason. I'll mention as an aside that Lance Armstrong is yet another US celebrity to claim Irish ancestry (on his mother's side) - as the TV race commentator said, this won't do his vision of being Governor of Texas any harm whatsoever, neither will it harm the Irish Tourist Board.
Whatever one's views on competition, one neglected benefit of attending fleadanna as a spectator is the opportunity to attempt an honest assessment of one's own playing within the pecking order.
At this summer's All Britain, I estimated that, on a good day, I might just have sneaked in somewhere between eighth and ninth position in the fiddle competition- Under 12's category. A salutary and sobering experience for a bus-pass qualifier. Fortunately, there is no special aptitude required in qualifying for the latter...
Have to agree the whole Fleadh seemed to be very flat and of key.Maybe it was the recession, but the pulling of it forward by a week didnt help to aid the Tullamore back to school schedule surely didnt help at al.Also noticed, even with the reduced numbers there was an awful lot of drunk people about and where I was parked was constant shagging and sex shows happening by locals waiting for taxis waiting to get home at the back of Tarleton carpark at 1am through to 4.Very of putting.Im glad its gone from Tullamore.Even the price of booze was exhorbiant, pint bottle of Bulmers 5.40 euro.
Alas I have to say Tullamore years 1 and 2 were good , this year one of the worst ever, even Letterkenny was better and thats sayin something.
I had not mentioned the drunkeness that was so evident, I think that in other years it would have been diluted or camoflaged by the crowds of fleadh goers, I was suprised at the amount of young people on both Saturday and Sunday night on the streets most of which were the worst for ware.
Not an instrument case in site so def the locals. Roll on Cavan.
The town was full of groups of drunk teenagers from Fri night onwards. My son walking between Fleadh Sessions on Sat was attacked in Church Street by four local yobs losing a tooth in the process. One of our friends had their tent ransacked on Sun Night (Rugby Club Site). We also witnessed other violent behaviour in the streets not evident in previous years. A sizeable minority of the crowd were not there for the music. Taking the assault aside (as a random act) there was no sense of enjoying a new location, the whole thing felt very flat.
wow! sorry to hear all the bad experiences (especially of your Son, MartinP....that is really terrible).
To be honest, Church Street is a no-go area. You'd wanna see that on an(y) ordinary weekend, it's deffo a place best avoided!
Last couple of years the Gardai had a handle on it....they shifted out any trouble pretty quickly. Might have been the smaller crowds this year that might have made the skangers look more visible?
Having said that - I had a ball, and thought it was a brilliant Fleadh. We'd lovely sessions all weekend, and met up with a load of friends from all over (especially the balcony of the Bridge House on Sunday eve, meeting all the gang from Inis Oirr!!).
I thought it was a great weekend...right up to 3am this morning when we played our last few tunes in O'Connor's.
I stuck a few little vids on YouTube (one funny clip of a lad playing spoons...thought yee guys might enjoy that, given all the comments there a while back about spoon players!)
Have to admit that due to unforeseen circumstances I missed the Fleadh this year. The first miss since the early 90s, so I was begining to feel that I'd lost something from my life. However it gave me a chance to see the Fleadh from the outside looking in so to speak. These are some of my observations over the weekend.
To start with, nobody I spoke with knew it was on or where it was on, and consequently none of my friends asked me why I wasn't at the Fleadh. No change there then!
On the radio news bulletins over the weekend there was plenty of publicity for the Rose of Tralee - The Cycle Race and the Corr Wedding, even some kind of Games in Athlone were mentioned. Then the traffic news came on, and the man said that the centre of Tullamore was closed due to the .....wait for it....yes.....the Fleadh Ceol.
Nothing else on Saturday until the the 6 pm news on RTE....A mention, plus 20/30 secs at the most.showing the crowds and two youngsters playing.
Then Ceili House at 9.30 pm (see my separate post on that)
Sunday started wet and I had a call from a friend who was on his way home at lunch time. I was begining to feel a bit more contented in my own mind that I hadn't missed much. I didn't hear any more news about Tullamore and saw nothing about it in the Sunday papers. I heard,or saw nothing about it on Monday.
This, your Honour, is my sworn testimony!
Did it really happen,or was it all a figment of my imagination caused by to much playing.???
I went to the fleadh this year for the week and found that monday to thursday offered the best sessions as there was room to breath and most people were there for music not drink.
By the time Friday came my fingers were ruined with blisters and I had played my heart out, the crowds didnt encourage me to play either. A very enjoyable fleadh none the less!
definitely not at good as last year for me, but having said that I could hear myself playing during the world record attempt...but then again so could everyone else...have to admit the sight of young people walking around with plastic bags full of alcohol on friday night was dispiriting...and the lack of media coverage baffles me...
The fleadh i thought this year was alrite
got the chance to play on the gig rig wi
my branch which was great but i thought
the amount of alchol abuse durin the day and
night was dreadful fully grown men wakin around
sayin watever they felt like makin a fool of themselves.
through the weekend nights there were alot of teenagers
who abused alchol sum i saw on sunday night who cudn't
walk it was just stupid
Fleadh 2009
Fleadh 2009
I have been attending fleadhs for over twenty years now and thought that although this year was good, there seemed to be less visitors than previous years.
I know the weather did't help but the atmosphere seemed to be some what lacking?
I had a ball as always but for first timers I think it lacked the usual bizazz and buzz! may be its just me getting old or maybe others think the same?
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by london lass
Re: Fleadh 2009
I have to agree, I had a good time and as always the standard of the comps were very high but there was something missing. Maybe the change of venue next year will freshen things up a bit.
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by Button Box
Re: Fleadh 2009
Blame the economic climate. People can't afford to travel so much. Less commercial sponsorship for all sorts of events - the Tour of Ireland cycle race last week was cut from 5 stages to 3 for this reason. I'll mention as an aside that Lance Armstrong is yet another US celebrity to claim Irish ancestry (on his mother's side) - as the TV race commentator said, this won't do his vision of being Governor of Texas any harm whatsoever, neither will it harm the Irish Tourist Board.
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Fleadh 2009
Whatever one's views on competition, one neglected benefit of attending fleadanna as a spectator is the opportunity to attempt an honest assessment of one's own playing within the pecking order.
At this summer's All Britain, I estimated that, on a good day, I might just have sneaked in somewhere between eighth and ninth position in the fiddle competition- Under 12's category. A salutary and sobering experience for a bus-pass qualifier. Fortunately, there is no special aptitude required in qualifying for the latter...
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by Here Lyeth
Re: Fleadh 2009
Have to agree the whole Fleadh seemed to be very flat and of key.Maybe it was the recession, but the pulling of it forward by a week didnt help to aid the Tullamore back to school schedule surely didnt help at al.Also noticed, even with the reduced numbers there was an awful lot of drunk people about and where I was parked was constant shagging and sex shows happening by locals waiting for taxis waiting to get home at the back of Tarleton carpark at 1am through to 4.Very of putting.Im glad its gone from Tullamore.Even the price of booze was exhorbiant, pint bottle of Bulmers 5.40 euro.
Alas I have to say Tullamore years 1 and 2 were good , this year one of the worst ever, even Letterkenny was better and thats sayin something.
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by belfastrab
Re: Fleadh 2009
It conflicted with some other major events including the Rose of Tralee.
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by Patkiwi
Re: Fleadh 2009
Yeah...not as many people as before and a lot more people drinking...found it very hard te find good tunes...
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by Éadaoin CMR
Re: Fleadh 2009
I had not mentioned the drunkeness that was so evident, I think that in other years it would have been diluted or camoflaged by the crowds of fleadh goers, I was suprised at the amount of young people on both Saturday and Sunday night on the streets most of which were the worst for ware.
Not an instrument case in site so def the locals. Roll on Cavan.
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by london lass
!!
I have to admit there were too many bodhran players, and I found myself giving lessons to make one young lad sound tolerable!
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by RockyRoader
Re: Fleadh 2009
The town was full of groups of drunk teenagers from Fri night onwards. My son walking between Fleadh Sessions on Sat was attacked in Church Street by four local yobs losing a tooth in the process. One of our friends had their tent ransacked on Sun Night (Rugby Club Site). We also witnessed other violent behaviour in the streets not evident in previous years. A sizeable minority of the crowd were not there for the music. Taking the assault aside (as a random act) there was no sense of enjoying a new location, the whole thing felt very flat.
Wont be going again!
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by MartinP
Re: Fleadh 2009
wow! sorry to hear all the bad experiences (especially of your Son, MartinP....that is really terrible).
To be honest, Church Street is a no-go area. You'd wanna see that on an(y) ordinary weekend, it's deffo a place best avoided!
Last couple of years the Gardai had a handle on it....they shifted out any trouble pretty quickly. Might have been the smaller crowds this year that might have made the skangers look more visible?
Having said that - I had a ball, and thought it was a brilliant Fleadh. We'd lovely sessions all weekend, and met up with a load of friends from all over (especially the balcony of the Bridge House on Sunday eve, meeting all the gang from Inis Oirr!!).
I thought it was a great weekend...right up to 3am this morning when we played our last few tunes in O'Connor's.
I stuck a few little vids on YouTube (one funny clip of a lad playing spoons...thought yee guys might enjoy that, given all the comments there a while back about spoon players!)
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by andy69
Re: Fleadh 2009
doh! still not back to normal after that weekend!!
Clips are:
Spoons lad out of his head...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut0vJ345obA
Sean Nos Dancing at our session last night in the Court...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV-PHALV7KQ&feature=channel
Givin' it loads in the Bridge on saturday...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pokaJpX_rE&feature=channel
Sess on Friday before all the madness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G22GVHbLGZQ&feature=channel
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by andy69
Re: Fleadh 2009
Have to admit that due to unforeseen circumstances I missed the Fleadh this year. The first miss since the early 90s, so I was begining to feel that I'd lost something from my life. However it gave me a chance to see the Fleadh from the outside looking in so to speak. These are some of my observations over the weekend.
To start with, nobody I spoke with knew it was on or where it was on, and consequently none of my friends asked me why I wasn't at the Fleadh. No change there then!
On the radio news bulletins over the weekend there was plenty of publicity for the Rose of Tralee - The Cycle Race and the Corr Wedding, even some kind of Games in Athlone were mentioned. Then the traffic news came on, and the man said that the centre of Tullamore was closed due to the .....wait for it....yes.....the Fleadh Ceol.
Nothing else on Saturday until the the 6 pm news on RTE....A mention, plus 20/30 secs at the most.showing the crowds and two youngsters playing.
Then Ceili House at 9.30 pm (see my separate post on that)
Sunday started wet and I had a call from a friend who was on his way home at lunch time. I was begining to feel a bit more contented in my own mind that I hadn't missed much. I didn't hear any more news about Tullamore and saw nothing about it in the Sunday papers. I heard,or saw nothing about it on Monday.
This, your Honour, is my sworn testimony!
Did it really happen,or was it all a figment of my imagination caused by to much playing.???
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by Free Reed
Re: Fleadh 2009
I went to the fleadh this year for the week and found that monday to thursday offered the best sessions as there was room to breath and most people were there for music not drink.
By the time Friday came my fingers were ruined with blisters and I had played my heart out, the crowds didnt encourage me to play either. A very enjoyable fleadh none the less!
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by pdawg32
Re: Fleadh 2009
definitely not at good as last year for me, but having said that I could hear myself playing during the world record attempt...but then again so could everyone else...have to admit the sight of young people walking around with plastic bags full of alcohol on friday night was dispiriting...and the lack of media coverage baffles me...
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by mickyfong
Re: Fleadh 2009
http://www.youtube.com/user/kellyclan1#play/all/uploads-all/0/VOMq5D-I0UE
2009
A great session with some of the greats ,if you look hard ,you will find tunes
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by Martin Donohoe
Re: Fleadh 2009
The fleadh i thought this year was alrite
got the chance to play on the gig rig wi
my branch which was great but i thought
the amount of alchol abuse durin the day and
night was dreadful fully grown men wakin around
sayin watever they felt like makin a fool of themselves.
through the weekend nights there were alot of teenagers
who abused alchol sum i saw on sunday night who cudn't
walk it was just stupid
# Posted on August 26th 2009 by alim010
Re: Fleadh 2009
Willie Clancy Week + Fleadh = Highlights of my year
# Posted on August 26th 2009 by premier
Re: Fleadh 2009
My highlight - summer school (for musicians and set dancers) and the Carolan Harp Festival at Keadue.
# Posted on August 26th 2009 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Fleadh 2009
I haven't been since 1977, too crowded, too many eejits more interested in drink than music.
By the way, in the clips above, the spoons player is very good.
# Posted on August 31st 2009 by bodhran bliss
Re: Fleadh 2009
Big head bodhran player misses 32 odd fleadhs. Do you think you were missed?
# Posted on August 31st 2009 by bogman