Argh - our session moved last fall to the ideal site (for me at least - I could bike to it). Today, at 10 a.m., the pub caught fire...it's a total loss and 5 firemen were rushed off to the burn unit of the local hospital - luckily none of their injuries is supposedly too bad all things considered.
Well - anyone else lose a session site in quite that dramatic a fashion?
Sorry to hear that Eric. Have never had anything like that happen to any place I play, but I can just imagine the surreality if J.Pat's were to ever burn down. Hope that doesn't hurt your scene too much. Good luck!
I'm sure we'll land on our feet...we've been kicked out of several places for being too loud in the past. Still, it was a great place - we had a room to ourselves, the beer was cheap, and the owners friendly.
Some friends and I in a public house
Was playing a game of chance one night
When into the pub a fireman ran
His face all a chalky white.
"What's up", says Brown, "Have you seen a ghost,
Or have you seen your Aunt Mariah?"
"Me Aunt Mariah be buggered!", says he,
"The bleedin' pub's on fire!"
And there was Brown upside down
Lappin'' up the whiskey on the floor.
"Booze, booze!" The firemen cried
As they came knockin' on the door (clap clap)
Oh don't let 'em in till it's all drunk up
And somebody shouted MacIntyre! MACINTYRE!
And we all got blue-blind paralytic drunk
When the Old Dun Cow caught fire.
"Oh well," says Brown, "What a bit of luck.
Everybody follow me.
And it's down to the cellar
If the fire's not there
Then we'll have a grand old spree."
So we went on down after good old Brown
The booze we could not miss
And we hadn't been there ten minutes or more
Till we were quite p*ssed.
Then, Smith walked over to the port wine tub
And gave it just a few hard knocks (clap clap)
Started takin' off his pantaloons
Likewise his shoes and socks.
"Hold on, " says Brown, "that ain't allowed
Ya cannot do that thing here.
Don't go washin' trousers in the port wine tub
When we got Guinness beer."
Then there came from the old back door
The Vicar of the local church.
And when he saw our drunken ways,
He began to scream and curse.
"Ah, you drunken sods! You heathen clods!
You've taken to a drunken spree!
You drank up all the Benedictine wine
And you didn't save a drop for me!"
And then there came a mighty crash
Half the bloody roof caved in.
We were almost drowned in the firemen's hose
But still we were gonna stay.
So we got some tacks and some old wet sacks
And we nailed ourselves inside
And we sat drinking the finest Rum
Till we were bleary-eyed.
Later that night, when the fire was out
We came up from the cellar below.
Our pub was burned. Our booze was drunk.
Our heads was hanging low.
"Oh look", says Brown with a look quite queer.
Seems something raised his ire.
"Now we gotta get down to Murphy's Pub,
It closes on the hour!"
Yes Jayhawk, the Cross Keys, an old Thatched Pub here in Norn Iron was badly burned a few years ago. As the thatch burned folks were seen, running in & out trying to save as much stuff as they could!
As you can see from the info below, it would have been a great pity if it had been lost altogether!
You will notice from the 2nd quote that many local musicians actually helped to raise some of the repair costs by playing for a CD!
"Crosskeys Inn, Antrim, Northern Ireland
The Crosskeys Inn is the oldest thatched pub in Northern Ireland - if not the whole of Ireland!
Crosskeys Inn is also one of Ireland's most famous Irish Traditional Music Pubs.
Musicians from all over Ireland have at one time or another played within (and outside) its walls.
It is a stone-built cottage with whitewashed walls and was once a Coaching Stop on the old Belfast to Derry road.
It was also a shop which sold everything for a rural community in the old times (see some of the receipts on the walls), a Post Office and of course a Bar.
Nobody knows for sure when it was built but it is thought to be around 1740.
Irish music sessions are held most Saturday nights with impromptu sessions on some Fridays and Sundays."
"Crosskeys Inn revival
Northern Ireland. The 300 year old Crosskeys Inn in County Antrim was badly damaged by fire in February but sessions are continuing now in a shed at the back of the building. Furthermore, a CD of traditional music, song and story has been released to help raise funds for the renovation project. There are 20 tracks recorded live around a kitchen table by musicians who regularly played in the famous watering hole. Musicians include several members of Deanta along the likes of singers Len Graham and Joe Holmes, accordeonist Ciaran Kelly, fiddler Maurice Bradley, and musicians from the locality. - "Crosskeys Inn - Live in the Kitchen""
I'm mourning the loss of Kennedy's too. The pictures on the web were telling. I drove by the site, as close as I could get yesterday, and it's really a bad sign when you can see daylight through the windows from the outside!
Thank God the firemen weren't hurt any worse than they were.
The owner seemed such a nice lady. The sad part is she and those other business owners and employees have lost their livlihoods.
I'm sure we'll come up with a permanent place to play eventually.
I've heard they're going to have to tear down the shell of the building...but the building's owner plans to rebuild on the spot. Still, all those folks who owned the shops inside probably can't wait the year or two it will take and will have to come up with something else to get by on.
I'm glad the firefighters weren't hurt worse, too, and I'm also going to really miss the French bakery that burned.
Dafydd - My wife and I both thought of the Old Dunn Cow, too. At first when I heard there was a fire, I thought that the bar would be closed for a month or two, remodel, and then reopen. But the place simply exploded - the fire department has some explanation - old materials all reaching the combustion point simultaneously - regardless of how it happened, it's just sad.
The building was built in 1923 - so it's newer by European standards. It was an old, grand movie house - ornate and gorgeous inside (the bar didn't look as nice as the bakery side of the old building did). The bakery had murals painted by a French artist (whose name I forget) who came over because the prior bakery owner was his friend.
Oh well, I'm getting maudlin now...but the businesses that were lost were part of my neighborhood and even with a rebuilt building, the people who made the businesses what they were, and who were my friends, will have moved on.
It is difficult to find music in Crosskeys. I remember travelling from Belfast years ago to go there, but having lived close to the place for twenty years, I have only once found music in it. He advertises for Friday and Saturday, but refuses to pay a "resident/s" so it is pot luck if someone turns up.
If you're talking about Kennedy's - I can't imagine it was an insurance job. The pub had just passed a fire inspection the week before, had it's grease pits/stacks cleaned, and was pulling a good crowd.
After playing at The All Irelands in 1985, I was on a train, from Newry to Belfast, en route to Glasgow with some of the McHughs, after a ripper of a session at Monkstown.
As we went to board the train at Newry, we were warned that there might be a bomb on board. The search did not reveal a bomb. However when the train arrived at Belfast the bomb went off.
We were all well attended and there were no injuries.
I did ask if anyone hated my flute playing so much!
We all had a laugh about that, but we were all pretty much shaken!
Yes to Ptarmigan, we used to session at Eamonn's. I had to revise the Comhaltas slow session post here after that second tragedy happened (the first was Eamonn's death). The venue changed to Troy, NY. The night has changed since I posted that, so I can no longer attend. I hope it's still going strong.
Our local burned to the ground!
Our local burned to the ground!
Argh - our session moved last fall to the ideal site (for me at least - I could bike to it). Today, at 10 a.m., the pub caught fire...it's a total loss and 5 firemen were rushed off to the burn unit of the local hospital - luckily none of their injuries is supposedly too bad all things considered.
Well - anyone else lose a session site in quite that dramatic a fashion?
Eric
# Posted on February 17th 2007 by Jayhawk
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
Quite a few in N.Ireland went like that over the years, set on fire or blown up. Sometimes during the session.
# Posted on February 17th 2007 by bodhran bliss
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
Sorry to hear that Eric. Have never had anything like that happen to any place I play, but I can just imagine the surreality if J.Pat's were to ever burn down. Hope that doesn't hurt your scene too much. Good luck!
# Posted on February 17th 2007 by Jason G
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
I'm sure we'll land on our feet...we've been kicked out of several places for being too loud in the past. Still, it was a great place - we had a room to ourselves, the beer was cheap, and the owners friendly.
Eric
# Posted on February 17th 2007 by Jayhawk
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
When The Old Dun Cow Caught Fire
Some friends and I in a public house
Was playing a game of chance one night
When into the pub a fireman ran
His face all a chalky white.
"What's up", says Brown, "Have you seen a ghost,
Or have you seen your Aunt Mariah?"
"Me Aunt Mariah be buggered!", says he,
"The bleedin' pub's on fire!"
And there was Brown upside down
Lappin'' up the whiskey on the floor.
"Booze, booze!" The firemen cried
As they came knockin' on the door (clap clap)
Oh don't let 'em in till it's all drunk up
And somebody shouted MacIntyre! MACINTYRE!
And we all got blue-blind paralytic drunk
When the Old Dun Cow caught fire.
"Oh well," says Brown, "What a bit of luck.
Everybody follow me.
And it's down to the cellar
If the fire's not there
Then we'll have a grand old spree."
So we went on down after good old Brown
The booze we could not miss
And we hadn't been there ten minutes or more
Till we were quite p*ssed.
Then, Smith walked over to the port wine tub
And gave it just a few hard knocks (clap clap)
Started takin' off his pantaloons
Likewise his shoes and socks.
"Hold on, " says Brown, "that ain't allowed
Ya cannot do that thing here.
Don't go washin' trousers in the port wine tub
When we got Guinness beer."
Then there came from the old back door
The Vicar of the local church.
And when he saw our drunken ways,
He began to scream and curse.
"Ah, you drunken sods! You heathen clods!
You've taken to a drunken spree!
You drank up all the Benedictine wine
And you didn't save a drop for me!"
And then there came a mighty crash
Half the bloody roof caved in.
We were almost drowned in the firemen's hose
But still we were gonna stay.
So we got some tacks and some old wet sacks
And we nailed ourselves inside
And we sat drinking the finest Rum
Till we were bleary-eyed.
Later that night, when the fire was out
We came up from the cellar below.
Our pub was burned. Our booze was drunk.
Our heads was hanging low.
"Oh look", says Brown with a look quite queer.
Seems something raised his ire.
"Now we gotta get down to Murphy's Pub,
It closes on the hour!"
# Posted on February 17th 2007 by dafydd
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
Yes Jayhawk, the Cross Keys, an old Thatched Pub here in Norn Iron was badly burned a few years ago. As the thatch burned folks were seen, running in & out trying to save as much stuff as they could!
As you can see from the info below, it would have been a great pity if it had been lost altogether!
You will notice from the 2nd quote that many local musicians actually helped to raise some of the repair costs by playing for a CD!
"Crosskeys Inn, Antrim, Northern Ireland
The Crosskeys Inn is the oldest thatched pub in Northern Ireland - if not the whole of Ireland!
Crosskeys Inn is also one of Ireland's most famous Irish Traditional Music Pubs.
Musicians from all over Ireland have at one time or another played within (and outside) its walls.
It is a stone-built cottage with whitewashed walls and was once a Coaching Stop on the old Belfast to Derry road.
It was also a shop which sold everything for a rural community in the old times (see some of the receipts on the walls), a Post Office and of course a Bar.
Nobody knows for sure when it was built but it is thought to be around 1740.
Irish music sessions are held most Saturday nights with impromptu sessions on some Fridays and Sundays."
"Crosskeys Inn revival
Northern Ireland. The 300 year old Crosskeys Inn in County Antrim was badly damaged by fire in February but sessions are continuing now in a shed at the back of the building. Furthermore, a CD of traditional music, song and story has been released to help raise funds for the renovation project. There are 20 tracks recorded live around a kitchen table by musicians who regularly played in the famous watering hole. Musicians include several members of Deanta along the likes of singers Len Graham and Joe Holmes, accordeonist Ciaran Kelly, fiddler Maurice Bradley, and musicians from the locality. - "Crosskeys Inn - Live in the Kitchen""
# Posted on February 17th 2007 by Ptarmigan
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
Did anyone here ever play in Eamonn's session Pub, before it was burned down?:
http://www.wnyt.com/x3972.xml?ag=x156&sb=x183
# Posted on February 17th 2007 by Ptarmigan
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
Hi Eric,
I'm mourning the loss of Kennedy's too. The pictures on the web were telling. I drove by the site, as close as I could get yesterday, and it's really a bad sign when you can see daylight through the windows from the outside!
Thank God the firemen weren't hurt any worse than they were.
The owner seemed such a nice lady. The sad part is she and those other business owners and employees have lost their livlihoods.
I'm sure we'll come up with a permanent place to play eventually.
Roger
# Posted on February 17th 2007 by rogfox
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
But the 'Keys is back http://www.loughbeg-cce.com/main.htm
# Posted on February 17th 2007 by breandan
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
Hi Roger,
I've heard they're going to have to tear down the shell of the building...but the building's owner plans to rebuild on the spot. Still, all those folks who owned the shops inside probably can't wait the year or two it will take and will have to come up with something else to get by on.
I'm glad the firefighters weren't hurt worse, too, and I'm also going to really miss the French bakery that burned.
Dafydd - My wife and I both thought of the Old Dunn Cow, too. At first when I heard there was a fire, I thought that the bar would be closed for a month or two, remodel, and then reopen. But the place simply exploded - the fire department has some explanation - old materials all reaching the combustion point simultaneously - regardless of how it happened, it's just sad.
The building was built in 1923 - so it's newer by European standards. It was an old, grand movie house - ornate and gorgeous inside (the bar didn't look as nice as the bakery side of the old building did). The bakery had murals painted by a French artist (whose name I forget) who came over because the prior bakery owner was his friend.
Oh well, I'm getting maudlin now...but the businesses that were lost were part of my neighborhood and even with a rebuilt building, the people who made the businesses what they were, and who were my friends, will have moved on.
Eric
# Posted on February 17th 2007 by Jayhawk
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
Sorry Breandan, I should have made that clear in my post!
# Posted on February 17th 2007 by Ptarmigan
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
It is difficult to find music in Crosskeys. I remember travelling from Belfast years ago to go there, but having lived close to the place for twenty years, I have only once found music in it. He advertises for Friday and Saturday, but refuses to pay a "resident/s" so it is pot luck if someone turns up.
# Posted on February 17th 2007 by bodhran bliss
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
Forgot to ask the obvious. Was it an insurance job?
# Posted on February 18th 2007 by bodhran bliss
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
If you're talking about Kennedy's - I can't imagine it was an insurance job. The pub had just passed a fire inspection the week before, had it's grease pits/stacks cleaned, and was pulling a good crowd.
Eric
# Posted on February 18th 2007 by Jayhawk
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
Serves you right for playing the "Smokey House"
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by geoffwright
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
Not quite the pub!
After playing at The All Irelands in 1985, I was on a train, from Newry to Belfast, en route to Glasgow with some of the McHughs, after a ripper of a session at Monkstown.
As we went to board the train at Newry, we were warned that there might be a bomb on board. The search did not reveal a bomb. However when the train arrived at Belfast the bomb went off.
We were all well attended and there were no injuries.
I did ask if anyone hated my flute playing so much!
We all had a laugh about that, but we were all pretty much shaken!
Brian x
# Posted on February 25th 2007 by briantheflute
Re: Our local burned to the ground!
Yes to Ptarmigan, we used to session at Eamonn's. I had to revise the Comhaltas slow session post here after that second tragedy happened (the first was Eamonn's death). The venue changed to Troy, NY. The night has changed since I posted that, so I can no longer attend. I hope it's still going strong.
# Posted on March 16th 2007 by vonnieestes