[It's] "...a big mess session-wise...."
Could be four guitars and as many bodhrans-- unless yr very lucky and meet some good players you can sneak away with.
Better to find some close-by towns where locals have continuing sessions and where people are escaping the festival crush.
Big sessions (over ten) can be fun but they can also be very clinical, with stars bunched together up front and punters sitting in the rear and struggling to keep up. Like playing along with a DVD. Only without the comfort.
One of the big attractions at the fleadh nua are the concerts and recitals that are happening -
Sunday, 18th May, 8:30 p.m.
Frank Custy Tribute Concert featuring Frank and his many friends in Cois na hAbhna
Tuesday, 20th May
8:00 p.m. Fidil Beo Denis Liddy, Michael Hynes, Jack Talty & Eoin O'Neill in Temple Gate Hotel
Wednesday, 21st MAY
8.00 p.m. Concert featuring the Turloughmore Ceili Band and Seán Ó Sé in Cois na hAbhna. http://www.turloughmoreceiliband.com/
Turloughmore Ceili Band have recorded an album with the legendary Cork singer Sean O'Se, due for release in the coming weeks.
Joan Hanrahan and Ronan Burke played sample tracks from the album on the Clare Fm trad shows on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday evenings, listen in on http://www.clarefm.ie/
Well worth a listen is the fantastic rendition of a great Clare song "The Famous Faha Sports".
While many festivals are as Cocus suggests where it's best to slip away to a nearby village for a few quiet tunes, this has never been the case for Fleadh Nua. Perhaps because of the size of Ennis and the number of hostelries there are nearly always sessions to suit all tastes from the smaller more intimate ones to the mega-sessions with 4 or 5 banjos, 10 fiddles, a couple of boxes not forgetting the couple of guitars and bodhráns.
No if you have a few days to spare come on down to Ennis for a great week. Ath has already mentioned some of the concerts to which I'd like to add:
Saturday, 24 May in Glór at 8.00pm
Sliabh Notes, University of Limerick musicians, uilleann piper Mickey Dunne and, for anyone who hasn't seen a Lambeg drum, the Hounds of Ulster.
Sunday, 25 May in Glór at 8.00pm
Peadar O Riada and Cór Cúl Aodha, Paul Brock with the "Brock Maguire" band, Tara Breen and the Leeds Scoraíocht group.
Now they haven't forgotten Cavan people either (sorry Martin, only joking) as there's a host of free entertainment from the free lunchtime concerts at 1.00pm every day in the museum, street sessions and gig-rig entertainment all day Friday and Saturday, 24/25 May. I should also have added that the opening Frank Custy Tribute Concert. in Cois na hAbhna on Sunday night is also free.
As well as the usual pub sessions, there are some designated Fleadh Club sessions open to all comers starting on Sunday night (18 May) in Cois na hAbhna after the concert. Also during the week there are daytime Foinn Seisiún workshops in the Templegate Hotel (4.00 to 5.30pm) for anyone wishing to add a few new tunes to their repertoire.
I've just re-read Ath's post and noted his reference to "The Famous Faha Sports" song. I heard this for the first time last night on Ronan Burke's Clare FM programme and was wondering if it's an old Clare song or in fact a newly composed - as some of the lines were a little "risque", I'd guess the latter but maybe some of you experts out there can throw some light on the matter. In any case if this is typical of the Seán O Sé/Turloughmore repertoire, then Wednesday night in Cois na hAbhna is definitely one not to miss!
Bannerman, there is a brief history of The Faha Sports on the Clare Library website, with lyrics included -
The Famous Faha Sports
Fahanlunaghta Mór and Fahanlunaghta Beg lie to the east between Miltown Malbay and Lahinch and were the scene of a popular sports day which seems to have fizzled out during the Second World War. The song given below is the version of ‘The Famous Faha Sports’ which Tim Dennehy sings on his cassette ‘A Thimbleful of Song’. The authorship is attributed to the ubiquitous Miko Guthrie with extra verses added by Breandán Higgins of Lahinch.
There is a joyous vulgarity in the song which reminds one of the paintings of Breugel or Hogarth and some of the images captured by Miko show touches of deftness with his pen almost comparable to theirs with the brush. The air to which it is sung is a version of ‘An Staicín Eórnan’ or ‘Kerry Long Ago’.
fialtach = a wild-looking person
Oh, come all ye loyal heroes out of Moy or Cloneyogan,
Out of Lahinch or Liscannor or from any other port.
Give ear unto my ditty and I hope you’ll find it pretty,
Concerning the great day we had at the famous Faha Sports.
Oh, the weather it was glorious, the day dawned bright and beautiful,
And a mighty crowd assembled, they came from far and near.
There were bottle stalls and sweet stalls, men with fiddles and melodeons,
And they playing grand old music ’t would delight your heart to hear.
There were athletes in abundance, runners, jumpers and big weight throwers,
Oh, the finest set of athletes that you could wish to see.
For to see the bulging muscles of the mighty tug-o-war men,
As they dug their heels into the sward and strove for victory.
Mary Cunnane from Ennistymon had a stall piled high with candy,
And she wore a strapless tea-coat that left her breasts exposed.
Old Batt Sexton when buying oranges went feeling them for ripeness.
But she misjudged his accent and she fairly broke his nose.
There was a girl there from Kilshanny and they said she’d equal any,
For a-shouting, roaring, fighting, or a-tearing of all sorts,
Till some hoor came up from Cree and he caught her by the knee,
Just to roll her in a meadow at the famous Faha Sports.
Some big fialtach from Kilfenora with his belly full of porter,
He fell against the big marquee and he rattled the supports.
There were cries of consternation and great songs of jubilation,
And no heed of him was taken at the famous Faha Sports.
Another fialtach from Mount Callan brought poor Mary Carty dancing,
And they danced some might fancy steps when they both were ‘maith go leor’
Ah, but with all the double wheeling, sure poor Mary’s head went reeling,
And the floor was specially treated, before the set was o’er.
Oh, the pace was fast and furious with many a man delirious,
There were long jumps, high jumps, weight throwing and races of all sorts.
Then we drank our fill of porter and when the day was over,
We staggered home quite happy from the famous Faha Sports.
Fleadh Nua - Any Good?
Fleadh Nua - Any Good?
Have any of you ever been to the Fleadh Nua in Ennis before? If so is it any good or is it a big mess session-wise?
Also same question about the Galway Fleadh.
# Posted on May 16th 2008 by Bored with thesession.org
Re: Fleadh Nua - Any Good?
[It's] "...a big mess session-wise...."
Could be four guitars and as many bodhrans-- unless yr very lucky and meet some good players you can sneak away with.
Better to find some close-by towns where locals have continuing sessions and where people are escaping the festival crush.
Big sessions (over ten) can be fun but they can also be very clinical, with stars bunched together up front and punters sitting in the rear and struggling to keep up. Like playing along with a DVD. Only without the comfort.
# Posted on May 16th 2008 by cocus
Re: Fleadh Nua - Any Good?
One of the big attractions at the fleadh nua are the concerts and recitals that are happening -
Sunday, 18th May, 8:30 p.m.
Frank Custy Tribute Concert featuring Frank and his many friends in Cois na hAbhna
Tuesday, 20th May
8:00 p.m. Fidil Beo Denis Liddy, Michael Hynes, Jack Talty & Eoin O'Neill in Temple Gate Hotel
Wednesday, 21st MAY
8.00 p.m. Concert featuring the Turloughmore Ceili Band and Seán Ó Sé in Cois na hAbhna.
http://www.turloughmoreceiliband.com/
Turloughmore Ceili Band have recorded an album with the legendary Cork singer Sean O'Se, due for release in the coming weeks.
Joan Hanrahan and Ronan Burke played sample tracks from the album on the Clare Fm trad shows on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday evenings, listen in on http://www.clarefm.ie/
Well worth a listen is the fantastic rendition of a great Clare song "The Famous Faha Sports".
Should be a great concert....
# Posted on May 16th 2008 by ath
Re: Fleadh Nua - Any Good?
While many festivals are as Cocus suggests where it's best to slip away to a nearby village for a few quiet tunes, this has never been the case for Fleadh Nua. Perhaps because of the size of Ennis and the number of hostelries there are nearly always sessions to suit all tastes from the smaller more intimate ones to the mega-sessions with 4 or 5 banjos, 10 fiddles, a couple of boxes not forgetting the couple of guitars and bodhráns.
No if you have a few days to spare come on down to Ennis for a great week. Ath has already mentioned some of the concerts to which I'd like to add:
Saturday, 24 May in Glór at 8.00pm
Sliabh Notes, University of Limerick musicians, uilleann piper Mickey Dunne and, for anyone who hasn't seen a Lambeg drum, the Hounds of Ulster.
Sunday, 25 May in Glór at 8.00pm
Peadar O Riada and Cór Cúl Aodha, Paul Brock with the "Brock Maguire" band, Tara Breen and the Leeds Scoraíocht group.
Now they haven't forgotten Cavan people either (sorry Martin, only joking) as there's a host of free entertainment from the free lunchtime concerts at 1.00pm every day in the museum, street sessions and gig-rig entertainment all day Friday and Saturday, 24/25 May. I should also have added that the opening Frank Custy Tribute Concert. in Cois na hAbhna on Sunday night is also free.
As well as the usual pub sessions, there are some designated Fleadh Club sessions open to all comers starting on Sunday night (18 May) in Cois na hAbhna after the concert. Also during the week there are daytime Foinn Seisiún workshops in the Templegate Hotel (4.00 to 5.30pm) for anyone wishing to add a few new tunes to their repertoire.
# Posted on May 16th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Fleadh Nua - Any Good?
I've just re-read Ath's post and noted his reference to "The Famous Faha Sports" song. I heard this for the first time last night on Ronan Burke's Clare FM programme and was wondering if it's an old Clare song or in fact a newly composed - as some of the lines were a little "risque", I'd guess the latter but maybe some of you experts out there can throw some light on the matter. In any case if this is typical of the Seán O Sé/Turloughmore repertoire, then Wednesday night in Cois na hAbhna is definitely one not to miss!
# Posted on May 16th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Fleadh Nua - Any Good?
Bannerman, there is a brief history of The Faha Sports on the Clare Library website, with lyrics included -
The Famous Faha Sports
Fahanlunaghta Mór and Fahanlunaghta Beg lie to the east between Miltown Malbay and Lahinch and were the scene of a popular sports day which seems to have fizzled out during the Second World War. The song given below is the version of ‘The Famous Faha Sports’ which Tim Dennehy sings on his cassette ‘A Thimbleful of Song’. The authorship is attributed to the ubiquitous Miko Guthrie with extra verses added by Breandán Higgins of Lahinch.
There is a joyous vulgarity in the song which reminds one of the paintings of Breugel or Hogarth and some of the images captured by Miko show touches of deftness with his pen almost comparable to theirs with the brush. The air to which it is sung is a version of ‘An Staicín Eórnan’ or ‘Kerry Long Ago’.
fialtach = a wild-looking person
Oh, come all ye loyal heroes out of Moy or Cloneyogan,
Out of Lahinch or Liscannor or from any other port.
Give ear unto my ditty and I hope you’ll find it pretty,
Concerning the great day we had at the famous Faha Sports.
Oh, the weather it was glorious, the day dawned bright and beautiful,
And a mighty crowd assembled, they came from far and near.
There were bottle stalls and sweet stalls, men with fiddles and melodeons,
And they playing grand old music ’t would delight your heart to hear.
There were athletes in abundance, runners, jumpers and big weight throwers,
Oh, the finest set of athletes that you could wish to see.
For to see the bulging muscles of the mighty tug-o-war men,
As they dug their heels into the sward and strove for victory.
Mary Cunnane from Ennistymon had a stall piled high with candy,
And she wore a strapless tea-coat that left her breasts exposed.
Old Batt Sexton when buying oranges went feeling them for ripeness.
But she misjudged his accent and she fairly broke his nose.
There was a girl there from Kilshanny and they said she’d equal any,
For a-shouting, roaring, fighting, or a-tearing of all sorts,
Till some hoor came up from Cree and he caught her by the knee,
Just to roll her in a meadow at the famous Faha Sports.
Some big fialtach from Kilfenora with his belly full of porter,
He fell against the big marquee and he rattled the supports.
There were cries of consternation and great songs of jubilation,
And no heed of him was taken at the famous Faha Sports.
Another fialtach from Mount Callan brought poor Mary Carty dancing,
And they danced some might fancy steps when they both were ‘maith go leor’
Ah, but with all the double wheeling, sure poor Mary’s head went reeling,
And the floor was specially treated, before the set was o’er.
Oh, the pace was fast and furious with many a man delirious,
There were long jumps, high jumps, weight throwing and races of all sorts.
Then we drank our fill of porter and when the day was over,
We staggered home quite happy from the famous Faha Sports.
# Posted on May 16th 2008 by ath
Re: Fleadh Nua - Any Good?
Thanks Ath for such a detailed reply and particularly the words of the song.
# Posted on May 17th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Fleadh Nua - Any Good?
I thought that it was good anyway. A pitty that the pubs wouldn't have a few sessions on
# Posted on May 31st 2008 by ennisman