I was at the fleadh in tullamore, just for the weekend, and it seemed to be a town that coped very well with the demands associated with a fleadh. I heard a lot of good, and very bad it has to be said, music over the weekend. I particularly enjoyed a couple of sets that were recorded by the Fleadh program makers but what aspect of the week did other peopl enjoy most, ie: what sessions did people enjoy, any competitions (and were there any contentious decisions), concerts etc. Give a brief description of your chosen asepect.
I enjoyed an unexpected session on Thursday night when a meeting with friends fell through and I was having a drink with my other half and deciding what do do next. Some other musicians spotted the flute and concertina cases, and we ended up with a session until 3.00 that was great fun - all the more so because it was unexpected.
The other sessions we enjoyed were on the campsite - afternoon sessions relaxing outside a caravan, and night sessions in the football changing rooms that were doubling as showers !
We had 20 musicians and a small appreciative audience playing from midnight to 3.00 am - wonderful acoustics, and a great way to unwind after listening to a day of competitions.
Tell me about the Fleadh. How many people attend? Is there a ticket for the event and how much. Does campling cost extra? How many performers are there. What are the contests.
Im just trying to get an idea of the scope of the event. (Im in the USA.)
I went to the fleadh on Sunday and managed to get a good session in. However, I wandered around the town on Sunday night to see what was going on and it was horrendous. Street drinking was what it was all about. Massive queues at the off-licence and many pubs had on-street bars to facilitate the street drinking.
Lots of pubs had no music at all, jukeboxes or sessions where I'm surprised the musicians could hear anything at all they were so crowded.
The gig rigs had terrible PAs or sound engineers or possibly both and on Sunday night there was a Dubliners-type band singing songs like the Foggy Dew etc.
There were a couple of nice little sessions in the street and some good teenagers busking but that didn't make for comfortable or long-term listening as it was a bit cold.
The majority of people attending the fleadh are there to drink and are not in the slightest bit interested in traditional music. There are much better festivals to go to throughout Ireland in the summer.
I was passing through on Friday, and was lucky enough to sit in with a few young players in the lobby of the Bridge House for a while. A scottish Piano-Accordion player, an american fiddler, and a French Guitarist and myself had a great few tunes, before the Scotsman had to leave. We were then treated to a family of piano players practising for competition, egged on by a miserable father, so we upped and moved to the upper area near the smoker's deck. Another fiddler, this time from Tipperary, joined us and the craic continued. Before it really got going, howaver, a TV crew then turned up and filmed and interviewed us - lights, fiddles wired up, the lot - which kind of destroyed the casual atmosphere, but it was a buzz.
Then I met up with some friends from Tullamore at the parade, carried the Carlow flag in the absence of any other Scallion-eaters, and joined in the Biggest session, before heading on my merry way to Mosney for the weekend.
Enjoyed everything except the piped music on the street early in the day.
I enjoyed listening to the 6 charming young girls attending the scoil éigse who played great music down the back of the Bridge Hotel from Mon to Thurs before the weekend crowds arrived.Fiddle box and concertinas,they were from Dublin and cant have been more than 12yrs old. Full marks to the staff of the Bridge who treated them to drinks and chips much to their delight.
Have to agree about some great sessions in the Bridge House Hotel (it's like a Fleadh within a Fleadh where you can have a number of separate sessions in the ground floor lobby while one or two more can be going on at the same time on the first floor). My own favourite was Bob Smyth's pub on the Tuesday night during Eigse week. About seven or eight of us were having a great session (banjo, fiddles, box, flute, piano accordion, guitar) when you think it couldn't get any better. But it did when in walked local composer John Brady with his flute along with his daughter Attracta (Fleadh Chairperson) on fiddle and a number of young Offaly musicians - a brief glimpse of the hereafter is probably the best way to describe it!
I enjoyed a number of good sessions, joining in with people of all ages, from teenagers to OAPs.
I also joined the world record session, which was good fun, but for me not quite as good as last year, as I had non musicians pushing past me to try and see the dancers at the front, I think it would have been better to just have dancers on stage, like last year.There was a plan to have session.org members meet near the front left, but this didn't work out, where were you Bannerman?
I also enjoyed watching some of the competitions, especially seeing my local Skibbereen U15 band coming 3rd in their competition.
What I didn't like; the weather on Saturday of course, and the amplification from the gig rig which to my mind was much too loud, and like Rocky roader the piped music at other times, because this can prevent a street session starting up.
But overall another great fleadh.
Well said Cathy about the big session on the Friday night. It was very disappointing we couldn't meet up as planned by the stage. I could only get half way up and ended up playing in a little "musical island" amongst the crowds. The county groups with their banners who marched in the Parade were given precedence and allowed in first. My own view is that the musicians should be grouped together and allowed in before the parade arrives - I don't think most of us would mind arriving half an hour early. On a separate issue I did see you in full flight in a session in the front bar of the Bridge House but couldn't join in as I was already late for another session at the time.
As a matter of interest did any or many people from on here meet each other? Maybe it might be better to keep our anonymity as the thought comes to mind "I heard you playing in Tullamore and you were rubbish so who are you to criticize my opinions. On the other hand we are not really bitchey like that.... are we ?????????
Incidentally I put my opinions of the Fleadh on the Fleadh 09 thread..
What did you enjoy about Fleadh '08?
What did you enjoy about Fleadh '08?
I was at the fleadh in tullamore, just for the weekend, and it seemed to be a town that coped very well with the demands associated with a fleadh. I heard a lot of good, and very bad it has to be said, music over the weekend. I particularly enjoyed a couple of sets that were recorded by the Fleadh program makers but what aspect of the week did other peopl enjoy most, ie: what sessions did people enjoy, any competitions (and were there any contentious decisions), concerts etc. Give a brief description of your chosen asepect.
# Posted on August 25th 2008 by tradmoosic
Re: What did you enjoy about Fleadh '08?
I enjoyed the weather.
# Posted on August 25th 2008 by WorzelGummidge
Re: What did you enjoy about Fleadh '08? - Part 1
I enjoyed an unexpected session on Thursday night when a meeting with friends fell through and I was having a drink with my other half and deciding what do do next. Some other musicians spotted the flute and concertina cases, and we ended up with a session until 3.00 that was great fun - all the more so because it was unexpected.
# Posted on August 25th 2008 by southsider
Re: What did you enjoy about Fleadh '08? - Part 2
The other sessions we enjoyed were on the campsite - afternoon sessions relaxing outside a caravan, and night sessions in the football changing rooms that were doubling as showers !
We had 20 musicians and a small appreciative audience playing from midnight to 3.00 am - wonderful acoustics, and a great way to unwind after listening to a day of competitions.
# Posted on August 25th 2008 by southsider
Re: What did you enjoy about Fleadh '08?
Tell me about the Fleadh. How many people attend? Is there a ticket for the event and how much. Does campling cost extra? How many performers are there. What are the contests.
Im just trying to get an idea of the scope of the event. (Im in the USA.)
# Posted on August 25th 2008 by The Merry Highlander
Re: What did you enjoy about Fleadh '08?
I went to the fleadh on Sunday and managed to get a good session in. However, I wandered around the town on Sunday night to see what was going on and it was horrendous. Street drinking was what it was all about. Massive queues at the off-licence and many pubs had on-street bars to facilitate the street drinking.
Lots of pubs had no music at all, jukeboxes or sessions where I'm surprised the musicians could hear anything at all they were so crowded.
The gig rigs had terrible PAs or sound engineers or possibly both and on Sunday night there was a Dubliners-type band singing songs like the Foggy Dew etc.
There were a couple of nice little sessions in the street and some good teenagers busking but that didn't make for comfortable or long-term listening as it was a bit cold.
The majority of people attending the fleadh are there to drink and are not in the slightest bit interested in traditional music. There are much better festivals to go to throughout Ireland in the summer.
# Posted on August 26th 2008 by boxedup
Re: What did you enjoy about Fleadh '08?
I was passing through on Friday, and was lucky enough to sit in with a few young players in the lobby of the Bridge House for a while. A scottish Piano-Accordion player, an american fiddler, and a French Guitarist and myself had a great few tunes, before the Scotsman had to leave. We were then treated to a family of piano players practising for competition, egged on by a miserable father, so we upped and moved to the upper area near the smoker's deck. Another fiddler, this time from Tipperary, joined us and the craic continued. Before it really got going, howaver, a TV crew then turned up and filmed and interviewed us - lights, fiddles wired up, the lot - which kind of destroyed the casual atmosphere, but it was a buzz.
Then I met up with some friends from Tullamore at the parade, carried the Carlow flag in the absence of any other Scallion-eaters, and joined in the Biggest session, before heading on my merry way to Mosney for the weekend.
Enjoyed everything except the piped music on the street early in the day.
# Posted on August 26th 2008 by RockyRoader
Re: What did you enjoy about Fleadh '08?
i enjoyed the 3 fiddlers playing mostly coleman tunes beside the bridge house hotel on sunday night
# Posted on August 26th 2008 by m d
Re: What did you enjoy about Fleadh '08?
I enjoyed listening to the 6 charming young girls attending the scoil éigse who played great music down the back of the Bridge Hotel from Mon to Thurs before the weekend crowds arrived.Fiddle box and concertinas,they were from Dublin and cant have been more than 12yrs old. Full marks to the staff of the Bridge who treated them to drinks and chips much to their delight.
# Posted on August 27th 2008 by dílis
Re: What did you enjoy about Fleadh '08?
Have to agree about some great sessions in the Bridge House Hotel (it's like a Fleadh within a Fleadh where you can have a number of separate sessions in the ground floor lobby while one or two more can be going on at the same time on the first floor). My own favourite was Bob Smyth's pub on the Tuesday night during Eigse week. About seven or eight of us were having a great session (banjo, fiddles, box, flute, piano accordion, guitar) when you think it couldn't get any better. But it did when in walked local composer John Brady with his flute along with his daughter Attracta (Fleadh Chairperson) on fiddle and a number of young Offaly musicians - a brief glimpse of the hereafter is probably the best way to describe it!
# Posted on August 27th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: What did you enjoy about Fleadh '08?
I enjoyed a number of good sessions, joining in with people of all ages, from teenagers to OAPs.
I also joined the world record session, which was good fun, but for me not quite as good as last year, as I had non musicians pushing past me to try and see the dancers at the front, I think it would have been better to just have dancers on stage, like last year.There was a plan to have session.org members meet near the front left, but this didn't work out, where were you Bannerman?
I also enjoyed watching some of the competitions, especially seeing my local Skibbereen U15 band coming 3rd in their competition.
What I didn't like; the weather on Saturday of course, and the amplification from the gig rig which to my mind was much too loud, and like Rocky roader the piped music at other times, because this can prevent a street session starting up.
But overall another great fleadh.
# Posted on August 27th 2008 by cathycook
Re: What did you enjoy about Fleadh '08?
Well said Cathy about the big session on the Friday night. It was very disappointing we couldn't meet up as planned by the stage. I could only get half way up and ended up playing in a little "musical island" amongst the crowds. The county groups with their banners who marched in the Parade were given precedence and allowed in first. My own view is that the musicians should be grouped together and allowed in before the parade arrives - I don't think most of us would mind arriving half an hour early. On a separate issue I did see you in full flight in a session in the front bar of the Bridge House but couldn't join in as I was already late for another session at the time.
# Posted on August 27th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: What did you enjoy about Fleadh '08?
As a matter of interest did any or many people from on here meet each other? Maybe it might be better to keep our anonymity as the thought comes to mind "I heard you playing in Tullamore and you were rubbish so who are you to criticize my opinions. On the other hand we are not really bitchey like that.... are we ?????????
Incidentally I put my opinions of the Fleadh on the Fleadh 09 thread..
# Posted on August 27th 2008 by Free Reed