Hello! I have never posted before, so here goes. Me and a few of my friends here in the US are planning a trip to Ireland, Scotland and London-Liverpool areas. We are interested in sitting in with some sessions, and hopefully finding a traditional music festival or two while we are there. We want to go in early Sept. Does anyone have any suggestions on the best festivals to visit during that time?
However, I'm a little concerned re. your reference to Ireland, Scotland and London-Liverpool as 'areas'! I suggest you buy decent guidebooks to Ireland and the UK before you plan your trip.
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
I don't know off hand what festivals are on in early September, but you'll find that Ireland, Scotland, London, and Liverpool covers a HUGE area. Unless you are spending a while over here, it might not be a bad idea to narrow it down a bit.
Also, if you're wanting info on sessions in specific areas, it will help if you know where you're going.
Otherwise, it's like, "I'm going to the United States. Can someone let me know where the good sessions are."
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Thanks for the links. The reason we have selected London and Liverpool areas is because we have friends there that are showing us around (and we are flying into London). But our friends aren't music friends. I wish we could go in August, which was our first choice, unfortunately airfare is twice as much then. We are going on the cheap for this trip, we are trying not to make it an expensive touristy thing, but to see the countryside and get plenty of session playing in, and go to a festival if we can. I know there are some great things in Oct, but my party thinks it will be too cold then.
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Heh heh. Point taken! I think we need the most advice in finding a great festival, maybe one each in Ireland and Scotland, which could be a focal point to plan a short trip around (about 10 days). There is no way we will see and do everything! This is just for fun, to experience the culture of the traditional music we love so much.
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Not about music, but I highly recommnend you get a copy of the Rick Steves travel books. They are very conversational in talking about the speciifc areas you want to visit, and emphasize bed & Breakfasts as opposed to hotels. You'll get much more out of your stay if you follow Steves' advice.
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
I was in Ireland last September, and I went to both Nell Galvin Festival at Moysasta (http://www.nellgalvin.com) and the Tulla Festival at Tulla (http://www.tullatradfestival.com), both in County Clare. They were just a week apart, so you could do both with some travelling in between. Tulla this year is 10-12 Sept, Nell Galvin doesn't seem to have dates yet, but email them to ask. Both festivals, while very different in character and structure, were very welcoming and friendly, with plenty of session. Tulla had some brilliant concerts too. Both ran good workshops, if that's your thing.
From Clare, you could drive up to Connemara (my favourite bit, lots of wild barren moorland and sea, and very quiet). I went swimming on a deserted amazing beach in September! but then it was a very warm dry September last year. Or you could go down to Kerry and Cork (more dramatic, less quiet). Though I also found some very quiet bits of County Cork, on the peninsulas.
If you email me with an email address, I'll mail you a list of sessions I worked from last year.
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
To ditto a couple of points. I'm an American, but I go to Ireland periodically due to being married to a Belfast native. As small as that group of islands off the coast of Europe may seem in comparison to North America, they are by no means "small." I can only tell you about Belfast and few other parts of Ulster, but that's it. I'm sure Clare, for example, would be a totally different experience, both culturally and musically. You may want to narrow your scope when you talk of "areas."
Speaking of Clare, I understand that is a wonderful part of Ireland in terms of music, but Antrim is not short on it's musical charms, and the coast is breathtaking.
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
If you land up crossing between Ireland and Scotland on the Belfast/Stranraer or Belfas/Cairnryan ferry, Portpatrick Folk Festival (on the West coast of Scotland very close to Stranraer) is always the first weekend in September. A small but very friendly festival with lots of sessions.
And if you land up wiating for a ferry in Stranraer on a Wednesday night, you'd be very welcome at the folk club.
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Nice plug for Rick Steves and PBS. But very advice is good too.
Also, if you have never been to Ireland, get yourself a good road atlas. They are invaluable. Irish roads are much better than they were, but there are still many that are one lane, 8 feet wide with either stone walls or heavy vegetation on either side.
Signage is good in main areas, but missing to the point of being frustratingly humorous in the rural areas.
We always seem to miss the good festivals by a week either side. Not so much bad planning, but Herself being a teacher, has limited travel windows.
If you have little experience in Ireland, My advice is DO YOUR HOMEWORK, so as not to be disappointed. And DON'T OVERPLAN. You don't want to spend your time on the road going from place to place. Very easy to do. Ireland is a beautiful place with alot of things going on-even though you may be more interested in less things.
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Here is a list of Scottish festivals on the TMSA website. It's not comprehensive -- it's just ones this organization has connections to. I have never been to any of these so can't advise one way or another.
KIRRIEMUIR FESTIVAL............................ 3-5 September
LINLITHGOW FESTIVAL........................ 9-12 September
CEÒL CHOLASA .............................. 16-19 September
DOUGLASDALE FOLK FESTIVAL........ 19-20 September
JURA FESTIVAL ................................. 24-26 September
THE BELHAVEN BEST: DUNBAR
TRADITIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL ....... 25-27 September
Doing Ireland, England, and Scotland in ten days is going to involve a lot of schlepping. Maybe best to pick one or two. Things in these islands seem small and close together from an American perspective (I'm originally from there) but you come here and you find distances bigger than you thought.
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Yes, I'd strongly suggest too that you don't cram so much in! you'll regret it... I spent a month in Ireland, and saw just a tiny bit of the country in order to savour it.
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
I agree with Sue above, pick a small area of Scotland and the same in Ireland. 16 years ago my wife and I took the north rail line in Ireland with the intention of going to Letterkenny for our honeymoon. We stopped for a night in Derry and never got any further. Better a memorable experience in one place than a blur of half remembered place names.
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Of course I'm heavily biased but the north west is the place in Scotland . Even folk festivals are generally a lot more eclectic here than in Ireland so if it's trad you're looking for and in a variety of locations......... http://www.blas-festival.com/
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
If you're going to buy a guidebook, I'd strongly recommend avoiding the Rick Steves Ireland guide. It's hopelessly out of date and riddled with errors and many ridiculous misunderstandings.
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Okay OKAY! I'm going to add an extra week (maybe 2) onto the trip. I'm going to try and set up an itinerary, based on all these suggestions, and then come back and ask for suggestions on lodging.
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
I've been to the Tulla Trad Festival a couple of times and would heartily recommend it as lovely local festival with great talent invited from afar to perform and many of the great local musicians from the locality.
ps- if youre looking for a hotel room use the hotel that the festival reccomends/uses and there are late night(early morning) sessions every night with musicians that play at the festival.
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
I'd thoroughly endorse the Open House Festival 8th - 12 Sept 2010. Prob not 50% trad, tho. Fantastic roots/ Americana/ blues/ trad festival with a great atmosphere. I stayed at the Ramada Encore last year, as did most of the artists + it's only minutes from the main festival sites. See you there.
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
September Festivals in Ireland include:
Gigg the Bann
Kilkenny Arts Festival
and
Enniskillen Arts Festival
Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival and Johnny Doherty Music and Dance Festival are at the end of September
Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Hello! I have never posted before, so here goes. Me and a few of my friends here in the US are planning a trip to Ireland, Scotland and London-Liverpool areas. We are interested in sitting in with some sessions, and hopefully finding a traditional music festival or two while we are there. We want to go in early Sept. Does anyone have any suggestions on the best festivals to visit during that time?
# Posted on February 12th 2010 by windplayer
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Most of the best festivals in Ireland take place in July and August. For a somewhat incomplete list of Irish events during those months there's http://www.irishmusicmagazine.com/links/festivals/ and there's this link for the UK in September - http://www.folkandroots.co.uk/festivals.html#September (again you'll have missed some of the most enjoyable July/August events).
However, I'm a little concerned re. your reference to Ireland, Scotland and London-Liverpool as 'areas'! I suggest you buy decent guidebooks to Ireland and the UK before you plan your trip.
# Posted on February 12th 2010 by MacCruiskeen
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
I don't know off hand what festivals are on in early September, but you'll find that Ireland, Scotland, London, and Liverpool covers a HUGE area. Unless you are spending a while over here, it might not be a bad idea to narrow it down a bit.
Also, if you're wanting info on sessions in specific areas, it will help if you know where you're going.
Otherwise, it's like, "I'm going to the United States. Can someone let me know where the good sessions are."
# Posted on February 12th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Thanks for the links. The reason we have selected London and Liverpool areas is because we have friends there that are showing us around (and we are flying into London). But our friends aren't music friends. I wish we could go in August, which was our first choice, unfortunately airfare is twice as much then. We are going on the cheap for this trip, we are trying not to make it an expensive touristy thing, but to see the countryside and get plenty of session playing in, and go to a festival if we can. I know there are some great things in Oct, but my party thinks it will be too cold then.
# Posted on February 12th 2010 by windplayer
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Heh heh. Point taken! I think we need the most advice in finding a great festival, maybe one each in Ireland and Scotland, which could be a focal point to plan a short trip around (about 10 days). There is no way we will see and do everything! This is just for fun, to experience the culture of the traditional music we love so much.
# Posted on February 12th 2010 by windplayer
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Advice take an umbrella
# Posted on February 12th 2010 by bazouki dave
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Not about music, but I highly recommnend you get a copy of the Rick Steves travel books. They are very conversational in talking about the speciifc areas you want to visit, and emphasize bed & Breakfasts as opposed to hotels. You'll get much more out of your stay if you follow Steves' advice.
# Posted on February 12th 2010 by Ailin
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
I was in Ireland last September, and I went to both Nell Galvin Festival at Moysasta (http://www.nellgalvin.com) and the Tulla Festival at Tulla (http://www.tullatradfestival.com), both in County Clare. They were just a week apart, so you could do both with some travelling in between. Tulla this year is 10-12 Sept, Nell Galvin doesn't seem to have dates yet, but email them to ask. Both festivals, while very different in character and structure, were very welcoming and friendly, with plenty of session. Tulla had some brilliant concerts too. Both ran good workshops, if that's your thing.
From Clare, you could drive up to Connemara (my favourite bit, lots of wild barren moorland and sea, and very quiet). I went swimming on a deserted amazing beach in September! but then it was a very warm dry September last year. Or you could go down to Kerry and Cork (more dramatic, less quiet). Though I also found some very quiet bits of County Cork, on the peninsulas.
If you email me with an email address, I'll mail you a list of sessions I worked from last year.
Sue
# Posted on February 12th 2010 by suesinger
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
aargghh!! it's Moyasta, Co Clare.
# Posted on February 12th 2010 by suesinger
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
To ditto a couple of points. I'm an American, but I go to Ireland periodically due to being married to a Belfast native. As small as that group of islands off the coast of Europe may seem in comparison to North America, they are by no means "small." I can only tell you about Belfast and few other parts of Ulster, but that's it. I'm sure Clare, for example, would be a totally different experience, both culturally and musically. You may want to narrow your scope when you talk of "areas."
Speaking of Clare, I understand that is a wonderful part of Ireland in terms of music, but Antrim is not short on it's musical charms, and the coast is breathtaking.
# Posted on February 12th 2010 by Jimmy B
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
If you land up crossing between Ireland and Scotland on the Belfast/Stranraer or Belfas/Cairnryan ferry, Portpatrick Folk Festival (on the West coast of Scotland very close to Stranraer) is always the first weekend in September. A small but very friendly festival with lots of sessions.
And if you land up wiating for a ferry in Stranraer on a Wednesday night, you'd be very welcome at the folk club.
# Posted on February 12th 2010 by skreech
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Nice plug for Rick Steves and PBS. But very advice is good too.
Also, if you have never been to Ireland, get yourself a good road atlas. They are invaluable. Irish roads are much better than they were, but there are still many that are one lane, 8 feet wide with either stone walls or heavy vegetation on either side.
Signage is good in main areas, but missing to the point of being frustratingly humorous in the rural areas.
We always seem to miss the good festivals by a week either side. Not so much bad planning, but Herself being a teacher, has limited travel windows.
If you have little experience in Ireland, My advice is DO YOUR HOMEWORK, so as not to be disappointed. And DON'T OVERPLAN. You don't want to spend your time on the road going from place to place. Very easy to do. Ireland is a beautiful place with alot of things going on-even though you may be more interested in less things.
# Posted on February 12th 2010 by zippydw
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
But very good advice too.....
oops
# Posted on February 12th 2010 by zippydw
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
co clare full stop
# Posted on February 13th 2010 by jamesdevitt
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Here is a list of Scottish festivals on the TMSA website. It's not comprehensive -- it's just ones this organization has connections to. I have never been to any of these so can't advise one way or another.
KIRRIEMUIR FESTIVAL............................ 3-5 September
LINLITHGOW FESTIVAL........................ 9-12 September
CEÒL CHOLASA .............................. 16-19 September
DOUGLASDALE FOLK FESTIVAL........ 19-20 September
JURA FESTIVAL ................................. 24-26 September
THE BELHAVEN BEST: DUNBAR
TRADITIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL ....... 25-27 September
Doing Ireland, England, and Scotland in ten days is going to involve a lot of schlepping. Maybe best to pick one or two. Things in these islands seem small and close together from an American perspective (I'm originally from there) but you come here and you find distances bigger than you thought.
# Posted on February 13th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Yes, I'd strongly suggest too that you don't cram so much in! you'll regret it... I spent a month in Ireland, and saw just a tiny bit of the country in order to savour it.
# Posted on February 13th 2010 by suesinger
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
I agree with Sue above, pick a small area of Scotland and the same in Ireland. 16 years ago my wife and I took the north rail line in Ireland with the intention of going to Letterkenny for our honeymoon. We stopped for a night in Derry and never got any further. Better a memorable experience in one place than a blur of half remembered place names.
# Posted on February 13th 2010 by bogman
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Of course I'm heavily biased but the north west is the place in Scotland
. Even folk festivals are generally a lot more eclectic here than in Ireland so if it's trad you're looking for and in a variety of locations.........
http://www.blas-festival.com/
# Posted on February 13th 2010 by bogman
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
If you're going to buy a guidebook, I'd strongly recommend avoiding the Rick Steves Ireland guide. It's hopelessly out of date and riddled with errors and many ridiculous misunderstandings.
# Posted on February 13th 2010 by MacCruiskeen
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Okay OKAY! I'm going to add an extra week (maybe 2) onto the trip. I'm going to try and set up an itinerary, based on all these suggestions, and then come back and ask for suggestions on lodging.
# Posted on February 13th 2010 by windplayer
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
I've been to the Tulla Trad Festival a couple of times and would heartily recommend it as lovely local festival with great talent invited from afar to perform and many of the great local musicians from the locality.
# Posted on February 13th 2010 by clareman
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
If youre near Belfast closer to the end of September check out the Open House Fest-
http://www.openhousefestival.com/2009/events/index.html
Its about 50% Irish trad with lots of free events/sessions
ps- if youre looking for a hotel room use the hotel that the festival reccomends/uses and there are late night(early morning) sessions every night with musicians that play at the festival.
# Posted on February 14th 2010 by JimR
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
If your in London during September them you might want to try http://www.feislondon.org/index.asp
You might find something on this link too.
http://www.feislondon.org/index.asp
# Posted on February 14th 2010 by craigwebster
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
I'd thoroughly endorse the Open House Festival 8th - 12 Sept 2010. Prob not 50% trad, tho. Fantastic roots/ Americana/ blues/ trad festival with a great atmosphere. I stayed at the Ramada Encore last year, as did most of the artists + it's only minutes from the main festival sites. See you there.
# Posted on February 15th 2010 by strayaway
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
September Festivals in Ireland include:
Gigg the Bann
Kilkenny Arts Festival
and
Enniskillen Arts Festival
Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival and Johnny Doherty Music and Dance Festival are at the end of September
# Posted on February 24th 2010 by tuney
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
"we are flying into London": @ windplayer.
aaarrgghh.
Good luck with that. I recommend flying *over* it.
# Posted on February 24th 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
London, Stratford, Edinburgh. It's the only way to do England. A million yanks a year can't be wrong.
# Posted on February 24th 2010 by ...
Re: Ideas for trip to Ireland/Scotland in early Sept.
Schiphol to Dublin or Shannon - that's an even better way to do England.
# Posted on February 24th 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh