Did anyone manage to get into a pub for a session in Cavan? When we arrived on Saturday morning lots of people said that they could not get into the pubs in the town on Friday night and it was the same on Saturday night! As we were in competitions all day Saturday we were stuck around the Super Value site and could not go to the town. In Tullamore if you had an hour between competitions you could find a session but we were too far away and we waited 20 minutes to get a shuttle bus to Brefini College. We went into town on Sunday and could not get into any pub! It was the worst fleadh I have ever been to!
Went up for the day yesterday but couldn't get into any pub. They were just too full. That said, there was some great music being played on the street and you had the space to stand there and enjoy it.
Too many banjos for my liking though!! What is it about Comhaltas and banjos?
Couldn't agree less, the craic and sessions on the streets (and the fact that you could have a few tinnys on them) made the packed pubs a non-issue for me.
Cavan was probably the worst Fleadh I've been to.
On Thursday when I arrived, Most pubs had CDs playing.
Friday night, there was few sessions and the one I did join ended up being taken over by guitars. Sunday night was a joke, I wasn't really surprised when they canceled the gig rig. Again little or no music around, any hope of sessions at the back of the Farnham Arms were put to an end when the night club started up.
It's been a while since I camped, something has to be done to discourage the Northern crowd that are only interested in drinking from coming to the Fleadh.
Cavan is too small, the venues were too far apart and too few, Cavan is too close to the border and attracted the wrong crowd, The Fleadh at the weekend is not family friendly either.
Sorry to here about this PadraigB -
I thought Cavan - would be to small...
And I think I know that type of -
Northern crowd your talking about... '' Great music , I cant play the music, but the Guinness is Bl**dy strong down here ''...
Now this Peace agreement which we are all loving up here..
I wont be surprised if they- run Feet's of Buses from The Ranger's Supporter's Club's etc,,, -- LOL....
JUst back from Cavan , your a bit out of order about us "Northerners" everywhere we went, we were well received and had great craic and sessions.I must admit the Cavan committee put a great deal of effort and planning into the event, but Cavan is far to small.
On Sunday night the Gards and the Committe had a major Health and Safety flap on at the Gig rig as people were panicking and getting hurt due to the massive crowd , some say 100 thousand cooped into a small square. They were running around like headless chickens, and one Gard told me that they were concerned of another Love Fest event that happened in Germany with 16 people killed, he said they were very close to a major incident. The committee took the decision, Correctly in my view to curtail Sharon Shannon and cancel the fireworks.
Unless the serious H&S concerns are attended to Cavan is in great danger of not getting the go ahead for next year.
AS for the pubs , Cavan has only 36 pubs, of which 32 were opened, this compared with Tullamore's 70 odd and Listowels 104, so this is why ann the pubs were jam packed with the absence of good quality sessions.
But, to summerise I have a real concern about going to Cavan next year.
Yeah the Donegal people, don't like being called Southerner's,
Learned that ..But Sorry to here that about Cavan being too small etc, Its nice to keep it up On the Northern County's some time's, [ and this time I'am talking about all Nine ] - lol....
I use to love Buncrana - But maybe its to small for the large crowd's now too! - I always found Listowel just to far, And its only fair to give the Northerners' - wherever, a go ! -- Hope something can be sorted some day soon,,,
I also forgot to mention the over zealous reich furers who seemed to be on a quest of dont do this ..dont do that and the complete absence of palces to park your campervan/caravan/tent without incurring a heafty 25 euro per night fee and the plastic beer glasses everywhere.
Also The Well pub profiteering by charging 4.40 for a pint whilst openly charging locals 3,40 and giving them a proper glass.
Some good music though especially in Blessings, Dunnes and a cracking barmaid Lynn in Blessings.But good points very thin on the ground.
All-Ireland's haven't changed at all then since the early seventies,
what we called, a large rip-off ,, But at least in those day's we could pitch a tent anywhere, as long as it was not in Sacred ground --
lol...
I thought the atmosphere was great, as for sessions in the pubs..too noisy. We went out of town a bit and had a whole pub to ourselves.. Seemingly Cavan has set a new Fleadh record for attendance. I think it was well organised, and I liked the covers over some of the street. I heard that the intention was to put more of those 'roofs' over the Main Street but Fire Regulations and Health and Safety forbade it. Nearly every group playing on the street had an open case for contributions in front of them. Maybe the 'open case syndrome' was caused by the 'Busker Competition' but I think that cheapens the whole idea of a street session. I certainly wouldn't sit in with a group who were collecting, and I don't suppose they would welcome me anyway. The amplified Rock Band right in the centre of the main street, drown out the ordinary street musicians playing trad in the vicinity, and seemed to attract the biggest crowd. I enjoyed them, but to my mind they should have been moved away from the Main Street . It was also a bad move to have Sharon Shannon on the Gig Rig at that time on the last night of the Fleadh. It was obvious to me that all the people who couldn't get into the pubs would converge in that area for a listen.....I can understand why the Guards got iffy about the situation. Some lessons to be learned but overall I enjoyed...then again I'm bias.
This is unfair to Cavan especially all the people who volunteer and work hard all week, However The Dome was a poor venue with loud noise of generator? also too few shuttle buses and comp venues too far apart, people will always try to make easy money and this was very obvious in Cavan!
I've never thought drunkedness was a "Northern" disease. On my four trips to Ireland I've come across numerous drunks, mostly my own kind. Maybe with the Fleadh being in an Ulster county this year there may have been a higher proportion of Northern Irish people present but public drunkedness is a problem everywhere. I seem to recall the first year the Fleadh was in Tullamore(2007) which I did attend the same problem arose and it was put to me that this was because it was too close to Dublin. In Melbourne we have the same situation every weekend in King Street. Incidentally I do have the odd glass of wine myself so I'm no prohibitionist.
Too close to the border you say PadraigB. Maybe we should move the border then. The only real drunkeness I witnessed was from young locals after the discos. Would you advocate border control up the road in Fermanagh? Maybe we would be let through on good behaviour. FSB! (Work it out, second word State).
I think what he is referring to is the heavily leaked "Derry Venue" for 2013. Its an open secret that high level moves are under way for it to go to Derry in 2013...I hope not it would be worse than Cavan in terms of Health and Safety risk, just think of a dissent bomb or two.
A for f(cks sake Derry is just as entitled to the music as Listowel or Milltown Malbay or anywhere. Probably more entitled and more hungry for it.Its amazing the amount of people that still exist with that awful partitionost mentality. You would think that in trad music people would have the ability to look beyond English made borders. belfastrob do you think mad Republicans who still stupidly think violence could acheive anything would bomb the Fleadh? Unbelievable!
I had a great time myself, playing in sessions night and day. Good session in a town centre pub on Thurs night, went back to the same one Friday, and the session was great to start with, but the bar filled up with very noisy people who weren't there to listen to the music, and it got too loud to hear ourselves.
I heard about another bar slightly less central which might be quieter, headed there Saturday, and had a great time playing Sat. and Sun. Had to head home Monday morning.
I did have a bit of difficulty finding a good place to park my van for the weekend, (I wasn't going to fork out €25 euro a night on the campsite for a small van which isn't even a camper van), but I did eventually find a good spot.
I don't think any drunkeness should be blamed on people from the North, Dublin or any other location, would agree with iwerzon that most of the really drunk people were young people not really there for the fleadh.
I think some of the begrudgers shoud realise that a massive amount of work goes into organising an event like this, there are bound to be some glitches, would you be able to do a better job yourselves?
So Hussar.You know of some dissident loyalist organization that has plans to bomb a major event? Or maybe you are just not the brightest star in the galaxy?Or you just wanted to write some words and that is what came out? Limerick or Dublin or Tralee or Athlone or my hometown of Ennis are just as dangerous as Derry. The peace process is working. Its going to take time.Generations. People are living in the best way they can.The fleadh will help.
From what I had of the fleadh I really enjoyed it. Was there on Wed & thurs leading up to weekend, arrived back Sunday and left last night. I do agree with another post that most of the drunks were locals and this seems to be the case in every town that hosts the fleadh. Was playing a session in Cavan crystal hotel on Sunday night and "hats off" to them there for bringing down a drink to us. Have never seen this in a hotel before and it was a nice appreciation
Tab, I think I know a thing or two about the twisted logic of the last few decades. And I wouldn't be remotely surprised to see violence erupt - it's only barely buried. Look at what happened last year, was it, when the Love Ulstermen wanted to parade their culture on Dublins main street - there was practically a full scale riot. So parade what might be seen as Republican culture (and I'm not saying it is, but that's a perception) by means of a fleadh in Derry - you might well expect the worse. An if you don't, then you're just naive.
Very sad reading this. Me and the missus had our honeymoon in Derry 16 years ago, have played trad gigs there since and love the people and the place. Never been to a Fleadh as a visitor but I would try to go if there was one in Derry.
Sorry Bogman to cast a spell of gloom but your view is typical of what the scout leaders thought this year when they decided to bring their little kiddies up to Belfast by train on the Glorious Twelfth, only a few short weeks ago. The train was attacked and burnt, kids were only traumatised and lost most of their belongings, I believe but it could have been a complete disaster.
Whatever way you look at it, a Fleadh Cheoil in the Six Counties would be seen from many sides as an expression of Irish nationalist culture - just as the 12th July and the Loyalist marching season is seen as an expression of Unionist culture. Both equally prone to stir up resentment & trouble.
I think it's sad that there is still this "fear" of northerners amongst some southerners. I have been shocked at times when I have been in Dublin and have opened my northern mouth only to have people look at me in complete shock and horror as if I am about to explode a suicide belt. Or the time I went to a festival in Mayo with a crowd from Belfast and an old man actually said with astonishment "you Belfast people are really nice". He had been speaking to us for a few days and it turned out that all the brainwashing from rte had made him believe that everyone in Belfast was a barbarian. Derry is a fine place for an all-Ireland and I sincerely hope it happens! We all know that the best musicians are northerners anyway.
I had a decent experience in Cavan. I was there for the full week so got in some nice quiet sessions before the weekend. By Friday, the banjo took a rest and I went for harsh boozing. The nightclub was crap (too many underage kids were let in). And most of the sessions around at the weekend were too. I played in the Cruiscín on Sunday evening, only to have it completely torn apart by a whistle player. He was playing a susato and mustn't have realised that there was a low octave available. He also didn't understand the simple concept of "sitting out a set" when you don't know the tunes...ugh!
But, after the weekend mess, I got in some good sessioning in the Vault on Monday afternoon and down to the Farnham that night for laid back tunes.
I found the crowd were mostly tolerable (given that I am still a teenager) but, on the flip side, I agree that the town was way too small and lacked a serious focal point, like Tullamore's Bridge House. There was a huge crowd and the town was under too much stress. However, hats off to the committee who kept it under control and organised the event exceptionally well. I also agree that the Sharon Shannon gig was rightly cancelled because that Peace III location is way too small for a crowd of that calibre.
In conclusion, I'll say that I did enjoy the week as a whole. Particularly as I got to have my first few words with Mick O'Connor who has strongly influenced my music. Next year, I would go to Cavan again if it gets the spot but my preference would be for a bigger town with more central and numerous locations.
Not sure what to think about the H&S issues if Derry gets the slot down the road. I agree with those who express concerns that things could get heated, but I don't think that should be a basis for not having the fleadh there.
Hussar. The one thing that has not been a problem between traditions in the 6 counties has been non political music. Instrumental traditional music of Ireland is played all over the north by many protestants and if you put the top flute players together you might have trouble finding a catholic! Even to mention the religions seems wrong in this music. There is always a possibility of trouble but that is the same everywhere now.We should party like crazy every chance we get and if The Fleadh brings 250,000 to Derry to party with jigs and reels I think that is a miracle that we should appreciate. Let the peace and the good times roll!
Comments concerning the intimidating and frequently disgraceful behaviour of some people from Northern Ireland obviously do not apply to everyone from Northern Ireland. (This is really pretty obvious, but some people seem to take offence at what is just a statement of fact: some people from Northern Ireland act in a less than civilised way when they cross the border into Ireland.) But everyone from the border counties knows what’s being discussed here. There is a certain criminal element that comes to Ireland because of its relatively relaxed attention to law and order, in order to behave in a way that would never be tolerated in Northern Ireland. Irish music festivals are not enriched by this behaviour, and it would be far better if these people would stay where they belong and ply their trade there. This is not however just a problem with the Northern Ireland population, all over Ireland there are of gangs of Irish UK-style chavs causing trouble at festivals, in towns and villages, and even in the Gaeltacht. They have no interest in Irish culture or music, they just want to cause trouble. I have been to festivals in the south west of Ireland where (often fairly local) mobs of thuggish trouble-makers have made the whole festival experience a very intimidating one. Was anyone at Feakle in 2007? Remember the smack-heads in the campsite and the local bars? The problem was that the festival organisers had no plan and no willingness to deal with violence, intimidation and threatening behaviour, or even to see it as a real problem.
I know many people who have stopped going to traditional music festivals because of the increasingly threatening atmosphere. In the past 2 years I have gone to better run (and much more relaxing) Scottish festivals instead. I wouldn’t bring kids to many Irish festivals because of the level of intimidation and general chav-like behaviour that is tolerated by the authorities. Drunkenness was frequently associated with music festivals (and without negative connotation!) The Gaelic word “Fleadh” means: “drinking festival”; but this quite alien and menacing chav-culture, deriving from the English criminal class, will, unless it is severely dealt with, kill off Irish traditional music festivals completely. (And there is nothing “partitionist” in recognizing that there is a constitutional partition between Ireland and Northern Ireland, nor in noticing the source of much the criminality at the Fleadh.)
In response to some of Big_Tab’s comments:
Irish traditional music is Gaelic music, as is Scottish traditional music. The puritan planters despised all forms of enjoyment: music, dancing, singing, laughing, drinking, poetry, etc. Northern Ireland had many fine protestant fiddlers but they formed an auxiliary and complementary wing of a Gaelic tradition, and they themselves recognised this too.
I went back to it. Feakle is a really lovely weeks music. Never even heard of a problem. Smack heads? You mean some bloke who has dreadlocks seems to you like he is on heroin? Your last paragraph makes a small bit of sense except it is more flute players than fiddlers they having learnt to play in marching loyalist bands . Anyway the music is always good to celebrate life and all thats good."The planters " might enjoy the fleadh.
If your going to use the term Northern Ireland then use also the proper name for the rest ie Republic of Ireland - One country, 2 jurisdictions.
Fleadh actually means feast as gaeilge.
I'm starting to believe ed_boot is winding us up with his distorted and West-Brit views.
I'm from our northern collective and while I know what a chav is through reading British press I've never heard it applied here until I went to Dublin.
With regards relaxed attention to law and order in the 26 counties. I'm from the border areas and growing up I would far rather be lifted by the RUC than the Gardai in Dundalk. They take no prisoners if your out of line on a Sat night.
Do you honestly think criminal activity stems from the North? Mybe the easily influenced and impressionable darlin youngsters in the south west and Gaeltacht areas are actually watching TV - Skins, X-Factor, Big Brother. Why don't you lobby the Broadcasting Authority who are diluting our Gaelicness????
Many of the original tunes now described as “Irish” were sourced from repertoire imported into the society in Ireland through the different eras of military presence, successive waves of migration, and from deliberate teaching of foreign repertory by professional music teachers and dancing masters.
The history of the genre incorporates a number of diverse influences from different geographical sources in relatively recent historical times e.g. the eighteenth-century hornpipe from England and reel from Scotland, and the nineteenth-century polka from continental Europe.
To insinuate that Irish music is defined by what religion you were born into is SICK and wrong. Douglas de Hyde, our first President and Gaelic scholar was Protestant and Planter stock.
As with every fleadh this decade and onwards.... it's going to be mobbed on the weekend, so if your not going to get into town before 6ish head there before or after the wekend, the best nights I had were (in pubs) were thursday before the weekend and the monday after.......
I'm Irish, I'm from Tipperary, I'm Catholic but that shouldn't count for sh*te if I'm playing Trad... I agree with 'iwerzon' "To insinuate that Irish music is defined by what religion you were born into is SICK and wrong"
Peronally I had a fantastic time at the fleadh and I feel sorry for those that didn't find what they were looking for..... I even became a fan of Sharon Shannon.... if you saw a bunch of teenagers hopping around and lilting.......... wasn't me....haha
Fair Play to Martin Donohue and co. , I want to see it in Cavan for at least another year.
iwerzon wrote: "If your going to use the term Northern Ireland then use also the proper name for the rest i.e.: Republic of Ireland"
(WRONG! I'm afraid!)
&
big_tab wrote: "I stopped reading this when he talked about crossing the border from Northern Ireland Into Ireland"
I'm afraid that NOT reading is part of the problem here!
Article 4 of "Bunreacht na hÉireann" (the constitution of Ireland) states:
"The name of the State is Éire, or, in the English language, Ireland."
Look at the UN; it’s either “Éire” or “Ireland”, I’m not making it up, I’m not making a sectarian point, I’m just presenting the reality!
"Republic of Ireland" has no standing in Irish law, even though it tends to be used by UK residents and in sport.
iwerzon wrote: "To insinuate that Irish music is defined by what religion you were born into is SICK and wrong. Douglas de Hyde, our first President and Gaelic scholar was Protestant and Planter stock."
I never said that Irish music was Catholic, I said it was Gaelic! (i.e., originating with the members of the linguistic group). In Scotland there are many reformed speakers of Gaelic and performers of Gaelic music and song. My point was that Irish music comes from the Gaelic tradition and not from the planters, who were not Gaelic, and were originally opposed to all non-religious music. What I said, very politely I believe, was that the many protestant musicians were part of a GAELIC tradition. I said: “formed an auxiliary and complementary wing of a Gaelic tradition”; this was not meant in an opprobrious way, and I fail to see how it could be taken in such a way.
Dubhghlas de hÍde is still a hero to Gaelic speakers, Irish musicians, singers, storytellers, and everyone who was interested in the Gaelic tradition. He was the first president of Ireland and was a protestant, and was an scholar and promoter of the Gaelic tradition when many of the Catholic clergy were opposing Gaelic culture with all their might; does this contradict a single thing I said? Clearly not!
Furthermore, I know that “West-Brit” is a catch-all term of abuse these days, but please get it right! ‘West-Brit’ is not a term that could ever be rightly applied to anyone who defends the integrity of the Gaelic tradition. Try Wikipedia for a start:: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Brit
Just to get you started (from Wikipedia):
“West Briton (adjective West British; both often shortened to West Brit) is a pejorative term for an Irish person who is alleged by the user of the term to be excessively sympathetic to the United Kingdom or who takes his/her cultural and social cues from Great Britain.”
seriously, theres a bit of 'down south' snobbery in this thread. I was born and grew up in Derry, and everywhere ive went in the world anyone who knows Derry always talks about its great history and culture and the fact that the people are very friendly. Derry has its problems - where doesnt??? on saturday night in Derry the city is taken over by drunk young people - many underage and maybe on drugs, and some are only interested in fighting. But go to any city in Ireland - or indeed Europe - and the exact same thing is repeated!!! Its not a northern problem, or an Irish problem, its a world wide problem and if people dwell too much on it then there will never be another festival again!!!!
But this is the first ive heard of 'Derry 2013' and I think its great news. The people here would welcome it with open arms - ALL people!!! to say that certain paramilitary elements will target it is ridiculous and basically means the fleadh should never ever go north of the border because of a past history that the majority of people are dying to move away from, and if that is the case then it should no longer be called the All Ireland Fleadh.
Maybe the problem with some of the southern elements against a northern fleadh is that they are so tight fisted that they wont pay for the travel and are afraid to lose out on the exchange rate. if thats the case lads, dont worry, you can get a pint of water for free anywhere in Derry!!!!
Fleadh 2010
Fleadh 2010
Did anyone manage to get into a pub for a session in Cavan? When we arrived on Saturday morning lots of people said that they could not get into the pubs in the town on Friday night and it was the same on Saturday night! As we were in competitions all day Saturday we were stuck around the Super Value site and could not go to the town. In Tullamore if you had an hour between competitions you could find a session but we were too far away and we waited 20 minutes to get a shuttle bus to Brefini College. We went into town on Sunday and could not get into any pub! It was the worst fleadh I have ever been to!
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by gabriel
Re: Fleadh 2010
Went up for the day yesterday but couldn't get into any pub. They were just too full. That said, there was some great music being played on the street and you had the space to stand there and enjoy it.
Too many banjos for my liking though!! What is it about Comhaltas and banjos?
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by amhrán
Re: Fleadh 2010
Couldn't agree less, the craic and sessions on the streets (and the fact that you could have a few tinnys on them) made the packed pubs a non-issue for me.
Seems pretty edgy to dislike the banjo these days
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by dlunney
Re: Fleadh 2010
Great music indeed.
Only joking about the banjos; I even bought an Angelina Carberry album, so impressed was I with the track on Youtube.
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by amhrán
Re: Fleadh 2010
great music all weekend in thomas ashes pub....headin back up to it today infact
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by irishtradguy
Re: Fleadh 2010
speakin of banjos why did gerry o connor not turn up to play with sharon shannon.he was on the programme
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by banjitar
Re: Fleadh 2010
Cavan was probably the worst Fleadh I've been to.
On Thursday when I arrived, Most pubs had CDs playing.
Friday night, there was few sessions and the one I did join ended up being taken over by guitars. Sunday night was a joke, I wasn't really surprised when they canceled the gig rig. Again little or no music around, any hope of sessions at the back of the Farnham Arms were put to an end when the night club started up.
It's been a while since I camped, something has to be done to discourage the Northern crowd that are only interested in drinking from coming to the Fleadh.
Cavan is too small, the venues were too far apart and too few, Cavan is too close to the border and attracted the wrong crowd, The Fleadh at the weekend is not family friendly either.
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by .
Re: Fleadh 2010
Sorry to here about this PadraigB -
I thought Cavan - would be to small...
And I think I know that type of -
Northern crowd your talking about... '' Great music , I cant play the music, but the Guinness is Bl**dy strong down here ''...
Now this Peace agreement which we are all loving up here..
I wont be surprised if they- run Feet's of Buses from The Ranger's Supporter's Club's etc,,, -- LOL....
Feeling Sorry for the Southern Folk's ----
jim,,,
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by FIDDLE4
Re: Fleadh 2010
yea those northern donegal people really can drink... but then again they'e free staters !!
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by sligeach
Re: Fleadh 2010
Padraig B. Oul partitionist crap!
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by big_tab
Re: Fleadh 2010
JUst back from Cavan , your a bit out of order about us "Northerners" everywhere we went, we were well received and had great craic and sessions.I must admit the Cavan committee put a great deal of effort and planning into the event, but Cavan is far to small.
On Sunday night the Gards and the Committe had a major Health and Safety flap on at the Gig rig as people were panicking and getting hurt due to the massive crowd , some say 100 thousand cooped into a small square. They were running around like headless chickens, and one Gard told me that they were concerned of another Love Fest event that happened in Germany with 16 people killed, he said they were very close to a major incident. The committee took the decision, Correctly in my view to curtail Sharon Shannon and cancel the fireworks.
Unless the serious H&S concerns are attended to Cavan is in great danger of not getting the go ahead for next year.
AS for the pubs , Cavan has only 36 pubs, of which 32 were opened, this compared with Tullamore's 70 odd and Listowels 104, so this is why ann the pubs were jam packed with the absence of good quality sessions.
But, to summerise I have a real concern about going to Cavan next year.
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by belfastrab
Re: Fleadh 2010
is it on in cavan again next year?
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by mickyfong
Re: Fleadh 2010
sligeach + belfastrab --
Yeah the Donegal people, don't like being called Southerner's,
Learned that ..But Sorry to here that about Cavan being too small etc, Its nice to keep it up On the Northern County's some time's, [ and this time I'am talking about all Nine ] - lol....
I use to love Buncrana - But maybe its to small for the large crowd's now too! - I always found Listowel just to far, And its only fair to give the Northerners' - wherever, a go ! -- Hope something can be sorted some day soon,,,
jim,,,
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by FIDDLE4
Re: Fleadh 2010
Hope not...could be hazardous to your health.
I also forgot to mention the over zealous reich furers who seemed to be on a quest of dont do this ..dont do that and the complete absence of palces to park your campervan/caravan/tent without incurring a heafty 25 euro per night fee and the plastic beer glasses everywhere.
Also The Well pub profiteering by charging 4.40 for a pint whilst openly charging locals 3,40 and giving them a proper glass.
Some good music though especially in Blessings, Dunnes and a cracking barmaid Lynn in Blessings.But good points very thin on the ground.
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by belfastrab
Re: Fleadh 2010
All-Ireland's haven't changed at all then since the early seventies,
what we called, a large rip-off ,, But at least in those day's we could pitch a tent anywhere, as long as it was not in Sacred ground --
lol...
jim,,, '' Sad to hear that ''
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by FIDDLE4
Re: Fleadh 2010
I went on wednesday and back away on friday.
Too many musicians, so little music.
Goodbye Cavan...
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by Dawros Frog
Re: Fleadh 2010
friday night was brilliant in thomas ashe's and arthurs. great sessions and great craic.
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by James Morgan
Re: Fleadh 2010
I thought the atmosphere was great, as for sessions in the pubs..too noisy. We went out of town a bit and had a whole pub to ourselves.. Seemingly Cavan has set a new Fleadh record for attendance. I think it was well organised, and I liked the covers over some of the street. I heard that the intention was to put more of those 'roofs' over the Main Street but Fire Regulations and Health and Safety forbade it. Nearly every group playing on the street had an open case for contributions in front of them. Maybe the 'open case syndrome' was caused by the 'Busker Competition' but I think that cheapens the whole idea of a street session. I certainly wouldn't sit in with a group who were collecting, and I don't suppose they would welcome me anyway. The amplified Rock Band right in the centre of the main street, drown out the ordinary street musicians playing trad in the vicinity, and seemed to attract the biggest crowd. I enjoyed them, but to my mind they should have been moved away from the Main Street . It was also a bad move to have Sharon Shannon on the Gig Rig at that time on the last night of the Fleadh. It was obvious to me that all the people who couldn't get into the pubs would converge in that area for a listen.....I can understand why the Guards got iffy about the situation. Some lessons to be learned but overall I enjoyed...then again I'm bias.
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by Free Reed
Re: Fleadh 2010
This is unfair to Cavan especially all the people who volunteer and work hard all week, However The Dome was a poor venue with loud noise of generator? also too few shuttle buses and comp venues too far apart, people will always try to make easy money and this was very obvious in Cavan!
# Posted on August 23rd 2010 by lotlotlot
Re: Fleadh 2010
Too close to the border my asre. Wait until 2013, will it be too close to the border then???
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by ruaidhri
Re: Fleadh 2010
Take no notice ruaidhri the bloke is obviously a complete pain in the asre!
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by big_tab
Re: Fleadh 2010
I've never thought drunkedness was a "Northern" disease. On my four trips to Ireland I've come across numerous drunks, mostly my own kind. Maybe with the Fleadh being in an Ulster county this year there may have been a higher proportion of Northern Irish people present but public drunkedness is a problem everywhere. I seem to recall the first year the Fleadh was in Tullamore(2007) which I did attend the same problem arose and it was put to me that this was because it was too close to Dublin. In Melbourne we have the same situation every weekend in King Street. Incidentally I do have the odd glass of wine myself so I'm no prohibitionist.
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by Tony O'Rourke
Re: Fleadh 2010
Too close to the border you say PadraigB. Maybe we should move the border then. The only real drunkeness I witnessed was from young locals after the discos. Would you advocate border control up the road in Fermanagh? Maybe we would be let through on good behaviour. FSB! (Work it out, second word State).
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by iwerzon
Re: Fleadh 2010
I think what he is referring to is the heavily leaked "Derry Venue" for 2013. Its an open secret that high level moves are under way for it to go to Derry in 2013...I hope not it would be worse than Cavan in terms of Health and Safety risk, just think of a dissent bomb or two.
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by belfastrab
Re: Fleadh 2010
A for f(cks sake Derry is just as entitled to the music as Listowel or Milltown Malbay or anywhere. Probably more entitled and more hungry for it.Its amazing the amount of people that still exist with that awful partitionost mentality. You would think that in trad music people would have the ability to look beyond English made borders. belfastrob do you think mad Republicans who still stupidly think violence could acheive anything would bomb the Fleadh? Unbelievable!
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by big_tab
Re: Fleadh 2010
I had a great time myself, playing in sessions night and day. Good session in a town centre pub on Thurs night, went back to the same one Friday, and the session was great to start with, but the bar filled up with very noisy people who weren't there to listen to the music, and it got too loud to hear ourselves.
I heard about another bar slightly less central which might be quieter, headed there Saturday, and had a great time playing Sat. and Sun. Had to head home Monday morning.
I did have a bit of difficulty finding a good place to park my van for the weekend, (I wasn't going to fork out €25 euro a night on the campsite for a small van which isn't even a camper van), but I did eventually find a good spot.
I don't think any drunkeness should be blamed on people from the North, Dublin or any other location, would agree with iwerzon that most of the really drunk people were young people not really there for the fleadh.
I think some of the begrudgers shoud realise that a massive amount of work goes into organising an event like this, there are bound to be some glitches, would you be able to do a better job yourselves?
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by cathycook
Re: Fleadh 2010
Ah come on tab, it'd be a possible target for the other crowd.
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by the wounded hussar
Re: Fleadh 2010
So Hussar.You know of some dissident loyalist organization that has plans to bomb a major event? Or maybe you are just not the brightest star in the galaxy?Or you just wanted to write some words and that is what came out? Limerick or Dublin or Tralee or Athlone or my hometown of Ennis are just as dangerous as Derry. The peace process is working. Its going to take time.Generations. People are living in the best way they can.The fleadh will help.
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by big_tab
Re: Fleadh 2010
From what I had of the fleadh I really enjoyed it. Was there on Wed & thurs leading up to weekend, arrived back Sunday and left last night. I do agree with another post that most of the drunks were locals and this seems to be the case in every town that hosts the fleadh. Was playing a session in Cavan crystal hotel on Sunday night and "hats off" to them there for bringing down a drink to us. Have never seen this in a hotel before and it was a nice appreciation
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by cliffhanger
Re: Fleadh 2010
big_tab
< People are living in the best way they can.The fleadh will help.>
So Very True !
jim,,,
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by FIDDLE4
Re: Fleadh 2010
Tab, I think I know a thing or two about the twisted logic of the last few decades. And I wouldn't be remotely surprised to see violence erupt - it's only barely buried. Look at what happened last year, was it, when the Love Ulstermen wanted to parade their culture on Dublins main street - there was practically a full scale riot. So parade what might be seen as Republican culture (and I'm not saying it is, but that's a perception) by means of a fleadh in Derry - you might well expect the worse. An if you don't, then you're just naive.
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by the wounded hussar
Re: Fleadh 2010
Very sad reading this. Me and the missus had our honeymoon in Derry 16 years ago, have played trad gigs there since and love the people and the place. Never been to a Fleadh as a visitor but I would try to go if there was one in Derry.
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by bogman
Re: Fleadh 2010
Sorry Bogman to cast a spell of gloom but your view is typical of what the scout leaders thought this year when they decided to bring their little kiddies up to Belfast by train on the Glorious Twelfth, only a few short weeks ago. The train was attacked and burnt, kids were only traumatised and lost most of their belongings, I believe but it could have been a complete disaster.
Whatever way you look at it, a Fleadh Cheoil in the Six Counties would be seen from many sides as an expression of Irish nationalist culture - just as the 12th July and the Loyalist marching season is seen as an expression of Unionist culture. Both equally prone to stir up resentment & trouble.
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by the wounded hussar
Re: Fleadh 2010
the wounded hussar.......
I totally agree with your view.
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by molaoch
Re: Fleadh 2010
pure crap. Since when has the marching season been an "expression of unionist culture"?
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by sligeach
Re: Fleadh 2010
I think it's sad that there is still this "fear" of northerners amongst some southerners. I have been shocked at times when I have been in Dublin and have opened my northern mouth only to have people look at me in complete shock and horror as if I am about to explode a suicide belt. Or the time I went to a festival in Mayo with a crowd from Belfast and an old man actually said with astonishment "you Belfast people are really nice". He had been speaking to us for a few days and it turned out that all the brainwashing from rte had made him believe that everyone in Belfast was a barbarian. Derry is a fine place for an all-Ireland and I sincerely hope it happens! We all know that the best musicians are northerners anyway.
# Posted on August 24th 2010 by mr_segundus
Re: Fleadh 2010
I had a decent experience in Cavan. I was there for the full week so got in some nice quiet sessions before the weekend. By Friday, the banjo took a rest and I went for harsh boozing. The nightclub was crap (too many underage kids were let in). And most of the sessions around at the weekend were too. I played in the Cruiscín on Sunday evening, only to have it completely torn apart by a whistle player. He was playing a susato and mustn't have realised that there was a low octave available. He also didn't understand the simple concept of "sitting out a set" when you don't know the tunes...ugh!
But, after the weekend mess, I got in some good sessioning in the Vault on Monday afternoon and down to the Farnham that night for laid back tunes.
I found the crowd were mostly tolerable (given that I am still a teenager) but, on the flip side, I agree that the town was way too small and lacked a serious focal point, like Tullamore's Bridge House. There was a huge crowd and the town was under too much stress. However, hats off to the committee who kept it under control and organised the event exceptionally well. I also agree that the Sharon Shannon gig was rightly cancelled because that Peace III location is way too small for a crowd of that calibre.
In conclusion, I'll say that I did enjoy the week as a whole. Particularly as I got to have my first few words with Mick O'Connor who has strongly influenced my music. Next year, I would go to Cavan again if it gets the spot but my preference would be for a bigger town with more central and numerous locations.
Not sure what to think about the H&S issues if Derry gets the slot down the road. I agree with those who express concerns that things could get heated, but I don't think that should be a basis for not having the fleadh there.
# Posted on August 25th 2010 by 52Paddy
Re: Fleadh 2010
Hussar. The one thing that has not been a problem between traditions in the 6 counties has been non political music. Instrumental traditional music of Ireland is played all over the north by many protestants and if you put the top flute players together you might have trouble finding a catholic! Even to mention the religions seems wrong in this music. There is always a possibility of trouble but that is the same everywhere now.We should party like crazy every chance we get and if The Fleadh brings 250,000 to Derry to party with jigs and reels I think that is a miracle that we should appreciate. Let the peace and the good times roll!
# Posted on August 25th 2010 by big_tab
Re: Fleadh 2010
Comments concerning the intimidating and frequently disgraceful behaviour of some people from Northern Ireland obviously do not apply to everyone from Northern Ireland. (This is really pretty obvious, but some people seem to take offence at what is just a statement of fact: some people from Northern Ireland act in a less than civilised way when they cross the border into Ireland.) But everyone from the border counties knows what’s being discussed here. There is a certain criminal element that comes to Ireland because of its relatively relaxed attention to law and order, in order to behave in a way that would never be tolerated in Northern Ireland. Irish music festivals are not enriched by this behaviour, and it would be far better if these people would stay where they belong and ply their trade there. This is not however just a problem with the Northern Ireland population, all over Ireland there are of gangs of Irish UK-style chavs causing trouble at festivals, in towns and villages, and even in the Gaeltacht. They have no interest in Irish culture or music, they just want to cause trouble. I have been to festivals in the south west of Ireland where (often fairly local) mobs of thuggish trouble-makers have made the whole festival experience a very intimidating one. Was anyone at Feakle in 2007? Remember the smack-heads in the campsite and the local bars? The problem was that the festival organisers had no plan and no willingness to deal with violence, intimidation and threatening behaviour, or even to see it as a real problem.
I know many people who have stopped going to traditional music festivals because of the increasingly threatening atmosphere. In the past 2 years I have gone to better run (and much more relaxing) Scottish festivals instead. I wouldn’t bring kids to many Irish festivals because of the level of intimidation and general chav-like behaviour that is tolerated by the authorities. Drunkenness was frequently associated with music festivals (and without negative connotation!) The Gaelic word “Fleadh” means: “drinking festival”; but this quite alien and menacing chav-culture, deriving from the English criminal class, will, unless it is severely dealt with, kill off Irish traditional music festivals completely. (And there is nothing “partitionist” in recognizing that there is a constitutional partition between Ireland and Northern Ireland, nor in noticing the source of much the criminality at the Fleadh.)
In response to some of Big_Tab’s comments:
Irish traditional music is Gaelic music, as is Scottish traditional music. The puritan planters despised all forms of enjoyment: music, dancing, singing, laughing, drinking, poetry, etc. Northern Ireland had many fine protestant fiddlers but they formed an auxiliary and complementary wing of a Gaelic tradition, and they themselves recognised this too.
# Posted on August 25th 2010 by ed_boot
Re: Fleadh 2010
I stopped reading this when he talked about crossing the border from Northern Ireland Into Ireland!!!!!
# Posted on August 25th 2010 by big_tab
Re: Fleadh 2010
I went back to it. Feakle is a really lovely weeks music. Never even heard of a problem. Smack heads? You mean some bloke who has dreadlocks seems to you like he is on heroin? Your last paragraph makes a small bit of sense except it is more flute players than fiddlers they having learnt to play in marching loyalist bands . Anyway the music is always good to celebrate life and all thats good."The planters " might enjoy the fleadh.
# Posted on August 25th 2010 by big_tab
Re: Fleadh 2010
Ah! the sound of Irish politics first thing in the morning.
# Posted on August 25th 2010 by bazouki dave
Re: Fleadh 2010
If your going to use the term Northern Ireland then use also the proper name for the rest ie Republic of Ireland - One country, 2 jurisdictions.
Fleadh actually means feast as gaeilge.
I'm starting to believe ed_boot is winding us up with his distorted and West-Brit views.
I'm from our northern collective and while I know what a chav is through reading British press I've never heard it applied here until I went to Dublin.
With regards relaxed attention to law and order in the 26 counties. I'm from the border areas and growing up I would far rather be lifted by the RUC than the Gardai in Dundalk. They take no prisoners if your out of line on a Sat night.
Do you honestly think criminal activity stems from the North? Mybe the easily influenced and impressionable darlin youngsters in the south west and Gaeltacht areas are actually watching TV - Skins, X-Factor, Big Brother. Why don't you lobby the Broadcasting Authority who are diluting our Gaelicness????
Many of the original tunes now described as “Irish” were sourced from repertoire imported into the society in Ireland through the different eras of military presence, successive waves of migration, and from deliberate teaching of foreign repertory by professional music teachers and dancing masters.
The history of the genre incorporates a number of diverse influences from different geographical sources in relatively recent historical times e.g. the eighteenth-century hornpipe from England and reel from Scotland, and the nineteenth-century polka from continental Europe.
To insinuate that Irish music is defined by what religion you were born into is SICK and wrong. Douglas de Hyde, our first President and Gaelic scholar was Protestant and Planter stock.
# Posted on August 25th 2010 by iwerzon
Re: Fleadh 2010
As with every fleadh this decade and onwards.... it's going to be mobbed on the weekend, so if your not going to get into town before 6ish head there before or after the wekend, the best nights I had were (in pubs) were thursday before the weekend and the monday after.......
I'm Irish, I'm from Tipperary, I'm Catholic but that shouldn't count for sh*te if I'm playing Trad... I agree with 'iwerzon' "To insinuate that Irish music is defined by what religion you were born into is SICK and wrong"
Peronally I had a fantastic time at the fleadh and I feel sorry for those that didn't find what they were looking for..... I even became a fan of Sharon Shannon.... if you saw a bunch of teenagers hopping around and lilting.......... wasn't me....haha
Fair Play to Martin Donohue and co. , I want to see it in Cavan for at least another year.
# Posted on August 26th 2010 by premier
Re: Fleadh 2010
iwerzon wrote: "If your going to use the term Northern Ireland then use also the proper name for the rest i.e.: Republic of Ireland"
(WRONG! I'm afraid!)
&
big_tab wrote: "I stopped reading this when he talked about crossing the border from Northern Ireland Into Ireland"
I'm afraid that NOT reading is part of the problem here!
Article 4 of "Bunreacht na hÉireann" (the constitution of Ireland) states:
"The name of the State is Éire, or, in the English language, Ireland."
Look at the UN; it’s either “Éire” or “Ireland”, I’m not making it up, I’m not making a sectarian point, I’m just presenting the reality!
"Republic of Ireland" has no standing in Irish law, even though it tends to be used by UK residents and in sport.
iwerzon wrote: "To insinuate that Irish music is defined by what religion you were born into is SICK and wrong. Douglas de Hyde, our first President and Gaelic scholar was Protestant and Planter stock."
I never said that Irish music was Catholic, I said it was Gaelic! (i.e., originating with the members of the linguistic group). In Scotland there are many reformed speakers of Gaelic and performers of Gaelic music and song. My point was that Irish music comes from the Gaelic tradition and not from the planters, who were not Gaelic, and were originally opposed to all non-religious music. What I said, very politely I believe, was that the many protestant musicians were part of a GAELIC tradition. I said: “formed an auxiliary and complementary wing of a Gaelic tradition”; this was not meant in an opprobrious way, and I fail to see how it could be taken in such a way.
Dubhghlas de hÍde is still a hero to Gaelic speakers, Irish musicians, singers, storytellers, and everyone who was interested in the Gaelic tradition. He was the first president of Ireland and was a protestant, and was an scholar and promoter of the Gaelic tradition when many of the Catholic clergy were opposing Gaelic culture with all their might; does this contradict a single thing I said? Clearly not!
Furthermore, I know that “West-Brit” is a catch-all term of abuse these days, but please get it right! ‘West-Brit’ is not a term that could ever be rightly applied to anyone who defends the integrity of the Gaelic tradition. Try Wikipedia for a start:: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Brit
Just to get you started (from Wikipedia):
“West Briton (adjective West British; both often shortened to West Brit) is a pejorative term for an Irish person who is alleged by the user of the term to be excessively sympathetic to the United Kingdom or who takes his/her cultural and social cues from Great Britain.”
# Posted on September 3rd 2010 by ed_boot
Re: Fleadh 2010
seriously, theres a bit of 'down south' snobbery in this thread. I was born and grew up in Derry, and everywhere ive went in the world anyone who knows Derry always talks about its great history and culture and the fact that the people are very friendly. Derry has its problems - where doesnt??? on saturday night in Derry the city is taken over by drunk young people - many underage and maybe on drugs, and some are only interested in fighting. But go to any city in Ireland - or indeed Europe - and the exact same thing is repeated!!! Its not a northern problem, or an Irish problem, its a world wide problem and if people dwell too much on it then there will never be another festival again!!!!
But this is the first ive heard of 'Derry 2013' and I think its great news. The people here would welcome it with open arms - ALL people!!! to say that certain paramilitary elements will target it is ridiculous and basically means the fleadh should never ever go north of the border because of a past history that the majority of people are dying to move away from, and if that is the case then it should no longer be called the All Ireland Fleadh.
Maybe the problem with some of the southern elements against a northern fleadh is that they are so tight fisted that they wont pay for the travel and are afraid to lose out on the exchange rate. if thats the case lads, dont worry, you can get a pint of water for free anywhere in Derry!!!!
# Posted on October 13th 2010 by banjo'd