As far as I know -- which isn't far in Irish these days -- "meitheal" means a group of people engaged in the same work / activity. You'll see it occasionally in Irish-English as "mehil" or "mehell". Very apt name for a summer school.
I didn't go to Meitheal but went to the farewell concert at Glór in Ennis. I know it's an overused word but it really was magic - the likes of Maurice Lennon, Harry Bradley, Adrian Scahill, Máire Breatnach, Michel Sikiotakis, Tim Collins, Marcus Moloney and John Kelly all on stage together was a real treat for trad fans. Course organisers, Garry Shannon, Fionnuala Rooney (Michael's sister) and Ernistine Healy also performed and the highlight had to be the 80 or so students who took to the stage for the finale. The very last tune was a rousing version of the Sally Gardens (who says there's anything wrong with the old tunes?) by students and tutors together - there were also some very innovative intros though which wouldn't have gone down too well with any "tune police" present!
Neighbours used to trade a days work ( or even several days ) to help each other save hay or pullin' beet or thrashing or shearing sheep whatever.....
You'd have a bunch of men from round the village congregate at a farm for the day. Turned the chore into a festival. There'd be great crack. Then there'd be a big feed for them with the caps on the knee and cups of steaming tea.
Great concept, good name. Doesn't happen so much now, but I remember it in the 60's and 70's.
Meitheal summer school
Meitheal summer school
Did anyone go?? I did. Really wonderful, intense, hard work, great teachers. Go next year!!
Athena
# Posted on July 27th 2005 by ACT
Re: Meitheal summer school
So who were the teachers? Meithallica? Sorry bad joke I know, couldn't resist, what does Meitheal actually mean?
# Posted on July 27th 2005 by Bored with thesession.org
Re: Meitheal summer school
As far as I know -- which isn't far in Irish these days -- "meitheal" means a group of people engaged in the same work / activity. You'll see it occasionally in Irish-English as "mehil" or "mehell". Very apt name for a summer school.
# Posted on July 27th 2005 by LongNote
Re: Meitheal summer school
I didn't go to Meitheal but went to the farewell concert at Glór in Ennis. I know it's an overused word but it really was magic - the likes of Maurice Lennon, Harry Bradley, Adrian Scahill, Máire Breatnach, Michel Sikiotakis, Tim Collins, Marcus Moloney and John Kelly all on stage together was a real treat for trad fans. Course organisers, Garry Shannon, Fionnuala Rooney (Michael's sister) and Ernistine Healy also performed and the highlight had to be the 80 or so students who took to the stage for the finale. The very last tune was a rousing version of the Sally Gardens (who says there's anything wrong with the old tunes?) by students and tutors together - there were also some very innovative intros though which wouldn't have gone down too well with any "tune police" present!
# Posted on July 27th 2005 by Bannerman
Re: Meitheal
Neighbours used to trade a days work ( or even several days ) to help each other save hay or pullin' beet or thrashing or shearing sheep whatever.....
You'd have a bunch of men from round the village congregate at a farm for the day. Turned the chore into a festival. There'd be great crack. Then there'd be a big feed for them with the caps on the knee and cups of steaming tea.
Great concept, good name. Doesn't happen so much now, but I remember it in the 60's and 70's.
Pat
# Posted on July 27th 2005 by Pat Higgins