Been a fan of ITM since about 1975 when I discovered Shanachie records by mail order. Bought all the early Clannad, Boys of the Lough, DeDanann, went nuts upon hearing the Bothy Band. Got sidetracked sometime in the eighties, getting married, raising two sons, getting a job, etc. Became seriously refocussed about ITM in around 1999 when I saw Donal Lunny and Coolfin (with John McSherry, Nollaig Casey, Sharon Shannon, Ray Fean) play at the local concert in the park series. Went to Ireland in a house swap for a month in 2000 (a local friend is Irish and her mom lives in Howth and needed a place to stay when she visited her daughter). Met the mom's good friend across the way, who happens to be a brilliant fiddler . She took us to Hughes to her weekly session. When I got home I picked up my 10 year old son's old fiddle when I was 49 and thought I'd take a few lessons. Went back to Ireland in 2002 and stayed in Tralee, went to the Munster Fleadh and the Willie Clancy in Milltown Malbay (where we went to the grand finale concert at the end of the week). Visited Howth again. Past ready to go back to Ireland, but the kids are teenagers and have no interest. I'm a l librarian by day and practice the fiddle most nights..
Tunes in snertzy's tunebook: 0
| CD prices: Ireland and the U.S. | March 21st 2007 |
| 2002 Willie Clancy Summer School question | January 31st 2005 |
| What the fiddle can lead to | January 14th 2005 |
| Discussions | Re: Gilles Apap (Fiddler) | May 29th 2007 |
| Discussions | CD prices: Ireland and the U.S. | March 21st 2007 |
| Discussions | Re: Practising at home | February 12th 2005 |
| Discussions | Re: Practising at home | February 11th 2005 |
| Discussions | 2002 Willie Clancy Summer School question | January 31st 2005 |