Return to Ireland 2005 Page

Another Trip to Ireland

When I concluded my trip to Ireland in 2004 I thought it'd be my one and only visit there, but just a few short months later I found myself thinking of things I hadn't done, and what I might do if I were to attend the class again in 2005.  Eventually I signed up for the next class and started making plans for the adventure to come.  After time moved at a snail's pace for months, the last few days flew past in a blur and once again I was at the airport in Seattle with tickets to Ireland.

This trip spanned the days between February 22nd and March 8th of 2005.  In writing this account, it is my intent to avoid repeating elements well covered in the previous year's report and rather focus on the events unique to this trip.  While there will be some words specific to the actual instructional aspects of the trip, the vast bulk of this narrative will more generally address the overall experience.  Noel plans a schedule that covers far more than simple time in class, and so will the text.  If you would prefer to limit your reading to just my comments on the music-related aspects of this trip, I suggest you follow this link.

As you embark on this minor literary odyssey, I should warn you that I may not be an insightful and colorful writer, but I love to talk and I'm not constrained by good judgment so this will not be short.  I considered linking my small photos to larger more detailed ones for detailed viewing but ultimately abandoned the notion when I realized I don't have the available storage space on the website.  The originals were taken with an Olympus digital camera at 7.1 Megapixals and lightly compressed they still require about a megabyte each for storage.  The bulk of what I offer here have been cropped and squeezed down to 50k or less but I think they still convey the essence of the subject.

Departure from Seattle

My wife dropped me off at the airport and I found myself confronted with the 7AM hustle of people trying to get elsewhere in a hurry.  I'd learned from my previous trip to pack less and plan better for accommodating souvenir space and so my main suitcase was a little lighter and I was carrying a loosely packed shoulder bag instead of just a concertina case.  That afforded me greater versatility in packing, but also proved to be more challenging when it came to finding overhead bin spaces on fully loaded flights.

One reason for the shoulder bag was that I'd elected to travel with two concertinas this year.  I'd negotiated with concertina maker Bob Tedrow in recent months and he'd created a slightly reduced sized Anglo for me that I was looking forward to having in Ireland.  About 1/2 inch smaller across the flats, it was lighter, took up less room and was a joy to play.  It was delivered just a few days before my trip and still had the 'new' smell about it.

The morning Bob shipped off my new baby I received an email "out of the blue" from a friend offering to sell me their nearly new Dipper County Clare.  I read the email and delayed all of several seconds before picking up the phone and calling to close the deal.  It arrived the day before my departure, and so I was in somewhat of a quandary.  I didn't need a second instrument on the trip, but somehow I couldn't bring myself to leave the just-acquired Clare at home.

Making my way through the crowd into the airport and to the ticket counter was good preparation for Irish traffic, people were moving erratically, slipping through tight openings in the crowd and often traveling on the 'wrong side' of the corridors.  As I stood in line to check my bag I spotted Chuck who was also on his way to the same event, and we remained together all the way to Shannon.

We eventually wound our way through the snaking security lines and found ourselves passing through the portals of scrutiny.  Chuck went through without incident, but I was less fortunate.  I watched the x-ray screener view my bag on her screen, shifting the conveyer belt back and forth as she sought additional detail.   The presence of two odd devices of similar construction proved fascinating and after a few moments I saw her direct a pointed shift of her eyebrows at other staff lingering in the area.

With the official signal given, my bag and I were escorted to a special area for inspection.  I was warned to remain back at all times as the inspector donned gloves and proceeded to gently unzip the access flaps.  Preliminary swipes of the instrument cases were taken with tongs and cloth swabs and these were presented to some sort of machine for an opinion.  With no alarms indicated, the inspection preceded further with the cases being removed from the bag and opened, and then the tong and swab routine was repeated.  After a second OK, the inspector removed the concertinas and started rolling them on the table top to see all sides and attempting to flex the bellows.

I nervously tried to step forward and encourage more sensitive treatment, but was immediately cautioned to step back.  At this point the inspector seemed intent on determining which of the many buttons might be a detonator, and was boldly using the random try-it-and-see method.  I was getting upset and that seemed to interest the inspector more than the instruments did.  We then relocated to a second inspection station and now I had two people, one to look at the bag's contents and one who's primary purpose seemed to be to keep an eye on me.

They were making noises about looking inside the instruments and I was rapidly losing my patience with the situation.  The inspector called for a third person and in the meantime started jamming the concertinas into the incorrect cases.  The County Clare case was too tight for the Tedrow but the inspector seemed determined to make it fit.  I attempted to move forward to stop the effort, but was blocked by her partner.

Fortunately the third person appeared and seemed to be some sort of supervisor.  After I explained my issues with the treatment of the instruments and their value the inspection was terminated, though the inspectors insisted on being involved with repacking the bag.  I finally got clear of the security inspection and moved on to my gate.  Whatever happened to inspectors just asking you to demonstrate that the instruments worked?  Is it possible that they'd seen concertinas before and knew that in the wrong hands they could be dangerous?

Atlanta

Chuck and I had a plane change in Atlanta and a couple of hours to wait, so after we found the near empty gate I settled in and took one of the concertinas out of my bag while he went off exploring.  Though the area was nearly empty, it wasn't long before a family group headed to the seats immediately adjacent to me and struck up a conversation.  The wife was from Ireland and headed back now to sing at a family wedding, and she was quite interested in the concertina music.  A few tunes later she was singing along and making requests for songs that she knew the words for.

When Chuck returned he commented that the concertina sounded pretty good about two gates down.  I didn't think I'd been playing that loud, but the sound does tend to carry in a quiet area.  Chuck played a few tunes and at some point Sharon and her husband heard us and came over.  She was also headed for Noel's class, so now we definitely had the nucleus of a group formed.  We chatted as I played a bit more and I even received a few requests from the growing gate crowd to repeat some tunes I'd played earlier.  I was at first surprised that the people requesting knew the tune's names, but then these were people bound for Ireland and not the folks I commonly encounter in Seattle.

Shannon and Killarney

Upon landing in Shannon I recognized a concertina case in the hand of a fellow walking off the flight just ahead of me and so I introduced myself to Roy, another member of Noel's class.  We were met right out of customs by the Gleneagle Hotel motor coach driver and encountered others from Noel's class boarding the same coach.

The ride to Killarney seemed longer than I remembered from the previous year, but morning traffic was heavy and I think I napped on the prior trip so it was tough to compare.  Regardless, we were dropped at the door of the Gleneagle Hotel about 11 AM local time, but the desk said our rooms wouldn't be ready for a few hours yet so we settled into the lobby and out came the concertinas again.

Once we'd taken possession of our rooms later in the day, the group dispersed and some caught up on their sleep while others proceeded into Killarney to tour shops and sample the local beverages.  I had an excellent room along the front of the hotel with a view of the deer in the park, snow-topped mountains and the lake.  Rudimentary math revealed I'd been awake for far too many hours, so I elected to test the bed for a time.

Over the course of the next couple of days the hotel gradually filled as people came in for The Gathering.  Padraig and I spend a lot of time out playing near the lobby during the days and one of The Gathering organizers came over at one point and thanked us for establishing a musical flavor for the guests and being the first to 'kick off' the event in a musical sense.  While we played alone early in the week, it wasn't too long before we found ourselves in sessions with a variety of instruments and musicians of all ages.  I didn't know what intimidation was until a ten-year-old with a banjo sat down next to me...

I noted a fellow playing a very nice blend of slow Irish music on a piano accordion in one of the hotel pubs during lunch one day, and was quite pleased when he later stopped by to talk with me as I was playing off from the lobby.  He told me he played the English concertina in addition to the accordion and asked if he could join me.  I'd been quite impressed with his work in the pub and was happy to have him join in.  Others passed by and joined in and before long we had a nice session going.

I relocated twice that afternoon after the initial session took on a life of its own, and each time I started playing it wasn't long before people joined in and a new session started.  It's great to be in an area overflowing with talented musicians just looking for a chance to play.

I met a lot of interesting people on this trip, and each had a story.  Jeff, for instance confided the details of how he'd started playing the fiddle several years before, but stopped for five years after his 19 year old son was killed in a car crash.  He'd only found it within himself to take up the fiddle again a year or so before I met him, but was making great progress with it again now.  Over a pint in the hotel pub he related how he'd come to have a fiddle named "The Minister" and several other details of his life.  I enjoyed meeting him and shared several conversations with him over the course of the next few days.

Killarney was as I remembered it, but I had to re-explore it anyway.  This time I was armed with a better camera and was determined to capture some street scenes.  I took more photos than I know what to do with, but feel good about every one of them so I feel my efforts were a success.  The biggest hazard to getting around in the city was trying to remember to look to the right as I stepped into the streets to check for oncoming traffic, and not to the left as I'm conditioned to do with the right-hand driving rules of the USA.

Horse-drawn jaunting carts have a strong presence in the area and may be used for transportation within the city or for tours through the adjacent park.  They are quite popular for the latter purpose and I often saw five to eight people loaded onto a single cart.  They may not be fast transportation, but there's a certain unique feel to it and the height of the cart offers a nice perspective on surroundings.

As to the entertainment at The Gathering, it was top notch and I enjoyed performances by several traditional musicians.  Jackie Daly put on a great show one afternoon and I talked with him afterwards.  He'd done a similar show at The Gathering the previous year but I was new to Irish traditional music and knew nothing about him and so skipped the show.

I didn't make that mistake a second time though and was pleased to be seated near the front.  Jackie played a number of great tunes with Seamus Creagh, revealed considerable personality and showed tremendous style in his performance.  A large crowd attended and they were very appreciative of his efforts.  He proved to be quite accessible after his performance concluded, I saw him around the hotel over the remainder of the day and he was always either playing in sessions or in the thick of a conversation.

A complete list of the Glen Eagle events is available here, and so I will only mention a few other key points in this narrative.  I enjoyed all the performances I attended, but I missed all of the Saturday night lineup.  I had intended to go hear it, but I spotted Noel Hill on my way to the performance/ballroom area.  He wasn't scheduled to perform that night but it was the first time I'd seen him since arriving in Ireland so I went over to say hello.

Noel made me feel quite welcome, introduced me to Alec Finn, bought me a pint, and then invited me in to one of the small tea rooms in the hotel with his family and friends.  It wasn't long before he had his concertina in hand and I found myself seated just five feet to his left as he started playing first with Alec Finn and was later joined by one of the McCarthy Family sisters.

As he warmed to the task the music flowed nearly non-stop and I found myself debating whether to attend the main concert or remain where I was.  It was a brief debate, I'd come for concertina interests and I was positioned right at the heart of a session and seated close to perhaps the best Irish concertina player in the world.  Some may argue playing styles, but I think all would agree that no one is better than Noel at what he does.  I eventually shifted back a bit to clear space for the additional musicians that joined in, but still had the best seat in the house that night.

As the evening went on, other musicians stopped in to say hello on their way to or from their scheduled performances in the main room and of course they were immediately encouraged to join in.  I don't think it gets much better than this.  I finally left after close to four hours and things were still going strong.  The room had filled with spectators in the first moments when Noel started up and there was a cluster at the door so leaving wasn't easy.

I watched the Ceili dancing for a time one evening.  It is simply amazing to see all those folks out on the floor at the same time and dancing in perfect synchronization.  I had to wait until they were stopped for a moment to take a photo since the light was too dim to capture an image without blurring when the dancers were in motion.  It was after 1AM when I took this photo and the people were so full of bounce yet that I don't think even the "Energizer Bunny" could have kept up with them, and they just kept on going...

The band was good and they pumped out one tune after another with great enthusiasm.  I know enough about the dances to know they have a planned structure, but nothing of the details beyond that.  No one 'calls' the steps so it's pretty impressive to see things happen across the floor in perfect unison.  I went down on the lower level and mingled for a time with the dancers taking a break on the edges.  All were in great spirits and really enjoying themselves.

The last evening of The Gathering concluded with The Scattering Concert.  A series of great performances occurred and the evening ended with Noel Hill and Alec Finn joined with Arty McGlynn.  It was almost midnight before they went on, but the audience displayed great enthusiasm when they were introduced and really loved their performance.  Noel delivered one fantastic rendition after another in his signature style.  The slow airs tugged at emotions and when he quickened the pace the air fairly cracked with energy.  There was no shortage of popular favorites and everyone was bright-eyed with hearts pounding when he finished up.

In discussing events that took place at the hotel, it's appropriate to mention the Gleneagle Staff.  They were quite friendly and professional at all times, and remained unflustered in the face of various events including a broken elevator, the loss of hot water for a day and uncertainties over meal pricings and telephone rates.

With regard to the latter, while you can direct dial back to the states, I found the hotel imposed a per-minute charge on all calls from room phones, even the local ones and those placed to the 'free' numbers used for calling cards.  If you're looking for the best rate for such calls, use a calling card and a pay phone in the lobby.  Vendors in town offered cards that priced USA calls at .04 Euro per minute.  I ended up buying two different ones, one went into a credit card type slot in the pay phone to pay the basic service fee (this was much more convenient than carrying a pocket full of coins) and the other contained the access number and PIN codes for inexpensive long distance.

I missed the Ring of Kerry Tour last year, but made a point to take it this year and was glad I did.  For a mere 20 Euro we were picked up at the Gleneagle and treated to some delightful views of Ireland.  The trip included several stops for photos and brief shopping opportunities as well as a lunch stop.  We were gone about six hours and covered more than 100 miles in our travels.

It was a sunny day and the water had a vibrant blue color to it for the shots of the bays and ocean.  Four of us from the Noel group were on the tour and we brought along our concertinas.  When opportunities arose during the longer stops, we'd find a spot and play for a bit.  Padraig lead the group in this endeavor, and to some degree we became an icon of interest to other tour group members who captured our efforts on film and video.

I was surprised by the abundance of sheep we encountered on the last leg of the trip.  The photo of sheep on the 2005 Ireland menu page was taken out the front window of the Ring of Kerry motor coach and it was only one of many stops to allow the sheep to clear the road.

There was also a tour of the Dingle Peninsula which I didn't take, but Roy did and he reported it was a good one.  If I do this trip again I will make a point to take it.  I was quite pleased with the Ring of Kerry tour, though I must report that the winding road through the mountains had the coach swaying back and forth at times. There was never any sense of danger and it's not my intent to suggest any, rather I'm just reporting a lot of side-to-side motion in addition to our forward travels.  If you like being in a small rocking boat on the ocean you'd have loved this ride.

Return to Shannon and on to Ballyvaughan

When The Gathering ended, the group proceeded back to the Shannon Airport courtesy of the Gleneagle Hotel motor coach.  The day started out rather abruptly for me, by the time Noel ended his stage performance the night before it was almost 1AM and I still had to pack.  When my portable clock-radio turned on a few hours later to get me up for the 7AM hotel departure, it went unobserved.  Note to myself: Never set a clock-radio to wake up to a station that doesn't start broadcasting before your desired wake-up time.  Fortunately Karen called me at 6:45AM and fueled by adrenaline I was able to work in a rapid shave and shower and still get down to the bus in time.

The ride to Shannon was pleasant and we had time to enjoy breakfast before Noel's privately arranged motor coach arrived to take us on to Ballyvaughan.

What does the airport's version of a 'Traditional Irish Breakfast' look like?  Eggs, tomato, mushrooms, sausage, ham (bacon), potatoes and both white and black pudding.  Toast and butter were included with the meal as well.  Paul couldn't believe I took a photo of my meal for the website so I snapped one of him at breakfast too for the same purpose.  There was a 'Full Irish Breakfast' available at the cafeteria (which added three more items), but I decided to wait until my return to the airport in preparation for the flight home before having that.

While at Shannon we met up with additional people arriving to attend the Ballyvaughan class and then boarded the motor coach for the trip.  As before, the weather was good so we saw a lot of interesting things along the way.  I was busy snapping photos out the window as we crossed into the Burren and most turned out surprisingly well.

The ancient stone wedge tomb on the left has been around for thousands of years.  The old church depicted at the right is much more recent, and might go back to the days of the famine.

I would have loved to have more time to explore such things but we only had a total of two weeks in Ireland and there's much to see.  Noel made arrangements for people to go on a Burren hike later in the week and I was told it was both informative and scenic, but I elected for a different adventure that day (as will be related further on) so I missed the hike.

Once the group arrived in Ballyvaughan, we settled into our cottages and relaxed for the remainder of the day.  The village had changed very little since my prior visit, though I noted a few new homes being constructed in the area.

I was pleased to find that Jill was still running my favorite breakfast spot in the village, the Tea Junction.  I enjoyed morning chats with her and she proved to be quite informative as to local events and history.  She told me she'd come over to Ireland from England some years earlier and was happy with the new life she found.  She and her husband operate a Bed & Breakfast in the area as well and though Ballyvaughan was pretty quiet in early March, she assured me that in July it'd be altogether different and bustling with tourists.

I met a lot of interesting folks in Ballyvaughan.  While some members of the class liked to congregate as a group in a single pub, I tended to search out locations where I could talk with the local folks and get to know them better.  One can never tell a person's point of origin though, in chatting with the evening bartender in O'Briens it was revealed that she was from Montana and attending the local art college for a year.

I talked at length with a couple that had recently moved into the area and the fireplace of their newly acquired home was being renovated and therefore unavailable for use.  The evening was cold so they were out for the warm cheer of the pub and chats with new friends.  I found everyone I encountered was friendly and always quite willing to engage in conversation.  I had a chat with James from Scotland one morning as he was waiting to clear his bill on a rental house and he assured me that the folks up in the north of Ireland were even more friendly, so I may have to visit up that direction one day.

Perhaps the most unusual people I encountered during my time in Ireland were two Americans from Ward, Colorado that were staying in Ballyvaughan for a time.  They told me something of Ward's mining town history and talked about the novelty of living at an altitude near 10,000 feet.  They were both blacksmiths and were dressed in comfortable, though unique garb.  They assured me it was their typical clothing and certainly every time I saw them over the course of my week in the area they were always attired in a similar manner.

Concertina Classes in Ballyvaughan

While Noel had planned a number of activities for us during our time in Ireland, he didn't forget that we'd come for instruction.  We had classes twice a day and we were always sent off with one or more tunes to work on in preparation for the next class.  He divided the students into three groups and then paced the material appropriate to the skill level of each group.  I've not done a count, but I must have come away with at least a dozen new tunes and of course related class recordings for guidance.

Eilish, from Dublin, was in the advanced group with me though she was forced to miss the first day of class.  When I spoke with her prior to the second day of classes I mentioned one of the tunes Noel had given us the previous day and she commented that in her Dublin class with him she'd learned that one in two keys.  Upon hearing this, I immediately added her to the list of people I wanted to play prior to (and definitely not after) in subsequent classes.  She had a charming personality and was incredibly tolerant of my often oblique efforts at humor.

I'm starting to subscribe to the notion of volunteering to play first when asked to demonstrate a grasp of the tunes from the previous class.  At least at that point you're automatically the best Noel's heard and you aren't rattled by having just heard someone rip through a tune that you're still struggling with.

Noel is always patient with people, no matter how difficult a time they have with playing and always has words of encouragement to offer.  I used to see his "Would you play the tune from the previous class?" requests as tests to prove I'd been practicing, but I've come to understand that he asks each student to play to be certain they understand how to approach the tune and the technical aspects of playing it.  This is each student's opportunity to get personal guidance with difficulties and if anything it's an evaluation of Noel's teaching skills rather than of the student's abilities.

The setting for the classes was more intimate than at the Oregon classes I've attended in the states.  Each group of students went to the cottage Noel was staying in and class was held in his living room.  I don't think any one group had more than eight people in it, and he had just two or three in the beginning group so they had great personal guidance.  He held court from beside the fireplace as he dispensed instruction, humor, and Irish history.

The class group was transported to Corofin twice during the week to have the opportunity to hear three different concerts and recitals, and we also had a chance to tour the pubs to sample other events.  We had dinner in Corofin on one trip and I believe it was the best food I've had in Ireland, though by that statement I don't mean to take anything away from Julie's very impressive efforts in the Ballyvaughan cottages.

The Corofin Traditional Music Festival Concertina Recital (clink this link for photos) was of particular interest to all of us.  Chris Droney, a multiple All-Ireland winner opened the event with several great tunes and his playing demonstrated that even though he recently celebrated his 80th birthday, he's still an accomplished master of the instrument.  I have a copy of his "Fertile Rock" CD and recommend it to everyone.  He doesn't play in a highly ornamented manner but he plays tunes with a great expression and feel.

Edel Fox was next on the stage.  She just missed first place in the 2002 All-Ireland (15 -18 age) on concertina and was recently chosen as the TG4 Young Musician of the Year.  Her performance was impressive and she displayed considerable range in her choices.

Noel Hill closed the show and had the audience totally spellbound.  Every time I hear the man play I'm just amazed at the life he draws out of his instrument.  He took requests at the end and though there were several from the audience,  I think every one of them was played before he stopped and all were received with considerable enthusiasm.

We subsequently proceeded to a nearby restaurant and the group enjoyed a great meal there.  The service was fabulous and the desserts were the crowning touches.  After the meal ended we dispersed for a time to visit the pubs, and there proved to be a nice selection to choose from.  Julie introduced me to my first "Hot Whiskey" and I discovered it was the sort of thing that went well with others, that is, more "Hot Whiskeys."  Just the thing to take the chill off the night air.

On our last trip to Corofin there were several active sessions going on as we toured the pubs.  Mícheál Ó Raghallaigh was playing in one, but it was nearly impossible to see him.  The room was filled and all that one could readily see was the people in front of them.  I put my camera up as high as I could reach, pointed in the direction of the music and pressed the shutter release.  Checking the digital viewing window I could see I had a nice shot of the back of an assortment of heads, though the glare off a couple of bald ones ruined the evenness of the image.  Definitely not a 'keeper.'  You could hear the concertina though and I consoled myself knowing that I'd have an opportunity to see him later in the year at the New York Irish Arts Week event.

Eventually it was the appointed time to regroup and board the coach back to Ballyvaughan.  I've lost track of the number of times I was glad I wasn't driving during my time in Ireland, but this late night trip through the winding roads of the Burren was certainly one of them.

Our driver, Peter Mooney was great and looked after us well.  He handled city traffic with aplomb and maneuvered tight squeezes without batting an eye.  He magically found space on the road no matter what size approaching vehicles might be, and that included some very large trucks and buses.

While the city streets in Ireland seemed reasonably sized, many of the winding narrow country roads we traveled over looked barely wide enough for one-way traffic to my American-road conditioned eye.  Yet the Irish drivers fly down such roads unconcerned and oncoming traffic doesn't cause them to blink.  It seems to work for them, I looked closely at vehicles in both small and large cities and while I saw a lot of automobile models I didn't recognize, I didn't see scratches on bumpers or missing mirrors.

After the last day of class the group still had two days left for sight-seeing and Noel arranged a couple of very interesting events.  The first day the group went on a Burren Walk which consisted of travel to various locations and then off the coach and escorted walks with a knowledgeable local guide.  I didn't go on this, but most others did and I understand it was very informative and the guide offered considerable Irish history in addition to his descriptions of landscape features.  If I go back again, this will certainly be on my list.

I'd missed the group trip to the Cliffs of Moher the previous year, and was determined to see it this time around.  It turned out that two others were interested in the trip as well so I just needed to find the transportation.  Consulting on the matter with Noel for advice, I followed his recommendations and ended up hiring a "hackney" service for the trip.  Noel explained that "hackney" and "taxi" were two different services, with different licenses and different purposes.  Essentially "hackney" service is a vehicle and driver for hire and better suited for the adventure I had in mind.  It turned out that three of us had the dedicated use of a comfortable vehicle with driver for over four hours at a total cost of less than 50 Euro.  I thought the rate was amazingly inexpensive since it worked out to about 16 Euro each.

Oliver, our driver, was wonderful and once he figured out that we were out for sightseeing without a schedule rather than seeking a straight quick round-trip to the cliffs, he became quite a tour guide.  He stopped along the way for photos at our whim, went out of the way to show us local sights and even walked with us on some stops to point out details we might have otherwise missed.  Upon arriving at the cliffs, he encouraged us to take our time.  I'd suggested we'd only make him wait 20 minutes at the cliffs when I booked the service, but when we arrived he insisted that wasn't nearly long enough and that should explore the area thoroughly.

The weather was great, with a fair amount of blue in the sky and overall quite sunny.  While the cliff faces to the north were well illuminated at the time, I'd have liked to have been there a few hours later in the afternoon when the cliffs to the south were in direct sun too, but that was a very minor point.  It wasn't cold, it wasn't windy, it was clear and the Aran Islands (located just off the coast from Galway Bay) were easily visible in the distance.

I have read various sources that claim the cliffs rise 700 feet, 900 feet or 1,000 feet from the sea, the amount of rise depending on the source.  Since the bulk of Ireland doesn't flood twice a day I don't think the tides are ambitious enough to account for the variance between sources, but the cliffs are nonetheless impressive and having seen them, I could accept any of those numbers.  

Padraig, Karen and I made our way up the hill to the base of the tower at the top and then took turns playing the concertina Padraig had thoughtfully brought along.  It was great playing in that open air environment, though I regretted that I'd not prepared in advance and learned to play the tune "The Cliffs of Moher."  I made a point to do that afterwards and if you click the photo at the bottom of this narrative you can hear my simple efforts.

Wandering back down the hill we stopped a few times to listen to others playing whistles and button accordions along the way, and then went into the gift shop for the obligatory look around.  Lots of interesting stuff, but I think the three of us made it out the door without making any purchases.

Oliver was patiently waiting when we went to the parking lot, and even though we'd been gone an hour he encouraged us to take longer if we wished.  We gratefully declined and so and headed out of the lot.  Oliver suggested we take the coast road back into Ballyvaughan for its scenic advantages on such a fine day, and when we expressed an interest in Doolin, he was happy to stop there and again encouraged us to take our time.

We toured the shops but were disappointed to find the music shop was closed with a somewhat cryptic note on the door stating the reason was "... for the day that's in it." We puzzled over that for a time but eventually decided it was likely a reference to the fact it was Mother's Day in Ireland.

We were told the castle near Doolin had been purchased by an American in recent years and restored.  I imagine owning an Irish castle must be quite prestigious though I can't imagine how one would go about heating it.  This one has a fine view of the coast.

We really enjoyed our outing with Oliver and especially appreciated his services as a tour guide.  He was quite familiar with the area and knew about buildings and past events in abundant detail.  He didn't push the information at us though, but was always ready with answers if we asked him.  He cheerfully dropped us off back in Ballyvaughan and at first tried to decline the tip I offered for his patience and indulgence, insisting it was all just part of the basic service.

The last day's outing arranged by Noel covered quite a lot of territory and gave us a chance to see a lot more of Ireland.  We'd been in County Kerry while in Killarney and the northern end of County Clare while in Ballyvaughan, but our last day's adventure took us north out of Clare and well into County Galway.

I was quite pleased that we passed through Bell Harbour, where Chris Droney has been a lifelong resident.  Chris wrote "The Bell Harbour Reel" and when I've played it I've always wondered what the area might look like.  The harbour, though not expansive, looked quite calm and well protected and the area is not heavily populated.  I imagine summers here as being quiet and peaceful with a relaxed feel to each day.

After traversing the city of Galway we continued on to Noel's home, and he invited everyone in for tea and a light snack.  The setting for his home is quite charming with a bit of a rural feel to the location.  Noel and I had talked of fishing on many occasions, and I noted that he had a view of Galway Bay and kept a couple of sturdy fully-rigged fishing rods close to the door where they were handy.  He tells me that the evening fishing in the bay can be great and I may need to make a trip back to Ireland sometime just to verify that.

When the group boarded the coach again we covered considerable territory as we headed up the road to Kylemore Abby.  Set at the base of a mountain and fronting on a lake, it is in a beautiful peaceful location.  It was originally constructed as a private residence and was eventually purchased by the Irish Benedictine Nuns in 1920.

After touring the Abby we went on down to the church and admired its construction as well.  The building is impressive, but I've chosen to just present a view of one of the stained glass windows here since other sites feature good exterior shots.

From the Abby we started back towards the city of Galway.  Noel kept the entire trip interesting by pointing out various landmarks and telling of the history behind them.  He drew our attention to the faint furrows still visible on the steep hillsides within a few miles of the Abby and told us they went back to the days of the famine when the potato crop failed.  People attempted to farm every small bit of land that was accessible in the hopes of a yield of food to sustain their families.  The effort was by no means unique to that area, it just happened that with the current lighting conditions it was a good spot to see the old furrows.

We stopped at a restaurant near Galway for a final dinner with Noel and then said our goodbyes and proceeded back to Ballyvaughan to pack our suitcases in preparation for the morning trip back to Shannon and our flights home.  The morning came all too early and we soon found ourselves crossing the stone fields of the Burren one last time.  The ride was pleasant and I snapped a few last photos along the way.  While it was sad that we'd be parting soon, I think we were all looking forward to getting back to our homes and families and everyone was in good spirits.

Shannon and the Flight Home

After checking our bags, most of the group met up in the cafeteria for a final breakfast.  I chuckled when my bag was accepted for check-in without question while Roy's was searched at the ticket counter as part of their random security screenings.  I counted myself lucky that I'd avoided that inconvenience and reflected on the the influence of fate and chance in getting selected for these irritating invasions of privacy.  They may be necessary for safety, but I still don't like them.

Following breakfast we started saying goodbyes and the group splintered off to meet up with various outgoing flights.  Passing through the gate area entrance security screening my carry-on bag with two concertinas in it didn't get a blink and I again felt pretty happy about my good fortune.

I'd delayed my gift shopping until reaching the duty-free inner area shops and so this was now my chance to pick up something for those I'd left behind in the US.  A considerable selection was available and I wasn't unhappy that I'd waited until now to attend to this.  I spent the better part of an hour wandering aisles and making selections, and finally had everything rung up and carefully sequestered into my carry-on bag.

The time for my flight was drawing near so I proceeded to the gate and noted it would be a few minutes yet before they would start boarding the aircraft.  I decided I had to at least play one more tune before I left Ireland so I removed the Tedrow from my bag and started softly playing "Will You Go Lassie Go" (Also known as Wild Mountain Thyme).  While not Irish strictly speaking, this Scottish piece seems universally liked and played slowly, appropriate for a time of parting.

Karen, who was also on the same flight for the first leg of our journey home borrowed the concertina for a moment and also played a brief tune.  I have discovered that this new smaller Tedrow will play very quietly if so asked and so it's great for situations where one wants to make music but doesn't want to blast out a loud tune.

After putting the concertina away I started off to find a vending machine and was stopped by a man who'd heard me play.  He introduced himself and then enthusiastically launched into a discussion of Irish music.  I broke free in time to secure a beverage before the boarding announcement was made and dutifully made my way in line up to the ticket collector by the gate with the recent conversation a pleasant final closure on my time in Ireland.

Passing over my ticket, I was asked to step out of line for inspection.  My bag was placed on a table and they proceeded to empty it and then conducted a thorough personal inspection to make sure I had nothing hidden on my body.  It was convenient that this was conducted in full view of the folks passing by to board the flight.  It not only offered them some entertainment while waiting in line, no doubt when they encountered me later on the plane they felt completely secure knowing I'd been checked for all manner of hidden objects.

Both concertina cases were opened again, but at least no tongs and swabs were employed.  Nothing went untouched though, and I was afraid for a time they were going to make me unwrap my roll of mints to prove nothing was hidden in them.  By the time they lost interest in me, my careful packing was all undone and as I hurriedly attempted to re-stuff my bag my only goal was to be able to get it zipped shut.

I've since given considerable thought to what prompted my good fortune in winning the personal-inspection lottery at the gate and I think I've come up with the answer.  Some might suppose that because I was carrying a large bright red bag and further called attention to myself by drawing a concertina out of it and playing it, the security people figured I was trying to be overly obvious and therefore must be hiding something.

I don't think that was it, though I do acknowledge the soundness of the logic.  My notion is that they figured I wouldn't have enough room on the packed aircraft to get the concertina out and play it again, but they feared I might be hiding a tin whistle or harmonica somewhere on my body and knowing it was an eight-hour flight, they took presumptive action to protect the other passengers.  If I go again, I'm going fly Aer Lingus next time, they were appreciative and complementary of my efforts at the gate last year.

It was consoling that about two hours into the flight I stepped back to ask the flight attendants for a beverage and encountered a young woman who spoke of my gate playing with embarrassing enthusiasm.  She asked if I'd heard her singing along from the far side of the room and expressed an interest in getting together in Atlanta if we had time between flights to share a little music.  It turned out that she had spent seven years living the Aran Islands and was traveling on the flight with a Bodhran.  Some hours later in the flight the folks seated behind Karen and I initiated a brief conversation with us and complimented us both on our playing at the gate too.

Landing in Atlanta, the customs process and airport layout didn't present an opportunity to get together with the woman from the Aran Islands, but Karen, Sharon (who'd been on the same flight) and I managed to find a few minutes to play together one last time before we dispersed on our individual flights to our homes.

Final Thoughts

If I make this trip again, I'll change just a couple of things.  First, I'll only travel with one concertina and I'll demand to see a supervisor immediately if I don't like the way airport inspections are being conducted.  Second, I'll bring my Ireland travel book along even if I had no plans to go anywhere I've not been before.  I left it behind this trip thinking I wouldn't need it but missed it frequently while in Ireland.  It would have been a great reference (as it was the year before) for all those little "Where is" and 'What is" questions one comes up with in the course of travels and conversations.

Of course the outward purpose of this trip was for the concertina instruction with Noel Hill, but since one was immersed in the experience of living in the country for two weeks, instruction was only one element of the time there.  As I hope my narrative suggests, I was involved in a lot of activities besides classes.  I enjoyed this trip immensely, and felt I'd had a good chance to see many things I'd missed the year before.  I heard a lot of good music, talked with a great many people and enjoyed a variety of good food.  Noel's instruction was top notch as always and I have much to work on in the months ahead.

I ended up with more new tunes from class than on the previous trip, but then Noel had advanced me to the higher level class last summer so I can't do a direct comparison in that light.  My perception was that Noel didn't cut back on quantity or quality for the Ireland class from an instructional viewpoint, though he did recognize that our evenings were going to be distracted by the surroundings and events and so made some adjustments to his expectations.  He solicited feedback from the class in selecting tunes for instruction, but ultimately selected tunes that suited his purpose.

It would have been easy for Noel to present us with a collection of relatively easy tunes so that we could go home with memories of effortless days in class and feeling that we'd done well during our time in Ireland.  I've noticed that I rarely get an "easy" tune from Noel though, regardless of whether the class is in Ireland or in the States.  Each one he selects is picked to teach new elements of technique and in learning the tune one is forced to stretch and grow in ability.

Most of the tunes I find in typical session books I can run through on a note-to-note basis immediately and do reasonably well at playing them properly if not that day, then within a day or two.  I don't mean I'm ready for a stage performance, but I'd be comfortable playing them for friends at that point (especially if I can sneak a peek at the sheet music to refresh my memory).

With the tunes Noel teaches in class it typically takes me from two to four months to get to where I can play them comfortably and with authority, and some take even longer.  It isn't that the basic tunes are overly complex, rather it's the fingering, chording and expression that take time to learn and develop. Desiring the coordination to achieve a certain sound is one thing, but actually building it may take weeks or months.  Fortunately, once mastered, those new skills are "in the kit" and can easily be applied to any tune.

In addition to the concertina instruction, Noel made this trip very memorable and comfortable by being a part of every planned group tour and activity.  He brought his family along and we did everything as one body including many of the dinners.  Comments and insights were offered freely and he was always available for questions or to assist in resolving problems.  Although he was never intrusive, we always had the sense that we were part of a group with someone looking out for our best interests.

Ireland looked a little different to me this trip, primarily because I've been reading up on its history and the events that have shaped it in recent years.  I was more aware of political topic sensitivities in pub discussions, and more cognizant of the things that weren't discussed as well as the things that were.  While it didn't have the "new" factor it did for me on my first trip, I was better prepared to sort through experiences and absorb the important details and so in the end I believe I got much more out of my time there this year.

Click on the photo to hear "The Cliffs of Moher"

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