I guess for me it was at infant school and doing set dancing classes and having to dance with the boys when we thought that boys were yuck and protested about dancing with them.

Before that though it was in the family.

Then after infant schools from the set dancing days, it was a bit dormant, when I did Classical singing etc at high school, and up until I left university, and I went one evening to a local Catholic Church fund raising event to send someone to Lourdes. I was bullied into going (not really interested in church) by a very strong willed older (matriarch) of the community. And I heard an Irish group and was asked to partner someone for a set dance. It re awoke my interest, and I joined a comhaltas group and learned to play the Whistle, the bodhran and guitar etc and I'm now in a group myself.

Essentially though I think it is part of my family lifestyle which is where it all started and where I was originally encouraged to play an instrument.

E