Well, it doesn't say it but the post at 15 Mar 19 - 03:25 PM must be from Jim Bainbridge. There are a few things that I would like to add to it.
Jim B wrote. -
I was in West Cork in the 90s and as you well know, there was such a dearth of musicians to entertain the tourists that they had to employ a blow-in Geordie to do it!
What music there was came mainly from other English immigrants, largely with a background in English (mainly southern) folk clubs.
Tina and I visited you in Durras a few times in those years. You were going to take us to a session one night. You said "Would you like to go the Dutch Irish session or the English Irish session?" I thought it was a joke until we ended up in Ballydehob (memory suggests that the pub was called Rosie McCanns?) and I found that was true - the participants were English immigrants.
Jim again -
Seems things are a bit better now, but I do not believe that it is any more than patchy ANYWHERE in Ireland- I suspect the multiple TVs have driven the music out of most of the pubs, although there is certainly a decent scene in the homes of Ireland- which is where it all started after all!
Big Screen football TVs are just part of the problem. What were once clubrooms that organisations could hire have become restaurants but landlords who reckon that they can make more from food than they can from drink. Either that or the cost of hiring the room has made it prohibitive for hand to mouth folk clubs. Pub closures in England are currently running at 40 per week. We have lost three in recent years in Lewes but there are still five that feature sessions on a weekly or monthly basis. We have sessions in our kitchen which can comfortably sit 15 and we go to singarounds in other peoples' houses. Lots of activity but all below the radar.
You also ran a folk club in Schull (memory tells me that it was called "The Courtyard"?) and you booked Tina and I there. I remember looking through the guest list leaflet and seeing that the three previous guests had been mutual Scots mates that we had heard at TMSA festivals. Didn't say much for the local talent.
Also in Schull you took us to a session that you led with an English guitarist (Patrick Forester?) and the pub was heaving and we could hardly get in. What had happened was that your guitarist had been working away one week and you had asked another locally based guitarist to deputise - a man called Christy Moore. The word had got around and the possibilty that the great man might be there the following week had packed the pub out.
Jim -
Of course it's patchy in Northumberland and Sussex too- it's still a minority activity, as in Ireland.
It always was and it always will be. It doesn't make it any less enjoyable though. A night of good music - session, singaround, folk club, concert gives an incredible lift.
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Finally, a short funny story. After we left you in Cork one year, we went to Clare and ended up in Miltown Malbay. We went into an attractive gift shop and were looking around. The only other customers in the shop were an older American couple. It was in the week leading up to their "Darling Girl Of Clare" festival. A local woman came in, not to buy but to have a chat to the shop assistant. There was a gap in the conversation and then the visitor looked around the shop.
Visitor - "Well, are ye all ready for your 'Darling Girl'?"
Shop Assistant - "On don't be talking! I haven't got over my 'Willie Week' yet."
The Americans opened their eyes wide and looked at one another. I think they were wondering what they has stumbled on.