In 2006 I actually got to play (very quietly!) a few tunes in Hughes's. I did stay on the periphery as the session was about the "purest" it could have been: no strummers, no bodhrans, just melodies on flutes, fiddles and pipes played by a bunch of guys who had nothing to prove and no big egos. I know that the piper was Gabriel McKeon. Dunno who the others were. I remember thinking that I would be lucky to see playing of their quality ever again.

I haven't been to Ireland since then. I did have a play (a bit more that time) at the Cobblestone too. I hope that's still thriving after it was threatened with redevelopment a few years ago. We met a lovely lady there called Marion McEvoy who invited me to her session the following evening and I had a great time there. Can't remember the name of that pub but it was up the road then round the corner from the Auld Triangle.

We were in Dublin for just four days but we packed a lot in. We also went to the Abbey Tavern in Howth but there was nowt going on there on that occasion!

Bad weather but happy days!