I assume from the reaction (or lack of reaction) to my comments about Gurteen, that my information is correct. Aren't the similarities of what as happened there and at Clontarf spooky - to say the least.
Cap'n,
If we need to debate the rights and wrongs of the Director of Comhaltas, who is a State Senator, taking advantage of his political position to influence an Arts Minister who has neither knowledge nor experience of traditional music in order to take over a project that he and his organisation had no part in developing - we really have nothing whatever to say to each other!
The same undue influence was used somewhat cynically in preparing the report for the Oireachtas, which was originally supposed to be - and I quote - 'a report on the state and the needs of Irish traditional music'. What we got instead was a blatant piece of partisan propaganda on behalf of CCE at the expense of all the other organisations and individuals working for Irish traditional music - The report was, quite rightly, in my opinion, widely opposed and eventually shelved.
I have no idea what head office has in mind for Clontarf and Gurteen, but I am not left with a great deal of hope if Bru Boru is anything to go by.
Up to now I have never visited Bru Boru - I rectified that on Monday - oh dear!!!.
A bland mixture of touch panel displays containing a commentary of highly suspect history and information plus pretty pictures, a film of a Fleadh Ceol with unsatisfactory and uninformative snatches of music and song, a poorly stocked bookshop (and a talking tree!!!), all housed in an extremely expensive building and sited in a prime position had me coming away with the overwhelming feeling - WHAT A WASTE.
Jim Carroll