Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010

Subject: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT
From: sciencegeek
Date: 16 Jun 10 - 01:43 PM

checked the New London website to see what's up. Looks like it will be Sat., August 28 at the New London City pier... but no line up yet.

Hope to make it again... hear great music, watch the currach races and just have a grand old time. They serious when they say Celts... there are folks there from all over, including Breton. Can't remember if any Manx men were there, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT
From: GUEST,Janet
Date: 16 Jun 10 - 11:32 PM

Unlike Mystic, that's an event I've been curious about but never attended. I have a very tentative girl cousin's reunion that day. I'll have to see what develops.

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 07 Jul 10 - 11:47 AM

Found a recent update... the event is held at the city pier - recently renovated I believe. Hope they left enough parking spaces.. but we've always managed to find a spot.

The region's premiere Celtic music and dance festival! Featuring the hot, young band, Mac Talla Mor! (See mactalla.com) Enjoy Irish step dancing, Bretagne line dancing and much more! Planning is just underway! Please check back for more details!

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: Celtaddict
Date: 25 Aug 10 - 04:06 PM

Hi, Sciencegeek, are you coming down?
CELTS & CURRACHS is this Saturday, 28 August, in Parade Plaza, New London (just across from the train station; if you head for downtown New London [exit 83 off I-95] and follow the 'transportation center' signs, it is very easy to find; look for the life size whale flukes.
This year:

Brand new young group, talented Celtic Ceol making their festival debut.
Haunting Breton dance music and instruction with Trouz Bras; plan to join in!
Irish step dancing with Spirited Soles, from small fry to world-class competitors.
Irish song with the brilliant Danny Quinn, well known up & down East coast, played for years with the legendary Tommy Makem.
Song, pipes, and more with the amazing MacTalla Mor.

And, it's all FREE.
Street parking is free; there is a public garage too if needed.

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: Celtaddict
Date: 25 Aug 10 - 04:24 PM

Celts & Currachs

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: akenaton
Date: 25 Aug 10 - 04:27 PM

Anybody know what a "Currach" is?

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: michaelr
Date: 25 Aug 10 - 07:42 PM

The currach is the traditional circular hide boat of Ireland. The word can also mean a plain, as in "The Curragh of Kildare".

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 25 Aug 10 - 08:20 PM

Drat! Can't make it--previous obligation. Maybe next year. Enjoy!

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Aug 10 - 08:37 PM

I hope my daughter and grandsons will venture down; they are just across the river.

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: Leadfingers
Date: 25 Aug 10 - 09:00 PM

I dont suppose any one will sing 'The Curry Of Kildare'

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: akenaton
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 04:47 PM

Thanks Michael...The inhabitants of a small village near where I live, are known locally as "Currachs"
The village is called Strathcur....."The valley of the river Cur" in gaelic.......Hence "Currachs"....Ake

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: sciencegeek
Date: 27 Aug 10 - 08:38 AM

hey, Janet - Mike & I will be singing near home this weekend - the Wayland Potato Festival.

The Irish currach is long & sleek, rather than the circular currach used in still waters. They now hold currach races, but they were used in the Atlantic by the island folks back in the day.

I hope they reprint the Currach Folk - i've been trying to locate an affordable copy for a few years now.

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 01:10 AM

Sciencegeek: Guest, Janet morphed into ChanteyLass by finally becoming a Mudcat member. I still can't get to Celts and Currachs because of a previous obligation. I gather (via a websearch) that the Wayland Potato Festival is in NY. The Wayland near me is Wayland Square in Providentce, RI. I hope both Celts and Currachs and the Wayland Potato Festival are huge successes. The date for my girl cousins' reunion was changed and already happened, but instead I committed to a potluck for volunteers at Stone Soup Coffeeehouse http://www.stonesoupcoffeehouse.com/ in Pawtucket, RI. I use the term volunteer loosely. I donate and help fold chairs when I (frequently) attend concerts. I hope to read more about the Celts and Currachs and Wayland Potato Festivals after the events.

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: Celtaddict
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 09:56 AM

Welcome, ChanteyLass/Janet. I think Sciencegeek was talking to me as my first name is also Janet. I hit Stone Soup when I can. Keep in touch, we'll meet no doubt!

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: Celtaddict
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 09:57 AM

Saturday, August 28, 1:30pm-7pm
Parade Plaza, New London, CT
Rain Location: 165 State Street in the Atrium at Harris Place

1:30pm – 2:00pm:Celtic Ceol & Chris Neilan
2:00pm – 3:30pm: Trouz Bras
3:30pm – 3:45pm: Spirited Soles Irish Step Dancers
3:45pm – 5:15pm: Danny Quinn
5:15pm – 5:30pm: Spirited Soles Irish Step Dancers
5:30pm – 7:00pm: MacTalla Mor

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 04:13 AM

Celtaddict, thanks for clearing that up. I hope we do meet somewhere. In addition to Stone Soup, I sometimes go to the Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI. They often have Celtic music. In fact, because of that, SS rarely books Celtic performers now.

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: Fergie
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 08:25 AM

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: Fergie
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 08:27 AM

Hi all

To see some currachs go HERE

Fergus

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: Celtaddict
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 10:29 PM

Fergie, interesting to see; on page 6, the first picture has four people holding a model of a currach: that was taken here in New London when we were starting the currach project (I am the woman). The last one on page 6 is the police union team rowing in the race at Celts and Currachs; first year I think?

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: michaelr
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 01:35 PM

Odd -- I remember a TV documentary about an open-air museum in Ireland where they had reconstructed a 7th-century(?) village on a lake. Their currachs were definitely circular.

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: EBarnacle
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 02:04 PM

I'm a bit surprised that Larry/Lorcan has not joined this thread. As Janet knows, he was instrumental in building several boats and helped teach several others to do the same.

Most of those boats were destroyed by a vile Sassenach plot.

Subject: RE: Celts & Currachs, New London, CT 28 Aug. 2010
From: Celtaddict
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 10:59 PM

Lorcan (InOBU) was a key player in building our currachs here in New London and is shown in the group photo (in the hat).
I suspect the earliest of the currach/coracle family may very well have been roundish and used in relatively calmer waters. The current (as in, for the last few centuries) currachs in Ireland are the long ones with the up-curved prow. The round ones are traditionally associated with Wales, as coracles (apparently a Latinized diminutive of the same word), used by one boater on a river or lake. A 7th century reconstruction would be likely to have a good deal of overlap though since the political boundaries were not fixed at that time and the earlier form of the boat would be the reasonable expectation.
Julius Caesar did describe the currachs of the Gaels, though, covered in ox-hide as they were up until around the turn of the last century when tarred canvas replaced the hide.