Aran Trad Fest

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 25 Sep 11 - 12:49 PM

[This from Facebook (which also has a list of accommodations & phone numbers) and no, I'm not getting a commission! -B]

5 DAYS TO THE FLEADH ARAINN - ARAN TRAD FEST 2011 Friday 30th September - 2nd October 2011
Inis Mór, The Aran Islands

A weekend of plenty of Trad Music, Sean-nós singing and dancing, Céile dancing, Open Music sessions, Join in on the sessions with Frankie Gavin, Dedannan, Mulkerrin Brothers, Cunningham Family, Hernons and Padraig Grace, Cogar and many other music sessions, for a great weekend promised. Don't forget the Sean-nós dancing Workshop with Ashline Cunningham, Book your class at 0868297084.

Fáilte go h-Arainn - Programme available - email [e-mail] OR Contact Clodagh 0877930556 or Penny 0868297084 for further information

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 11 Sep 11 - 08:08 AM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Sep 11 - 11:00 AM

Hi if you want more information send your email address to [e-mail] or [e-mail] and we will forward you on the programme

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 22 Aug 11 - 08:02 AM

LOL !!!!!

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: MartinRyan
Date: 22 Aug 11 - 06:39 AM

Aran trad vest?

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Charmion
Date: 22 Aug 11 - 06:20 AM

No one has worn a pinafore in Ontario since 1965 at the latest. In my far-distant youth it was a home-made apron-like garment literally pinned on to the shoulders and waist of a little girl's Sunday dress to protect it from domestic fallout (i.e., blobs of raspberry jam). The extinction of the pinafore can be ascribed to the demise of the Sunday dress and the proliferation of the automatic washing machine.

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 22 Aug 11 - 05:51 AM

There was at one time an annual bodhran festival on one of the Aran Islands.
Haven't heard of it lately; perhaps the music-lovers who were planning it were successful in breaking it away from its anchorage and floating it out into the middle of the Atlantic.
"a "jumper" is a parachutist...."
Or somebody who ends it all by jumping from a high building - there is a high road bridge in Highgate, north London known as "Jump Bridge".
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 21 Aug 11 - 07:17 AM

Ah, you mean a pinafore!

I actually grew up in the States, and wore jumpers as an alternative to dresses, and pulled heavy sweaters on over my head and put a vest on over a leotard rather than under my blouse. Then there's turtleneck vs polo-neck... I have both terminologies floating around in my mind, so I suppose it's no wonder I get them confused. I never get numerical dates the right way around either.

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Charmion
Date: 21 Aug 11 - 07:11 AM

When a Canadian says "vest", he means "waistcoat", and on this side of the Herring Pond a "jumper" is a parachutist or a sleeveless dress meant to be worn over a shirt.

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: CET
Date: 20 Aug 11 - 11:55 AM

It's a sleeveless garment made of a heavy tweed, and lined with a heavy wool cloth. Apparently the factory that made that type of tweed had already stopped making it by the time I visited Inis Oirr. You would wear over a sweater on a really bad day.

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 18 Aug 11 - 05:23 AM

Just the thing for late September in the Arans too, I should imagine! Did they tell you anything about which family the cable-pattern is supposed to represent? Or do they only do that on the jumpers? (Or, when a Canadian says "vest" does she/he mean what an American means by "sweater" and the British/Irish mean by "jumper" or "pullover"? ;-)

On Facebook I've been accepted into Aran Fest's Friendship fold, which means I can now read their wall (don't know why they don't make it public - there's nothing private on there) (well, actually, there is... not telling, hee hee hee). Later announcement sez:

Ashline Cunningham will be running a sean nos workshop during the weekend

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: CET
Date: 17 Aug 11 - 07:57 PM

On Inis Oirr I also picked up one of the very last genuine Aran fisherman's vests. It was made by the mother in law of the lady who ran the gift shop and it was very old fashioned even then. Someone remarked that the fishermen always used to see them. It's a beautifully made garment, just the thing for a Canadian winter.

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 14 Aug 11 - 04:33 PM

This, while not about music (apart from a brief mention about hearing some in a pub), is interesting and timely:

Coasting around Connemara

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 14 Aug 11 - 04:08 PM

Inis Meáin doesn't (or didn't) do much in the way of instrumental playing, at least when I was there - which has been some years now, so things may be different these days. But they did sing. Whether that was from a "tradition" as such, or was just material they'd picked up, I don't know. But that Three Marys was one I had never come across before, and I can't remember what was and wasn't said about it, but that was my impression.

I also recall some of the older women still wearing the traditional skirts, and they did speak Irish (which I don't think was for the sake of impressing us blow-ins). If anything, they seemed a bit shy.

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: CET
Date: 14 Aug 11 - 02:37 PM

I spent some time on Inis Oirr about 20 years ago, and got the impression that the island didn't have a strong tradition of singing. Perhaps that was just a matter of the population being smaller than on the other islands.

Our B&B on Inis Mor is booked. I can hardly wait.

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 14 Aug 11 - 07:39 AM

Ah. sorry Peter - I just cross-posted with you - but you've made my point perfectly!

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 14 Aug 11 - 07:39 AM

One of the best "festivals" I ever went to was an informal dance weekend on the medium-sized island, Inis Meáin (the two stone forts there, Dún Chonchúir and Dún Fearbhaí, are magnificent). We all brought instruments and it turned into a mini-fest - it was fantastic to hear the locals sing some of their songs: one of them did their version of The Lament of the Three Marys which I'd never heard before.

The thing about the Irish is, they're used to creating their own entertainment with whom- and whatever means are at hand. That's why the traditional culture is so strong and there are so many impromptu events that aren't publicised because they haven't been planned in advance.

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 14 Aug 11 - 07:29 AM

Sure, I didn't mean to say it wasn't attractive, just that there's not surprising there's not a lot of advertising, the hotel has similar type gigs every two weeks during summer.

I saw Frankie and his gang recently here and it wasn't advertised at all basically, other than the pub's website and a poster outside. Forty or fifty people in, good attendance but just one event in a stream of regular gigs.

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 14 Aug 11 - 07:16 AM

I actually went ahead and sent them a Friend Request after all, so will report anything interesting. My comment about their not having previously written on their wall since July only applies to their public info profile - I haven't seen the inner wall because I'm not a Friend (yet) so that statement is probably wrong.

Dunno, I could fancy a fest in the Arans built around Frankie Gavin & Co plus sessions. The islands are gorgeous and also have some stunning ancient forts & other archaeological goodies. (Take wind-proof gear as well as rain/spray protection & good walking shoes tho: the land is very bare and exposed to the elements.)

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 14 Aug 11 - 07:01 AM

It's here , second below the link to this thread whe nyou google 'Aran Trad Fest'. It wants you to sign in so it wasn't much use to me.

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 14 Aug 11 - 06:55 AM

Bonnie - could you please give me the FB link to Aran Trad Fest, as I couldn't find it when I tried. :)

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 14 Aug 11 - 05:36 AM

[i]I'm surprised there's not more PR for it. [/i]


I don't know Bonnie. It's a hotel having a band and probably a few sessions and calling it a festival. It's not that unusual or big a deal. It'll fill the room and a great time will be had by all but at the end of the day the same sort of thing is happening all the time all over the place.

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 13 Aug 11 - 08:18 PM

Do keep us informed - it sounds like fun, and I'm surprised there's not more PR for it. That email for them was posted on their Facebook page just 8 hours ago, and their last wall message before that seems to have been back in mid-July, so something's stirring.

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: CET
Date: 13 Aug 11 - 08:11 PM

Ah, thanks. In fact, I have sent an email to the hotel, so more to follow, hopefully.

Edmund

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 13 Aug 11 - 08:03 PM

Woooops, missed something - there's also this:

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Aran Trad Fest
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 13 Aug 11 - 08:02 PM

The same info you mention above is on Facebook, but no more than that. Both Aran Trad Fest and the Aran Islands Hotel have individual pages, but in order to get any further details (if you do) you have to send a Friend request, which I don't want to. It really does look like the hotel has a major hand in this event and would surely be able to give you more info (even the largest of the islands isn't that big). I think your best bet is to get in touch and ask them direct. The following in on the hotel's Facebook page and also (as I'm sure you probably know) their website. Let us know if you find out more - good luck.

http://www.aranislandshotel.com
Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Kilronan
Inis Mór
Aran Islands
Ireland

Subject: Aran Trad Fest
From: CET
Date: 13 Aug 11 - 02:59 PM

While researching a trip to Inis Mor I came across a reference to something called Aran Trad Fest on the website of a hotel in Kilronan. The dates are 30 September to 3 October and the feature act seems to be Frankie Gavin and De Danaan. I was intrigued and tried Googling this event, but it doesn't appear to have a website. I can't find any reference to it here: http://www.irishmusicmagazine.com/links/festivals/ or on the Discover Ireland website. There's something about it on Facebook, but I don't do Facebook.

Can anyone provide more information? Perhaps I'm searching for the wrong name.