NW Ireland session scouting

Subject: NW Ireland trip in September
From: michaelr
Date: 16 Aug 06 - 08:50 PM

So herself and I will be in Ireland from September 2 - 10. We'll travel from Dublin to Sligo and then up the Donegal coast and back through NI to Dublin. Want to take in as much of the pure drop trad music as we can find.

All info on sessions along the way gratefully appreciated. And if any Mudcatters out that way would like to meet, let me know!

Slan,
Michael

Subject: RE: NW Ireland session scouting
From: Geoff Wallis
Date: 17 Aug 06 - 01:44 PM

Well, there's Tessie's in Meenaleck on Sundays (though it might have finished by early September) - otherwise there's The Highlands Hotel in Glenties (Sun) and The Glen, just a couple of miles up the road from Glenties to Ballybofey (Fri and Sun). Beady's in Dungloe has a session on Tuesdays or there's always Hudai Beag's in Bunbeg on Monday (all year round). Teach Billie's in Gortahork has a session on Tuesday's and Teach Ruari (a couple of miles south) on Thursdays. There's also a great session in McGrory's, Culdaff (on Inishowen) on Tuesdays and sometimes Fridays.

Subject: RE: NW Ireland session scouting
From: michaelr
Date: 17 Aug 06 - 09:50 PM

Thanks for that, Geoff! I can't seem to locate Meenaleck on my map - where is it?

Subject: RE: NW Ireland session scouting
From: Susan A-R
Date: 17 Aug 06 - 11:52 PM

Timely thread. I fly out tomorrow and will be in County Mayo Sun, Mon and Tues. May try for one of the sessions if it's not too far afield. My geography is awful. I tend to leave it up to others for whom map reading is not such a visual challenge.

Susan A-R

Subject: RE: NW Ireland session scouting
From: Geoff Wallis
Date: 18 Aug 06 - 01:29 PM

Meenaleck is between Annagry and Crolly. The pub is opposite Leo's Tavern (of Clannad renown) and you can't miss the signs.

Subject: RE: NW Ireland session scouting
From:
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 11:21 AM

Geoff, perhaps you might take a visit to http://www.thesession.org and put the information on those sessions there. They list about 120 sessions but don't seem to have any of these listed there.

thesession.org is a handy place to centralize this sort of information.

Subject: RE: NW Ireland session scouting
From: Geoff Wallis
Date: 24 Aug 06 - 01:35 PM

George,

The Session's listings are not maintained regularly and notoriously out of date. I see no point in posting this information there.

Geoff

Subject: RE: NW Ireland session scouting
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 29 Aug 06 - 11:01 AM

Letterkenny Comhaltas has sessions Tuesday nights at Clanree Hotel, which is on the edge of town on the main road in the direction of Derry and Ballybofey.

I saw notices about fiddle meets at Kilcar on Saturdays. Kilcar is a small place and not far from Carrick (an Carraig) and Teelin so you can enquire when you are in the area.

I think there are still sessions at the Shamrock in Falcarragh on Sat, very near Gort a' Choirce (I believe the road signs for Gortahork will be in Irish).

Be wary of driving on Irish roads, especially at night. There is an atrocious road accident rate here and many of the fatal accidents have involved young drivers in country areas in the wee hours of the morning. You might drive carefully but the driver of the car near you might not.

Subject: RE: NW Ireland session scouting
From: Geoff Wallis
Date: 29 Aug 06 - 02:25 PM

Hmm,

The Clanree Hotel is a good three kilometres from Letterkenny's town centre and a pretty unpleasant walk along the main drag - hardly on 'the edge of town', Philippa.

The main Kilcar session is at Johnny Joe's pub on Fridays.

The Shamrock session at Falcarragh is generally rather poor. Gortahork is marked on the N56 from Falcarragh in English on both signposts and signboards.

Subject: RE: NW Ireland session scouting
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 30 Aug 06 - 09:12 AM

I'm sure Michael would also like to hear about Sligo and maybe Leitrim sessions as well. Any suggestions?

Subject: RE: NW Ireland session scouting
From: Geoff Wallis
Date: 30 Aug 06 - 01:15 PM

Not sure he would, Philippa, as he distinctly said he'd be travelling back from Donegal through the Six Counties.

However, I can provide recommendations, if needed.

Just a thought, but have you ever considered registering on Mudcat rather than appearing as a mere guest?

Subject: RE: NW Ireland session scouting
From: GUEST,Aed Mhacha
Date: 30 Aug 06 - 02:13 PM

Geoff,Philiippa is a Mudcat legend, a mine of information on Irish folk.

Subject: RE: NW Ireland session scouting
From: michaelr
Date: 30 Aug 06 - 08:35 PM

Thanks for all the info.

Geoff, we'll be traveling to Sligo, then up to Donegal, and back south to Dublin. All information is greatly appreciated.

Slan,
Michael (or should it be Micheal?)

Subject: RE: NW Ireland session scouting
From: Geoff Wallis
Date: 01 Sep 06 - 02:32 PM

Thanks, Michael/Mícheál,

If you're passing through Sligo town then the Dervish-owned pub, Sheila-na-Gig, on Bridge Street has to be a must and has sessions on Mondays and Thursdays as well as an earlier one at 6pm on Saturdays. The pub opposite, Earley's, also has a session on Thursdays, or you could check Foley's on Castle Street (Thurs-Sat). In Leitrim Cryan's in Carrick-on-Shannon has a session on both Saturday and Sunday nights and the bar meals are exceptionally good too. Olivia D's in Drumshanbo has a session on the last Friday of the month and there's also The Mountain Tavern (Wed & Sun) in Aghacashel, about 6km east of Drumshanbo.

I can't advise regarding your trip back from Donegal to Dublin without more details of your route.

Dare I mention that you might buy a copy of the new edition of The Rough Guide to Ireland which has all the necessary information? OK, I wrote it along with my colleague Paul Gray, but there's nothing wrong with the occasional plug!

Subject: RE: NW Ireland session scouting
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 14 Sep 06 - 07:44 AM

so how did the trip go Michael and did you hear any music?
I suppose now you'll be gearing up for your local Celtic music festival (in California)?