The simple definition of a slow air is a tune played freely and rhythmically, but this seemed to simple as all slow airs are well slow, but powerful, or emotional, to quote from “The essential guide to Irish flute and Tin whistle”

A slow air is an instrumental interpretation of a sean nos, or old style song. Sean nos singing is a highly personalized mode of unaccompanied solo singing traditinallly done in the Irish language. It’s tradition is very old and the streams which branch off from it run deep throughout the soul of irish music.

The soul of Irish music, now that is how I would sum up a slow air. The next time you are watching a grand awe inspiring cinamatic extravaganza the background music may very well be a slow air, Be it the lord of the rings or the lord of the dance the Irish slow airs are all around us.

My favorite part of a good Irish session occurs when a talented flute or whistle player takes it on themself to play an air, the room falls quiet, the music takes over. Nothing emotes the power and soul of Irish music better.

I am blessed to have been able to attend many sessions as my wife and I towed our  daughter/whistler/flutist to sessions and fleadhs. From slow sessions to advanced sessions to hall appearances and band performances, and always the highlight of my night would be when she would play an olde Irish air for the old man. Carrick on Shannon being my favorite, but most would be familiar with other old airs. The Derry air which is the tune for Danny boy, and Carrickfergus is an air.

So the next time the session needs a break maybe request a slow air, who knows it may end up being you favorite Irish music too.

Cheers.

Ireland favorites - Irish music, Irish food, Irish fun

A few positive uplifting Irish songs and Irish music.

• Cliffs of Donneen, after all it’s a nice place to be on a warms summer day, my favorite Irish music version is sung by Paddy Rielly.
• Song for Ireland, best sung in old pubs where fiddlers like to play.
• Irish rover, except for the poor old dog being drown it’s a pretty upbeat lively Irish folk song and you never know when you might need some nanny goat tails.
• The Jug of Punch, Especially nice on a pleasant evening in the month of May.
• The Hills of Connemara, Running moonshine or more accurately poteen and sharing same with your local priest just has an uplifting effect.
• I’ll Tell me Ma, except for maybe some young fellow getting a talking to, it’s a really a popular lively song.

So when you need to sing a happy tune or at least listen to one there’s no reason why that song shouldn’t be an Irish one. When the news of the day gets a bit overwhelming, and you just need a break from the everyday doldrums, maybe it’s time to learn a few pleasant Irish songs. In the famous words of Seamus Moore ” Lighten up when you still can”

Now to my fellow Tourists you should know that country music is just a wildly liked in Ireland as it is back home, my favorite being the humorous Irishman genius Seamus Moore.

So taking Seamus’s advice I’ll try to steer clear of the politics for a while and get back to what is good in the world, Irish music, Irish food, and Irish fun.

Cheers.

Ireland favorites - Irish music, Irish food, Irish fun

Ronald Reagan sat in my lounge’

Mary O’Farrell, now 64, had renamed the lounge bar of her pub after Ronald Reagan, when his Irish roots were traced to the village of Ballyporeen in 1980.

Four years later, he and wife Nancy spent three hours in her pub, where he drank a pint of Smithwick’s.

They attended a church service, did a walkabout for the 400 people lining the street and unveiled a plaque at the newly formed Reagan Centre.

Eight B&Bs were opened, two new cafes and grocery shops sold souvenirs. The tourist boom lasted six or seven years.

When Reagan died in 2005, the presidential library acquired the interior of Mrs O’Farrell’s pub.

One of the most rapturous visits was Ronald Reagan.

There are times I need to remember there is the ability to have adult honest people in charge of the world, Those shared common values referred to in the above video seem to be under constant attack.

So as I pen this bit of political commentary, one of Irelands favorite pastimes I’ve been told, I sit and listen and contemplate what the leader of my country has before him, and wonder.

Sean Doherty, a good Irish name Doherty, abandoned in Bengazi by his commander and chief while he helped 33 people escape and valiantly try to save Ambassador Chris Stephens from Islamic terrorists on september 11.

• Some say there was no time to send help, I guess they knew at the beginning how long the attacks would last. One thing for sure if no one is sent then no one can be saved.
• The My government told the parents of the slain that the attack was due to a youtube video, lied to their faces, cowards.
• US military in Italy and Tripoli were told to stand down, do not engage, do not try, abandon your comrades, betray their trust.

The We citizens can be heartened to know that the president got a good night sleep during the siege and was fresh as a daisy to attend his find raiser in Las Vegas the next day. If the boss makes no decisions, no orders, then he can’t be blamed for the results, better four dead in Benghazi than to harm his presidential run.

But let’s move on to other things and see if We still share common values in this latest generation of Irish loving presidents.

If you disagree with the current administration you can expect to be audited by the Internal Revenue Service, the IRS, seems fair. I mean if you freely engage in speech you should pay a price. A more subtle way to silence the opposition is to simply stall and threaten groups.

• If you seek a non profit status for your organization and it has the words freedom, patriot, or common good for America, then you will be stone walled and probed. Who are your donors? who are your facebook friends? What are their addresses? Maybe we can audit them.

The selective use of laws and regulation to penalize one view and aid another doesn’t seem to be the shared common values of old.

Thank goodness we have a Constitution and a Bill of Rights, that prevents government from tapping news reporters phones or secretly acquiring The AP’s emails and sources, except when you are this president, the Bill of rights seems to have no importance.

But no news here folks just keep walking.

In my own neck of the woods, we are fresh of the bombings of the Boston marathon where two cowardly little men have attained the matyr status and at least one has attained room temperature, we have another bit of news. 7 Saudis and Pakistani chemical engineers where found trespassing by the largest source of drinking water in my state. Were they arrested for trespassing? No. Held for questioning? No. Anybody curious what 7 chemisal engineers are doing after midnight on a freezing (under 32f that night) night by the largest drinking source in Ma. ? No. Did you know the governor of Ma. is great buddies with the president, and we shouldn’t jump to any conclusions.

No news here folks just keep walking.

Ireland favorites - Irish music, Irish food, Irish fun

Unlike fat flim flam man Albert Gore and his get rich scam of Global warming, there seems to be a way to predict Irish weather.  Weather Guru Ken Ring, who Irish farmers have taken under their wing in assistance for Ireland weather prediction may be the answer to Irish weather. Mr Ring uses moon readings and data from a number of monitoring stations here for his long- range forecasts, which have been closely monitored by Irish farmers in recent years.

Ireland weather Predictable?

Now the tillers of the land and the raisers of livestock seem to have faith in Mr Rings predictive prowess, but how does this help an American tourist visiting Ireland? Well, Mr Ring’s predictions warned of Ireland’s coldest winter and March, and very chilly May.

Perhaps if you are saving for that once in a lifetime visit to Ireland in the summer you might want to have the weather odds in your favor.

Best times to visit Ireland this summer?

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According to Mr Ring, who also does long-range forecasts for New Zealand and Australia, he is advising people to take summer holidays in Ireland in the first half of July or the second half of August. The prediction is for a summer scorcher with the best chance for sunny days and warm temps for this period. I say go to Ireland on a warm summers day, where the brilliant blue skies are only outdone by the gorgeous green landscapes. Besides the spots all wish to see, the Cliffs of Moher, The Giant’s causeway, the different gardens, Ring of Kerry, there are simpler and mighty things to do and know.

• Know the summer sun stays high in the sky and lasts into the night.
• The strands or beaches are hidden gems, go for a swim. (try the copper coast)
• Walk to the pub and  enjoy the warm weather.
• Play a round of golf off the beaten track.
• Ride a horse, Kayak, canoe, fish, hike, wander.

Now if perhaps your Irish weather prediction is off by a day or two and you get a bit of rain, embrace the Irish weather and try these simple pleasures.

• On a rainy summers day the pubs are always dry and comforting.
• A trad session is just as lively on a cool wet day as a warm dry one.
• A rainy cool day is a great excuse for a bowl of lamb stew and a pint on sustenance.
• A walk in the rain is a must do activity in Ireland, nothing  is quite like it.
• Good excuse for a turf fire.

 

Now if you want to have a bit of fun and break one of my cardinal rules of visiting Ireland, you might want to read up on Mr Ring’s methodology of weather prediction, lunar patterns, sunspots, wind patterns, and bring up global warming. You will be looked upon as an imbecile, you will be welcoming an onslaught, but once you have listened to the pleasant dismissive argument, know that no argument you come up with will win your host over. Political arguments in Ireland are a great way to spend a frustrating day. Or you could let the political debate alone and enjoy a glorious day in the first two weeks of July or the last two weeks in August, according to mr Ring.

Cheers.

Ireland favorites - Irish music, Irish food, Irish fun

I’m driving on a scenic Irish roadway, making the trek from Cork through Kerry when I drive by a sign reading “Queens for sale”, now I had to do a double take. I wasn’t sure if I was on the road of the Irish coast or on my way to P town back home. Being curios I had to make my way back to  the cart with the queens for sale sign to see just what they were selling.  It turns out the first batch of Queen potatoes was available and a local farmer set out a wagon to sell direct to any passerby’s .

Irish Potato Varieties:

It’s good to know you spuds. Most of us here in the States think of potatoes as either the Baked Russet, the waxy white, or maybe a yukon gold, all nice choices, but there lies a difference in the Irish way of spuds.  The best potatoes are sold in season by local farmers, this means the product is fresher and sourced locally. So if you want to be knowledgable of an Irish staple it might be time to know your Irish potato varieties. According to Potato.ie the most widely grown potato in Ireland is the Rooster, Kerrs Pink, Golden Wonder, Home Guard, Cultra, Karlena,  and there are several newer varieties. According to Potato.ie the characteristics and availability  are as follows:

You’ll find that one of the adjectives most found describing the favorite Irish potato is floury.    This floury characteristic is what is much sought after by Irish consumers. Roasted steamed or boiled, as long as they end up floury and crumbly, or roasted in fat for some delicious roasters, you’ll satisfy the Irish taste.

So if you are roaming the country side of Ireland and you see a sign for Queens for sale or Pinks for that matter, do yourself a favor and buy a bag or two. A slab of Irish butter atop a steaming bowl of Irish potatoes grown by you locally sourced farmer, a meal in itself, better than meant for a king.

Cheers.

Ireland favorites - Irish music, Irish food, Irish fun

I was at The Bridge Hotel one year around the fleadh cheoil listening to an impromptu session when a roar of applause erupted on the front steps. I was lucky as the applause was in anticipation of a story about to be told. A large Donegal man started in a clear robust voice to tell the tale of an unusual day. It is funny and wondrous how some can spin words and phrases and make you laugh till you cry. The story went on for a good fifteen minutes, starting innocently, getting a bit dicey, and ending in a crescendo that involved a donkey, a farmers daughter, a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, and the different gaseous interactions resulting.

Don’t look at me it was all the farmers fault.

I’ll have to say I’m a sucker for a good laugh, but the ability to remember a story and tell it correctly is incredibly hard, and a glorious art form it is. I kick myself not to have recorded this man telling the story and I’m sure he is a legend in his county, but I was to busy laughing to record him, and to my shame never even got his name.

So if you happen to visit Ireland and you here someone shhh the bar or maybe a bit of applause breaks out in an unexpected place, do yourself a favor. Pay attention, perhaps you will be in the presence of greatness. You will be telling stories about the time you were in an out of the way place and heard the most entertaining Irish storyteller who made you laugh till you cried, or maybe made  you cry till you smiled. Either way you will have experienced the continuation of the verbal traditions of Ireland, an art thankfully not lost.

Cheers.

Ireland favorites - Irish music, Irish food, Irish fun

We vacationers and emigrant sons and daughters believe Irish folk music makes up Irish music. The songs of struggle, rebellion, famine, and fame, of generations long ago and generations still fading away. We listen to the famous Irish folk singers of days gone by, the tunes of McCormack, Clancy, Luke Kelly, Ronnie Drew, Tommy Makem, Paddy Reilly and the like and feel the passion of their tunes and believe we know Irish music. And we would be right.

The Irish music we guests of Ireland forget and many of us poo-poo, is the popular music of Ireland. The bands of today striving to make their mark on the world, the pop bands, the rock bands, the roots of blues bands, bluegrass bands, indie bands. These Irish musicians  represent the Irish music of the local Irish lads (and lasses) growing up in the streets of your favorite Irish town. In many ways they strive to make their mark with their style despite the world view of what Irish music must be. Two of my favorite websites I peruse are great examples, Emeraldsire.wordpress.com gives the realtime Irish student perspective on bands that make her feel good, the link goes to her appreciation of the Riptides, and another post introduced me to The little green cars, two nice rockish style Irish bands. Susan of Vibrant Ireland includes a great Irish music roots festival, by Irish roots she means the roots of music performed by the Irish, not a jig or reel in the bunch.

So when you visit Ireland expect lots of Irish music. Just don’t go expecting to hear only your view of what is considered Irish music. The session, the tradfest, the good old folk songs will be found, but also the next Philip Lynott, Rory Gallagher, or Mary Black, may be singing just around the corner.

I once heard a fellow tourist complain that people were building new houses instead of the quaint cottages they have come to associate with the Irish countryside. They were using oil heat and asphalt drives, dual glass windows, and even two car garages. The story of Ireland told to most tourists is to blame, but, I asked my fellow travelers what kind of house did they live in now? Was it a log cabin on the back forty? Did it have a great barn to house the mules and oxen? or does it have a master bath with an extra shower, a basketbal hoop in the driveway, and plenty of hot and cold running water.

Irish music is the same way, we are lucky that the traditional Irish music has sustained itself along side the popular Irish music, as it is with economics, music is not a zero sum game. So my advice to American tourists visiting Ireland is to avail yourself of all the music Ireland has to offer, and spread the word for the music groups you love.

Cheers.

Ireland favorites - Irish music, Irish food, Irish fun

Things to look for for a perfect pint of guinness.

• Proper glass, clean and dry.
• first pull and pour into a tilted glass 3/4 fill.
• let the pint settle.
• top off and settle again, with around an inch or bit less of creamy foam.
• Cool not cold, and served cordially.

Guinness requires it’s own delivery system with the proper blend of gases to deliver the kegged beer to the tap, but I have zero tolerance for a bar or pub that can’t take the time to pour a proper pint.

At the Irish trade show over the weekend, I’ve seen the same bar keep for the past few years still pouring the guinness wrong, you would think you’d take some pride in your work. Straight pour all foam to the top, settle the three inches of foam on the top- “er I’ll have a bud light.”

One of the things I enjoyed most about the Pubs of Ireland is the pride of tending one’s bar correctly. There is a certain satisfaction watching a man do his job well and with pride. I suppose part of the reason also lies with the local patrons, who will not accept a shoddily poured pint of guinness. I think maybe the perfect pint of guinness poured with pride by a legitimate  Irish Barkeep sets the stage for the banter at the bar, and an all around good chat. The food will vary from Pub to Pub, from downright gourmet to only soup and toasted sandwiches, but a good pint of plain is pretty consistent throughout the counties.

My favorite Pint of Guinness in Ireland was at O’Donoghues St. Stephens Green in January,             Just perfect. It probably had a lot to do with the company and lack of a crowd or the bit of music that followed, but  the perfect pint in Ireland tends to be the one that has a memory tied to it.

So the next time you see a poor unsuspecting barman butchering a good pint of guinness, see if they are open to try and do it right. And if they look at you like your being a jerk or they know it all, just er order a bud light, or better yet find a place that likes to serve their customers correctly.

Cheers.

Other stout and beery posts;

Harbour Bar Bray, County Wicklow.

Pint of guinness good.

Pour a guinness.

Pub etiquette.

Ireland favorites - Irish music, Irish food, Irish fun

The best thing about visiting this annual Irish craft show is seeing old friends and making new ones. There will be plenty there whose only intent is to sell sell sell, which I respect, but many are like Ireland herself honest down to earth with a bit of larceny mixed in. It will be interesting to see how many of the familiar crafters have weathered the economic doldrums and managed to stay afloat. In the words of John Condron of Fado Jewelry Dublin, “Brian I’ve never worked so hard to stay in one place”. John of course has the advantage of having a superior product and reputation to aid in surviving trying times, and John never stays in one place, he is always moving forward.

The Irish economy like the maiden on the railroad tracks has been doomed to failure, saved, to only be kidnapped again, it takes a compulsive gambler to stay in this niche gift business.

My favorite Irish Craft Show products and People

Fado Jewelry, Dublin.

Fado has the finest wedding rings in the industry, besides all the claddagh, knot, and history based pieces, Fado is the leader in wedding bands.

Irish turf aroma, Tipperary.

An Irish turf fire in an incense burner. The distinctive aroma given off by the burning of turf is captured in a 1 inch block of incense. Set to smolder on it’s own slate fire pit, Irish turf aroma  brings back memories through scent.  The company owner and character Joannes Berkery is a delight. Whether she is singing a song in the pub after party or providing a bit of baileys for a good bye, Joannes is a whirling dervish of life loving fun and enduring hard work.

Shandon Irish caps, Cork.

There are many fine Irish cap makers in Ireland, and all make there caps from good Donegal tweed, but I just like the fit of a Shandon cap the best. Greg O’Gorman is as likeable a man as you’ll find, though his views on the global environment are Gore like, no one can be perfect.

Inis perfume, the scent of the sea.

Inis is distibuted through a lovely girl named Heather. I’ve known heather for up to twenty years and I still couldn’t tell you her last name as she never has to use it. A chat and an order, and a chat, it’s a beautiful way to do business. The Inis is a light perfume that sells itself.

The trade show gets harder each year to find real Irish product, as more and more small companies create cheap product in China. Something that looks Irish but doesn’t come close, something to sell at a low price point to the masses. What is missing is the tie to the land, the story and history of the piece, and the pride of the crafter. There will always be room for locally produced tee shirts or stickers, but if I want an Irish Tara broach I’d like it to be Irish.

And of Course a story.

A fellow walks into my gift shop steaming. “Where’s your Waterford from” I tell him The crystal in the windows are all Heritage Crystal from Bilberry County Waterford. He tells me he’s just back from a trip to Ireland and purchased the vase he was holding at Shannon airport.  ”This vase says that it’s made in Poland” “I didn’t want a polish vase I wanted an Irish vase”. Well it turns out that the waterford vase he bought in Ireland was made in Poland and shipped to Shannon for re sale, after explaining he asks if he could exchange the vase. I tell him that I would like to but I don’t sell waterford crystal I sell Irish crystal, which gets a smirk out of him, and a bit of a smile. The fellow buys one of the Heritage Irish Crystal vases and laughs as he says, “Who’d figure I’d travel to Ireland and back to find an Irish vase right here in Boston? He had a good point .

So be vigilant know what you are buying, check the little labels and the fine print and support the true Irish Craft of Ireland.

Cheers.

Almost forgot. There are showman at these shows, they bedazzle the Americans with Irish folk songs and laugh quite a bit. Learn the words, wait your turn, and after a show or two you’ll find yourself part of the gang. Here’s hoping Leo Doherty is still around to amaze all with his show stopping repitoire, really my favorite part of this Irish craft show.

Ireland favorites - Irish music, Irish food, Irish fun

Until the facts are sifted among the aftermath, no one knows for sure who or why this cowardly act was perpetrated. All theories and solutions are only harmful. The facts  inevitably come to the surface and it is then we must trust the law enforcement and the judiciary to do their job.

I am grateful to not have lost any friends or family, I am searching for words that cannot be found for condolences to those that did lose friends and family. Another senseless loss of life caused by some person or organization without senses, for in the end, a person must ignite the bomb, pull the trigger, light the fire, and in the end a person must be held responsible.

Ireland favorites - Irish music, Irish food, Irish fun