Music Holidays in Ireland

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Kade1301
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Tell us something.: I've been trying to learn the recorder for about 5 years now and want to add a new instrument (tin whistle) to my repertoire. I hope with only 6 holes life will be a bit easier... (John Sheahan's Marino Casino in the Gaiety theatre has something to do with it - whereas my head knows that 40 years of practice is the reason why it sounds so good, I'm still hoping...)
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Music Holidays in Ireland

Post by Kade1301 »

Google once again proves hopeless, but maybe one of you can help: I'm looking for a summer holiday destination, and having very fond memories of Ireland I'm thinking about going there for a tin whistle retreat/holiday/lessons/summer school - whatever it's called. But I only travel end of August/beginning of September, and it looks like all the summer schools are earlier. Does anybody have any ideas?

(I've found a B&B with fiddle lessons and apparently flexible dates but a tin whistle would be so much easier to pack...)
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Re: Music Holidays in Ireland

Post by Mr.Gumby »

There should be a few festivals that run workshops Feakle is early to mid August as is Seachtain Ceoil Chois Fharraige in An Spidéal (you definitely would get some whistle playing there) but Tulla is usually early September. But you are getting towards the back end of the tourist season so things are slowing down that time of year. There will probably be a few more I fail to think of right now. A lot of small local festivals around that time of year, Dingle, Tuam, Crotty Galvin in Moyasta, Willie Keane in Doonbeg for example, run a few workshops as part of their line up but not all may be worth the effort.

OAIM has done retreats in the past but I don't know what instruments and what dates, or if they still do them at all. There are places like the Boghill centre in Lisdoonvarna/Kilfenora who do residential traditional music courses, again, I don't know their schedule. There are similar places around the country, if you can find them ;-)

Contacting whistle teachers and making private arrangements could be an option, stay in an area and book a few lessons. People have been known to do that. It is one way of making sure you get the teacher you want but it would lack the, crucial, immersion element you get at a good summerschool or residential course.
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Kade1301
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Tell us something.: I've been trying to learn the recorder for about 5 years now and want to add a new instrument (tin whistle) to my repertoire. I hope with only 6 holes life will be a bit easier... (John Sheahan's Marino Casino in the Gaiety theatre has something to do with it - whereas my head knows that 40 years of practice is the reason why it sounds so good, I'm still hoping...)
Location: France
Contact:

Re: Music Holidays in Ireland

Post by Kade1301 »

Thanks for the reply!
Mr.Gumby wrote:.... if you can find them ;-) ....
And that's the crux of the matter - there should be something, but I just can't find it (anybody know any alternatives to Google? I find it becomes worse and worse... Oh, I just got a few hits with Bing...) The Comhaltas calendar is completely empty for when I can travel...

The only festival I can find in Tulla is in May, and most of the others are too late or too early. From your list only the Crotty Galvin might be a possibility - at least in 2017 it took place on the last weekend in August (2018 programme is not up yet).

On the OAIM webpage the retreat dates are from 2016 and they have not yet answered my e-mail. Something like the OAIM retreat was what I had in mind (their page gave me the idea).

As for contacting a teacher, it would be one possibility - except I don't know how to find tin whistle teachers, either! Comhaltas Washington has a directory of teachers - but I can't find one for Ireland... I might ask the fiddle lady whether she doesn't have a friend who teaches tin whistle (or some knowledge herself - even in 4 months I won't need Mary Bergin...)
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Re: Music Holidays in Ireland

Post by nicx66 »

Come to the USA for Catskill Irish Arts week!!! You can relax and take whistle classes with Mary Bergin, Joanie Madden, etc. !!! Also, sessions, dances, concerts, merriment, and even singing workshops. July 8-15, or thereabouts
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Re: Music Holidays in Ireland

Post by Mr.Gumby »

Tulla tradfest is listed in some listings but the tullatradfestival.ie site seem down at the minute.

Dingle fusion trad fest isn't updated yet either. And ditto for some, or most, of the others. It's early in the year yet.

A lot of this sort of stuff is now only on Facebook,
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Kade1301
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Tell us something.: I've been trying to learn the recorder for about 5 years now and want to add a new instrument (tin whistle) to my repertoire. I hope with only 6 holes life will be a bit easier... (John Sheahan's Marino Casino in the Gaiety theatre has something to do with it - whereas my head knows that 40 years of practice is the reason why it sounds so good, I'm still hoping...)
Location: France
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Re: Music Holidays in Ireland

Post by Kade1301 »

Thanks for the link to Tulla, sadly it's too late. And Catskills obviously too early.
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Re: Music Holidays in Ireland

Post by Mr.Gumby »

The end of August and early September is a bit of an awkward time, children going back to school and all that.

I am trying to think of something, anything, to recommend but I come up blank, the thing in Spiddal is probably early and they haven't put up this year's programme either : Seachtain Ceoil Chois Fharraige but perhaps their facebook page is more up to date. That would be one I'd look at.

The Fleadh is 12-19 August, Scoil Eigse could be an option there but you'll have to cope with sharing a class with ten year olds playing rings around you. And it's in Drogheda.

Masters of Tradition is on but they don't do workshops (anymore?). We did a concert there eleven or so years ago, the setting of Bantry house is gorgeous.

But I think there's a bit of a lull after that, some minor local events hopping on the bandwagon aside.
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