Fleadh Cheoil 2014 - Your opinions so far

prodsc

Kettleson wrote: »

Well I was disappointed with one of the most potentially innovative features I was most looking forward to on the Peace 3 stage, that had been billed as a ‘Exchange of Musical Traditions’.

The "fusion section" was quite clearly under rehearsed, if rehearsed at all, and lacked any impact or co-ordination whatsoever. A real missed opportunity. Many of the trad musicians looked lost and only a few tried to play along.

IMO it would have been better to have got some young local guitar playing rockers to fuse with the flute band and get the show rocking. (And have it well rehearsed before hand).


"With many rousing tunes from our shared Celtic musical traditions, the Pride of the Orange and Blue Auld Boys Flute Band will join with Sligo’s Fred Finn Traditional Musicians on the PEACE lll Gig Rig".

I was very disappointed at this too. I had a look again last night although I was late getting there all I heard was the flute band,who weren't miked up, the trad band appeared to be trying but I couldn't hear them!! The piece finished with the trad band playing a tune, Fusion?

It did have great potential!

Kettleson

prodsc wrote: »

I was very disappointed at this too. I had a look again last night although I was late getting there all I heard was the flute band,who weren't miked up, the trad band appeared to be trying but I couldn't hear them!! The piece finished with the trad band playing a tune, Fusion?

It did have great potential!

I caught the tail end of the Saturday performance and only heard the Flute band playing the last song. It appeared to be a different set of trad players to the Friday performance. So can't really say how the Saturday performance went. But on Saturday I did see the members of the Flute band giving the trad players a standing ovation for a piece they had just played, (which I just missed).

But on Fridays showing, def disappointing to what it could have been.

Mint Sauce

In town this afternoon for first time since last week end. Great seeing such a crowd on closed streets, and great entertainers young and old.

Was also driving in town for first time since friday. 30 minutes to get out of Quayside carpark back on to the relief road. Would be great to see some of the roads in town closed permanently to traffic, such as O'Connel St, expect maybe to morning deliveries, although this now not in the plan what with the improvements now taking place after the Fleadh (anyone have a start date), and would also need a rethink of management, and parking on Castle/Gratten/John St.

Anyone know what closure plans are for tomorrow. I know the Fleadh offically finishes tonight, but unofficially goes in till tuesday.

rocky raccoon

Did anyone else see the Asian couple play traditional Irish music on O'Connell St. on Friday? They were great. Wonder if they were around for the whole weekend?

The person who seemed to get a hell of a lot of attention was the guy with the dancing Barrack Obama and Oprah Winfrey outside the Failte Ireland office.

magnumlady

rocky raccoon wrote: »

Did anyone else see the Asian couple play traditional Irish music on O'Connell St. on Friday? They were great. Wonder if they were around for the whole weekend?

The person who seemed to get a hell of a lot of attention was the guy with the dancing Barrack Obama and Oprah Winfrey outside the Failte Ireland office.

I saw them on Thursday or Saturday...can't remember which day, they've all sort of blurred into one.

bodhrandude

I took a trip up on the Friday afternoon and there seemed to be a great buzz on the streets, luckily I have a friend who stays in the Market Yard area so I had a place to crash for the nights. It was mainly the kids who were doing the busking in the streets, I suppose giving them the opportunity to get their sets up to scratch for the upcoming competitions.

I rambled into Connolly's bar in the evening where there was a fine balance of accordions, flutes, guitar and bodhran playing near the back entrance, I stepped in a sang a song before heading further up town, met a few of the Galway trad heads. Went to a Silver Swan outdoor session which was rammed, fiddle, accordion and whistle, lovely old style with the auld fellahs, at one point I took out my wee goatskin tambourine and played for a few sets, got a few winks and thumbs up from the musicians.

I stopped at McGarrigles to buy a takeaway pint where the band for the night was playing some excellent funk and jazz stuff, the trumpeter should get a special mention. Thats the beauty of Irish music for me, I love the pure drop but I can as easily step into the electronica world or rock n'roll world with absolute ease and tune into that. Well I went in search of another session, working my way up the top of O'Connell St and turning left towards High St taking in the fleadh madness all around. I eventually came to Shoots where there was a nice rousing session of flutes, whistles and fiddles flaking out reels and the mighty Seamus Tansey leading the session, the musicians were mainly from rural Fermanagh, Cavan and Sligo. I took out the tambourine and played for another few sets, the session was fairly wedged but for one seat vacated earlier buy an accordion player. I decided to take out my Charlie Byrne 18 inch bodhran and join the hooley. I noticed Seamus looking up every now and then, when the set finished he motioned for me to sit on the seat, so I had a nice half an hour to forty minutes playing some nice tunes. Up to my mate Denis then where we tuned into BBC4's documentaries on some serious rock music for the close of the night.

Saturday: Through mates I met a Sligo girl called Corina who also played the bodhran and whistle and she was from Gurteen, so plenty of her buddies were playing in the sessions, I thought I would tag along with her as she knew a lot of musicians, so the chances increased also to squeeze into a session somewhere, we ended up at the Harp Tavern where it seemed an accordion orchestra was assembled, anyway a nice session was had and I sang a few songs.

Later in the night I just went on a wander through the streets, just outside the Record Room shop, a brother and sister of about thirteen years old had set up it was just after midnight, the boy had a set of uilleann pipes, just the drone and chanter but he was playing the Lark in the Morning jig and it was an absolute treat, I threw a few coins into the pipe box, he then flaked out some nice piping reels, there was a few listeners like myself enjoying the music, but some drunk people started leaping about like eejits at the front, y'know though they were drunk and merry, not vicious. But that kid is going places as he never dropped a note of the tune, so he has the sure touch and you could tell he absolutely loved it. I went for another wander down O'Connell St but it started getting a little messy with some bad out of tune drunken singers drowning out whatever good music was playing, so time to repair to my mates, passing the Record Room again, the two siblings were now playing fiddles, the pipes still sitting on the boys lap and they were flaking out some fine reels.

Sunday: Headed into the centre in the early afternoon watching some of the craic in the streets, when I turned into Rockwood Parade there was some young fellahs in their twenties having a busking session on the stone seats, uilleann pipes and guitar, I sat down for a listen beside them and when they finished the set I asked if I could join them for a tune. It turned out they were living in Galway, so I made new friends or possibly busking friends from Galway. Anyways we busked for the next few hours in various parts of the town, but settled into a wee pitch at the alleyway leading from Shoots which was perfect for the acoustics of the music and meeting one of the volunteers from the Electric Picnic festival, where we will meet up in 6 days time, I also met some mates from Sligo and some of my relations too.

Headed up to Denis in the evening for a nice curry meal, a blether and to watch some TV. I headed out about 9ish again to check out some music, sauntering briefly into Shoots, Tansey was hosting the session again, there was also a piper, fiddles and a fine bodhran rocking it up, but the place was way too jammed so I went down the alley at the side and over the bridge to catch a bit of Dervish's set in the gig rig, Dervish putting on a fine show despite the terrible PA sound. I know its a free gig and all but you would think there would be some sorta mixing desk set up to control the sound, the bass was just too overpowering sometimes. Anyway we were treated to some fine songs, jigs and good fast reels, the only thing putting me off was persistent drizzly fine rain that was absolutely soaking, twas like a mist that soaked through in a matter of minutes, so off to seek shelter.

I never had a chance to check out Foleys bar as yet nestling at the start of Castle St, the session at the front had guitar, accordion and a finely played bodhran with a flute player joining in at the back on higher seating. I stood and listened for a while, nice tune selections, but as a rule for me unless you really know the musicians it always nice the let the only bodhran player have his session and he was doing a fine job. I wandered in through the toilet corridor area to a pop up smoking section that also had a session, two girls, one on concertina the other on a fiddle, some bloke playing mouth organ and occasionally a fiddle and a guitarist, all from Mullingar, I asked if I could sit in and play a tune to which they said no bother at all, a fiddler from the US and two flute players came and joined one from the North and a Japanese fellow I know from playing around Galway called Koso. So managed to finish the night there with a few jars, some mighty tunes and a bit of blether.

Compared to 1991, the first fleadh I was ever at and that was in Sligo, this year seemed very scant at times on the street, especially Saturday and Sunday night, but I suppose a lot of the crowd was concentrated at the gig rig area and at the car park for the fireworks, the pubs seemed to do great though, will try to get back next year again.

AgileMyth

The garavogue, fiddlers, Kennedys and mchughs all had their prices raised for the week. Greedy bastards. Ill be avoiding all of them in future.

drdidlittle

€5 for a bottle of "not for singal sale" Bud in a certain fore mentioned establishment. How much profit in that? For next year should be made show before Fleadh prices along with Fleadh prices

Takestan

I seen very centrally located hotel with alot of glass charging children playing music 1euro each for glass diluted orange what profit there :-(

muddypaws

Had dinner out in town last night, and one of the waiters showed us his tickets to a party put on by the organisers for the hospitality staff as a way of saying thanks, I thought it was a great gesture.

Buford T Justice

muddypaws wrote: »

Had dinner out in town last night, and one of the waiters showed us his tickets to a party put on by the organisers for the hospitality staff as a way of saying thanks, I thought it was a great gesture.

Proper order in fairness. Would want to be some bash what with 1500 volunteers tho.

ectoraige

Buford T Justice wrote: »

Proper order in fairness. Would want to be some bash what with 1500 volunteers tho.

The volunteers each received a food voucher worth €8.50 for each shift they worked, redeemable in a load of places around the town. I guess the party was for the actual staff in all these premises who had to smile through coping with all the crowds.

fillefatale

AgileMyth wrote: »

The garavogue, fiddlers, Kennedys and mchughs all had their prices raised for the week. Greedy bastards. Ill be avoiding all of them in future.

My Dad was in that Dail Bar during the week and was charged €7 for a "pint" of Heineken. When he pointed out that it was 2/3 pint 1/3 head the barman got thick with him!! Apparently the fella who runs Cullens bar was running it.

sligo camper

Just to correct Echo on the vouchers supplied to the volunteers for doing a stint. You are right that the voucher... On the first day, Sunday, was e8.50 but dropped to e5.00 for every other day after thst. No explanation was given by the organisers but I personally witnessed hundreds of volunteers refusing them when offered as they were doing the work because they were proud of their town and wanted to help...well done to all

drdidlittle

Must say congrats also to the volunteers. They did a great job and place looked so clean and tidy during the week. Coulpe of issues though. If they are blocking off the side enterances to Stephen street car park (where the gig rig was) please put up better signs. Twice I walked up only to the entrance to be told that it was exit only. Second time the Security guards were standing 5 meters down the alley at barton smiths so was impossible to see from road. Second. Next year less stalls on O'Connell street and put in more mini stages for the musicians etc. And as I said before better control on the drink prices

Buford T Justice

fillefatale wrote: »

My Dad was in that Dail Bar during the week and was charged €7 for a "pint" of Heineken. When he pointed out that it was 2/3 pint 1/3 head the barman got thick with him!! Apparently the fella who runs Cullens bar was running it.

Odd, they didn't have Heineken on draught. We got two pints of bud for 4.60 or that each.

Sligored

fillefatale wrote: »

My Dad was in that Dail Bar during the week and was charged €7 for a "pint" of Heineken. When he pointed out that it was 2/3 pint 1/3 head the barman got thick with him!! Apparently the fella who runs Cullens bar was running it.

no offence but your dad is telling you porkies ,
1. they had no heineken in the dail bar
2. it was 4.80 for carlsberg or bud
3. not 100% sure on this one , but i think it was run by the guys from fifth on teeling , some staff from there were behind the bar anyway.

eamonhonda

fillefatale wrote: »

My Dad was in that Dail Bar during the week and was charged €7 for a "pint" of Heineken. When he pointed out that it was 2/3 pint 1/3 head the barman got thick with him!! Apparently the fella who runs Cullens bar was running it.

Tell your dad hes a liar or the drink affected his memory

fillefatale

Sligored wrote: »

no offence but your dad is telling you porkies ,
1. they had no heineken in the dail bar
2. it was 4.80 for carlsberg or bud
3. not 100% sure on this one , but i think it was run by the guys from fifth on teeling , some staff from there were behind the bar anyway.

Hah, his memory is bad but he's not one for lying - he said it was there, but maybe it was another place in that car park! Could have been Garavogue then, heard a few places around there were overcharging.

AgileMyth

Dail bar wasn't in the car park, it was on O'Connell street.

Not sure what garavogue were charging but wouldn't put it past them.

fillefatale

AgileMyth wrote: »

Dail bar wasn't in the car park, it was on O'Connell street.

Not sure what garavogue were charging but wouldn't put it past them.

Right, thanks for pointing that out. I wasn't actually drinking there myself so got the wires crossed.

rizzodun

I've heard similar stories about Fiddlers, from two different people, maybe it was there?

Seems like very short sighted business sense in a town as small as Sligo for a pub to charge big prices, and risk annoying the regulars they rely on for the rest of the year.

Gipo3

Wouldn't surprise me if it was fiddlers. Terrible ignorant staff, hardly even look at you, never mind being interested in serving the customers.

Henlars67

Ya, Fiddlers staff are terrible. Any decent staff they hire never stay long.

Geuze

AgileMyth wrote: »

The garavogue, fiddlers, Kennedys and mchughs all had their prices raised for the week. Greedy bastards. Ill be avoiding all of them in future.

McLaughlin's, Mon night, Guinness = 4.30 (normal price??)

Foley's, Mon night, Beamish = 3.60, normal price


Furey's / Shoots, pint bottle of Extra Stout = 4.20, normal price

Swagman coach lane bar: Beamish = 4.00

Chiorino

To be fair to a lot of the street traders, if you knew how much they were charged to get a pitch it's surprising they weren't asking for more for their stuff, €1400 for the week in some cases. That's Ploughing Championships territory.

Bebo stunnah

rizzodun wrote: »

I've heard similar stories about Fiddlers, from two different people, maybe it was there?

Seems like very short sighted business sense in a town as small as Sligo for a pub to charge big prices, and risk annoying the regulars they rely on for the rest of the year.

Fiddlers had their prices higher than usual, I was there. I wasn't personally drinking there but met up with a few who were. They were shocked at the price they paid for Bud and Bulmers. I think it was more than a fiver for a can of cider!. I suggested they should go to Tesco and buy them there, you'd have got 2 for that price with some change!

I for one wont be going to the Garavogue (the only one out of them I used to go to) for a very long time after this.

Also, did anyone else notice that the plastic 'pint' cups held less than a pint? So if you drank draught, you got caught twice!

JEmily

Can anyone recommend where to stay and anywhere reasonable/good location for the 2015 Fleagh. My mum wants to go in 2015 and i haven't a clue where to book - was thinking of booking for her as a surprise christmas present.

Also, i was thinking of just booking a weekend, or should i book 4 days?

Any help gratefully appreciated

sligo camper

Recommendations is the glass house or southern hotel.also try city hotel. But that be 3rd choice.book sat sun mon. second weekend.. It was quiet first number of days..8 days is too long imo