Johnny Reidy Ceili Band

Talking With Your Eyes

Killarney area set dancers head for the Grand Hotel on Wednesday nights to dance to the music of the Johnny Reidy Ceili Band (Bebo website). The band is "up-tempo" as you can see in these set dancing videos from West Cork on Ceilimor.net and this video of the band playing at a festival in Tralee. I was impressed by the Irish dancers when I was there last February and shot this video of them dancing to "Talking With Your Eyes" sung by Johhny Reidy (on the Irish Thymes blog). Enjoy!

Killarney, The Gathering 2009

Just returned from the 2009 Gathering. Of the three years I have attended, this was the best yet. Dancing started in Killarney on Wednesday to the fast paced pokers from the Johnnie Reidy Band. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqwCKuMF_sw

This was followed by the annual trip to the schools as part of the community outreach program on Thursday.This year was different in that we had 8 set dancers, 6 musicians, ( four of them from France) and one French Sean Nos style dancer with blazing feet.

Thursday afternoon we were treated to a tour of the Black Valley by a friend who grew up in Dingle

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Thursday's Ceili music was provided by Micheal Sexton and Pat Walsh.

Friday during the day, we drove to Cobh in Cork to visit some relatives as well as tour the port where the "Coffin Ships" departed during the famine















Friday night we had the Brian Boru Ceili Band. As much as we thought the first three bands were terrific, the music provided by the Allow Ceili Band on Saturday was over the top. I think there were twelve instruments, all playing an uptempo style of music.  When we did the Clare Lancers figure with the 4 and 4, all 800 dancers were linked arm in arm, a sight I will never forget.

The dance floor was filled with set dancers from 8 to 80, young competition ready dancers with flying feet, old smoothies, and the ever present Kerry Crazies, all having great craic.

Matt Cunningham finished the weekend's set dancing. I can only hope that he plays the same speed when he comes to Watertown in May

Sunday PM we jumped in the car and drove to Doolin, picked up another friend, and then drove to Kilfenora, to set dance to the Four Courts Ceili Band in the Mecca of Set Dancing, Vaughan's Barn.

My picture and the story of the memorial statue

A number of people have asked me about the memorial statue that I am pictured in.

Blog contributor, Frank Keane, in Killarney

The statue is a memorial to Johnny O'Leary, a legendary Kerry box player. It is the first monument in the area to honor a musician.

One of Johnney's major strengths as a musician was his ability to connect with the listener. Set Dancers came for all over the area just to dance to his music.

The attached article provides some fabulous background on Johnny O’Leary (source: kerryman.ie). Enjoy.