My First "Gathering" in Killarney

After five years of set dancing, I figured I should be able to keep up with the dancing at The Gathering in Killarney, so I gave it a try. There was a group going from Boston and a couple of Harrington's dancers looking for roommates, so I booked my flight in October for the February 2009 event at the first sight of Aer Lingus's winter sale. We eventually settled on accommodations at the Gleneagle River Apartments (see travel tips for The Gathering) , which were excellent.

The fun began on Wednesday night. A group of us headed into town to dance to the Johhny Reidy Ceili Band at the Grand Hotel. The tempo was brisk. The night was fun. The small crowd of likely regulars was welcoming. The Gathering organizers sponsored an optional ceili and pub session in a nearby town.

 The activity was non-stop after that, starting with the school outreach program Thursday morning (a rewarding experience) and enhanced by a couple of independent excursions on Thursday and Friday afternoons. Set dancing ceilis on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon and sean-nos and set dancing workshops on Saturday morning and afternoon and Sunday morning filled in most of my schedule, but there were music concerts and pub sessions that I didn't want to miss - so I got very little sleep from then on. It was truly amazing.

Sunday afternoon' set dance workshop was on the Melleray Lancers Set (video posted on IrishSetDancing.ning.com  by Peter Jackson) - see set dancing notes - also known as the Waterford Lancers, from County Waterford, Ireland.

Our unofficial mini-group guide (see Frank's account of his Gathering experience) took us to a night of set dancing with the regulars at Vaughn's Barn in Kilfenora on Sunday night. In contrast to the hordes of people at The Gathering, this was very homey - the floor was full of set dancers dancing to the fabulous Four Courts Ceili Band.

All in all the trip was a nice blend of local charm, friendly faces, and Irish music and dance extravaganza.

Follow-up note May 2009: Vaughan's Pub now has its own website at http://www.vaughanspub.ie/
View a great video of set dancing at Vaughan's Pub on YouTube.

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

.

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.

Set Dancing on the radio

This week will be a "first" for some Boston area Irish Set Dancers.
We will be dancing on the radio, via Paula Carroll's Kitchen Sessions, which is being broadcast from Winchester Ma.

Trying to tell friends to listen in has been interesting since they usually can not tell us by the sound of our feet battering through some reels. I can imagine telling someone afterwards, "listen that's me. I can tell since I missed a beat."

http://comhaltas.ie/events/detail/kitchen_sessions_in_clare/lang/ga/

Keaney Brothers - Cousins of Vincent's

Just heard from Vincent that some of his cousins are on YouTube. While they do not do set dancing, their footwork is fabulous The Keany Brothers Irish Step Dancing on YouTube on Diddlyi, a social networking website for Irish Step Dancers.

Paula Carroll. back on the road with Kitchen Sessions

Paula Carroll, Clare FM, takes her world famous "Kitchen Sessions" on the road starting on Jan 11 from Fanore, in North Clare

http://comhaltas.ie/events/detail/kitchen_sessions_in_clare/

The shows are usually repeated on Wednesday nights and available on the following Thursday for Download as a podcast


If you are wondering what this has to do with set dancing, listen carefully to the music. In the background, on some of the songs, you will hear the unmistakable footwork of those County Clare set dancers

Enjoy the series

One of the sessions will be held in Winchester Ma. at Gerry Dunleavey's house. Now we need to figure out how to get an invitation

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.

Set Dancing moves to the south, Tennesee to be exact

Set Dancing moves to the south, Tennesee to be exact, Irish Set Dancing in Tennesssee at the home of the musical heritage center.