Despite the reservations I expressed previously I'm off today to Doire for the unique experience of a the first ever All Ireland Fleadh in the occupied 6. Tullamore and Cavan brought it to a new level over the past 6 years and hopefully Doire can continue the trend.
Quote from: Dougal Maguire on August 11, 2013, 12:41:12 PM
Despite the reservations I expressed previously I'm off today to Doire for the unique experience of a the first ever All Ireland Fleadh in the occupied 6. Tullamore and Cavan brought it to a new level over the past 6 years and hopefully Doire can continue the trend.
I hope you have got reservations if you plan to stay over 8)
We went in to see the opening yesterday and couldn't get over the sheer number of people. I don't think I've ever seen a crowd like that in the city centre.
After today I'm off for the week so hopefully it will be good!
Quote from: OakleafCounty on August 12, 2013, 08:29:32 AM
We went in to see the opening yesterday and couldn't get over the sheer number of people. I don't think I've ever seen a crowd like that in the city centre.
After today I'm off for the week so hopefully it will be good!
huge numbers. Should be a great week for the town. The weans love the craic and music. Hope the weather holds up
Took a walk around there at lunch time. Seems to be plenty of tourists and a nice atmosphere. Hope the weather picks up for them though.
Will it be as big a success as Orange Fest? Hard to say at the moment
Plenty of people about but not a pile of trad music sessions in pubs. A lot of pubs appear to have booked bands which displays lack of knowledge of how a Fleadh works. Also a lot of them have put the price of drink up which is not the welcome we were all promised when Derry won the bid to hold the Fleadh last year
Quote from: Dougal Maguire on August 15, 2013, 10:20:58 AM
Plenty of people about but not a pile of trad music sessions in pubs. A lot of pubs appear to have booked bands which displays lack of knowledge of how a Fleadh works. Also a lot of them have put the price of drink up which is not the welcome we were all promised when Derry won the bid to hold the Fleadh last year
We have our weekly traditional session which will take place tonight in the Derby Bar not far from culturlann from 9.30 if ye want a proper bit of trad music.
How much is the budget for this Fleadh ? Or for the UK city of culture ? It must be huge.
£12.6m from DCAL for the cultural programme. Some of it going towards Fleadh, who will also have secured sponsorship and funding from other sources.
Money well spent.
Quote from: The Gs Man on August 16, 2013, 11:42:08 PM
£12.6m from DCAL for the cultural programme. Some of it going towards Fleadh, who will also have secured sponsorship and funding from other sources.
Money well spent.
That's real coin.
How much is the alcohol budget ? Looks like there's a lot of pints being downed.
Quote from: orangeman on August 17, 2013, 12:44:21 AM
Quote from: The Gs Man on August 16, 2013, 11:42:08 PM
£12.6m from DCAL for the cultural programme. Some of it going towards Fleadh, who will also have secured sponsorship and funding from other sources.
Money well spent.
That's real coin.
How much is the alcohol budget ? Looks like there's a lot of pints being downed.
Usually the town or whoever is hosting the fleadh needs to gather 90,000 quid from interested parties within the town to give to the fleadh organisers to cover costs and such and then they make it back from the week's profits be it renting of accomodation/hotels/B+Bs/Beer/food whatever. Due to the massive amount of money which has befell Derry from the UK city of Culture award then this 90,000 offset was never an issue.
These big bands have come in their droves to Derry this week, this has never happened any fleadh before because of this money that is being offered. Hope to God these bands don't think this is going to happen every year as the money is just not accessible to any other town in any other period of time.
When fleadh beo is on tnag at night times the cameras are set on bands in two different venues. The fleadh is about the impromptu street session; this is what makes the fleadh what it is not these big bands. I haven't been to it yet but a few of my friends from everywhere is descending to the town tonight and I would like to meet them.
The basic fact is that if Derry had not become the UK city of culture then the fleadh would not be in the town. It is a fact that the comhaltas i gcontae nDoire decided not to apply for this award due to the UK title, however 4 'new' comhaltas branches sprung up in Derry City just before the applications had to be decided. Therefore these 'new' groups swung the balance and the application for Derry went through. Then due to political power the town got awarded the fleadh. It is rotten from the top down. If the comhaltas i nDoire had to apply for it and got the award through its own merits then that would be a fleadh to be proud of. I wouldn't be seen for a week as I would have been up that town with bodhran and whistle in hand!!!!!
Obviously a token gesture. The whole city of culture concept is about getting people into cities to spend money, under the guise of culture.
I've been at the Fleadh on 3 days so far will also spend most of today there - great buzz about and the weather has been very kind.Great wee sessions in the tent at the Bentley some great characters about Very hi vis police presence.
Obviously missing the Screen and Balluba true gaels, as opposed to the rest of the country who are obviously mild breezes.
Adh mor!
Politics getting in the way in Northern Ireland and decisions being manipulated to ensure that the "right" decisions are made and money bring thrown at something to try and present a united front.
What a shocker.
There was a good interview with an organiser who said it was a great occasion to introduce the fleadh to Derry people who have never experienced it and for fleadh goers to experience the recent transformation of Derry. Think that sums it up well
The town is busting at the seams with people. Atmosphere is great.
Your always gonna get people on the margins who will be against most things. But often that's just where some people want to be.
Exactly!
Embrace it! Who cares how it ended up in Derry?!
Another great day in, and for, Derry City - so much so I'm considering heading back in again today.
Women playing bodhrans think carefully - did you practise ever have lessons? If the answer is no - then it would be better if you listened to those around you first or find an Apache who wouldn't mind listening to your efforts.
Adh mor!
Guildhall Square fantastic today. During the day at the fleadh is very very good
I see it takes a woman from the Ards Peninsula to pull it all together up there in Derry....
Sees to have been a brilliant success story all round.
It was a superb week! Absolutely superb! For all ages from my 7 month old boy to my 82 year old granda. A big well done to all involved!
Quote from: OakleafCounty on August 19, 2013, 12:22:25 PM
It was a superb week! Absolutely superb! For all ages from my 7 month old boy to my 82 year old granda. A big well done to all involved!
+1
Quote from: johnneycool on August 19, 2013, 11:21:52 AM
I see it takes a woman from the Ards Peninsula to pull it all together up there in Derry....
Eibhlín Ní Dhochartaigh- sure shes Derry City born and bred ;)
Quote from: theticklemister on August 17, 2013, 10:30:45 AM
The basic fact is that if Derry had not become the UK city of culture then the fleadh would not be in the town. It is a fact that the comhaltas i gcontae nDoire decided not to apply for this award due to the UK title, however 4 'new' comhaltas branches sprung up in Derry City just before the applications had to be decided. Therefore these 'new' groups swung the balance and the application for Derry went through. Then due to political power the town got awarded the fleadh. It is rotten from the top down. If the comhaltas i nDoire had to apply for it and got the award through its own merits then that would be a fleadh to be proud of. I wouldn't be seen for a week as I would have been up that town with bodhran and whistle in hand!!!!!
Given that it was - by
all accounts - a massive success, attendance 50% up on the previous record, does that not indicate that the means by which the Fleadh ended up in Derry was more appropriate?
Quote from: Maguire01 on August 19, 2013, 06:21:54 PM
Quote from: theticklemister on August 17, 2013, 10:30:45 AM
The basic fact is that if Derry had not become the UK city of culture then the fleadh would not be in the town. It is a fact that the comhaltas i gcontae nDoire decided not to apply for this award due to the UK title, however 4 'new' comhaltas branches sprung up in Derry City just before the applications had to be decided. Therefore these 'new' groups swung the balance and the application for Derry went through. Then due to political power the town got awarded the fleadh. It is rotten from the top down. If the comhaltas i nDoire had to apply for it and got the award through its own merits then that would be a fleadh to be proud of. I wouldn't be seen for a week as I would have been up that town with bodhran and whistle in hand!!!!!
Given that it was - by all accounts - a massive success, attendance 50% up on the previous record, does that not indicate that the means by which the Fleadh ended up in Derry was more appropriate?
Of course there is gonna be more people at this one as Derry City has a population of 110,000, while other towns in recents years like Tullamore and Cavan have population of around 10,000 max ( rough guess). More people are going to go to it when on their doorstep . I wasnt up all week until saturday and sunday night as my friends arrived up I didnthear much traditional music being played. I would go by the success of promoting Irish music rather than the numbers who entered the town. A lot of the bars had bands booked and therefore the impromptu sessions were minimal so said a few people I was speaking to. As I was not in the town at day time the whole week I have to take their word for it.others have said however they had a great time but the same people wouldnt know an accordian from a bodhran.
Admit it, you want to be 'glass half empty' on this one.
The fleadh had its good and bad and points like they all do. But I'd say it had far more good than bad about it.
The venues were excellent, the campsites were first class, and yes although a lot of bars played rubbish rebel tunes etc, the craft village and guildhall square proved to be a major success for those who wanted to play good trad. The guildhall was an alcohol free zone and this allowed all the children to play freely and it allowed others to properly enjoy it.
The bars were much better during the day.
I enjoyed impromptu sessions in the following places over the week- tower hotel, sandwich company, wgs, anchor, castle, rocking chair, tinneys, park bar, craft village, grand central, various outdoor locations including guildhall square, Waterloo place,ebrington. I also went to some of the concerts and they were top class. Also chatted to people who were at sessions in various other bars that I didn't attend. If you limited yourself to the 'drinking zones' and pop up bars these sessions were probably 'minimal' as they were too crowded and noisy. Overall it was a class week from start to finish
Quote from: Kid Twist on August 19, 2013, 09:49:01 PM
I enjoyed impromptu sessions in the following places over the week- tower hotel, sandwich company, wgs, anchor, castle, rocking chair, tinneys, park bar, craft village, grand central, various outdoor locations including guildhall square, Waterloo place,ebrington. I also went to some of the concerts and they were top class. Also chatted to people who were at sessions in various other bars that I didn't attend. If you limited yourself to the 'drinking zones' and pop up bars these sessions were probably 'minimal' as they were too crowded and noisy. Overall it was a class week from start to finish
Thats a pretty good summary of how i seen it too.
Quote from: Fear Bun Na Sceilpe on August 19, 2013, 03:42:00 PM
Quote from: johnneycool on August 19, 2013, 11:21:52 AM
I see it takes a woman from the Ards Peninsula to pull it all together up there in Derry....
Eibhlín Ní Dhochartaigh- sure shes Derry City born and bred ;)
I was talking about the whole kit and caboodle, not just a wee Fleadh
http://www.cityofculture2013.com/board/shona-mccarthy-chief-executive-culture-company-2013/ (http://www.cityofculture2013.com/board/shona-mccarthy-chief-executive-culture-company-2013/)
Quote from: johnneycool on August 20, 2013, 09:07:01 AM
Quote from: Fear Bun Na Sceilpe on August 19, 2013, 03:42:00 PM
Quote from: johnneycool on August 19, 2013, 11:21:52 AM
I see it takes a woman from the Ards Peninsula to pull it all together up there in Derry....
Eibhlín Ní Dhochartaigh- sure shes Derry City born and bred ;)
I was talking about the whole kit and caboodle, not just a wee Fleadh
http://www.cityofculture2013.com/board/shona-mccarthy-chief-executive-culture-company-2013/ (http://www.cityofculture2013.com/board/shona-mccarthy-chief-executive-culture-company-2013/)
I knew you were, and yes she seems to be doing a great job
Are all the Derry cces represented in the loup? Must be packed with wans! Maybe they're all in Dublin for the footy anybody know?