Snared up in Shine’s Sunday session

Traditional Irish music session in Shine's bar, Athlone It was a good aul week for music on my behalf. Aside from the session at the songwriter CD release on Tuesday, it was a Brideswell Thursday and Sunday afternoon we made it out for the session in Sean’s.

So there I was: Sunday night. The brutal Monday looming menacingly on the horizon. The aftertaste of the Sunday session still in my mouth and wifey’s chicken dinner fighting for room in my overcapacious stomach. The weekend had been good and I didn’t want it to end. Moreover, I really needed to walk off the dinner I’d consumed.

Within a few minutes I was striding along the Shannon out toward Shine’s Bar, Bodhran strapped across my back.

Upon arrival, I noticed something new: a pair of drumsticks on the table. Not certain as to what this might portend, I greeted the lads (and lass) and situated myself down at one end of the communal table.

Soon the mystery was solved: the sticks matched a drum and her player. A dab-handed snare legend was joining the Shine’s crew for the evening. He quickly turned a low stool on its side, placed a mid-size tom upon it, draped a kitchen towel over her surface and plucked the aforementioned sticks from the table.

Here is a bit of what ensued - snappy stuff! I retired the goatskin in favor of a shaker for the evening - there was never a bodhran made that could accompany a snare drum!