Trad sessions
Nights of music at Sean's Bar, the Shack and other pubs around Athlone.
Irish Session rules
Since the first day I started Irelandlogue I have been blogging about Irish music sessions . At least twice a week I attend a live Irish music session and post an mp3 and photo from the session.
Shack Session
Winter has finally shown herself. We had some lovely warm weather all the way up until Monday night when there was a sudden turn in the air - a crispness that wasn't there the day before.
Sean's Bar Sunday session
It was a very ill-advised course of action Saturday night. Let's just leave it to say that it involved my participation in a stag night and then a gig somewhere in town that migrated from behind the…
Shack Session
It was an usual session this week. For starters, wifey volunteered to join me on the evening. Secondly, a number of her co-workers joined us as well, including bawn, a very able performer.
Sean's Sunday session
It will be the last session with beans for a coupla weeks in Sean's Bar, the oldest pub in Ireland.
Sean's Bar Sunday session
This Sunday's session was another lively one with deep sea banjo joining damsel, the bean, myself and fiddler around the table.
Shack Session
I didn't bring the camera this week . . . actually, I did bring the camera, I just neglected to remember its battery sitting in the charger back at home.
Sean's Bar Sunday session
It was the session that wouldn't end. The Ambering Moonees played their normal set filled with lovely little trad numbers like this one and only the obligatory amount of messing about.
The Shack Session
Last night was The Shack Sesssion. Last night was Tuesday. Coincidence? I think not.
Sean's Bar Sunday session
It's so good to have Las Lunas Ambarinos back and in good form at the Sunday session in Sean's Bar.
Shack Session
The last couple of Shack sessions have been populous, lighthearted musical romps. Boy, that sounded like a review of something at the west end.
Sean's Sunday session
Another Sunday afternoon session in Sean's Bar . This one spelled a bit of difference for yours truly, as it is the first trad session in which I have been the guitar player.
Shack Session
I'll tell you, the sessions out in the Shack have been getting more interesting lately. This particular post is just CHOCK FULL of mp3s - enjoy!
Sean's Sunday Session
It was the first of two Sunday sessions without the Amber Moon units. I headed down to Sean's Bar a bit early - I had been out playing the previous evening and the fire to get the fingers on the…
The Shack Session
When I was 15 and working at Burger King I noticed inexplicable patterns in the mass movement of humans.
Sean's Sunday session
Due to a certain hospitable pub in Ballinahown I happened to be in on Saturday night (and a good few hours of Sunday morning, actually) I was not up early on Sunday.
Shack Session
Ireland was showing her fine July weather so, although I had been looking forward to a walk out shackward yesterday evening, it was behind swishing windscreen wipers that I sat on my way to the…
Sean's Sunday Session
Another week, another Sunday in Sean's Bar. It was a lively, if sparsely attended, session.
The Shack Session
For the first time in ages I almost didn't attend this week's Shack Session. There I was, lying on the couch after a good feed feeling exhausted from early mornings and lack of sleep.
Sean's Sunday Session
After my Saturday night I awoke Sunday morning with a grin on my face and an itch in my fingers to grab the guitar again as soon as humanly possible.
Shack Session
A populous Shack session this week. As there had been a break in the rain and the evening was a mild one, I tipped out early with the instruments across my back for the session.
Sean's Sunday Session
The poor aul big beansie just hasn't been feeling well. Locals may have spotted his ghost at this past Sunday session in Sean's bar.
The Shack Session
It had been a while since the bean and myself walked out to the Shack and, seeing as there was a break in the rain, we decided the evening was perfect for a stroll.
Sean's Sunday Session
The oldest bar in the world and the, ah, maybe not the oldest session, but certainly a good old session if'n ya know what I'm talkin' about . . .
Shack Session
The rain has let up a bit in the last couple of days, so it was with instruments over the aul shoulder that myself and Guy Noir went strolling across town for this week's Shack Pub session.
Sean's Sunday Session
The Sunday session abides. I popped in early, an act resulting from my early start and Athlone Agri Show excursion.
Shack Session
It was an unusual Shack session this week. It all started some time after nine when ze germanz rang to see was anyone coming out to the Shack.
Shack Session
It was a late start Tuesday night. I rang up ze germanz and managed to get a lift out shackwase.
Sean's Sunday Session
Another Sunday, another session in Sean's Bar. Having finally achieved temporal equilibrium, due mostly to an early retirement at 8pm the night before, Sunday morning found me bright-eyed and bushy…
The Shack Session
This Tuesday was my first Shack session in about a month. I think I had bowed out from exhaustion a month ago. Then wifey was sick and then i was stateside for two weeks.
Sean's Bar Sunday session
The reassuring features of the landscape slowly bring one back to a sense of belonging. One of these is certainly Sean's Bar and Amber Moon's Sunday session. Enough chatter, more mp3s! Thusly!
Sean's Sunday session
The Sunday Session at Sean's was my first outing in a while. I was delighted and surprised to see Bill Coleman arriving on the scene.
Sean's Sunday Session
It was a far less frantic version of myself that stuck the head in this week at the Sunday Sean's Bar session.
The Shack Session
There are so few constants in life. The Shack Session has been going strong every week for the last three years, isn't it good to have something like that?
Sean's Sunday Session
It may have been a busy day for me on the Sunday, but it wouldn't be a Sunday without at least a peek in Sean's bar for the session.
Sean's Sunday Session
It's never a mundane experience, these Sean's Bar sessions. After dropping his friend back up at his car, Robert Blake and I made our way across town back toward the flat.
Flannery's Friday Session
It's been a bit of a slow burner, really. Hardy started it, suggesting a gathering on a Friday in Flannerys - a night that would otherwise go session-less.
Shack Session
Another Tuesday night, another Shack experience. This Tuesday I headed out a bit late owing to a certain munchkin being up waaaay past her bedtime.
Sean's Sunday Session
Sean's Bar, being an exceptional place itself, sometimes makes the exceptional things that happen within its walls seem less miraculous by context.
The Shack Session
This past Tuesday was the Shack session. Folks, I have to say this feckin cold is really starting to annoy me. You'd think I'd be missing more sessions, wouldn't you?
The Shack Session
If I thought I was coming down with something on Monday, Tuesday confirmed it. I had no less than three phone calls during the day about the Shack Session that night.
Bar Metro Trad Session
The munchkin caught a cold. Daddy diligently wiped that little nose and soothed the upset little girl when she was cranky. Now daddy is sick. Ah, hell.
Sean's Sunday Session
It was another Sunday in Sean's. Outside the sun was splitting the rocks and inside faces were splitting wide with smiles while the music raged and rambled.
Flannery's Saturday session
It had been too long since my last sojourn to Flannery's on a Saturday night. I have to say, for a pub I associate with the old Ireland, the evening held a number of novelties - the first of them the…
Shack Session
This Tuesday was a quiet one in the Shack. It was just me and the sheriff with kuch keeping us on track.
Sean's Sunday Session
This Sunday was another great session in Sean's Bar. Per usual, families and individuals packed into the place and musicians slotted in around a couple of tables.
Unexpected Session
It was a Thursday night. Wifey was finally feeling more like her normal self after the last couple weeks of illness.
Green Olive Session
The Green Olive session this past Wednesday was well-attended. From quiet beginnings, this mid-week trad-based session has begun to embrace a wider selection of styles and is drawing a broader…
Shack Session
If ever there was a week when the Shack was needed, this was it. It's been a long week, folks.
Sean's Saint Patrick's Sunday Session
A lively day in Sean's Bar was had Sunday. Big M, meez, hardy, gib, flute, banjo and drum gathered around the table for some post-Paddy's-day tunes.
Shack Session
I was feckin exhausted this Tuesday. Seriously. I was yawning through the visit with wifey in the hospital and was ready to keel over once I got in the house.
The Green Olive Session
This past Wednesday was the Green Olive session. This mid-week session is becoming more popular, attracting a wider range of players and attendees.
The Shack Session
This past Tuesday's Shack session was a good one. VE, ze germanz, the bean, angel, pads, the Sherrif and myself were up to our usual shenanigans.
Bar Metro Trad Session
Mondays are a nightmare for me. It's deadline day for the paper and I always get home at some obscenely late hour.
Sean's Bar Session
This Sunday was the weekly session in Ireland's oldest pub and wifey, the munchkin and myself headed down for a few tunes and the craic. The place was wedged with people.
Shack Session
This week's Shack session marked a long month for me with a complete lack of wife and munchkin.
Sean's Sunday session
It's a thing that is fast disappearing - the recitation. Sure, there are plenty of tunes and songs in the pubs of Ireland still, but rarely anymore do you get the brave punter standing to recite a…
Flannery's Session
I'll tell ya, last week will go down in history as a great week of sessions. There was a session every night of last week, with me skipping out only on the Saturday evening.
Brideswell Session
This must be some kind of weekday record for sessions. Bar Metro Monday, Shack Session Tuesday and Green Olive Wednesday . . .
Green Olive Session
It's been a good week for music, folks. What with Bar Metro on the Monday, The Shack on the Tuesday and now out to the Green Olive this Wednesday.
Shack session
Well, it may have been pancake Tuesday, but it was a mad one for the Shack Session. I decided to hoof it out shackwase with a light load of mandolin and bodhran instead of guitar.
Dueling Bodhrans - Bar Metro Trad Session
There's a new session in town, children. In one of the more unlikely settings (to my mind), a trad session with box accordian, guitar and bodhran has started up on Monday nights in Bar Metro in…
Sean's Sunday Session
This Sunday's session in Sean's bar was a bit different with the Amber Moon components on their Texan holiday. Podge, damsel, hardy and gib put in the time, though.
Shack Session
It was another Tuesday night and the feeling was right to head out for a bite . . . er, or a session in the Shack!
Shine's Sunday Session
You'll recall the posting on Sean's Bar this week . Well, a good chunk of the crowd from earlier in the afternoon drifted across town to the Shine's session.
Sean's Sunday Session
Sean's Bar session this Sunday was something to behold. Crowded around two tables were at least 3 guitarists, a couple of whistle players, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, bohdrans, spoons and singers…
Wednesday Session in The Green Olive
There's a new music session in town. The Green Olive, just off the N6 motorway, has a session of mostly Irish tunes with a few songs in between on a Wednesday night.
The Shack Session, Athlone
It was a quiet place this last Tuesday in the Shack. I mean, outside in the car park. Inside, however, the music was rolling right along from the knot of musicians inside the door.
Shack Session
Well, Tuesday was the good old reliable Shack session. That's right, kids. Well, given that last week's session was the songwriter release night and the previous week was so well attended it was…
Snared up in Shine's Sunday session
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 Sunday Session
This sunday was the Sean's Bar session with Amber Moon. These sessions are getting more popular recently and you never know who you might find gathered around the table on a sleepy Sunday afternoon.
Brideswell Session
Sometimes it's good to get out. With all the disheartening talk about rural pubs closing, I was even more appreciative of my evening yesterday in Brideswell.
The Shack Session, Athlone
It has been a handful of Tuesdays since I attended the last Shack Session. What with the Christmas, New Year and the trip to France it's just slipped off the slick edges of my reality.
Sean's Sunday Session
This Sunday in Seans saw its Amber Moon musical core augmented by loads of additional heads, including some of the Brideswell crew.
Sean's Bar Christmas Eve Session
It was Christmas eve and there wasn't a seat to be had in Sean's bar. The ceiling was adorned with the yearly branches of pine, bits of holly and even the occasional mistletoe while the staff worked…
Pre-Christmas Shack Session
Last night was the last Shack session before Christmas. The sister has arrived in town for the holiday and I was late starting out for the session.
Shack Session
A lull in the storm hit us on Tuesday night and Angel, the bean and I made our weary way across the town toward the Shack. Upon entering, we found the place all decked out for Christmas.
Brideswell Session
Last night the joyful noise in Brideswell stirred itself to life again. There's nothing quite like being cushioned deep in the midland countryside in a cosy Irish pub, listening to some well-played…
Shack Session
The night was a chill shroud. The ancient stones of Athlone castle almost creaked with the cold; rivulets of moisture ran down their slick surface.
Shack Session
So this Tuesday I hoofed it out to the Shack. Halfway there I saw a bodhran-laden silloette approaching and as it passed under a streetlight it turned out to be EEEEEMMMOSSSS!
Sean's Sunday Session
Amber Moon was in Sean's Bar this Sunday. Their trio of voice, guitar and flute was augmented by the presence of an accordian player who dropped in for the session.
Shine's Session
It was a dirty evening. The wind was howling round the place, shreiking at the corners of the windows. How to escape the cacophany of nature? Nothing for it but a melodious remedy.
Sean's Sunday Session
Well the weather outside was frightful, so this past Sunday afternoon the wifey and I headed down to Sean's Bar for a hot port and some pineapple juice for the munchkin.
Shack Session
I decided to stick up a sketch of last night instead of a photo this week, feel free to go to the bottom of this post to see a photo instead - or to compare the horrible attempt at likenesses.
Shine's Sunday Session
When wifey and I first moved here we were regulars at the Sunday evening traditional Irish session in Shine's Bar.
Flannery's Saturday session
I was down in Flannery's on the weekend for the Saturday session. Truth be told I almost didn't get out of the house - there I was, lying in my warm cozy bed next to a cuddly wifey when the bean…
Shack Session
Last night was the Shack Session and we had two honeymooning visitors from Wisconsin joining us. Seeing the two lovebirds reminded me of myself and Kim when we arrived in Ireland on our honeymoon .
Brideswell Session
Another fortnight come and gone and I found myself in Brideswell ordering Guinness at the counter of O'Connell's Pub.
Shack Session
So last night was the Shack session and it was a good one. It being a warm night, I opted to walk and arrived before anyone else.
Sean's Saturday Session
This Saturday evening, the popular traditional music session in Sean's Bar was again in full swing.
Flannery's Session
It's been a while since my last post about Flannery's and this last Saturday night I made it a point to stop in. The evening was well-attended as usual and music was varied.
Sean's Saturday Session
So I popped down to Sean's Bar Saturday evening to catch the weekly session. The crowd of onlookers and musicians was enormous this week and the tunes included a number of a capella sing-alongs in…
Brideswell Session
Well, it was out to Brideswell last night for some world-class trad. I always regret it when I can't make the bi-monthly session, because if you miss one, it's almost a month between the last and the…
Shack Session
What you see above you are two songwriters from different generations, representing the kind of great that the Shack sessions can be.
The Bounty Session
The local rugby club has a bar in its clubhouse called The Bounty. They used to run a weekly traditional session on Sundays which was discontinued until recently. That is to say, it's back.
Sean's Saturday Session
So I popped around Sean's bar on Saturday for the evening session. It was bursting with musicians this week, two fiddles, bodhran, guitars, whistles, flutes and a banjo.
Shack Session
Well, this tuesday was the Shack session and there was a huge showing of folks this week: Bongo Benny, Fiona, Des, Pads, the Bean, Anne-Marie, Bill, ze Germanz and a songwriter Declan, new to the…
Sean's Sunday Session
Well, this Sunday the session in Sean's was truly something unusual. As this weekend was the Irish International Barbershop convention (and not a couple of weeks ago, as I had thought), we were…
Brideswell Session
Last night was the fabulous Brideswell traditional Irish music session. This session is, quite possibly, the best traditional session in the midlands.
Shack session
This Tuesday's Shack session was a pretty excellent one. Thanks to visiting in-laws, the wifey was able to put in an appearance, which was an excellent thing.