I got notification from Deputy Tom Fleming during the week which informs us that his native village is plucking every string possible to have the place bristling for May 16th and its hosting of World Fiddle Day.
“Regarding PJ Teahan and his friends organising of the World Fiddle Day 16th May in Scartaglin and Castleisland, I attended a meeting of the Village Development Committee on the 26th March and the main agenda was refurbishment and improvement to village road surface etc in preparation for the above event. I called into the office of the Kerry County Manager the following morning to explain the urgency and gave her the petition letter. I am glad that responses have been positive and the upgrade will be done prior to the event,” said Deputy Fleming.
Anyone following the fortunes of the village in recent years will know that it’s been transformed in the best possible sense. This program of improvements has come to the notice of the Tidy Towns adjudicator.
Now, that an event as prestigious as World Fiddle Day undoubtedly is, the village is going all out to embrace the atmosphere, culture and opportunity this presents.
The village has played host to the Handed Down series of lectures and concerts in its prized heritage centre since last autumn.
As hosts, Bridie Garvey and Tom O’Connor have been praised regularly since then for their presentation of the centre and the hospitality shown to its visitors.
This May’s World Fiddle Day event in Scart is expected to benefit greatly from the outright success of last year’s day-long session.
And fiddlers are expected to arrive from all corners of the country and well beyond.
There’s an evening in Castleisland pencilled in for the Friday night of the weekend at Tom McCarthy’s and Peter Browne’s bars just to get fiddles, bows, elbows and throats in proper working order for the big day in Scartaglin.
Anyone looking for more information can click on the World Fiddle Day advert on the top right-hand corner of this page.
It won’t be long now!
