United Nations Feel to Scart on World Fiddle Day

Aidan Coffey with Ann and Nickie McAuliffe and Gerald Borgeat at the World Fiddle Day Scartaglin Celebrations on Saturday. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Heading for Scart: World Fiddle Day Scartaglin supporters, Tom McKenna (left) and David ‘Dauber’ Prendiville striding with intent for the village on Saturday afternoon. ©Photograph: John Reidy

A World Fiddle Day Scartaglin Saturday afternoon session in the making with Irish and German musicians: Colm Guilfoyle (left) pictured with Joe Breen, Bryan O’Leary, Felix Morgenstern, Cathal Ó Curráin and Conor Daly. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Musicians, Charlie Piggott and Mary Lawless pictured at the World Fiddle Day Scartaglin celebrations on Saturday afternoon. ©Photograph: John Reidy

A cosy gathering at the World Fiddle Day Scartaglin singing session at the heritage centre on Saturday afternoon with some of the multi part exhibition in the background. Included are: Mike Barrett, Monagea; Mike Church, Mourneabbey; Jimmy Cullinane, Cordal; Joe Creedon, Macroom; Christy Cronin, Gneeveguilla; Tom McKenna, Castleisland; Micheál Marrinan, Dungarvan; Eily Buckley, Millstreet and Anne Keane, Millstreet. ©Photograph: John Reidy

World Fiddle Day musician, Ciaran Murphy from Brosna had his own family audience in a corner of O’Connor’s Bar during Saturday’s celebration in Scartaglin. ©Photograph: John Reidy

World Fiddle Day Scartaglin visitors: Haruaki Saito and Ai Takeda pictured during the celebrations on Saturday. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Fiddle Workshop: Brian Phelan-Luthier working on his pop-up fiddle workshop outside Lyons’ Bar during World Fiddle Day Scartaglin on Saturday afternoon. ©Photograph: John Reidy

The Master on his plinth observing the gathering for World Fiddle Day Scartaglin on Saturday afternoon. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Kirill Healy on whistle with Emma O’Leary and Jackie Daly squeezing the final few notes from World Fiddle Day 2017 at Kearney’s Bar on Sunday afternoon. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Caoimhe Flannery (left) pictured with: Matt Cranitch, Tomás MacUilageoid, Mick Culloty, Jim Murphy, Pat Owen, John Fitzgerald, Con Cronin, jackie Daly and Paul de Grae gathering for World Fiddle Day Scartaglin on Saturday afternoon. ©Photograph: John Reidy

A polka at Kearney’s Bar in Castleisland to see out World Fiddle Day 2017 with Áine, Anna and Marguerite Herlihy and Sheila Coakley from Scartaglin taking the floor. ©Photograph: John Reidy

A packed audience for Jackie Daly’s chat with Joe Thoma in Lyons’ Bar during World Fiddle Day Scartaglin on Saturday afternoon. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Seeing out World Fiddle Day 2017 at Kearney’s Bar in Castleisland on Sunday afternoon were: Mikey O’Connor (left) with: Mike and Emma O’Leary, Jackie Daly, Cormac O’Mahony, Teresa O’Leary and Jackie Dan Jerry O’Connor. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Local man, Denis Riordan heading down the village to the World Fiddle Day Scartaglin celebrations on Saturday. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Windows 2017: Fiddle player and photographer, Philip Crickard capturing the action in Lyons’ Bar kitchen at World Fiddle Day Scartaglin on Saturday afternoon. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Tom Fleming, Jimmy Doyle and Timmy Brosnan at the World Fiddle Day Scartaglin celebrations at Fleming’s Bar on Saturday. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Jackie Daly, Emma O’Leary and Kirill Healy played the final notes in a day long session at Kearney’s Bar in Castleisland on Sunday evening to wind up 2017 World Fiddle Day.

While Saturday was the main day there were outbreaks of music in Scartaglin on Friday night and in the aforementioned Kearney’s on Sunday.

Kirill Healy, the young Killcummin concertina and whistle player, brought a respectful silence to the house on Sunday evening with a haunting rendition of the old Irish air, Taimse I M’ Chodladh Is Ná Duistear Mé.

Equal Brilliance

He played it on his new American whistle as he alternated between tunes on both instruments with equal brilliance.

He handed a whistle to Jackie Daly who then proceeded to play another beautiful Irish air.

Emma O’Leary, on fiddle, is a former All-Ireland winner on the whistle.

They were joined at various times during the day by other local and visiting musicians like: Jackie Dan Jerry O’Connor, Mike O’Leary, Con Moynihan and Cormac O’Mahony.

Many Nationalities

Scartaglin on Saturday was a bit like the United Nations with people of many nationalities dipping in and out of sessions in the three village pubs and the nearby heritage centre.

There was a fiddle workshop with a difference on Saturday as Brian Phelan-Luthier set up a table and vice outside Lyons’ Bar for his Tralee based fiddle repair business.

There wasn’t a car parking space to be had anywhere in the village and it prompted one local man to worry about emergency vehicle access if the need arose.

Planning Already

P.J. Teahan, Mick Culloty and Tomás MacUileagóid can be well pleased with their efforts and Scartaglin as a venue is nothing short of ideal for all kinds of cultural and historic reasons.

Though Saturday’s weather forecast was anything but promising, the few showers that did come were well scattered and didn’t inhibit the movement of people between the different venues.

Planning is already afoot for the new season of Handed Down which will recommence after the summer recess and there’s already a gem of an idea for one of the night’s programmes. This is based on the discovery of material which will be of great interest to the Scartaglin and wider area.

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