My “Willie Clancy” chair!
Musicians, singers, dancers and Irish traditional music fans, like me, have come to Ireland from all over the world to enjoy Willie Clancy Week. An 40ú Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, the Willie Clancy 40th Summer School, a.k.a. Willie Clancy Week or the Willie Clancy Festival takes place annually in the town of Miltown Malbay. Not only is this Ireland’s largest traditional music summer school, but it offers a week of recitals, céilithe (traditional dances), lectures and exhibitions, all open to the public. It is basically an intensive, week-long celebration of traditional Irish music and culture. Lucky for us, Miltown Malbay is just a half hour from our cottage so today Eoin and I made our first, of what I hope to be a few, trips to the festival. Not only was this a feast of Irish traditional music, punctuated by the most Irish language speaking I’ve ever heard while here, but it was a treat just to see so many people of all ages with musical instruments strapped to their backs or carried in their arms and even children, with their instruments of choice, busking along the main street!
On the way back to the car, which I had parked “Irish style” (half on top of the footpath) a distance from the center of town, we were enticed into a used-book store by a Roald Dahl book displayed in the window. Eoin has discovered this irreverent and hilarious children’s book author since we’ve been in Kilkee this summer and was just telling me this very day how he hoped to get more of his books. We ended up purchasing three books, much to Eoin’s delight. However, much to my delight, there was a wooden chair for sale in the back room of the shop, hand painted and antiqued by a woman from Feakle in County Clare. This was the chair I had pictured at my kitchen table for the past three years and, at the fair price they were asking, I couldn’t resist bringing it home! Therefore, to anyone who attended the Willie Clancy Festival today confused by the sight of a woman carrying a green, painted wooden chair above her head through the dense crowd, you see – there is a perfectly reasonable explanation!
Below are a few photos we took at the Willie Clancy Fest. If you would like to see a photo of me carrying a green chair above my head down a crowded sidewalk, I’m sorry, but we didn’t take one. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if one exists in someone else’s camera!
A child busking at the fest.
6 comments
Comments feed for this article
July 10, 2012 at 9:00 pm
lifeonthecutoff
Janet, you do more for Irish tourism than anyone I could possibly think of. I love how your enthusiasm comes out in your words and your pictures as it does so expressly in this post. Now all will be searching for a “Willie Clancy” chair to carry through the crowd and over one’s head. Love it!
Sounds like that used book store could be a dangerous place for young lads and their moms. I’m impressed with Eoin’s choice of authors.
Loved this!
July 11, 2012 at 3:43 am
bloggingfromthebog
Thank you Penny! Wouldn’t it be funny if people began searching for “Willie Clancy Chairs” in Miltown Malbay? I doubt that it’s what the festival organizers had in mind!
Eoin’s new enthusiasm for Roald Dahl is a direct result of being unplugged out here in the bog – no tv, wii or iPod – only ClareFM! Anton liked his books too and that is what made me buy the first couple.
July 11, 2012 at 1:17 am
Janice Whelan
You capture the atmosphere so well, it must have been a brilliant day, certainly enhanced by the chair purchase. It is lovely. J.
July 11, 2012 at 3:47 am
bloggingfromthebog
Janice, there is definitely a lot of atmosphere to be captured in this country. I suppose being from a place that is so different it makes a strong impression on me and I’m glad I somehow manage to convey it.
July 21, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Kate
I want 4 of those chairs.
July 21, 2012 at 1:41 pm
bloggingfromthebog
Four of those chairs would look great in your apartment! I’m getting a second sometime next week maybe. It will be the same color but probably a different style chair.