Kenmare

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I'm a few days out of date with posting on here because of lack of internet connection and breaking down in Limerick - that will be in my next post soon, first here is what I got up to last week in Kenmare.
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Kenmare
I have spent the past 5 days in Kenmare, a small town in Co. Kerry close to the border with Co. Cork. I booked myself onto 5 days of one to one fiddle tuition with an amazing fiddle tutor called Gill Newlyn. This course was the main reason for visiting Ireland and my whole trip has been planned around it - and I wasn't disappointed! I have had a brilliant week.

I arrived in town on Sunday night and went out looking for some music to listen to. I couldn't find any sessions but I came across a place in town with a couple of guys playing some set dance tunes (polkas, waltz, & 2 step) - this kind of music, especially polkas, are really popular here in co Kerry. The dance floor was packed with people dancing, maybe it was because of the good music, or maybe because the dancers were enjoying freedom from their zimmer frames - everyone was having fun though... it was a nice evening even if I was the youngest in the bar by a good 40 years!
My fiddle lessons each day have been at Gill's house which is about 15 minutes drive along a track up into the mountains. The lessons have been until 1pm and I have spent the afternoons in the mountains going over what I have just learnt and then practicing for the next day's lesson. In the evenings I have been either playing in sessions or listening to live music around town. It has been a really fun & tiring week!

Gill

Chris (Gill's husband)Noreen - a local fiddle player



From after just a few minutes of my first lesson on Monday morning it was clear that despite it being the same bow producing the same notes on the same strings attached to the same piece of wood, the traditional Irish fiddle is actually a completely different instrument to the classical violin that I have been squeezing Irish tunes out of for the past few years. I feel like I have picked up a new instrument for the first time (and sound a bit like it too!) but even just after a few days the difference in sound is amazing - There is a lot to take in, I just hope I remember everything that I have learnt - the most difficult part will be when I get back home and be playing classical violin one day and traditional fiddle the next without getting the two mixed up.

Dean & Noreen
During my free time I have been exploring the Beara peninsula. Today I headed out to the very end of the peninsula on the recommendation of Gill and her husband Chris. The scenery is stunning, on the same scale as the dingle peninsula but in a very different way... it's hard to describe the difference and because I forgot to take my camera with me you'll just have to try and guess what it was like! (or click here)

Tomorrow I will set off on the long drive across the country to Kildare, near Dublin, where I will be meeting up with Derek & Sarah (from Guernsey) who are over for a friend's wedding.