Photo by Mia Cortez - www.mia-cortez.com

Burren Fiddle Holidays Important News!

Happy 2023 from Burren Fiddle Holidays!

I have some important news to share with you. Burren Fiddle Holidays is on the move this year, in search of another beautiful location and home to become a musical hub and haven.

This means there are a few changes to fiddle holiday options while I get things sorted. For tuition with accommodation I have an Airbnb accomodation collaboration with my great friend and fellow fiddle player who lives near Kilfenora. She has a lovely two-bed self-catering apartment where you can stay, and I am on hand for all things fiddle tuition on-site. It’s a cool spot, a little bit deeper into the Burren, with loads of session options and site-seeing nearby, and historical sites too! Fiddle tuition without accommodation is still available, still near to Corofin but from another lovely house. I have some availability for fiddle weeks in June, the last two weeks in July and in August. If you’re interested in coming to stay, please get in touch with some date suggestions and what you’d like to work on musically, and I will check re rates and availability. For fiddle weekends and one-off classes there is always some flexibility, so please do get in touch also!

Playing viola with Maurice Bradley (on a set of pipes tuned to B), Corofin, 2022. Photo by Edel Keaveney

In other news I’ve been busy teaching a diverse and lovely group of students regularly, both in-person and over the internet. We have online fiddle recitals at the end of each term, which are great fun and a chance for everyone to check in with each other. The local market in Corofin is still going strong too, so sometimes those of us who live within striking distance all meet up there to play.

Galway Arts Festival concert with Nuala Kennedy – photo by Philip Peereboom
Corofin Christmas Market 2022 – photo by Ann Marie Shannon

Festivals are all back with a bang since last year, and the vibe is great! I think many of us musicians had time to evaluate why we play and what makes us happy musically, as well as time to work on our music. Now that we are back playing after a long hiatus, the enthusiasm is mighty and there has been a lot of joy! There have been some lovely community projects too, and not just in the trad music world – Government grant initiatives for artists continue to come to fruition and we’re seeing some great local events in art, folklore, music, theatre etc. It feels like a creative window has been opened and the ideas keep flowing through.

Gerry Harrington plays ‘The Wounded Hussar’ at the Feakle Festival 2022, photo by Eimer Casey

Some festival highlights last year were my favourite – The Willie Clancy Week – as well as Feakle and Ennis Trad Fests. I also played a concert at Galway Arts Festival with the talented Nuala Kennedy. There is no slacking for festival goers, with the last two weekends seeing the Micho Russell Festival in Doolin and the Trad Fest in my local village, Corofin!

Take care and see you soon!

Best, Laura

The Willie Clancy Week 2022 – Photo by Eimer Casey

Yellow Submarine session – photo Beanie Odell