So, we’ve just had Ophelia pass over us – they say the worst storm to hit Ireland in 50 years. Here in Corofin we were lucky not to lose power and (I think) the damage did not go past a few fallen trees. The rest of the country is still regaining power in places, cleaning up and assessing the damage. The two days before she arrived were unusually warm and still, and the day after was bright, beautiful and sunny – like a day from 6 weeks earlier. Now it’s gone back to typical October weather, and I’m reading about the next storm, Brian. I hope he’s not too severe as I’m planning to go out walking in the Burren National Park at the weekend!
Small tree down after Storm Ophelia
Leaves and lichen on the ground
Last night I played at the Cliffs of Moher Hotel in Liscannor. Met a couple who had eloped from Germany to get married at Hags Head. They had successfully flown in on the morning of the storm, and undertaken the 3 hour drive to their destination in the storm, all without incident – amazing. The only ‘hitch’ was that the registry office was closed due to bad weather, so they had to go on the morning of the ceremony instead. We played ‘Tabhair dom do Lámh’ (Give me Your Hand). Congratulations again if ye are reading this!
I spent some of last week in the company of friends – musicians Hélène (flute and voice) and Olivier (fiddle). They were lucky to make it back to Brittany safely on the ferry, two days before the storm hit. Here is a photo of us playing (again in the Cliffs of Moher Hotel) with Kirsten Allstaff (flute), Neil Fitzgibbon (fiddle) and Moya Fitzgerald (fiddle) . The photo is by Seanie Hogan:
Session at the Cliffs of Moher Hotel, Liscannor, October 2017
We played quite a bit of music together and swapped tunes. Two or three are now on the top of my list to learn/dig deeper into. Here is a link to Hélène‘s Soundcloud profile, where you can hear her singing:
She also makes amazingly refined keys for wind instruments. Here’s a link to her website: