Headed to Ireland - Bring the mando?

[anon-rickf]

Hey folks - I'm headed to Ireland with the wife for a 2 week visit, including a 10 day tour with, I'm sure, a few good pub nights. Questioning whether to bring the mandolin along to play. I suppose my player level is somewhere in the intermediate level. I know a few Irish tunes but past experiences have shown me that it's better to sit and listen a fair amount before trying to join in. I don't want to be an annoyance or anything. It boils down to the age old problem that if I don't bring it then for sure nothing is likely to happen (although there may be a mando I can borrow for part of the trip) but then I hate to drag it along through the rigors of traveling and risk damage or theft. Any suggestions?

[minuteman]

We went last year to Southern Irelend and traveled from Dublin to Shannon over 10 days. Never saw the first mandolin, nor did I see anyone just walk up and join in playing the way bluegrass festivals are done here. For some reason, harp and guitar seem to be big over there. The occasional fiddle case was seen in the corner but no one ever played them where we went. I guess our Hollywood Ireland isn't the real Ireland.

That said, our trip was mostly rural and nights were spent in small pubs in fishing towns, not in downtown Dublin. Can't speak for that.

Great people though, awesome night life and breathtaking scenery. We enjoyed it so much we're thinking of seeing Northern Ireland next year.

Have fun.

[James Rankine]

Heading anywhere I take a mandolin. Get yourself a really cheap beater, wrap it in bubble wrap and put it in the middle of your suitcase. You'll barely notice you're carrying it and you can keep hand luggage for valuable things like cameras and ipads. Mine has always survived, and if it didn't it's not the end of the world. Put it in a ruck sack and go to the pub and you don't look like you are turning up for a session, but if there is one you can whip it out if the mood is right. Most folks would make a visitor from abroad very welcome, and if they don't you wouldn't want to play with them anyway.

[Eddie Sheehy]

Save yourself the hassle of bringing a mandolin and enjoy your trip.

[nicholasamorim]

Save yourself the hassle of bringing a mandolin and enjoy your trip.

I've lived in Ireland for some 3 years and as the friend above said: Hollywood Ireland is one thing and real life is another. There are great people all over, but it's not quite common for people to join in a jamming session of any sorts. That is, unless you are in the music scene.

It all depends, really. Where are you going, whether people are interested in the fact that you're carrying a mandolin, etc..

I wouldn't tell you to not bring it. By all means, try to make it happen. I'm embarking in a world trip of at least 1 year and I'm surely as hell bringin' the mando. I would actually prefer to take the guitar, but it's too much hassle, so I'm steppin' up my mando playing.



Enjoy the trip, mate!

[Carl Robin]

A mandolin is small even in it's case. It can fit in the overhead bin. With a "personal item", like a laptop bag, and a checked suitcase, it is easily do-able. I brought mine to Scandinavia, twice and was glad I did. I should admit though that I didn't connect much with people except with family when there. The Irish are especially friendly and approachable in my experience. I was there in my pre-mandolin days, though. I would definitely bring it now. Either way, you will have fun.

[Jill McAuley]

Not sure where minuteman was in Ireland but harp would not be an instrument I would see a lot out at sessions. Generally speaking if you end up at a "touristy" pub there will be a session going with players who are paid to show up, which guarantees entertainment for the tourists but it wouldn't be a situation where anyone just shows up with an instrument and joins in. Check www.thesession.org to look for any actual sessions that may be happening in any of the towns you'll pass through. But if you're on an organized tour be prepared for them to bring you to touristy spots, because that's what those things tend to do - a mate of mine worked as a tour guide and she said the company she worked for really made them pile on the whole "ye olde Oirish experience".

[Bertram Henze]

I know a few Irish tunes but past experiences have shown me that it's better to sit and listen a fair amount before trying to join in.

I'm afraid the latter is what you are going to do 99% of the time in a real Irish session, and you can do that without a mandolin in hand. To have guaranteed fun playing along one should have some 100 tunes under his belt, yielding a chance that the overlap with the session repertoire will be 10.

I have been playing TB in Irish sessions some 30 years back, and you have to know where the real open sessions are in order to find them - you don't just stumble across them at every corner. Everything else, music-wise, is either Tourist Disneyland like Jill said or local amateur non-Irish music such as Rock, Country etc. As a preparation, I recommend Colin Irwin's book In Search of the Craic - One Man's Pub Crawl Through Irish Music; it's fun reading, too.
Basically, you must decide what you want to be: a tourist inhaling as much scenery as possible per minute after being served breakfast in a hotel, or a musician hanging out with other musicians, sleeping on pub floors, collecting his own breakfast fry-ables in the next Spar; it's next to impossible to be both at the same time.

I'd do whatever the wife can put up with best

[John Kelly]

Interesting thread with the references to the "Hollywood Ireland" that folk seem to absorb from afar then find that the reality does not quite match up. We have a similar identity dilemma over here in Scotland when tourists come around seeking all the "genuine Scotch" elements of our culture. There are the touristy places with the "Scottish" music, kilts, etc and there are the real elements where you can meet and hear genuine Scots playing real music.

I admit to having played my part in entertaining the tourists - bus parties up from south of the border who want to sample what they think of as Scottish Culture, but often are fixed in the "Plastic Haggis" mentality and the "Shortbread Tin" view of our culture. There is much less tartan on show in Scotland, even in those areas you'd expect it to be, and modern young ceilidh bands and performers have given traditional music quite a jolt.

The Ireland of "The Quiet Man" with that great Irish movie icon John Wayne and the Scotland of "Brigadoon" are far from the places we natives inhabit. At least with "Brigadoon" they admitted that the village only appeared every 100 years.

But you will love your visit to Ireland and the warm welcome you'll most certainly receive - as would also be the case were you to visit Scotland!

[Bertram Henze]

If you want to get to the bottom of a session, talking to people is almost more revealing, regarding their unfathomable dark souls, than playing along with them can ever be.

Seamus Ennis summed it all up quite convincingly...

[Beanzy]

Many decent sessions will be much later than you think.
They'll happen after people have finished their jobs & that can include teaching evening classes or doing shows for the tourists. Like the others say it's a tough call to just jump in unless you're already doing Irish sessions back home.
You can check out the CCE website for events that might be on where your tour is. https://comhaltas.ie/ drill down the menus to see if they're are any local classes too.

If you get a chance to get away from your tour while in Dublin then head up to Smithfield and check out what's happening at the Cobblestone. http://cobblestonepub.ie/ I wouldn't drag a big group with you though, and it's definitely a respectful listeners pub rather than having the music as background to the conversation. If you're going to be there on a Wednesday then definitely bring the mando and go out back to the "Balaclavas" session.

[Francis J]

This is an interesting one. My gut reaction is to agree with Eddie and advise you to leave your mandolin at home and have fun.
Irish traditional sessions are not generally advertised. If they are, you will find it's the touristy type which John refers to. Mea Culpa, I've been guilty of that one too John! To find the real thing, you will have to leave the beaten track and talk to locals. Thing is, Irish traditional music is about as popular in Ireland as bluegrass is in USA, so remember you're talking about a very small demographic. If you're lucky enough to find one, you will be mesmerised by the musicianship, especially the younger graduates of the music schools. There's lots to love about Ireland so relax and absorb! Enjoy the trip. oh BTW if you make it to Kilkenny, drop in to Cleeres pub any Wednesday night. http://www.cleeres.com

[jeho2a]

There's a discussion of the same sort of thing going on at thesession right now, with some helpful pointers:
https://thesession.org/discussions/39020.

I would definitely second the suggestion of the Cobblestone in Dublin: great music and atmosphere and welcoming if you choose the right session for your level.

I take my mandolin over to Ireland lots, but mostly only for practising. I usually play for a bit for my family there, but they are largely mystified by my interest in the "diddley-eye" music!.

[JeffD]

Lots of good observations. I would only add that taking a musical instrument case into a pub, even a touristy one, makes a kind of announcement. And then if you decide not to take the mandolin out, that makes a kind of a statement as well.

Another way to say this - when you go in with a case, you set up a kind of expectation and that makes it (at least for me) very hard to back down. My thought is that unless I am committed to playing in the pub, don't bring the case into the pub.

Enjoy.

[Bertram Henze]

...taking a musical instrument case into a pub, even a touristy one, makes a kind of announcement. And then if you decide not to take the mandolin out, that makes a kind of a statement as well.

Good point - can't cluck and then not lay.

[James Rankine]

Lots of good observations. I would only add that taking a musical instrument case into a pub, even a touristy one, makes a kind of announcement. And then if you decide not to take the mandolin out, that makes a kind of a statement as well.

Another way to say this - when you go in with a case, you set up a kind of expectation and that makes it (at least for me) very hard to back down. My thought is that unless I am committed to playing in the pub, don't bring the case into the pub.

Enjoy.

The last time I was really glad I'd left the tenor banjo in the boot of the car was when I turned up at my usual session pub for a one off that was part of an annual Irish festival. There were lots of the usual youngsters from the local cce branch who are always frighteningly good, but there was a banjo player, who just looked like a kid to me, who I didn't recognise. He was unbelievably good - the most accomplished player I've ever seen. Just some local Kid I thought - really impressive but it was also quite disheartening. I asked someone his name and looked him up on the internet when I got home. I can't tell you how relieved I was to find out that no only is he not a kid, but he's a professional banjo player who has been doing it since he was born and is a multiple all Ireland champion- Brian Kelly. Now of course I wish I taken the banjo in and sat next to him and got a free lesson.

[Bertram Henze]

I have learnt not to believe in advanced magic I cannot play along to or which I have to back away from. When they play a tune I know, and which I have successfully played with others, my contribution is always legal. Some other player may be better at it than I am, but Irish music makes allowances for coexistence of styles and therefore of levels. Indeed I like playing with better players, since they know more tunes and I have a better chance to lead my sets with them playing along, not alone.

[whistler]

Admittedly i. on my trips to Ireland, I have always gone as 95% musician (or aspiring musician) and 5% tourist and ii. Irish traditional music is my home territory, musically speaking. But the very idea of a musician going to Ireland without taking an instrument seems absurd to me.

It is, of course, perfectly possible to spend 10 days travelling round Ireland and never come across a session - but it is not difficult to find the music if you ask around a bit. (Looking on thesession.org is a good suggestion, but there will be many that are not listed there.) It is also true that some sessions are of a very high standard and might not be open to the less advanced player - but there are also plenty of sessions that would welcome intermediate players. The only things to remember are: i. Ask before joining in; ii. Don't play unless you know the tune (i.e. every note of it); iii. Wait to be invited before starting a tune. Even if you only get to play one tune, it's worth it to get to play with other musicians.

... taking a musical instrument case into a pub, even a touristy one, makes a kind of announcement ...

This is true. Personally, I have often had no choice as I have been cycling and camping and therefore had nowhere to store my instrument. Yes, there has been the odd occasion when I've taken my mandolin into a session, decided not to play and coyly hidden it under a table. (One time, on leaving, my case was spotted by an eminent flute player that was playing in the session and I was duly scolded by her - in the best of humour - for not playing it.) There might be a bit of embarrassment, but life's too short to worry about such things.

I can understand the concern about taking a valuable and treasured instrument with you - especially if you won't be playing it much. You could, as been suggested, get a cheap mandolin for the trip - just make sure it's one you can actually enjoy playing.

Have a great trip, whatever you decide.

[mikeyes]

The beauty of the mandolin is that it can't be heard in a session unless you really want it to be heard.My wife and I always go to Ireland in the off season and we almost always go to Shannon then to Dingle where I know a lot of the musicians and the sessions. I've never had a problem being welcomed in sessions, but I also don't impose myself onto the session.
Mandolins are the perfect instrument to take as they are easily carried on the plane, are not a burden to carry and are not very loud (like a whistle which shares the other attributes.) If you are a mandolin player and know Irish music, take it along. If not, don't bother, but start to network for your next trip.

[Dagger Gordon]

I would not necessarily bring a mandolin with me when I travel just to join in an 'Irish' session. I bring it because I like to play it.

You may very well find a bit of craic going on in a hostel or somewhere which is not especially Irish-oriented - just maybe travellers from various countries having a jam with whoever they find, and that could well be music you are quite capable of joining in with.

I understand what you mean by bringing a mandolin into a session pub as making a sort of statement, but you know, there is nothing wrong with saying that you don't really know that many Irish tunes and you don't want to be annoying. People do understand that - after all isn't that what we are talking about?

However, the mandolin is a good instrument for playing quite softly at the back of a session and I doubt if you would bother anyone, as you seem to understand the situation perfectly well.

One thing I would say. If you do bring a mandolin but aren't joining in much in a session, you may well be asked to give a tune or song from where you come from. It would be good to have a 'party-piece' up your sleeve.

[foldedpath]

I haven't seen this mentioned yet (unless I missed it), but I think one good approach is to book into an Irish trad workshop or festival. Preferably one of the smaller, less-well-known ones... not Willie Clancy Week... where you'll be guaranteed a chance to play, you can soak up some local culture, and get pointers about anything happening in the neighborhood.

That's what I plan to do on our first trip over there, one of these days (although my fiddler S.O. will probably drag us to a Scottish event first).

The other way I've heard it done, is the way a friend of mine did it. Be in your early 20's, bumming around the UK for the summer with a mandolin in your backpack, meet new friends and make connections, sleep on a lot of sofas and floors. You'll soon learn where the sessions are. I miss that outlook on life, but I'm a bit too old for that now.

[Shelagh Moore]

As a long-time sessionista I almost always take my mandolin or tenor banjo when I go back to Ireland (or to Scotland too). As has been mentioned before, sessions are not always advertised and those that are are often "paid musician" sessions for the tourists and not really conducive to joining in. However, by asking around, I have almost always been able to find enjoyable sessions that are open to visitors and welcoming.

[bbcee]

+1 Beanzy & jeho2a - a GREAT place to hear music, the Cobblestone!! I used to go on Sunday afternoons as much or more than in the evenings when I lived there.

They call themselves "A Drinking Pub With a Musical Problem" Indeed! You'll enjoy the experience, with or without your mandolin.

[Canoedad]

Save yourself the hassle of bringing a mandolin and enjoy your trip.

Yep.

[Dagger Gordon]

Incidentally, every year or so there are threads here from someone planning a trip to Ireland. Here are a few from last year.
Plenty more. Worth a read, I should think.

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...hlight=ireland

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...hlight=ireland

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...hlight=ireland