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Keeping the old traditions alive

This article is from page 24 of the 2007-11-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 24 JPG

YOUNG people from north Clare and beyond are being offered the chance to get a taste of what tradi- tional music was like in the days before sessions in pubs became the norm.

The first in a new monthly series of trad sessions for teenagers took place in Kilfenora Community Centre ear- her this month. The sessions, which are ran by Peadar O’Reilly, aim to get the young people learning and playing full sets together in a hall atmosphere.

‘The whole idea is to get them all learning sets of tunes together as a eroup. To make it as relaxed as we

can and have a bit of craic with it. A lot of people can play a tune here or there but what we want to do is to get them playing whole sets together,” said Peadar.

“We are calling it trad for teens but we had a few who were younger and a few who were older. All are wel- come. It’s about getting the music out of the pub scene and into a hall. There was great accoustic in the hall. Anyone is welcome to come in and listen if they want to. So hopefully it will grow.

“It started last week and we didn’t really know what to expect. Just af- ter 12, about seven or eight young people walked in. They aged from around nine to 20 or thereabouts,” he

continued.

“It took a bit to get us all in tune together but once we did, we played a few gorgeous sets. We had two con- certina’s, four fiddles and myself on the flute.

“It was the first time we had given it a go. Those who came enjoyed it, so they are going to come back again and hopefully it will grow from there.”

A Dubliner by birth, Peadar came to traditional music late and learned in the evenings while working as a driver for Dublin Bus. He later moved to north Clare and now teach- es tin whistle and flute.

“I remember when I used to go to classes in Ceolthais when I would be

finished my route. The eldest student in the class at that time would have been about seven or eight, and for them to see this man walking down in a bus drivers uniform to learn with them,” he said. “I spent about two years learning and then moved down here in about 1985.”

Trad for Teens will takes place on the first Sunday of each month be- tween 12 noon and Ipm in the com- munity centre in Kilfenora. For more information, call Dympna on 065 O1erer10 R208

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