Noticeboard MusicArchive VideoArchive Film Photos&Bios
World Fiddle Day Scartaglin
May 19th /2oth 2023
World Fiddle Day Scartaglin is a celebration of the Fiddle and Traditional Music and Song of area surrounding Scartaglin, Cordal, Castleisland, and those who enriched it by visiting and playing. We hold a celebration on World Fiddle Day which is held on the nearest Saturday to May 19th. World Fiddle Day will be celebrated again on May 15th to 17th 2020 in Scartaglin.
Some feedback from Visitors to World Fiddle Day……
What is your name and where do you live?
Keith Engle. York PA, USA
Where did you hear about the World Fiddle Day Celebrations in Scartaglin
I believe I first saw it mentioned on the Patrick O’Keefe Festival Facebook page, and then
Matt Cranitch recommended I go to it.
Did you enjoy your visit and what did you enjoy most?
Absolutely! One of my favorite things is The open recital where a times from a recording are
the focus. It highlights regional and individual variations in the Sliabh Luachra style, and also
let’s me participate ahead of time. Even when I haven’t been able to go to the festival, I’ve
listened and learned a lot of the tunes during the months beforehand. A second thing I really like
is the small size of the sessions counterpointed by the high caliber of musicians
Did you feel welcomed and valued as a first time visitor to the area and did you
take part?
Definitely! I took part in the recital and the Star Above the Garter concert
What improvements would you like to see at the World Fiddle?
Add another day or two! Really that’s just a selfish desire for it to go on longer; I don’t know
whether it’s practical at this point
What is your name and where do you live?
Martin van Hensbergen, Sassenheim, The Netherlands
Where did you hear about the World Fiddle Day Celebrations in Scartaglin
I was told by Matt Cranitch
(the first one, the others I follow from facebook and posters at handed down lectures)
Did you enjoy your visit and what did you enjoy most?
I thoroughly enjoyed it! Highlight for me is taking part in the session with the tunes we all got
a chance to prepare in the upcoming months. Even if one cannot play everything, it is great to
take part in sharing the tunes at the source!
Did you feel welcomed and valued as a first time visitor to the area and did you
take part?
Yes I feel very welcomed. I think WFD is truly about the music and people sharing that
common love! I also think that the people from the scartaglen heritage centre do a great job on
providing food and tea and coffee throughout the celebrations!
What improvements would you like to see at the World Fiddle?
I have no particular improvement I can think of at the moment. I am a happy camper and
looking forward to the next one 🙂
Cad is ainm duit agus cad as duit?
Breandán Ó Murchú is ainm dom agus tá cónaí orm i gCathair Chorcaí
Conas a chuala tú faoi imeachtai World Fiddle Day i Scairteach a’ Ghleanna?
Cúpla bliain ó shoin, thosnaíos ag freastal ar na léachtanna agus na coirmeacha ceoil a reachtáiltear go rialta anseo i Scairteach a Ghleanna, mar chuid den dtionscnamh Handed Down. Bhíodar san chomh taitneamhach agus bhíodar ar caighdeán chomh hard is nach gcuimhneoinn ar cheiliúradh World Fiddle Day a chailliúint. Glactar le World Fiddle Day mar bhuaic-phoinnte imeachtaí bliantúla Handed Down anseo i Scairteach a’ Ghleanna.
Ar thaitn na himeachtai leat agus, má dhein, cad é an ghné ba mhó a thaitn leat?
Gan amhras thaitn na himeachtaí go léir thar barr liom.
Sé an ghné is mó den chur chuige ina iomláine a thaitníonn liom ná an bhéim a cuirtear ar dhaoine óga a mhealladh chun a n-oidhreachta ó thaobh an cheoil de. Mar shampla, is aoibhinn liom, ar World Fiddle Day, nuair a bhailíonn na fidléirí go léir (idir óg agus aosta – daoine óga go mórtasach chun tosaigh!) chun cúpla port a sheinnt le chéile.
Ar bhraithis gur cuireadh fáilte romhat go dtí an dúthaigh agus ar bhraithis go raibh meas ag daoine ort mar chuairteoir. Ar ghlacais páirt sna himeachtaí?
On gcéad uair a tháinig mé go dtí na himeachtai ceoil seo i Scairteach a’ Ghleanna bhraitheas go raibh fíor-fháilte romham, fé mar a bhíonn roimis gach aon chuairteoir eile. Baineann sé sin go láirneach leis an spriorad a chothaítear anseo i Scaiteach a’ Ghleanna. Braitheann gach aon chuairteoir an fháilte chéanna san, fiú muna nglacann siad páirt ghníomhach sa cheol.
Ní ceoltóir mé féin, faraoir, ach tá ceol Shliabh Luachra sa bhfuil ionam agus is sár-éisteoir mé, dar liom féin!
Cad iad na slite ina bhféadfaí feabhas a chur ar an gCeiliúradh seo?
N’fheadar, dáiríre, mar is cinnte go ndéanann an lucht eagraithe an-chúram de gach uile rud. Cheana féin, cloistear roinnt mhaith Gaeilge á labhairt agus dóthain amhrán Gaeilge á rá. Ba bhreá liom go dtiocfadh fás agus forbairt air-seo, go nádúrtha, de réir a chéile. Níl aon amhras ach go bhfuil préamhacha luachmhara na Gaeilge agus an Cheoil Thraidisiúnta fite fuaite lena chéile i gceantar Shliabh Luachra.
What is your name and where do you live?
Christoph Wiekart, Nieuw-Vennep, The Netherlands.
Where did you hear about the World Fiddle Day Celebrations in Scartaglin
From a friend initially and then through Facebook.
Did you enjoy your visit and what did you enjoy most?
Absolutely. The fiddle session and the tunes and background information of that
session.
Did you feel welcomed and valued as a first time visitor to the area and did you
take part?
I still feel humbled by how welcome everybody makes me feel. I amazes me evertytime.
Thanks so much!
What improvements would you like to see at the World Fiddle?
Hard to say. I think if it gets more crowded you run out of space. I made little booklets (pdf)
out of all the fiddle sessions I attended with the tunes and the background stories. Those are
great little pieces of history; it’s tunes combined with handed down inforamtion. You might
consider to put them on a website. You and Paul de Grea did a great job. It would be great if the
younger generation could have access to those documents.
What is your name and where do you live?
Shauna Bradley.
Fiona Bradley (mum)
Rathfarnham, Dub 16.
Where did you hear about the World Fiddle Day Celebrations in Scartaglin
Aidan Connolly and
Tomás Mac Uileagóid
Did you enjoy your visit and what did you enjoy most?
Shauna:
“yes the weekend was great , the sessions, meeting all the people and all the fiddles”
Fiona:
“We had a lovely weekend, very inclusive and full of tradition and love for the music”
Did you feel welcomed and valued as a first time visitor to the area and did you
take part?
Yes very welcome.
I took part in lots of Sessions and all the Fiddles played in one of the concerts at P OKeeffe statue (Shauna)
What improvements would you like to see at the World Fiddle?
None.
What is your name and where do you live?
Joe Keane
Medford MA USA
Where did you hear about the World Fiddle Day Celebrations in Scartaglin?
Word to mouth, Facebook.
Did you enjoy your visit and what did you enjoy most ?
Very much enjoyed the hospitality of World fiddle day in Scaraglin. The music was exceptional and the interaction between old and young musicians was inspiring.
Did you feel welcomed and valued as a first time visitor to the area and did you take part ?
I felt very much welcomed into this community. I took part in a spoken word and shared some stories.
What improvements would you like to see at the World Fiddle?
There are not too many improvements that you can make. The venues are great and it was very organized. As the spoken word goes, there is a wealth of people with stories and verses in the area. It would be great to gather more of the spoken word folk. Always more difficult in a bar setting as you might have to compete with the other loudest person at the bar.
Handed Down
Handed Down is a series of Lectures / Concerts which set out to preserve the Sliabh Luachra Music Tradition. Young musicians are showcased and older musicians recognized . A guest presenter will give a presentation on a particular Sliabh Luachra topic, event, recording or a particular musician. The series are held once a month October to April and serve as a fundraiser for the World Fiddle Day Scartaglin Celebrations.
We are grateful to Kerry Co Arts, Kerry Co Council and Creative Ireland for their continued support, We hope these videos will help younger musicians to witness Sliabh Luachra music played as it always has been and to show them the musicians of this current era.