If they’re playing kayak polo in the Claddagh and Tunes in the Church has restarted, it must be summer in Galway. Of course there are plenty of other events and festivals, but these are not one hit wonders that are here for a few days and gone (a sentiment that can also be echoed of the Galway summer weather which put in a appearance for a few days last week and has gone – not that I’m complaining, though plenty of locals might be).
The traditional music concerts at St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church in Galway kicked off on June 1st and continue at least through the end of August, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings starting at 8 pm. Organized and coordinated by (soon to be PhD, Dr.) Cormac O’Beaglaoich, they feature some of the finest traditional music artists in Ireland in an enviable acoustic environment. This is their third year and I’m happy to say I’ve attended concerts in all three years. (There’s plenty of posts and more photos if you search this blog for Tunes in the Church.)
Tonight began with the Rector of St. Nicholas Gary Hastings on flute along with Sailog Ní Cheannabháin on fiddle, viola, and séan-nos singing, Jack Talty on concertina, and arriving late from Germany where he had been performing in Liam O’Maonlai and Michael Keegan-Dolan’s Rian music and dance production, Cormac O’Beaglaoich.
It’s a wonderful environment to see and hear great Irish music and get the chance to converse with the performers who encourage audience questions. There’s always some type of interesting story or tidbit that emerges from the impromptu queries. Unfortunately I didn’t have my digital camera and the camera on my phone takes questionable pictures (could be operator error, as well). (The picture of Cormac is from 2011.)
As I took a walk in the not so summer-like weather on Saturday, the Kayak polo league had finally gotten underway. It’s great fun to watch, even in semi-drizzle.
Mdmusings Ireland Blog 
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