The weekend of the 23 to 26 October saw the Annual Carrick Fleadh in rural South West Donegal. This small town came alive with sessions and concerts, with participants from all ages and mixed abilities playing together in a friendly, inclusive atmosphere.
Sunday evening saw people fill the village hall, where a variety of performers kept them entertained with music, stories and songs, many of which were taken from the repertoire of local heroes such as Johnny Doherty and James Byrne.
The beauty of the concert for me was not any big "stars" of the traditional world, but the way the evening was filled with mostly home grown talent, from in and around Carrick, an area with a rich musical heritage. Groups of children nervously played their way through sets of tunes, and groups of teenagers giggled and whispered to each other between their sets. Not perfect showmanship with slick performances, but healthy signs of a tradition that is alive and well and being taken up by a new generation of players.
A perfect example of this was local band "The Reel Deal", made up of 5 teenage girls, some of whom are the daughters of the late James Byrne from Glencolmcille. This legendary fiddle player, who is himself renowned for both writing and collecting tunes, has very obviously ensured that the baton has been passed on to his family, and to other kids that were around him. Their passion for the music was obvious.
But for me, the real "stars" of the show were the people of Carrick themselves. The came out and filled the hall on a dark and wet October night, keen to support local talent and to be part of this tradition. Several dancers came out of the audience and took to the floor to dance an impromptu highland or two, one of whom was a 90 year old lady!!! There was communication between the audience and the performers all the way through, with requests being made, dedications given, and a fair amount of heckling!! The impression one was left with was that of a real community, with music at its heart, and a passion that will ensure that the tunes and songs will be passed on to many more generations of "stars".
