Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
his right hand to play chords on one of three regulator pipes. It takes amazing coordination
to play this instrument well, and the sound can be haunting.
Occasionally, the fast-paced music will stop and one person will sing a lament. Called
sean nos
(Gaelic for “old style”), this slightly nasal vocal style may be a remnant of the
ancient storytelling tradition of the bards whose influence died out when Gaelic culture
waned 400 years ago. This is the one time when the entire pub will stop to listen as sad
lyrics fill the room. Stories—often of love lost, emigration to a faraway land, or a heroic
rebel death struggling against English rule—are always heartfelt. Spend a lament studying
the faces in the crowd.
A session can be magical or lifeless. If the chemistry is right, it's one of the great Irish
experiences. The music churns intensely while members of the group casually enjoy ex-
ploring each other's musical style. The drummer dodges the fiddler's playful bow. Sipping
their pints, they skillfully maintain a faint but steady buzz. The floor on the musicians'
platform is stomped paint-free, and barmaids scurry artfully through the commotion, gath-
ering towers of empty, cream-crusted glasses. Make yourself right at home, “playing the
boot” (tapping your foot) under the table in time with the music. Talk to your neighbor.
Locals often have an almost evangelical interest in explaining the music.
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We travel all the way to Ireland to enjoy differences—to become temporary locals. You'll
experience frustrations. Certain truths that we find “God-given” or “self-evident,” such as
cold beer, ice in drinks, bottomless cups of coffee, and bigger being better, are suddenly
not so true. One of the benefits of travel is the eye-opening realization that there are logic-
al, civil, and even better alternatives. A willingness to go local ensures that you'll enjoy a
full dose of Irish hospitality.
The Irish generally like Americans. But if there is a negative aspect to their image of
us, it's that we are loud, wasteful, ethnocentric, too informal (which can seem disrespect-
ful), and a bit naive.
