There's a great thread on trad music but it's a year old. I would love to hear updated opinions on where to find good traditional Irish music in West Ireland, played by Irish musicians? Our visit will be on weekdays in June 2006.

I'm about to book our B&B, and I would like to be located conveniently for walking the Burren and for hearing good trad music in the evenings, and then having either a walk or a short safe drive back to B&B.

It's possible we may also get up to Galway but I'm not sure yet. But The Burren is definitely on the itinerary.

Many thanks!

Have you looked at the web I sent you www.burrenbeo.com
This site has all one needs to know about the Burren and more.
As regards traditional music Clare is the home of traditional music and there are so many places to go to that to list them would only confuse. If you have a library near your home ask them would they have 'The Burren' by Tim Robinson. Here he describes
To give you a realistic idea of the Burren may I quote from a book I read:
The Burren is a hugh plateau of limestone and shale that covers over a hundred sq. miles of nortwest Clare. It was described as 'savage land,yielding neither water enough to drown a man nor a tree to hang him,nor soil enough to bury him'There are two North-South routes across the Burren and these run from Bell Harbour to Killanboy and from Ballyvaughan to Leamaneh.I have done the one from Leamaneh to Ballyvaughan and vica versa many times. Both are a distance of appox 15 to 20 miles and can be transversed by car stopping at your leisure as you travel along. Note Lemenagh is just about three miles from Kilnaboy on the Kilfenora road. If you go into the web I gave you above there is a map and all these areas are displayed with a discription of each. A visit to the Burren Display Centre at Kilfenora would be very useful before you venture out.
As regards hearing Irish music the B&B house you stay in will have an up to date list of the venues where you can go to. Doolin is a well known area from where I personaly have some very fond memories.
So whatever you decide to do I wish you God speed. Take your time as there is so much to see and do and one tourist was heard to say that the greatest memory he has of Ireland is the friendly smile of the Irish.
Do not be afraid to ask the way and if we do not know we will find out for you.
If I can be of any assistance just ask.

Traditional music is played in the town of Corofin one day a week in the summer. The musicians and dancers are teenagers who are preparing for the All Ireland competitions. There are also story tellers. All in all, a very enjoyable evening.

As someone mentioned earlier Clare is the place to be. Ennis is full of music....we just returned from trip #10....2 nites in Ennis at Brogans with music there each nite...also Queens Hotel...and other places. If you are lucky there will be a kalee (spelled different ways) at the local music hall and you will be most welcome. Doolin is another great place with music every nite. Thats my favorite place in all of Ireland.

CU: You have already been of assistance and I thank you kindly. You know the good web-sites. I appreciate you explaining the 2 north-south routes across the Burren. I also like hearing about people's personal favorites. Good to know there's a local who is fond of Doolin. Any favorite pubs?

I don't know if I can trust the driving times given on aaroadwatch web-site. How long does it take YOU to drive from Killinaboy, Corofin to Doolin? To Cliffs of Moher from Killinaboy? Are there any shortcuts?

Lisdoonvarna seems to be a convenient drive to everything.

PaulH: It would be our good fortune to be in Corofin when the young people were practicing their dancing and music for the All Ireland competition. I'm also hoping to be spell-bound by a story-teller somewhere, should I be in the right place at the right time.

ITSMLF: Another vote for Doolin...your favorite place in all of Ireland? What about in June, would you enjoy Doolin in June (more crowded in summer?) I see that you enjoy Ennis as well for music. (It seems that it's easier to find music on weekdays if you're near a bigger town...)

Thanks everyone.

I KNOW you'ld rather I butt out with my plugs for Galway, but check out this photo album link, which includes Dublin and the Burren. Notice all the Pub sessions in Galway (IN FEB!!!):

http://homepage.mac.com/mkcs1/PhotoAlbum17.html

Bob

Hey Bob,

Thanks for putting my .mac page link. I hadn't looked at the photos in a while myself!

I'll agree with another plug for Galway and the music you can find there. It seemed, at least in February, that this was a local scene, not touristy at all.

Melissa, you asked me after my trip report if the trad was better in Galway than in Doolin, and I gave a response.

I have to emphasize that Doolin is very spread out but thinly populated. I think you increase your chances of enjoying the music by staying near the McDermott's/McGann's end of town, but you're pretty much stuck if you hate the bands those evenings.

In Galway, your choices would be infinite.

I like the town of Lisdoonvarna, and I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed set dancing near there in Kilfenora a trip before my last one. It was a night I'll always remember.

BOB: Oh no, please but in, we would NEVER want you to but out! Who would be there to enlighten, inspire, and entertain us? Loved your photos of Galway and the Burren. You don't play fair, everybody is having such a toe-tapping Irish time in the Galway pubs, it would be a crime to be left out!

I might have asked you this already, but it's getting down to the final decision, gotta book something. What would you choose out of this list for a musical, magical very Irish time for 14 nights in Ireland:

County Clare: 3 nights (Doolin or Ballyvaughan as base)

Galway or Westport: 2 nights

Dingle Peninsula: 3 nights

Trim/Newgrange: 2 nights

Dublin: 2 nights

Belfast and nearby County Armagh: 2 nights (Irish grandmother's birth place)

Wait a minute, I didn't really leave you any choices...I must be losing my marbles. I guess I already substituted Galway for Rock of Cashel, didn't I?

I asked biologist hubby which piles of ruins were important to him. He said don't worry, if they don't interest him, he can always find a lizard or something to hunt nearby!!! So he said plan the trip how I like, as long as he gets to see the Burren, and as long as those Irish musicians are really Irish, he doesn't want to see a couple of Hungarians playing Irish trad...(No offense to Hungarians, who are fine musicians, he is just saying let's hear what the Irish are playing in Ireland...)

I am a bit frustrated with myself that I can't follow my own rule...stick to a few fascinating areas, spend 3 nights in each "base" hotel. Settle in and really get to know a place. Have time to explore hidden areas. In the plan above, I've done that for County Clare and the Dingle Peninsula, but everywhere else I've got us rushing about.

It seems like 2 nights in Trim and 2 nights in Dublin could be combined into 3 or 4 nights in one hotel. But the trouble is we don't want to drive in Dublin city...and we DO want to drive in the Newgrange and Knowth area...Can't figure out how to use 1 hotel as base for all that.

I'm blabbing and going off on tangents. Thanks for listening everybody and sharing your experience.

To my regret, I cannot seem to fit the Skibbereen and Baltimore area into my itinerary.

I am trying to entertain myself, biologist hubby, and 2 young adult daughters.

Amelia: Thanks for the tip about set-dancing in Kilfenora. Kilfenora looks magical from what I've seen and read. If we stay in Ballyvaughan it's not so far from Kilfenora or Doolin.