Source: Speak Up
LET THE MUSIC PLAY!
By: Kathleen Becker
Most people who travel to Dublin visit Temple Bar, a central area on the south bank of the River Liffey. Temple Bar is undoubtedly a success story. In the 1980s, it was nearly pulled down in order to build a large bus depot. Today its medieval cobblestone streets are promoted as Dublin’s “cultural quarter.” Here you will find institutions such as the Irish Photography Center or Irish Film Institute, but also many trendy clothes shops, cafés, art galleries –and a multitude of pubs and restaurants. Ireland’s largest Irish-owned brewery. The Porterhouse, is also in Temple Bar.
THE DOWN SIDE
Over the past years Temple Bar have, however, had its critics. The beer is expensive, and at weekends, raucous stag rights and hen parties transform the area into one big drinking contest. Big commerce, in the form of the Hard Rock Café and other chains, is more evident now.
ENTER TRADFEST…
In 2006, an association supporting local merchants, TASCQ (These letters stand for “Traders in the Area Supporting the Cultural Quarter Ltd”) created a new festival to celebrate Irish traditional music.
The Temple Bar TradFest presents a combination of the old and the new. This year, vintage musicians sucha as Clannad will play together with new-wave bands like Brendan Power or Téada (meaning) “strings” in Irish who won “Best Young Traditional Act” at the 2009 Ireland’s Music Awards. Another highlight could be Beoga (meaning “lively”), with their World Music made in Northern Ireland. The Wall Street Journal called Beog “the most exciting new traditional band to emerge from Ireland this century,” while their bodhrán percussionist is four-times All-Irish champion.
Trandionally, Irish Folk music involves violin, an accordion, the tin whistle flute, the guitar, pipes and the bodrhán. The faster jig.
INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS
The classic image of “trad” music is of men in tweed jackets playing a session in a pub. Half of TradFest’s 30.000 visiotrs in 2009, were, however, young and female.
Today, both in Ireland and around the world, traditional music is doing very well. Acts like Riverdance, which began as an interval entertainment at the Eurovision Song Contest, made Irish dancing sexy. Traditional singing is having a renaissance too. Technically, the level is better than ever, as musicians can now learn tunes and techniques from the internet and at festivals. The Temple Bar TradFest is an excellent opportunity to chatch some of the best acts playing today.
TEMPLE BAR TRADEST 2011
tradFest 2011 ( www.templebartrad.com ) runs fromJanuary 26th to 30th.
Look out for the two-hour crash courses in Irish song, dance and language run by Gaelchultúr. Flight to Dublin ( www.aerlingus.com or budget www.ryanair.com ) are cheap at this time of year.
Accommodation ranges from the boutique Clarence Hotel ( www.theclarence.ie ), owned by U2 members, Bono and The Edge, to cheap hostels such as Barnacle’s Temple Bar House on 19 Temple Lane ( www.barnacles.ie ).
The friendly Brick Alley Café in Fleet Street serves good snacks with fair trade coffees.
For dinner, Eden restaurant on Meeting House Square ( www.edenrestaurant.ie ) is a classy option for contemporary Irish food. For a good pint and atmosphere, try The Porterhouse microbrewery at 16/18 Parliament Street ( www.porterhousebrewco.com ), the Temple Bar Pub on 47/48 Temple Bar ( www.thetemplebarpub.com ) or the Vathouse in Anglesea Street ( www.vathouse.ie ).
TASQ ( www.tascq.ie ) has a useful information office at 27 Eustace Street. For further information, contact: www.tourismireland.com .
