# Music by Genre > Celtic, U.K., Nordic, Quebecois, European Folk >  Headed to Ireland - Bring the mando?

## rick frank

Hey folks - I'm headed to Ireland with the wife for a 2 week visit, including a 10 day tour with, I'm sure, a few good pub nights. Questioning whether to bring the mandolin along to play. I suppose my player level is somewhere in the intermediate level. I know a few  Irish tunes but past experiences have shown me that it's better to sit and listen a fair amount before trying to join in. I don't want to be an annoyance or anything. It boils down to the age old problem that if I don't bring it then for sure nothing is likely to happen (although there may be a mando I can borrow for part of the trip) but then I hate to drag it along through the rigors of traveling and risk damage or theft.  Any suggestions?

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## minuteman

We went last year to Southern Irelend and traveled from Dublin to Shannon over 10 days. Never saw the first mandolin, nor did I see anyone just walk up and join in playing the way bluegrass festivals are done here. For some reason, harp and guitar seem to be big over there. The occasional fiddle case was seen in the corner but no one ever played them where we went. I guess our Hollywood Ireland isn't the real Ireland. 

That said, our trip was mostly rural and nights were spent in small pubs in fishing towns, not in downtown Dublin. Can't speak for that.

Great people though, awesome night life and breathtaking scenery. We enjoyed it so much we're thinking of seeing Northern Ireland next year. 

Have fun.

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rick frank

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## James Rankine

Heading anywhere I take a mandolin. Get yourself a really cheap beater, wrap it in bubble wrap and put it in the middle of your suitcase. You'll barely notice you're carrying it and you can keep hand luggage for valuable things like cameras and ipads. Mine has always survived, and if it didn't it's not the end of the world. Put it in a ruck sack and go to the pub and you don't look like you are turning up for a session, but if there is one you can whip it out if the mood is right. Most folks would make a visitor from abroad very welcome, and if they don't you wouldn't want to play with them anyway.

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rick frank

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## Eddie Sheehy

Save yourself the hassle of bringing a mandolin and enjoy your trip.

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rick frank, 

Spruce

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## nicholasamorim

> Save yourself the hassle of bringing a mandolin and enjoy your trip.


I've lived in Ireland for some 3 years and as the friend above said: Hollywood Ireland is one thing and real life is another. There are *great* people all over, but it's not quite common for people to join in a jamming session of any sorts. That is, unless you are in the music scene. 

It all depends, really. Where are you going, whether people are interested in the fact that you're carrying a mandolin, etc..

I wouldn't tell you to not bring it. By all means, try to make it happen. I'm embarking in a world trip of at least 1 year and I'm surely as hell bringin' the mando. I would actually prefer to take the guitar, but it's too much hassle, so I'm steppin' up my mando playing. 

 :Wink: 

Enjoy the trip, mate!

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rick frank

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## Carl Robin

A mandolin is small even in it's case.  It can fit in the overhead bin.  With a "personal item", like a laptop bag, and a checked suitcase, it is easily do-able.  I brought mine to Scandinavia, twice and was glad I did.  I should admit though that I didn't connect much with people except with family when there.  The Irish are especially friendly and approachable in my experience.  I was there in my pre-mandolin days, though.  I would definitely bring it now.  Either way, you will have fun.

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nicholasamorim, 

rick frank

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## Jill McAuley

Not sure where minuteman was in Ireland but harp would not be an instrument I would see a lot out at sessions. Generally speaking if you end up at a "touristy" pub there will be a session going with players who are paid to show up, which guarantees entertainment for the tourists but it wouldn't be a situation where anyone just shows up with an instrument and joins in.  Check www.thesession.org to look for any actual sessions that may be happening in any of the towns you'll pass through. But if you're on an organized tour be prepared for them to bring you to touristy spots, because that's what those things tend to do - a mate of mine worked as a tour guide and she said the company she worked for really made them pile on the whole "ye olde Oirish experience".

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DavidKOS, 

rick frank

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## Bertram Henze

> I know a few  Irish tunes but past experiences have shown me that it's better to sit and listen a fair amount before trying to join in.


I'm afraid the latter is what you are going to do 99% of the time in a real Irish session, and you can do that without a mandolin in hand. To have guaranteed fun playing along one should have some 100 tunes under his belt, yielding a chance that the overlap with the session repertoire will be 10.

I have been playing TB in Irish sessions some 30 years back, and you have to know where the real open sessions are in order to find them - you don't just stumble across them at every corner. Everything else, music-wise, is either Tourist Disneyland like Jill said or local amateur non-Irish music such as Rock, Country etc. As a preparation, I recommend Colin Irwin's book _In Search of the Craic - One Man's Pub Crawl Through Irish Music_; it's fun reading, too.
Basically, you must decide what you want to be: a tourist inhaling as much scenery as possible per minute after being served breakfast in a hotel, or a musician hanging out with other musicians, sleeping on pub floors, collecting his own breakfast fry-ables in the next Spar; it's next to impossible to be both at the same time. 

I'd do whatever the wife can put up with best  :Wink:

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bbcee, 

DavidKOS, 

rick frank

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## John Kelly

Interesting thread with the references to the "Hollywood Ireland" that folk seem to absorb from afar then find that the reality does not quite match up.  We have a similar identity dilemma over here in Scotland when tourists come around seeking all the "genuine Scotch" elements of our culture.  There are the touristy places with the "Scottish" music, kilts, etc and there are the real elements where you can meet and hear genuine Scots playing real music.  

I admit to having played my part in entertaining the tourists - bus parties up from south of the border who want to sample what they think of as Scottish Culture, but often are fixed in the "Plastic Haggis" mentality and the "Shortbread Tin" view of our culture.  There is much less tartan on show in Scotland, even in those areas you'd expect it to be, and modern young ceilidh bands and performers have given traditional music quite a jolt.

The Ireland of "The Quiet Man" with that great Irish movie icon John Wayne and the Scotland of "Brigadoon" are far from the places we natives inhabit.  At least with "Brigadoon" they admitted that the village only appeared every 100 years.

But you will love your visit to Ireland and the warm welcome you'll most certainly receive - as would also be the case were you to visit Scotland!

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brunello97, 

DavidKOS, 

rick frank, 

Ryk Loske

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## Bertram Henze

If you want to get to the bottom of a session, talking to people is almost more revealing, regarding their unfathomable dark souls, than playing along with them can ever be.

Seamus Ennis summed it all up quite convincingly...  :Cool:

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John Kelly, 

rick frank

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## Beanzy

Many decent sessions will be much later than you think. 
They'll happen after people have finished their jobs & that can include teaching evening classes or doing shows for the tourists. Like the others say it's a tough call to just jump in unless you're already doing Irish sessions back home.
You can check out the CCE website for events that might be on where your tour is. https://comhaltas.ie/ drill down the menus to see if they're are any local classes too.

If you get a chance to get away from your tour while in Dublin then head up to Smithfield and check out what's happening at the Cobblestone. http://cobblestonepub.ie/ I wouldn't drag a big group with you though, and it's definitely a respectful listeners pub rather than having the music as background to the conversation. If you're going to be there on a Wednesday then definitely bring the mando and go out back to the "Balaclavas" session.

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DavidKOS

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## Francis J

This is an interesting one.  My gut reaction is to agree with Eddie and advise you to leave your mandolin at home and have fun.
    Irish traditional sessions are not generally advertised.  If they are, you will find it's the touristy type which John refers to.  Mea Culpa, I've been guilty of that one too John!   To find the real thing, you will have to leave the beaten track and talk to locals.  Thing is, Irish traditional music is about as popular in Ireland as bluegrass is in USA, so remember you're talking about a very small demographic.  If you're lucky enough to find one, you will be mesmerised by the musicianship, especially the younger graduates of the music schools.  There's lots to love about Ireland so relax and absorb!  Enjoy the trip.   oh BTW if you make it to Kilkenny, drop in to Cleeres pub any Wednesday night.  http://www.cleeres.com

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rick frank

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## jeho2a

There's a discussion of the same sort of thing going on at thesession right now, with some helpful pointers: 
https://thesession.org/discussions/39020. 

I would definitely second the suggestion of the Cobblestone in Dublin: great music and atmosphere and welcoming if you choose the right session for your level.  

I take my mandolin over to Ireland lots, but mostly only for practising. I usually play for a bit for my family there, but they are largely mystified by my interest in the "diddley-eye" music!.

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rick frank

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## JeffD

Lots of good observations. I would only add that taking a musical instrument case into a pub, even a touristy one, makes a kind of announcement. And then if you decide not to take the mandolin out, that makes a kind of a statement as well.

Another way to say this - when you go in with a case, you set up a kind of expectation and that makes it (at least for me) very hard to back down. My thought is that unless I am committed to playing in the pub, don't bring the case into the pub.

Enjoy.

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Carl Robin, 

rick frank

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## Bertram Henze

> ...taking a musical instrument case into a pub, even a touristy one, makes a kind of announcement. And then if you decide not to take the mandolin out, that makes a kind of a statement as well.


Good point - can't cluck and then not lay.

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rick frank

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## James Rankine

> Lots of good observations. I would only add that taking a musical instrument case into a pub, even a touristy one, makes a kind of announcement. And then if you decide not to take the mandolin out, that makes a kind of a statement as well.
> 
> Another way to say this - when you go in with a case, you set up a kind of expectation and that makes it (at least for me) very hard to back down. My thought is that unless I am committed to playing in the pub, don't bring the case into the pub.
> 
> Enjoy.


The last time I was really glad I'd left the tenor banjo in the boot of the car was when I turned up at my usual session pub for a one off that was part of an annual Irish festival. There were lots of the usual youngsters from the local cce branch who are always frighteningly good, but there was a banjo player, who just looked like a kid to me, who I didn't recognise. He was unbelievably good - the most accomplished player I've ever seen. Just some local Kid I thought - really impressive but it was also quite disheartening. I asked someone his name and looked him up on the internet when I got home. I can't tell you how relieved I was to find out that no only is he not a kid, but he's a professional banjo player who has been doing it since he was born and is a multiple all Ireland champion- Brian Kelly. Now of course I wish I taken the banjo in and sat next to him and got a free lesson.

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rick frank

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## Bertram Henze

I have learnt not to believe in advanced magic I cannot play along to or which I have to back away from. When they play a tune I know, and which I have successfully played with others, my contribution is always legal. Some other player may be better at it than I am, but Irish music makes allowances for coexistence of styles and therefore of levels. Indeed I like playing with better players, since they know more tunes and I have a better chance to lead my sets with them playing along, not alone.

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rick frank

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## whistler

Admittedly i. on my trips to Ireland, I have always gone as 95% musician (or _aspiring_ musician) and 5% tourist and ii. Irish traditional music is my home territory, musically speaking. But the very idea of a musician going to Ireland without taking an instrument seems absurd to me.  

It is, of course, perfectly possible to spend 10 days travelling round Ireland and never come across a session - but it is not difficult to find the music if you ask around a bit. (Looking on thesession.org is a good suggestion, but there will be many that are not listed there.)  It is also true that some sessions are of a very high standard and might not be open to the less advanced player - but there are also plenty of sessions that would welcome intermediate players.  The only things to remember are: i. Ask before joining in; ii. Don't play unless you know the tune (i.e. every note of it); iii. Wait to be invited before starting a tune.  Even if you only get to play one tune, it's worth it to get to play with other musicians.




> ... taking a musical instrument case into a pub, even a touristy one, makes a kind of announcement ...


This is true.  Personally, I have often had no choice as I have been cycling and camping and therefore had nowhere to store my instrument.  Yes, there has been the odd occasion when I've taken my mandolin into a session, decided not to play and coyly hidden it under a table.  (One time, on leaving, my case was spotted by an eminent flute player that was playing in the session and I was duly scolded by her - in the best of humour - for not playing it.)  There might be a bit of embarrassment, but life's too short to worry about such things.   

I can understand the concern about taking a valuable and treasured instrument with you - especially if you won't be playing it much.  You could, as been suggested, get a cheap mandolin for the trip - just make sure it's one you can actually enjoy playing. 

Have a great trip, whatever you decide.

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rick frank

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## mikeyes

The beauty of the mandolin is that it can't be heard in a session unless you really want it to be heard.My wife and I always go to Ireland in the off season and we almost always go to Shannon then to Dingle where I know a lot of the musicians and the sessions.  I've never had a problem being welcomed in sessions, but I also don't impose myself onto the session.  
Mandolins are the perfect instrument to take as they are easily carried on the plane, are not a burden to carry and are not very loud (like a whistle which shares the other attributes.) If you are a mandolin player and know Irish music, take it along.  If not, don't bother, but start to network for your next trip.

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## Dagger Gordon

I would not necessarily bring a mandolin with me when I travel just to join in an 'Irish' session. I bring it because I like to play it.

You may very well find a bit of craic going on in a hostel or somewhere which is not especially Irish-oriented - just maybe travellers from various countries having a jam with whoever they find, and that could well be music you are quite capable of joining in with.

I understand what you mean by bringing a mandolin into a session pub as making a sort of statement, but you know, there is nothing wrong with saying that you don't really know that many Irish tunes and you don't want to be annoying. People do understand that - after all isn't that what we are talking about?

However, the mandolin is a good instrument for playing quite softly at the back of a session and I doubt if you would bother anyone, as you seem to understand the situation perfectly well.

One thing I would say.  If you do bring a mandolin but aren't joining in much in a session, you may well be asked to give a tune or song from where you come from. It would be good to have a 'party-piece' up your sleeve.

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rick frank

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## foldedpath

I haven't seen this mentioned yet (unless I missed it), but I think one good approach is to book into an Irish trad workshop or festival. Preferably one of the smaller, less-well-known ones... not Willie Clancy Week... where you'll be guaranteed a chance to play, you can soak up some local culture, and get pointers about anything happening in the neighborhood.

That's what I plan to do on our first trip over there, one of these days (although my fiddler S.O. will probably drag us to a Scottish event first). 

The other way I've heard it done, is the way a friend of mine did it. Be in your early 20's, bumming around the UK for the summer with a mandolin in your backpack, meet new friends and make connections, sleep on a lot of sofas and floors. You'll soon learn where the sessions are. I miss that outlook on life, but I'm a bit too old for that now.

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## Shelagh Moore

As a long-time sessionista I almost always take my mandolin or tenor banjo when I go back to Ireland (or to Scotland too). As has been mentioned before, sessions are not always advertised and those that are are often "paid musician" sessions for the tourists and not really conducive to joining in. However, by asking around, I have almost always been able to find enjoyable sessions that are open to visitors and welcoming.

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rick frank

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## bbcee

+1 Beanzy & jeho2a - a GREAT place to hear music, the Cobblestone!! I used to go on Sunday afternoons as much or more than in the evenings when I lived there. 

They call themselves "A Drinking Pub With a Musical Problem" Indeed! You'll enjoy the experience, with or without your mandolin.

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rick frank

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## Canoedad

> Save yourself the hassle of bringing a mandolin and enjoy your trip.


Yep.

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rick frank

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## Dagger Gordon

Incidentally, every year or so there are threads here from someone planning a trip to Ireland.  Here are a few from last year.
Plenty more. Worth a read, I should think.

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...hlight=ireland

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...hlight=ireland

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...hlight=ireland

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rick frank

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## whistler

Ditto _The Cobblestone_ -  you're always guaranteed to find good music there.  I would say, however, that it is one place I would go without expecting to play - the music is of a very high calibre and I am unlikely to add anything to it. (To give an idea, I've been playing for about 20 years, and am not shy about joining in sessions).

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rick frank

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## Dagger Gordon

> Ditto _The Cobblestone_ -  you're always guaranteed to find good music there.  I would say, however, that it is one place I would go without expecting to play - the music is of a very high calibre and I am unlikely to add anything to it. (To give an idea, I've been playing for about 20 years, and am not shy about joining in sessions).


Have a look at The Cobblestone's Facebook site. Plenty of videos to get you in the mood.
https://www.facebook.com/thecobblestone/videos

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rick frank

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## rick frank

Thanks to all for your input! As you no doubt noted, I had reservations about taking the little instrument along at the outset. My wife was pushing me to take it and also a friend from the UK who had lived in Ireland for a few years told me that if I ever got over there I should take the mando (but is not himself musical). I do have a beater mandolin that is pretty functional but alas, my son recently announced his intention of taking up the mando and made off with it. Having gotten all of your generous input, here is what I decided. The folks hosting the trip are a musical duo who typically travel with a plethora of instruments and Christy generously offered to loan me a mandolin should the need arise. Therefore I decided to leave mine at home and take her up on her offer as soon as the classic signs of MWS (Mandolin Withdrawal Syndrome) start to show up. Hopefully an opportunity to play out will arise but either way I'm covered. If anything interesting shows up, I'll report back. Thanks again to all for your comments. We leave tomorrow from Medford, Oregon.

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## Werner Jaekel

MWS (Mandolin Withdrawal Syndrome)

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## Bren

> I would not necessarily bring a mandolin with me when I travel just to join in an 'Irish' session. I bring it because I like to play it.
> 
> You may very well find a bit of craic going on in a hostel or somewhere which is not especially Irish-oriented - just maybe travellers from various countries having a jam with whoever they find, and that could well be music you are quite capable of joining in with.
> 
> I understand what you mean by bringing a mandolin into a session pub as making a sort of statement, but you know, there is nothing wrong with saying that you don't really know that many Irish tunes and you don't want to be annoying. People do understand that - after all isn't that what we are talking about?
> 
> However, the mandolin is a good instrument for playing quite softly at the back of a session and I doubt if you would bother anyone, as you seem to understand the situation perfectly well.
> 
> One thing I would say.  If you do bring a mandolin but aren't joining in much in a session, you may well be asked to give a tune or song from where you come from. It would be good to have a 'party-piece' up your sleeve.


What Dagger said. I always travel with my mandolin. It's fairly discreet in a webbing gig bag, so I can slink out without playing if I've a mind not to play. Or just play in my hotel room or campsite or whatever.

Have party-piece, something unique to where you come from perhaps, in case you're asked to play.

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Dagger Gordon

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## Phil Sussman

I can secondly or thirdly second The Cobblestone! I took my mandolin to Dublin last December and was welcome at the Saturday Old Time jam there, and sat in a bit on some other nights of Irish trad there also (not that I know that much Irish trad.) 

We were only in Dublin and didn't travel around, so taking the mando was an easy decision. 

If you are interested in bluegrass, I recommend looking up the Dublin Bluegrass Collective if you are in Dublin. They have a Facebook page, and are bunch of good and welcoming bluegrass pickers. They jam at Sin E on Tuesdays. 

Also do a google on jams, for example, http://bluegrassireland.blogspot.com.../calendar.html.

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## Spyder

Take it. I went to Ireland in 2014, was there for 2 weeks, and only got to play it in a pub one night. It is a memory I will cherish for a lifetime. I don't know where you are going, but I played in Dingle. If you are going to county Kerry, ask for a copy of "West Kerry Live." It has a listing of all the local pubs, and who is playing where on what night. Look for an "open session." In those, you and your mandolin will be welcome, provided you play by the rules. Which, it turns out, were simple. The musicians sat at the end of the room, and went around the table, each person taking a turn to play a tune they knew. When my turn came, I was actually asked to play something from back home. I did, and they didn't get it. Oh well, I also played a set of reels that brought great applause. They only played one tune I knew, so I played along with that one, otherwise I sat back and enjoyed the night.

Oh, and in case you don't get a chance to play in a pub, consider this: one night in Cashel, we had a terrible storm, Lots of thunder, heavy rain. In my room at the B&B, I pulled out my mandolin, and played Tam Lin. That song is also known as The howling Wind, which I can now say I played during a storm, in Ireland.

Take it. When will you get another chance?
Phil

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Carl Robin

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## rick frank

The Cobblestone is a very good tip! My first  night in Dublin I Googled  pubs and that one is just a few blocks away. I went there and it was a good mix of flutes, whistles,  violins, guitar,  button accordion, bagpipes, and bouzouki - no mandolin, however. I recognized only one tune for certain,  the Flowers of Edinburgh. I don't think that I would have felt awkward if I had brought an instrument along but had a good time without. People were friendly.  A lot of acca pella songs and very well received if they're a bit off kilter. Other places that I've been to have more of the usual Irish Rovers type thing but often even Pink Floyd or REM seems to turn into a singalong. We'll see what further explanation turns up.

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## rick frank

So, having spent almost 3 weeks in Ireland, I feel like I can begin to answer my own question. I have to say first of all that it was an outstanding time, with lots of good food, drink, wonderful people, and magnificent scenery/culture. I really did see/hear an awful lot of music, much of which was traditional. I was able to borrow a funky F mandolin part of the time and played out a bit but not so much as I could have. I didn't really feel that I had the chops for much of it although there were opportunities to play at every level. Mostly I listened to as much music as I could, talked to as many musicians as I could, and collected as many resources as I could. I did encounter a few mandolin players and my impression was that the ones I met were crossovers from tenor banjo. The guitarists I met played in open D, open G, DADGAD, and even standard tuning. Playing styles were equally diverse.  If/when I were to go again, I would definitely take the mando along but I would also try to spend a couple of years practicing before I went. :Mandosmiley:

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Dagger Gordon, 

houseworker, 

Jill McAuley, 

Loretta Callahan, 

Shelagh Moore

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## Bertram Henze

> If/when I were to go again, I would definitely take the mando along but I would also try to spend a couple of years practicing before I went.


That's the way to do it in a nutshell  :Cool:

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Dagger Gordon

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## Dagger Gordon

> So, having spent almost 3 weeks in Ireland, I feel like I can begin to answer my own question. I have to say first of all that it was an outstanding time, with lots of good food, drink, wonderful people, and magnificent scenery/culture. I really did see/hear an awful lot of music, much of which was traditional. I was able to borrow a funky F mandolin part of the time and played out a bit but not so much as I could have. I didn't really feel that I had the chops for much of it although there were opportunities to play at every level. Mostly I listened to as much music as I could, talked to as many musicians as I could, and collected as many resources as I could. I did encounter a few mandolin players and my impression was that the ones I met were crossovers from tenor banjo. The guitarists I met played in open D, open G, DADGAD, and even standard tuning. Playing styles were equally diverse.  If/when I were to go again, I would definitely take the mando along but I would also try to spend a couple of years practicing before I went.


I think you sum it up very well. It's kind of difficult to explain to someone who hasn't been there.

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## whistler

Glad to hear you had a good time, and that you did get to play some mandolin.  It sounds like music played a big part in your trip in the end.  




> I did encounter a few mandolin players and my impression was that the ones I met were crossovers from tenor banjo.


I think quite a lot of people in Ireland start off on mandolin as kids, then 'graduate' to the banjo or fiddle - it is often seen as a step up to another instrument.  Relatively few specialise in mandolin and even those that do may prefer (or be expected) to play some other instrument in sessions.

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## Shelagh Moore

> I think quite a lot of people in Ireland start off on mandolin as kids, then 'graduate' to the banjo or fiddle - it is often seen as a step up to another instrument. Relatively few specialise in mandolin and even those that do may prefer (or be expected) to play some other instrument in sessions.


It's hard to generalise I think... I've played mandolin slightly longer than I've played tenor banjo (about 50 vs 35 years). I know quite a few mandolin "specialists" in ITM and I personally always prefer to play mandolin to tenor banjo in an ITM session. It helps though having a mandolin that projects well.

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## Eddie Sheehy

> Glad to hear you had a good time, and that you did get to play some mandolin.  It sounds like music played a big part in your trip in the end.  
> 
> 
> 
> I think quite a lot of people in Ireland start off on mandolin as kids, then 'graduate' to the banjo or fiddle - it is often seen as a step up to another instrument.  Relatively few specialise in mandolin and even those that do may prefer (or be expected) to play some other instrument in sessions.


No, they don't.  Mandolin is only begging to catch on in the last few years.  TB has always been widespread.

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## cbakewell

Glad it went well.

ALWAYS take a mandolin with you  :Smile: 

I always have a playable beater mandolin in my collection that I am prepared to take risks with.

As I mentioned in a blatant and shameless name-drop in another thread, (and which I will equally shamelessly repeat here), we had a vacation in Gozo and the fact that I had my mandolin with me led to a afternoon and evening playing and drinking with Liam Gallagher and Bonehead (from the group Oasis).

It also led to a couple of other jam sessions - one with a singing waiter, and the other with a young couple from Latvia.

I simply can't imagine being on vacation, or anywhere for that matter, without access to a playable mandolin.

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Bren, 

Dagger Gordon

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## Bren

Yeah, instruments open doors.

Unless you're coming in late with the wrong key.

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## Dan Adams

I travel everywhere with an 83 Flatiron 2M pancake.  Our host at a bed and breakfast in Tramore, the surfing capital of Ireland, saw my mandolin and suggested I go to one of the local pubs, the Leger, for the session.  I reluctantly walked in with the family and the musicians saw the case and immediately invited me into the circle.  They were playing what we know as 'Floe Eared Mule' when I first sat down.  Whistler is correct, if you don't know the tune, don't play and politely listen.  I'm fortunate that I have enough tunes in my repertoire that I didn't have to sit out too many tunes.  When its your turn, they know a lot of the 'cross-ocean' tunes, but they may be known by a different name. Play a few bars and some of them will know the tune.  Even swapped the mandolin for a few tunes and played another players cittern.  They gave me the floor and wanted my to play an American bluegrass tune.  Cherokee Shuffle was the choice. Best three hours ever and out of nowhere those Guinness's kept appearing.  "Another one for the Yank!'   I also busked on the streets of Killarny and in Galway.  Take the mandolin and have fun!

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