Seamus Ennis Festival
Taxi for a Mr Seamus Ennis….?
Yeah he’s sitting over the far side of the road waiting for ye
This was the regular bogus call some taxi’s would get when entering Killians pub for a collection fare. Seamus Ennis was famed as an Uileann pipe player and this statue sits underneath the tree of what is now The Seamus Ennis Centre. The pub opposite is Killians of the Naul, North County Dublin.
I know of the man best for the October bank holiday weekend festival of music that takes place every year.
It’s electric. It’s amazing. It’s wonderful. It is everything that summises why one would love music and why one should. It epitomises the definition of the word craic.
When I say people travel from all over the world to come to the Naul, Ballyboughal and neighbouring towns just for the pure love of a good session. It really is no joke. One neighbour told me he had 16 people from a Finnish mummers group staying in his house. He also has a workshop on today. [Money doesn’t even enter the equation here.] He then proceeded to order a round for the session that I was involved in and belted into his turn of a tune.
This all while another session was taking place next door. I had only just left playing in one music session. And had, past tense, no intentions of doing an eight hour shift.
It’s only when you realise that Seamus was a BBC employee, in 1951…. that you realise a little just how talented he must have been. Recording the trad music of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland he presented it then on the programme “As I Roved Out” that ran until 1958. Séamus was also largely responsible for the album Folk and Primitive Music on the Columbia record label.
Seamus did two gigs that essentially booked him his place in the music legends and pipers hall of of fame.
The first was in Bettystown in 1968, when the society of Irish pipers, Na Píobairí Uilleann, was formed. Brendan Breathnach was playing a tape of his own piping. Séamus asked “What year?” Brendan replied “1948”. Séamus said “So I thought”. For a couple of hours the younger players performed while Séamus sat in silence. Eventually he was asked to play. Slowly he took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves. He spent 20 minutes tuning up his 130-year-old pipes. He then asked the gathering whether all the tape recorders were ready and proceeded to play for over an hour. To everyone’s astonishment he then offered his precious pipes to Willie Clancy to play a set. Willie demurred but eventually gave in. Next Liam O’Flynn (Liam Og Ó Floinn) was asked to play them, and so on, round the room. The second unforgettable session was in Dowlings’ pub in Prosperous in County Kildare. Christy Moore was there, as well as most of the future members of Planxty.
Seamus was born May 5th 1919 and passed away October 5th 1982. Although he had lived in the Naul, I’m told the afters of the funeral took place in O’ Connors Pub in Ballyboughal. Either or, what a legacy to leave behind. What a way to be be forever appreciated. What a magical reason.
If you are around, do try to get to a work shop. Failing that, I’d aim for a session. Anytime from 8/9 ish onwards. You’ll hear the music.
Just click the calender day on the Seamus Ennis Centre website. Or do what I do and just turn up and see what you end up doing.
The music in this post was recorded last night in O’Connors pub.
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About the Author
Peter Horticulturist. Yapper. Gardener. Human. Landscaper. Loves coffee. Dublin. Makes gardens. Radio Podcasts The @Sodshow. Lives in a tree in Dublin @DoneganGardens or www.doneganlandscaping.com
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