Glen is famous for its Folk Village, established forty years ago this year by Father McDyer. Cottages and other artefacts – e.g. the Famine soup pot - from it have featured regularly here.

The Irish College is principally for the promotion of the Irish language and Irish culture – and attracts adults from as far away as Japan and the United States. This region is the South West Donegal Gaeltacht. Irish is still the principal tongue of residents in nearby Teelin, Meenacross and Meenaneery, to cite a few examples. There is a Fiddle Week and a Festival Week coming up shortly. If I am very fortunate I will return to Glen before the end of August!

This concert featured several local fiddlers, flautists, singers and other musicians plus Martin McHugh, maestro extraordinaire who is photographed with our local maestro James Byrne.

These gentlemen have taught dozens of others some of whom featured on the night. James – my close friend for two decades or so - is photographed (first) with his wife Connie (a German-born lady) and three of their children. Together they now make a formidable fiddle quintet!

The Concert’s ban a tí Margaret Cunningham is featured on stage with her partner Derek Williamson, a fantastic singer and guitar player originally from Scotland but now a resident of nearby Carrick. Margaret is also Manager of the Folk Village and she especially is very, very dear to the hearts of your editor and his wife. Derek is booked to sing at my funeral, should I pre-decease him. Yes! They are that close!

The child dancing in the photo is the ubiquitous Naomi: the cottage is for rent at Fintra beach, just outside of Killybegs. It is ‘to die for’ – designed, built and decorated to exquisite taste! The range in the kitchen is of course, fuelled by turf. My son caught two trout from the wooden balcony that runs around the house and over the plunging waterfall that pours into the bay at the nearby Clock Tower restaurant. Perfect for ‘bouldering’! Adjacent to it there are ornate and picturesque summer houses, tree houses, barns, outhouses, wooden bridges spanning the torrent, etc. etc. Aren’t you jealous yet? The owners left a feast of home-made scones, strawberry cheesecake, fuel enough for a fortnight, free use of the phone … unbelievable!

The two landscapes are of Glen Head (with its Martello Tower in the distance) and the beach at Cashel – photographed from my favourite spot Doonault.

Finally, the lady with the gold cross around her neck is Kitty Séan (Cunningham) from Teelin. This fantastic lady speaks the native tongue naturally in her everyday life.  She was called on to the stage to sing. Never was voice so sweet nor songs so moving. I cried a silent tear to her rendition of ‘Cead Mile Failte Raibh, Eileen a Rua’. Her other song was, naturally I suppose, of Slidbh Leag, the local mountain.

At the break, we were treated to tea and biscuits outside (with that view before us). James and Martin struck up a few jigs and reels. Kitty Sean’s friend and neighbour asked her up for a dance and she obliged. And very good they were together.

Later I asked my dear friend Margaret (Kitty’s neighbour too) what age the lady was. [I’m far too polite to ask a lady directly! ]

‘She’s in her one hundred and first year!’ she replied.

 

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!