AS I BOUNCE around the country on the festival trail, I sometimes find myself throwing out the anchor in the most beautiful places our little island has to offer, such as the banks of Lough Derg in Co Clare or the clifftops overlooking the Atlantic at Ballycastle in Co Mayo.
Usually, however, it’s less pisturesque. There’s an Esso in Palmerstown that’s been called home a few times, and I once spent two nights behind an undertakers in Sixmilebridge. I spent three nights sleeping by the side of the road in Tullamore while on escort duty for Macra na Feirme’s Queen of the Land festival.
On the third night (having baby-wipe-bathed all weekend) I emerged from Wanderly Wagon booted and suited in a tux, feeling a satisfying mix of scummy and classy. I imagined myself cutting a figure somewhere between Daniel Craig and Johnny Depp in Chocolat. In reality, I was much closer to somewhere between Ricky Gervais and Pecker Dunne. So what’s my point?
CLASH OF THE CELTS
Parking up for the night in the grounds of the Mental Hospital in Carlow last week for the Pan Celtic Festival isn’t really as strange as it might seem.
The Pan Celtic Festival is a great idea. You put together a bunch of hereditary head-the-balls, add song, music, food, merry-making and mix well. It’s like a good aul’ fleadh, but with a bit more exoticism and diversity. It’s always a good idea to try and expand the cultural gene pool, even if it is only with our Celtic cousins. Expanding gene pools with cousins? Have you ever been to Tuam?
Alba (Scotland), Breizh (Brittany), Cymru (Wales), Mannin (Isle of Man), Kernow (Cornwall) and Eire were all present for the Pan Celtic Song Contest. It was like the Eurovision but better. Cornwall took the coveted crown, but all the Celts put up a good fight. Dáithí Ó Sé was Fear an Tí, putting in some good training ahead of the Rose Dome Rumble. (Cue Rocky montage with Marty Whelan as Coach Mickey.)
DOWN-HOME COOKING
Fungarvan was my next port of call for the Waterford Food Festival. The town was buzzing for the gastronomic gathering on the west Waterford coast. There were cookery demonstrations, film, art, wine, beer, music, meditation, group walks in the Comeraghs (badly needed for those of us working on food babies) and lots and lots of feckin’ fabulous food.
Popped out of the hopping Barbecue and Swing gig for a quieter pint. There was Georgina Campbell; Chef of the Year 2008 and presenter of RTÉ’s Irish Food Paul Flynn, up at the counter with Angela Hartnett MBE (below), Michelin Star-rated chef and well-known face from BBC cookery programs. After a hard night’s slog in the kitchen they were enjoying a tipple and a bite to eat. Tapas, crostinis or even a selection of petites bouchées? Nope. Packets of crisps to compliment the pints. Fair play to ye lads, I love it! Free range corn-fed potatoes, with a suggestion of crushed North Atlantic sea salt, blessed with a balsamic reduction jus? Nope. Tayto.
A TITANIC TIDY TOWN
Fed up of all things Titanic yet? Cobh town itself is what impressed me most when I swung by there on Saturday. There are still hints of what Queenstown must have been like the day the big boat dropped anchor in the harbour. You don’t really need to pay what seems a slightly high price for the interactive Titanic Tour down at the quayside. Just stroll up the hill to the Cathedral to get a panoramic view of the place and check out the newly painted railings.
The Tidy Towns Committee have been in overdrive. I’m looking forward to the Fun Lovin’ Criminals gig on Spike Island later in the summer. They might consider adding Prison Love to the bill or even . . . (Insert your own penal-pop pun here – hey, I said pe-nal!)
Safe travels, don’t die.
