Festival Central

Pretty full-on weekend, without so much as a disco nap to keep me going.

Well, Friday began with the serene sanctuary of The Algiers, before heading on to a lively Square where music & O'Driscolls abounded. Saturday was all about Shakespeare: workshopped the Bard all day (which was glorious, on all levels) and then an evening of sunshiney pints talk music talk pints dusk talk pints pints.

Didn't even make it out to Sherkin on Sunday, due to weather of the manky sort (but lots of glowing reports back about fine food and ceoil and craic). The lovely folk at Inis Beg were having an open day in aid of the Simon Community, so I nipped out there to show support through the mankiness. Not that anything could detract from their beautiful gardens: ah, those delphinium spires glittering...

Sunday was also the wrap up of the O'Driscoll gathering, including the farewell from the outgoing Clan Chieftain and the inauguration of the new. Having been in Canada for the last two years, the base of the new Chieftain is all the way over in Skibbereen. Lovely speeches, and a great mix of attendees from all over the world.



Stretch-ey yawwwwwwnn. Back to work.

O'Driscolls of the world, unite and take over...

So, the O'Driscoll Clan Gathering is about to commence. Granted, the concept may be unfamiliar; it certainly was to me in my pre-Baltimore days, when every family name seemed to branch out from myriad roots, with competing seats and claims to chieftain-hood.

Not so the O'Driscolls. The theory goes that if you're an O'Driscoll, no matter where in the world, you're originally from Baltimore. (Although technically - and this clearly is not the time to labour the point - they used to live in other parts of the country.) Anyhoo, the O'Driscolls were driven here in the 13th century (by... ahem... the O'Sullivans), and Baltimore + Environs became their family seat, which they peppered with castles and forts and all kinds of stronghold-ey type dwellings. Short version: they thrived for centuries (thanks in part to some pirate-ey antics), were suppressed yet again, spread across the world, and now return to raise a glass to themselves once a year.

I'm guessing by Monday I'll know more. They arrive this evening.