Setting up to film, the room was filled to capacity with Mulligan relations.
Cinematographers and musicians filled the tiny musicians’ corner at the Cobblestone pub last week. They were filming a documentary about traditional Irish music, focusing on the influence of the Travelers (the ethnic group that’s had the roughest time here in Ireland). I’ll try to keep you posted as to when and where the documentary will air.
And then the filming commenced.
Fergus Wheelan is a walking archive of Irish history and politics. He’s a self-made historian who brings complex history to life and makes it simple to understand. Every guest who visits I find reading his book, Dissent into Treason. It’s available from Amazon in the US. I can’t fathom the amount of time he spent in libraries and archives research this book — nor the time it took to understand, structure, and explain the information in such an enlightening way.
It’s no wonder Fergus drawn to the Cobblestone Pub, a place operated by Tom Mulligan (a man with a degree in Irish history and policies himself).
Every visit to the Cobblestone is a lesson in tradition for me.
Last week, I had more friends in tow. Here you see Toni Grey (an English friend who retired to Tunisia many moons ago) and her Italian boyfriend, Toni and Giuseppe Conte.
Incidentally, Giuseppe rents apartments and B&B rooms in Rome. I visited one of the apartments and found it to be quite charming and extremely well located (near Campo de’ Fiori). You can contact Giuseppe at <g.conte@promedinternational.com> for more information.
Kevin Donleavy’s emails are so charming and informative that I just can’t resist posting them in their original form. Here, he discusses some history of traditional Irish music and his plans to play Tom Mulligan’s Cobblestone recordings on his upcoming radio show. Anyone can tune in on April 6 by using the Internet (see below).
Hiya again, Shannon,
News from Charlottesville’s Kevin Donleavy:
Shannon,
Pam and I are managing to have some fun and also get some things accomplished. She’s going to try to write a book chapter or two while she’s here… after she finish grading papers and reviewing dissertation chapters. Whew!
I’m loving my break from grading. I don’t have to grade papers until May! This Fulbright scholarship is such an incredible blessing.
The Cobblestone musicians corner on Friday night.
Patty sang us Annie’s Song!
I swear I have more fun each time I visit the Cobblestone. I’ve developed such respect for the people there. And, honestly, they make me feel like a rock star. They are so complimentary of my Fulbright blog. It feels like “everybody knows my name.”
There’s far more of significance to the world more going on at the Cobblestone than at Cheers. As case in point, I got to catch up with Fergus Whelan on this particular evening. He had left a copy of his book Dissent into Treason for me to pick up last week (click here for more about the book). I let Tom Mulligan know Kitty and I were mailing a CD of his music to Kevin Donleavy as well; perhaps it will be “on air” in Charlottesville soon. These folks are dedicated to preserving cultural traditions and recounting history.
Being at the Cobblestone really makes me wish I was musically talented!
Fortunately, my friend Patty is. The musicians at the Cobblestone got her to sing a song. And of course, we all followed along with “Country Roads,” a sure-fire selection when the mention of Virginia arises. Never mind that it’s about West Virginia and the three of us hail from Virginia! In any case, you can practically see W.Va. from where Kitty and Patty live (Harrisonburg) and where I was born (the New River Valley). And you can certainly see the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River from Kitty’s place.
Patty was ready for the event. She and I had practiced singing the night before, actually. On our last evening in Cork, Tony, Kitty, and Patty cooked dinner to avoid Valentine’s Day crowds in the restaurants. Then Patty and I had a festive sing-along around the dinner table and the peat fire Tony had built.
We drew from the Catholic folks songs of our childhoods, favorite camp songs, and music popular in the ’70s. It all worked out fine when I set the key and Patty followed along. (It’s a disaster for me trying the other way around… I just can’t get up that high! Even one octave lower is too high for me.)
When we needed help with the lyrics, Tony pulled up the text on line so we could sing karaoke-style.
Ah, the cider….
You’ll find me at the Cobblestone with a glass of Bulmer’s in my hand again “real soon”….
DIT President Brian Norton with Fulbright Scholar Shannon Chance.
DIT’s graduation ceremony is an event to behold!
Today’s occurred at St. Patrick’s Cathedral (which is the largest church building in Ireland). You may recall that Kitty Lee, Patty, and I visited it last week.
At DIT exams for the fall semester occur in January, and winter graduation falls shortly after.
During the ceremony, each graduate’s name, degree title, and thesis topic is announced. Today’s list of topics highlighted valuable contributions DIT is making to society in areas such as physics, health and nutrition, energy, and computing.
For me, a true highlight of the ceremony was a performance by two students: a signer and a harpist. The talented duo really brought this grand space to life. (Kitty, Patty, and I missed Evensong in this church last night — by just a few sad minutes — and so I tried to live today’s event vicariously on their behalf while they soared above the Atlantic on their journey home.)
Today also presented my first opportunity to meet DIT’s president, Prof. Brian Norton in person. When the opportunity appeared, I stepped forward without hesitation, extended my hand, and introduced myself. I was truly dumbfounded when Dr. Norton said he knew who I was and that he had read my blog. Wow! I look forward to meeting him again soon.
Fergus Wheelan’s insightful book on Irish/Dublin history of the 1600 and 1700s.
At the reception, I also met a few members the electrical engineering faculty I haven’t yet gotten to know. I hope to have more to tell about their work soon.
I’ve included some photos of the day, including a snapshot of the English and Protestant flags hanging in St. Patrick’s (Protestant) Cathedral.
Upon returning to my apartment, I curled up with Fergus Whelan‘s book Dissent into Treason. In the first chapter, Fergus does a remarkable job of explaining the formative roots of various Western denominations. I’ve learned so much in just 20 pages… including distinctions between Unitarians, Presbyterians and Congregationalists, Quakers, Levelers, Catholics, and the like. I believe Dissenters were people whose supported the creation the Irish nation despite pressure from their larger brethren and/or religious underpinnings to support the English crown. I’ll gain clarity on that soon, I’m sure.
Have you ver wondered why more Protestants read the Bible today than Catholics (in the US at least)? I certainly have.
Fergus’ book explains that in Ireland in the 1600s, Catholics were only permitted to read scriptures in Latin or Greek. Protestants were given freedom to read in English. Hummmm.
In Ireland there’s so very much to discover. I’m trying to make the most of every moment, but there’s not nearly enough of time to do, see, and learn all I’d like….
Last week’s impromptu visit by (Fulbright student) Amanda Bernhard and her husband Jonathan Kennedy was a most welcome excuse to visit the Cobblestone!
Jonathan Kennedy playing uilleann pipes with an Irish man he has played pipes with the United States.
A casteen player with Tom Mulligan. Tom’s doing his best to keep Irish traditions alive and thriving here in Dublin.
My friends arrived late in the evening Thursday after a day of Irish classes followed by a cross-country drive.
They took me out for dinner at L. Mulligan. Grocer then we popped back to my apartment to fetch their instruments and retraced our steps one block to Tom Mulligan’s Cobblestone pub.
The last two times Jonathan and Amanda went to the Cobblestone I wasn’t with them (they were staying at my apartment while I was away). They went on weekends and the musicians’ corner was already full. They didn’t play then, although they did introduce themselves to Tom.
Last Thursday, however, they found space to play alongside the Irish musicians. We had a great time and enjoyed meeting new people, seeing Tom, and catching up on recent events.
After talking with Tom, I finally understand how Fergus Whelan came to have close friends on both sides of the “Troubles.” He is/was both Protestant and Republican (though today he’s a peacemaker as per my earlier blog). Protestants are typically associated with the other side — usually sticking with the Queen, so to speak — while Fergus apparently supported the unification of Ireland and Irish rule for the entire island. See how much like the American Civil War it all was? As a Virginian, I too had family on both sides of a bitter conflict. And some tensions run high on that conflict even today….
Amanda and Jonathan at Cobblestone, from an earlier blog post. (Copyright Dave Chance Photography, 2012.)
I’m sitting here counting time, waiting for my co-authors to send updates and Dave to finish editing some pictures so we can head off to see the nephews one last time before I fly out.
Meanwhile Jonathan and (Fulbright student) Amanda are visiting Dublin, and getting my apartment broken back in for living. Jonathan has just posted on Facebook the praises of the IKEA Poang chair (that I bought using Adverts.ie). I highly recommend buying it with the matching footstool.
Amanda and Jonathan are heading off to play at the Cobblestone pub tonight… I’d love to be there to hear them play! I’m living vicariously through the photos Dave took last time they played there.
The Cobblestone got a facelift over Christmas. (Photo from the Cobblestone’s Facebook page.)
Evidentially, the pub got spruced up while I’ve been away.
Here’s an image posted on the Cobblestone’s Facebook page.
Ireland by Chance 