Category / The Cobblestone Pub

by shannonchance

Gathering in Ireland in 2013

Downloaded from The New York Times.

The New York Times‘s description of Ireland and image of the Cobblestone pub. (Downloaded from The New York Times.)

The New York Times just released its list of top “46 places to go in 2013.” Ireland showed up at #40. Not bad!  But in my book, it’s #1!

The image The New York Times selected to illustrate Ireland is none other than the Cobblestone pub. The Cobblestone is my own “home away from home” and it holds a very special place in my heart. I’d say it’s *the* place to go in 2013. I can’t wait to bring my guests to the Cobblestone for a true taste of Ireland, present and past.

The pub’s previous appearances in the New York Time travel section included: A Changing Smithfield Still Holds On to Dublin-Style Fun and The Cobblestone – Reviews and Ratings of Bars and Clubs in Dublin – New York Times.

In addition, The New York Time explains, this year Ireland is hosting “the Gathering.” According to the Gathering’s “About” page, “Ireland will open its arms to hundreds of thousands of friends and family from all over the world, calling them home to gatherings in villages, towns and cities.” You can view and create gatherings on its website.

I’m trying to do my part to help family and friends visit the Emerald Isle in 2013.  I look forward to welcoming those who’ve scheduled ahead: Kitty Lee and Patty, Pam and her husband Dave, mom and Ann Marie, my Dave, Toni and Giuseppe, Tarrah and Kelly in the months to come. Between guests and work it looks like I’m going to be very busy!

by shannonchance

Phoning Kerry

Ballybunion, where the River Shannon meets the Atlantic Ocean (photo from http://www.irelands-directory.com/photos.php?Image=582)

Ballybunion, where the River Shannon meets the Atlantic Ocean (photo from http://www.irelands-directory.com/photos.php?Image=582)

High Street in Ballybunion, Ireland (image from http://www.seashorebandbballybunion.com/seashore-things-to-do-121.aspx)

High Street in Ballybunion, Ireland (image from http://www.seashorebandbballybunion.com/seashore-things-to-do-121.aspx)

Mom decided to phone her cousin Eilish O’Hanlon in Ireland’s County Kerry for Christmas yesterday.  Eilish sounded very happy to hear from us… she said the call made her day!

Mom also dug out the family tree that her Aunt Jo researched in the 1980s.  What do you know — Eilsih and her husband Con are on it!

Speaking of Aunt Jo, Mom phoned her yesterday as well.  She lives in Ocala, Florida and raises race horses.  There’s a race horse somewhere out in the world that Aunt Jo named for my mom.  (Aunt Jo is my Grandma Zeliff’s sister.  Of course, Mom also phoned her two Zeliff siblings, Carolyn and Harry yesterday. She’s a chatty one, my mom.)

So now I know: Eilish is mom’s second cousin. They share two great-grandparents.

And Eilish says that Tom Mulligan (the proprietor of the Cobblestone pub in Dublin) is her husband’s first cousin.

The family tree is starting to make more sense to me now.  (As is the nearby Mulligan tree that is, apparently, in the same grove!)

I’ve posted some photos other people have taken of Ballybunion, near where Con and Eilish live.  It’s the town where my great-grandmother’s birth is recorded and where some members of our family tree are buried.

by shannonchance

Marking History with Fergus and Francis

Fergus Whelan, Jerry Crilly, Tom Mulligan, and Shannon Chance at the Cobblestone last night.

Fergus Whelan, Jerry Crilly, Tom Mulligan, and Shannon Chance at the Cobblestone last night.

Kevin Donleavy  had written me to inquire about the plaque I mentioned in the blog post “Peace in Ireland.”  Last night I had the chance to learn a little more.

I was at the Cobblestone to meet Jerry regarding a little Christmas project we’ve got in the works.

And Fergus Whelan, the organizer of the December 1 event, happened to be there too.

The plaque, Fergus explained, was to honor Francis Hutchinson who was born in Northern Ireland but died in Dublin.  No grave marker had  ever been installed.

Plaque for Francis Hutcheson. You can click on the image to see a larger version.(Photo provided by Fergus Whelan.)

Plaque for Francis Hutcheson. Please click on the image to see a larger version. (Photo provided by Fergus Whelan.)

Fergus has righted this oversight.  A plaque now shines near the church on Mary Street in Dublin.  This group unveiled it on December 1, 2012 — the day I met them in the Cobblestone.

The December 1 events commemorated that remarkable man, Francis Hutchinson, who, among other things, influenced the American Declaration of Independence.  He did so via his friend Thomas Jefferson.  The plaque is well worth a read!

The December 1 event was so very striking, however, because the group of men gathered on that night had travelled down together in a single bus from Northern Ireland (where Hutchinson was born).  This morning Fergus sent me an email with photos, saying:

Hi Shannon

As explained the group shot are formers prisoners from both sides i.e. loyalist and republican. They came to Dublin to be present for the unveiling of the plaque.

Best, Fergus

Fergus asked these folks to travel down to Dublin together, on one bus, and to attend events together celebrating the life of Francis Hutchinson.  They put aside decades of ill will and united for this cause… because Fergus asked them to come.

I know this story will matter to Kevin Donleavy.  He has a similar project underway (that I’ll tell you about in due time).

What amazing experiences — sharing evenings with people who have such divergent points of view and yet finding unity within them. I’m thankful for Fulbright and thankful for my friends at the Cobblestone pub.

The group from the north of Ireland who came for the unveiling. (Photo provided by Fergus Whelan.)

The group from the north of Ireland who came for the unveiling. (Photo provided by Fergus Whelan.)

Pat Goode singing at the Cobblestone after the plaque unveiling. (Photo provided by Fergus Whelan.)
Jerry learning to use ” ” in conversation last night. He still needs some work!
Jerry’s song “I could have been a giant said the bonsai tree….”
Meeting musician and Irish track star Linda Maye.
by shannonchance

Peace in Ireland

Musicians Jerry Crilly, Frank Cullen, and Pat Goode playing in the back room of the Cobblestone.

Musicians Jerry Crilly, Frank Cullen, and Pat Goode playing in the back room of the Cobblestone.

Tom Mulligan said I was witnessing history last night.

I’m not aware of all the subtleties of the situation but, essentially, a group of folks from Northern Ireland was in Dublin for the unveiling of a monument.  A friend of the group — a regular at the Cobblestone who hails from Dublin — invited the group over to Tom’s pub after the formal event to hear traditional Irish music.  [Note:  I’ve posted more on this topic since.  See Making History with Fergus and Francis.]

Quite by chance, Jerry Crilly, Frank Cullen, and I happened to be there.  We were celebrating Kevin Donleavy’s radio program that happened earlier in the day.  It had featured quite a few songs from Jerry’s CD.  Jerry rang us up  (as in, called us on the phone) because he wanted to give us copies of the CD.

And while we were at the Cobblestone my musical friends / drinking buddies got invited to the back to sing.

Because I was there with these musical stars, I got to enjoy an evening full of song!  I actually had a seat front and center and felt completely, 100% included.

As much as I love instrumentals, it’s the singing that moves me most.  So this was an incredible find for me — I really lucked out last night!

I sat cozily in a room full of people who, not so long ago, took up arms against each other.

Here, in the shelter of a unified Ireland and the warm embrace of the Mulligans’ pub, men from north and south sang together and reveled in the island’s newly found peace.

When Dave and I visited Ireland in 2003, the tone was much different from today.  Political tensions still ran deep and pub songs recounted strife.

I feel honored to have been part of this event that helped promote peace among nations.  I am proud that an American president helped negotiate the peace accord that paved the way for this evening’s events. (In The Journal of Conflict Studies, Rodger MacGinty noted “that the American influence on the peace process, both from influential Irish-Americans and the Clinton administration, has been profound.”)

I will remain eternally grateful that our nation supports Fulbright programs designed to promote cultural understanding and celebrate — and grow — human knowledge.  We do many things that don’t make sense.  And we fight all too often.  But in the name of Senator Fulbright, we do have programs designed to help us do better.

I take the cultural understanding part of my Fulbright very seriously.  I thank you for sharing in the effort by reading along.

It was amazing to be part of a cultural healing process last night and watch stale old tensions dissolve into the night air.  As an added bonus, I also got to meet Jerry’s and Tom’s significant others for the first time.  This place feels more and more like home every day.

Incidentally, Tom has taken to introducing me as a long-lost cousin, and that term’s growing on me.  It’s much nicer than wee-distant relation, or third cousin twice removed….

Men from Belfast and Dublin playing side by side.
Susan and Pat sharing a tune.
There’s always a warm welcome from the Mulligans!
by shannonchance

Dramatic Smithfield

Mix-use complex built during the economic boom known as the Celtic Tiger.

An impressive canyon-like space within a mix-use complex that was built during the economic boom (known as the Celtic Tiger).

Smithfield is home to some dramatic public spaces.  Most notably, there’s Europe’s largest cobblestone-paved plaza. Bordering this are circular spaces that make Swiss cheese of the Jameson Distillery (where the courtyards are even painted yellow) and the dramatic canyon opposite the plaza from it (see photo).

A lot of development happened in Smithfield during the economic boom known as the Celtic Tiger.  Today the apartments of Smithfield appear t be filled with residents — but many of the cultural, retail, and office spaces of Smithfield are vacant or under used.

Nevertheless, there are enough restaurants, attractions, businesses, and services here to keep the place feeling alive enough.

I haven’t yet been to many of the highlights (such as the Lighthouse Cinema, the Smithfield Art Tunnel, the Generator Hostel, or the Maldron Hotel). But I have enjoyed my time at a number of the eateries as well as the Jameson Distillery, the Cobblestone, the Elbowroom (which is one of Smithfield’s many guys), and the Fresh Market.

Smithfield really doesn’t deserve the bad wrap it gets.  But as long as people have the perception that there might be something scary here, the rents will stay reasonable. And that part is fine by me!

The old smokestack of the Jameson Distillery.

The old smokestack of the Jameson Distillery.

by shannonchance

Kevin and Jerry — On Air

Remember when I helped Jerry Crilly (my pal from the Cobblestone pub) find his ole pal Kevin Donleavy?  Kevin lives in Virginia, which is why Jerry (a Dublin resident) requested my help.  Well, Kevin has written to me several times since.  He’s going to be featuring some of the music Jerry sent him on his WTJU radio show tomorrow!  I hope you’ll tune in to learn something about traditional Irish music!  See how, below:
———————
A chairde and pals,

Kevin Donleavy. (Photo by Josh Meltzer, The Roanoke Times)

Kevin Donleavy. (Photo by Josh Meltzer, The Roanoke Times)

Just a reminder to switch on your radio this Saturday for another on-line program of Irish trad music. It’s the ATLANTIC WEEKLY PART TWO show, and the date is Dec. 1.  As always, the broadcast time is 10 am till 12 noon, eastern US time (or 3 to 5 pm in Ireland).  If you live near the Charlottesville, Virginia area,  you can listen on WTJU, at 91.1 on the FM dial.
This week there will be whistle playing from both Enda Seery and Kathleen Conneely off their newish CDs.  Among the younger  groups you can hear are Realta from Belfast,  Ioscaid from all over the Wee Six counties, and Flashback from Texas.  Among the individual singers this week are Tadgh Maher and Jerry Reilly,  Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh and Mairin Fahy,  Jerry Crilly and Lenny Duff.  There’s plenty to entertain even the most sophisticated and jaded ears !  Reels agus jigs galore !
Here are the easy steps to listen in on your computer. First, visit http://wtju.net.  Next, select Listen Live on the right side bar. Then,  choose between Ogg and MP3.
Hope that you can tune in this Saturday, wet the tea, and roll back the carpet.
Kevin
by shannonchance

Tuesday Nights at the Cobblestone

The dim light of the Cobblestone on a Tuesday night.

I love stopping by the Cobblestone on Tuesday nights after yoga class.  Tom Mulligan (the proprietor), his son Tomas, and some of his nephews play on Tuesdays.  The crowd is small on Tuesdays and the tone of the place is very relaxed.  I alway find a good a seat right in the musicians’ corner.

Irish musicians often play more than one instrument. Here you see Tomas on guitar and his cousin playing flute with a set of uilleann pipes on his lap.

Whenever I come in on Tuesday, Tom’s playing his flute.  When the song ends and he looks up, recognizes me, and exclaims “Shannon!” in the most lovely Kerry accent I’ve ever heard.  That warms my heart!

Of course, dropping in on the way home from yoga leads to some misconceptions as well.  Many people assume that my tall, green bag holds a musical instrument.  The musicians and audience alike ask me to join in.

Unfortunately, it’s been years since I played the oboe. But with six years of that under my belt, I know that playing well takes tremendous time and dedication.  Were I to take up an instrument, it would take years before I’d be ready to play for an audience.

by shannonchance

Echelons of Third Space

The Cobblestone made complimentary mention of an earlier blog on “third spaces,” so I’ve decided it’s time to write the sequel I promised.

A couple of weeks ago, after sequestering myself in my apartment for two days to write, I need a brief respite and some healthy food.  I headed to Third Space–Cafe and Social Space on the nearby Smithfield Plaza.

After placing an order at the counter, I realized I’d forgotten my wallet.  You see, I’d given a new purse a whirl the day before and accidentally left every cent in that handbag rather than the one I now carried.

The young man behind the counter could have easily cancelled the order.  He’d probably not even hit the enter key at that point.  But instead he said, “It’s okay.  You’ve been here before. You can pay later.”

Wow!  I’d been there twice.  Once was with Esther about four days prior.

This guy had rendered excellent service on that outing–and that was one reason I returned again so soon.

Now I’d normally have trouble accepting such an act of kindness, for fear something might go wrong.  But this time I admitted to myself that his was a much better option than trudging home hungry–particularly when I had so much to do.

So I stayed put and enjoyed a tasty slice of quiche with a side of grilled vegetables.

While eating, I devised a plan that required asking for more leeway than the kind cashier had actually offered.  When I got up to leave, I approached him and asked, “Is it okay if I come back to pay tomorrow morning? That way I can get breakfast while I’m here.  Will you be working tomorrow?”

He said yes and indicated the plan was acceptable. And I went on my merry way.

At home, I made sure to set an iPhone reminder.  I wouldn’t run the risk forgetting a responsibility as important as this.

I arrived back at Third Space around 8:30 the next morning.  After greeting the cashiers, I ordered a “mini veg” and asked to pay for both meals. The young woman who was ringing me up thanked me for returning to pay. And the young man was visibly relieved to see me.

“Isn’t it nice that we can trust each other?” he asked.

Yes, it surely is!

The Third Space offers shelves of books and an upper tier where the sign says, “here, it’s okay to talk to strangers.”

I must say, though, that he had to extend much more trust than I, since I know I’ll certainly follow through!  But what let him know I would?

In my mind, there was no way I would ever shake his faith in humanity by not meeting our agreement.  Such breaches have happened to me before, and the scars have left me far less generous to strangers than I’d like to be. But this particular story has a happy ending.

This young man has provided a glorious example of generosity.  He has demonstrated what a true “third space” is all about.

The website of the place he works, the “Third Space–Cafe and Social Space” claims that the founders wanted to provide a comfortable space for all, where people could feel included without having to spend much money.  This example proved to me that they have succeeded.

by shannonchance

The Song Collector

Researchers help define and preserve culture. Last night, I got to hear Len Graham (a researcher and collector of Irish ballads) sing songs he has collected over the decades. Here’s a YouTube video of Len performing “at the Big Muddy Folk Festival in Boonville, Missouri on April 4, 2008.”

Len called last night’s performance “It’s of my Rambles… Recollections of Singers and Songs from the Ulster Tradition.” He prefaced each song with an explanation of how and where it was collected and which demographic group claimed to have originated the song (Ulster, the Travellers in Ireland, etc.). He explained some of the meanings behind each song.

Len spends his life singing and tracking down songs and singers.  He transcribes and archives words and melodies so that they aren’t lost to humanity. He’s travelled to Australia to find people who know rare songs and to Arkansas to record missing verses to a known song. These are just a couple of the many travel stories he told.

Len Graham singing at Na Píobairí Uilleann. The placard to the left lists Alfie Mulligan, who I’ve posted a snippet of on this blog (playing uilleann pipes at his brother’s Cobblestone pub).

Here you can see what the uilleann pipes look like (photo downloaded from an online blog).  (There are lots of YouTube videos available of uilleann pipers.)

Len spoke of a time not so long ago when there were just ten or so uilleann pipers in all of Ireland. Today, he says, more than a thousand people play these pipes.

He’s part of a vibrant oral tradition of storytelling that’s alive in Ireland today. But the songs have also been recorded and archived in important libraries–such as the one here in Dublin and another at Brown University. A researcher from Harvard (named Child) did a lot of important research into Irish ballads back in the 1800s.

I especially enjoyed Len’s songs involving heather (the name of a flower that became the name of my sister).  I also found “When Irish men throughout this world are brothers one and all” to be quite catchy.

This event was part of Na Píobairí Uilleann’s monthly Notes & Narratives lectures, which the organization describes as a series of “performance-based lectures on traditional music, song and dance by some of Ireland’s finest traditional artists.” Last night’s event was held at the Na Píobairí Uilleann hall on Henrietta Street.

Thanks, Jonathan Kennedy, my fully-bright friend, for the heads up about this event. Hope you’re putting your uilleann pipes to good use out there in Western Ireland this weekend!

by shannonchance

Finding Kevin Donleavy

Jerry Crilly, Frank Cullen, and Shannon Chance craic-ing it up at the Cobblestone.

Thanks to an awesome third space, we’ve located Jerry Crilly’s long lost friend, Kevin Donleavy.  I met Jerry when I was in the Cobblestone with my mom last month, and he asked me to help him locate a guy he’d met here in Dublin in 1985. He knew the guy lived in Virginia–somewhere near Ivy–so he considered me an expert.

That night at the Pub, I Googled Kevin and found that he’s taught at UVA and the University of Richmond. He plays traditional Irish music, and is a scholar of all things Irish.

I had some trouble locating him, though. It seems there are NO free phone look up services on line anymore. What a terrible shame!

I tried sending a message to his UVA email address, and waiting patiently.  But, probably since Kevin has been retired for a while, I got no reply.

Jerry was persistent. He followed up a couple of times, just as I had asked him to do.

Last Saturday, he phoned me while I was sitting in a barber’s chair. He was headed to the Cobblestone to hear bluegrass. Could I come?

When I (finally!) got out of that chair, I hightailed it home to do some more searching.  I found Kevin’s home address and even the first six digits of his phone number.  I signed up for a people search service (the “free trial” type that has to be cancelled or will automatically draw monthly payments).  Nerve wrackingly, the company must have lifted those six digits from some other similar service (like Spokeo).  It failed to provide the four we’d need to place a call.

Frustrated and hungry, I phoned Dave for help and headed to the pub.

When my call came in to Dave, he was on our front porch in Virginia installing new floor boards.  (What an awesome Christmas present!  My baby knows how to do things right!)

A couple of hours later–after I’d grabbed some food around the corner and then some pints with Jerry and his friend–a text rolled in from home.

With a stroke of genius, Dave thought to Google “Kevin Donleavy” along with the six digit I’d found.  Dave then texted me a screen shot of the reaming digits.

I passed them on to an elated (and somewhat inebriated) Jerry

I soaked in a little more craic, and then headed for home. It appears this is a good time to introduce you to the term craic, which is pronounced “crack” and has been described by a helpful soul on UK Ask as:

Jerry’s text.

Best Answer – Chosen by Asker

Irish word for fun/enjoyment that has been brought into the English language. usu. when mixed with alcohol and/or music. 
‘Bhi craic agus ceol againn’ : We had fun and music. 
Fun doesn’t really cut it though. General banter, good times had by all. 
Also, a person who is good fun/great company. 
It was great craic. 
She’s great craic when she gets going. 
He’s great craic when he has a few pints on him. 
What’s the craic? 
How’s the craic? 
The craic was mighty.
Note: Very tricky to get away with saying this in the US without getting strange looks for police officers.
After yoga tonight, I found a text waiting from Jerry. I’ve uploaded the text for you to see.  Feel free to celebrate by grabbing a pint of Guinness or Bulmer’s!
And that, friends, is part of the magic of third space!