Music
Apart from their sheer exuberance, the most enjoyable aspect of Irish festivals is, without doubt, the traditional music. Many festivals (the Irish for festival is Fleadh - pronounced fla) are devoted almost exclusively to this: the biggest of them is the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann , which includes the finals of the All Ireland music and dance contests. However, if you can't make it to a festival, there's usually plenty going on in the pubs and bars, especially in high season in the popular tourist spots. Music in Irish pubs is legendary, and there's lots on offer, though only a relatively small proportion of it is "traditional". The national hybrid form of country and western, country and Irish, is extremely popular with a host of regular gigs around the island. You'll still find that Irish staple, the showband, too, and there's a myriad of middle-of-the-road pop bands lurking in country areas. Ballads are another well-developed Irish music form though the term "ballad" is a bit of a catch-all and open to countless interpretations - it's generally some form of dull crooning, often accompanied by just a guitar and monotonous beatbox. Brace yourself for the worst, and from time to time you'll be very pleasantly surprised. The cream of pub music, however, has to be the traditional sessions of fiddles, flutes, accordions, bodhran (a drum) and, occasionally, singing. Interest from abroad and the tourist industry has much to do with the resurgence of this musical culture - but this hardly matters, since the music can be phenomenal. The west coast (especially around Clare, Donegal and Galway) has the best of the traditional scene. There's plenty in all the major cities, and pointers to the best sessions are given in the text. However, venues may change for all manner of reasons and it's wise to ask around and keep your ears open for local tips. Traditionally Sunday evening was the night for sessions, and in rural areas this is often still the case (a throwback to restrictions on holy days that meant partying on Saturdays had to stop at midnight), but increasingly Friday and Saturday have become just as important, and, in summer, you may find something happening any night of the week. Things generally don't get going till late, and a bar that's still empty at 10pm may be a riot of music by half-past. While it's all extremely convivial and relaxed, if you're a musician yourself and want to join in, then do so tactfully. The first thing to do is sit and listen for a while - to make sure you can play to a high enough standard and are familiar with the repertoire - and then work out who the leader is and ask. If you're not playing, don't crowd the musicians; the empty seats around them are reserved for others who may arrive later. Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann is an organization that exists purely to promote traditional music and culture, and evenings organized by them (not always in bars), though by their nature not spontaneous, are well worth looking out for. They are run by real enthusiasts, and the standard of playing is usually pretty high
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