Dancing in Vaughan's Barn, Kilfenora, Co Clare to the music of the Four Courts Ceili Band, April 1998
This party of Japanese tourists had a private audience with the Tulla Ceili Band in Ennis, Co Clare, one evening in April 1998. They were on a traditional music tour of Ireland organised by two Japanese musicians, Isao and Masako - or Paddy and Brigid, as they're known by their Irish friends. Many in the group were musicians, singers or performers, but none were dancers and sat quietly as the Tulla band played their rousing reels and jigs. Fortunately, a couple of dancers had earlier encountered the Japanese in a graveyard and were in invited to join them for the evening, and they managed to bring most of them onto the dance floor for waltzes, the Caledonian Set and Shoe the Donkey.
The Kilfenora and Tulla Ceili Bands playing together for the first time, Cois na hAbhna, Ennis, Co Clare, April 1998. The musicians include Tommy Peoples, Chris Droney, J J Conway, Michael Sexton, Joe Rynne, Michael Kelleher, Gus Tierney, John Lynch, Gary Shannon, P J Hayes, Jerry Lynch, Francie Donnellan, Mark Donnellan, Jim Corry and Georgie Byrt.
Dick O'Connell at his Wednesday night class in Cois na hAbhna, Ennis, Co Clare, April 1998
