When the MOONEY Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie

One thing I forgot to mention: for about a week and a half, starting some five days after I arrived, Aoife and Muireann had the chicken pox. And…I’ve never had them before. Uh oh. I called my mom a few days into the outbreak:

“I’ll talk to you later, honey!”

“Wait, Mom – one more thing. I, uh, I’ve had a chicken pox vaccine, right?”

“Yeah, you and your sister got them at the same time. Though she was scheduled for a booster this month…you probably should have gotten one before you left for Ireland. Why do you ask?”

Uh oh, I say.

Well, apparently I wasn’t in dire need of the booster, because I haven’t shown signs of illness yet. I did try to keep a safe distance from coughs and whatnot, so I’m hoping nothing develops later. Knock wood!

Anyway, let’s see. Joe Mooney’s Summer School is going on in the nearby down of Drumshanbo. Joe Mooney’s is one week every summer where Drumshanbo (normal population of 700) becomes home to a slew of traditional Irish music classes for kids and adults alike – bodhran, fiddle, accordion, tin whistle, uilleann pipes, black whistle, banjo, dancing, etc. – and downright explodes with visitors. The summer school goes on during the day and in the evening every single pub in town has at least one music session, often two or three at once, and sometimes one going on in the street outside the pub as well. It’s a rollicking good time, I say. Dan and Rebecca are both doing classes (piano accordion and fiddle, respectively) in the mornings.

Last night I went out with Rebecca, Natalia, Willie, and Tim. We arrived at our pub early enough that we were able to get seats next to one of the sessions. However, we quickly discovered to our dismay that the session we’d chosen was one that only played one song every ten or fifteen minutes, spending the in-between time relaxing and drinking and chatting with one another. Ah well. One of the other sessions in the pub had two harpists, which was very cool, and I stood and watched them for a while.

Actually, I’ll be honest – the most intriguing part of this whole thing is that the city is filled with girls roughly my age. Cute, often quirky, instrument-playing girls. Ahh, if only I wasn’t leaving the country in ten days. Maybe I’d actually talk to some of them!

A man can dream.

Also that night we ran into Michael, the German fellow from the Swan Lake sessions. When I found out that there wouldn’t be another session there until after I’d left for Dublin, I told him that it had been a pleasure to hear him play and sing. He kind of chuckled and muttered something and shambled off. Natalia said “There goes the shyest man in the world,” and I think she wasn’t far off. However, I ran into him again later and was privileged enough to have a proper conversation with him! Nothing earth-shattering, just chatted about where we lived and music and such, but it was cool nonetheless.

Oh – in case you were wondering what the heck I’m still doing here, I was invited to stay longer because the Hillmans (apparently) don’t mind my presence and think I’m doing a good job! So I decided to skip Galway, which I wasn’t that keen on anyway, and I’ll be here until Sunday, at which point I leave for Dublin. That’ll be my last stop before coming home! Wow!