Ireland Musical May 2023

Hello all,

We've finally booked our ferry to Ireland. We'll be arriving May 3rd and we'll stay for 5 weeks!
I'm a musician (guitar player) and my wife and I, together with some musicians have a small band which plays Irish songs and tunes (jigs, reels, ...). The band isn't coming along, just my wife and I.
Our trip to Ireland is focused on music. I'll be meeting some musicians over there but we'd like to find places to stay with people who are themselves musicians or have a great love for Irish music. So we are looking for people or families which are willing to accommodate us for a night (or two). We have a van so we could even stay in the garden or whatever, no luxury needed, just music.
Could anyone advice or help us out?
Thanks in advance!
Dany

Hi Dany,

It's great that you'll be touring Ireland for 5 entire weeks! I can tell that you already have trad sessions planned with like-minded musicians. 

If you are looking to stay with families and locals alike, you might give CouchSurfing a try. For park-up spots, few solutions exist outside of campsites, such as the Safe Nights Ireland and the Britstops networks, where you can use private locations or local businesses for overnight parking.

Did you get in touch with traditional music pubs in locations you plan to visit to see if they could arrange something for you? 

Cheers,
Antoine

Hi Antoine,

Great ideas! I haven't thought about couch surfing yet so I'll explore. I suppose that when we stay with people, we can park outside, no? It's just a small van. And Ireland is safe, no?

Thanks
Dany

Hi again Dany!

Absolutely, overnight parking is permitted as long as you have the landowner's permission It should be totally ok to park your van in someone's driveway if you ask them first.

The island of Ireland is considered a very safe place indeed. What will your itinerary look like during these 5 weeks with us? You might find these tips to travel with a campervan as well as other trip ideas useful.

Best,

Hi Antoine,
We just started preparing. We will 'circle' Ireland starting in the very south (Cork) and then going north following the west coast. Our main points of interest will be music off course but apart from that we will definitely visit the most beautiful places. We sing songs like 'Carrick-A-Rede', 'Rathlin Island' etc. Irish music is full of references to actual places, so that will be special! I will check your links.
Thanks again
Dany

Hi Dany,

Traveling north along the Wild Atlantic Way with music as your guideline sounds like a fabulous plan. 

We can imagine that it will be quite special when you discover the places that you know from the songs. As you continue along the Causeway Coastal Route in Northern Ireland you will find Rathlin Island and Carrick-a-rede. 

Please keep us updated about your trip - we'd love to hear all about your musical encounters!

Enjoy the planning stages and please do reach out to us again if you have any more questions about your upcoming musical tour of our wee island. 

Kind regards,

Vera

Thanks Vera! I will definitely send updates. Is there a special place on this site to keep traveling logs? What would be the best way to keep people updated?
Dany

Hi Dany,

The My trip to Ireland section of the Community forum is a great place to share your travel experiences with fellow Ireland lovers. If you use Instagram, you can follow our account and use the hashtag #LoveIreland for your posts and who knows, we might feature one of your pictures on our account! We also have a Facebook page that you might enjoy following and where you can share your Ireland questions and inspiration. 

It's really lovely that you want to share the stories of your special musical adventure with us - connecting and sharing with others is such a great part of the travel as well as the musical experience! Thank you!

All the best,

Vera

Thx Vera, I'll definitely find a way to share our story. To be continued :)

Hi Dany,

Great to hear you are coming over to Ireland for 5 weeks.  Thank you for sharing about your passion for traditional Irish music and how you wish to connect with fellow musicians.

You mention that you sing songs about Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge and Rathlin Island, both places are located in the Causeway Coast and Glens region.  We have an enthusiastic community of traditional musicians here, especially round the Ballycastle and the Glens of Antrim area.  Rathlin Island is such a beautiful place to visit during the month of May as it is covered in wild flowers and visited by thousands of seabirds that come to breed on the high sea cliffs.  You can see puffins, guillemots, razor bills and fulmars. There is also a colony of seals off the shoreline.  The island has a strong cultural heritage with storytelling, songs and music, playing an important part in island life.  It is easy to get to as there is a regular ferry that makes the 6 mile crossing from Ballycastle several times daily. 

You might be interested to know about a Tourism Northern Ireland approved B&B in Ballycastle called Teach an Cheoil (The Music House). They host Kitchen Ceilidhs with singing, poetry and of course traditional music. The family are bi-lingual, speaking fluent Irish. They also run a traditional music trail around a few pubs in Ballycastle. To connect with them please visit their web site: https://discovernorthernireland.com/accommodation/teach-an-cheoil-the-music-house-p702611 

There is much to see and do in the Causeway Coast and Glens and if you would like to find out a bit more about the area please check out our web site: https://www.visitcausewaycoastandglens.com 

Best wishes for an unforgettable, melodic trip!
Anne