Dear Reader –
I was lucky enough to attend the All-Ireland Hurling Final on Sunday. And you can only marvel at what Limerick have built. It was inspirational to watch.
As Ronan O’Gara tweeted about another victorious coach of an Irish team this weekend - ‘evident that Andy Farrell has created a special environment that shows everyone in their best light’. I love that.
**All hyperlinks in bold.
The Big Thing
Eddie Lee and his wife Therese have built something special too. Their latest production - Sligo Jazz 2022 starts today, and I can’t wait to get lost in it.
The festival is back to in-person for the first time since 2019 and there is so much to look forward to.
The line-up is different every year, but one thing is constant - it’s always a magical week.
There are the lessons you learn (musical and otherwise) from just being in the company of the visiting world-class musicians. The pride and joy in showing these people your hometown. Watching the younger students having the time of their lives. And dashing around town trying to catch the sublime musical moments that could be happening anywhere at any minute of the day.
This year is extra-special as two former students and Teenage Theme Night graduates will be on the Youth Academy teaching faculty with me. Conor Bastible and Nils Kavanagh (pictured below) are both currently attending jazz colleges in the UK and I can’t wait to see what I learn from them this week too.
Full report next week…but for now - let’s go!
Where else but Sligo?
Back in 2002 I was a student in Dublin. I was out one night in a pub in Ranelagh with some friends. It was the usual story, we had cobbled together a few quid and were trying to make it last as long as we could in the search for craic.
But we had run out. It was time to go home. Or was it? I still remember the feeling of what happened next.
An older man I knew from Sligo approached me. He had been a regular customer in the cafe in which I worked in Sligo for the previous summer. He was in Dublin for the night and by pure chance we had ended up in the same pub. We had a nice chat, then he handed me €20 to buy myself a drink or two.
I want back to my friends like I had won the Lotto. Pure joy. We could extend our night by one more drink. We toasted this man and I’m not sure if any pint since has tasted as good as this one.
Now I’m probably the age of the man who bought us the drink that night. I’m no longer a student and realistically can go out and drink as many pints as I like on a night and it won’t break the bank.
But they’re not quite as tasty.
What’s New?
UNCOMFORTABLE, NOT IMPOSSIBLE: Last week I heard the story of a young athlete who was asked how he manages to train in the summer heat (in a climate much warmer than ours). His answer? It’s uncomfortable, but not impossible.
SLIGO SUMMER FESTIVAL: Just over two weeks to go until our big outdoor gig on August 4th. More details coming in next week’s letter.
SELF-PROMOTION: Many of us struggle with this idea. This short podcast helped me think about it in a different way.
Finally…
Another great Sligo Jazz performance from previous years. Bassist Federico Malaman (returning this year) and Joe Dart (Vulfpeck) with drummer Nicholas Viccaro from 2018.
Till next time - Kieran.
