Guest blogger: Waterford Festival of Learning, Hurling, Blaas, Wine and Song

Festival Junkie Mark Graham with Wanderly Wagon

My guest blogger today is Mark Graham, who is on a mission to cover three festivals a week for a year. I met Mark at Waterford Writers Weekend last month  (you can read his report a Bookish Bonanza Down the Desise  here which includes my contribution)  I always enjoy reading Mark's reports and admire his enthusiasm both for the festival trail and the recording  of the events via his blog.  Last week  he was in his home territory, Waterford, the town in which I grew up. Deise folk are very good at  finding synergies in their activities and  running festivities diverse in range and extent and my blog frequently features events in the South East. The Spraoi  Festival with a weekend of free street entertainment is one of my favourites and indeed, the Spraoi team have become nationwide parade specialists.

 Mark features several  star performers here and a pleasing diversity of activites. John Mullane is the first sports person to feature on my blog and  will need no introduction to GAA followers. For those of you who aren't, Mullane is one of a group of indefatiguable Waterford hurlers known for his passion and 100% commitment over a decade to the county team.  Malcolm Proud may not be so familiar but is a a world renowned harpsichord player and organist . Based in WIT he frequently travels all over Europe to perform in the most prestigious venues collaborating with elite ensembles. His recital with Roisin O Grady was one of my highlights of 2011. Mezzo  Bridget Knowles also features, most recently as soloist in Come the Sails, a choral extravaganza launching the Tall Ships Festival, (also featured in the year's highlights)
Blaas may not be the most distinctive of culinary delights but I notice the exclusive 5 sar resort hotel, Doonbeg Lodge  features them on their menu.
Thanks for the report Mark. It makes me wish I had been there.! You can read the full report and keep up to date with Mark's progress on www.ayearoffestivalsinireland.com

T

Hurling, Blaas, Wine and Song – Waterford Festival of Learning

POSTED BY FESTIVALMONKEY ⋅ MARCH 28, 2012 ⋅ 2 COMMENTS

 All three festivals were based in Waterford, that’s where my stationary bed and shower are. Waterford Writer’s Weekend provided the main distraction but today and yesterday, I got to the Waterford Learning Festival. I’m going to be straight here, I didn’t expect much from this festival, a few basket weaving classes or something. I was wrong. The list of events that you can get to over the three days is diverse, interesting, fun, worthwhile, practical and best of all… FREE! How d’you like them penny apples Billy Cullen? Clown workshops, cocktail making, edible seaweed foraging, giant chess, beauty and hair tips, poetry classes, golf coaching, concerts, exhibitions, laughter yoga… get the picture? There’s a lot going on and let me tell you once again… it’s all free!

First up on Tuesday was a lunchtime recital by Bridget Knowles (Mezzo Soprano) and Malcolm Proud (Piano). Who performed two song cycles – seven Spanish folk songs (Siete canciones populares Espanolas) by Manuel de Falla and 7 Shakspeare Songs composed by Madeleine Dring. These are two performers at the very top of their game. I’m no expert when it comes to this kind of music, but the dexterity, fluidity and skill displayed by both performers was impressive. As impressive was the ease with which they performed together – an ebb and flow between both performers that was as natural as the gentle waves that were lapping the beach in an unseasonably sunny Tramore that afternoon. The sun shone on the leafy grounds of the WIT College Street campus and The Cuckoo performed by Bridget and Malcolm fit perfectly.

Three events jumped out at me from the Festival of Learning programme. A wine appreciation class (free grog), the blaa making class (free grub) and the training session with hurler and All Star Legend – John Mullane (cos it had Mullanimal in it!).  Now Gabir butty (my Indonesian subscriber), you may be wondering what a blaa is, and in fairness to you, there are probably some readers from Donegal wondering the same thing. It’s a specific type of bread, only found in Waterford. “Is it like a bap?” is a common question that usually earns a crack on the head with a hurley and a slap on the arse with a crystal salmon. It is nothing like a bap, it’s a f&@kin’ blaa, right!? We don’t have much, so don’t mess with our blaas. The blaa has an ancient history, at the end of the 17th century the Huguenots travelled over from France and on board their ships were a particular strain of goat. The goats fell overboard near Billberry hill in Waterford. These goats had the recipe for this particular type of bread cake and they began making them in their new home. These bread baking goats were so unique that they are now a protected species and they still make the blaas of Waterford to this day. Or something like that…

Blaas straight from the oven

I ducked into the Introduction to Wine class and they were in full swing, discussing Beaujolais and the like. I have to be honest here too – I never got wine. Chateau du Clonmel is about where my palate is at. I’ve been in France more often than I’ve been in Fermanagh. I’ve had garcons sit me down in an effort to try and educate me, but alas, to no avail. Beer, cider and buckfast. I can’t help it, I’m a classy dude! But I get that some people have a taste for the stuff and if you have that taste, this was the place for you. There were a good few bottles teed up, cheese, grapes and slivers of apple for cleansing the palate. But there were also buckets for spitting into. Sacrilege! Swallow, don’t spit. Wha?

Wine tasting

If only school had been like this!

I headed up the road to St. Pauls School on Browne’s road, where there was a hurling training session open to young teenagers. No ordinary training session – John Mullane was taking it. Who is John Mullane? Get out, you’re barred!

 d up the road to St. Pauls School on Browne’s road, where there was a hurling training session open to young teenagers. No ordinary training session – John Mullane was taking it. Who is John Mullane? Get out, you’re barred!

John Mullane 

Will Smith me arse! Mullane is Legend.

After a couple of months rest, Mullane returned to the Waterford Senior team last Sunday and helped secure a valuable one point win over Galway. It had been a pretty dismal league performance up to that. To say that I have an interest in the exploits of the Waterford Hurlers is a understatement akin to saying that Shane McGowan needs a couple of fillings. I’ve given up a good deal of things in order to head off to 3 festivals a week for a year – blossoming relationships haven’t come to flower (jaysus, call Mills and Boon!), quiet weekends are non-existent, I stopped playing with two bands and time with family and friends is scarce on the ground. But what’s been killing me over the past couple of months is I haven’t gotten to one league game… and I have a feckin’ season ticket! End of rant  John was in good form and the young lads seemed to be turning it on for their new coach. I was impressed by John knowing the young fellas names as he shouted encouragement to them from the sideline.

John Mullane 

Words of wisdom for the lads

It wasn’t difficult to imagine how the young fellas felt to have John Mullane coaching them, I was excited too! A great opportunity for young lads to get to meet, train and interact with one of the best hurlers in the country.

Tomorrow there is an edible sea-weed hunt out at Kilfarassy Strand and it promises to be a fantatic day for it. I won’t be able to make it out for the Dilisk foraging, but I would if I could. The purpose of the festival is to celebrate learning, highlight the learning opportunities in the City and to show how enjoyable learning can be. Job done! Back on the festival trial tomorrow night, bigging up the French culture – grub, jazz and a little bit of the aul parlez vous. Until next time…

Voyages Sécuritaires, Ne Meurent Pas. 

The All Star Wars - a hurling musical at Cork Opera House

Linda Gough Obi Wan Camogie

There were resonances with I Keano the musical in this production  we  recently saw at the Cork Opera House subtitled,  An Epic Saga of Hurleys, Heroes and Hang Sangwiches. Here the separate spheres of music and hurling  collide in a highly  entertaining evening.

Hugh Cullen

The ALL STAR WARS follows the adventures of Hugh Cullen, family man, club man and descendent of -you guessed it- Cú Culainn. Any musical featuring a hefty middle-aged hero is already onto a winner in our book.

Our hero with the Chicks & Sticks

After getting a knock on the head from a hurley, Hugh Cullen is visited from the future by the enigmatic Obi Wan Camogie played by Linda Gough.  The promotional material promises  'what  ensues from Obi Wan Camogie’s apparition to Hugh is two hours of top shelf comedy script, punctuated by fun filled comedic musical production numbers and hilarious audio visual sequences'  and I certainly wouldn't disagree with that analysis.  Writers Kevin McCormack,  who also plays Hugh Cullen, and Bryan Flynn present a variety of thinly disguised personalities  from the world of hurling; players,  pundits, commentators and managers.  The cast of Dragons Den or should I say  'panel of entrepreneurs' were  ripe for parody and are drawn into the lampooning pool. The cast of  local characters are reminiscent of Ballymagash inhabitants with the parish priest, the Minor B teamates, the GAA widow etc

Richie Hayes clad in pink velvet track suit plays the dance mad son intent on perfecting his X Factor routines but upstages himself  by a thinly disguised  impersonation of Davy Fitz including a spoof of  the infamous YouTube Leak from the dressing room.

Richie Hayes play 'Davy Fitz'

Davy Fitz's rant captured perfectly by Hayes

The helter skelter action is punctuated with very funny songs in pastiche mode with recorded backing tracks of arrangements by David Hayes although ensemble numbers were  a tad overamplified for my liking.  The production featured very clever use of video insets and we loved Kevin McCormack's take on Dragon's Den occupants.  There are several cameos by  commentators Micheal O Muiracheartaigh and 'Smarty' Morrissey  via video link. We loved   Lady GAA GAA's hairdo a la Princess Leila with Sliothars in place of plaits.  The fast paced production was directed by theatrical wizard  Bryan Flynn.

Writer and Director Bryan Flynn

Hurling  afficionados in our party from Waterford and Cork declared that the hurling references were spot on and they  and loved the humour, characterisation and how the writers captured the essence of the great game. They identified closely  with the cri de coeur monologue at the end that applauded coaches of  Saturday morning juveniles and poked mild derision at the 'yummy mummies' arriving in tinted windowed SUVs who dropped their kids and at the gates to the pitch and dashed away.


This was a musical rural Ireland could take to its heart and in some senses hit the mark missed by      D'unbelievables in their recent show. At the heart of both productions is the  gentle lampooning  of  rural community life  but here the humour   was firmly placed in a contemporary  context.  This show should have a longer shelf life than I Keano which drew on the  events of one particular season.

Fans of Waterford man Bryan Flynn will never forgive him if it doesn't do a run in his native county with stalwarts Riche Hayes and Linda Gough in the cast. Deise fans will lap it up despite the jokes at their expense. (Why is Waterford called the Déise? Because THEYshudda  won this and Theyshudda'  won that!). I believe plans are afoot to bring it to Waterford in the Autumn,

There was a surreal mingling of audience and stage personas as several pundits and commentators were spotted in the Crush bar during the interval.
We were delighted to meet Bryan Flynn after the show and great to see him building his national reputation in the musical. world. I remember well his early stage ventures on the stage in the Theatre Royal Waterford. He tells me that his musical  Michael Collins may also be on the way back. I am  and still waiting for an opportunity to hear his musical Pentimenti of which I have heard wonderful reports.

Best wishes to all involved. Highly recommended !



Don’t miss this epic saga of Hurleys, Heroes and Hang Sangwidges!!