Thursday, April 8, 2010

Carna Bay hotel - Connemara


Oh, years ago it was.

Like lots of the best things in life - i have no idea how it happened. But we ended up in Carna Bay. And we plomped down in the Carna Bay hotel.

Some days you just get lucky.

Now we return each year or so - chiefly on our own but sometimes with my mum and dad.

Tonight as i write this, sipping a glass of Paddy, there's a local birthday.

They had a 'do' in the restaurant and now they're in the bar, singing.

Some in English, mostly in Irish, all of it solo. All of it better than i would ever dare to hope to sing.

Great long lines of songs, with huge lungs of breath. A beautiful tune and then gentle, loving applause.

This is worth £50 a ticket in any one's money. But it's free and freely given among the family and friends with whom we are privileged to share the evening.

A song ends. People are babbling and then a new voice comes through - with another song or another story - and the chatter falls away.

Another song. Another story.

And another song.
Don't stop.

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