JOHNNY KEENAN BANJO FESTIVAL

Irish seisuns ("sessions") are an informal gathering of musicians playing Irish tunes like jigs and reels. They're most commonly seen in corner booth-tables at pubs. There were tons of seisuns going at the banjo festival hotel (Longford Arms) & other pubs, like a huge one with 20 musicians at Tally Ho!

******* The bluegrass equivalent of an Irish seison is a Jam session. I did not see or play in any jam sessions, except I heard there were jam sessions after midnight but I preferred sleep. It turned out that Aleesh, lovely girl I was chatting with at the hotel bar, turned out she's a civil engineer working on Galway road projects, & plays flute in seisuns. Brothers in arms. I thought I'd see her again Saturday, see if she could meet in Galway but did not see her again. :( Fenton, a guy in the bluegrass banjo workshop, lent me his Irish tenor banjo, so I learned the basics on that instrument in an Irish banjo workshop. Tons of nice folk mostly from England that I met anyway.

BYE BYE LONGFORD

The drive from Longford to Ballymena was from 10:30AM-7PM Sunday, with stops in Armagh, City of Cathedrals for sightseeing, & a modern mall outside Portadown. Gorgeous early fall-like day Sunday, sunny but there were a couple five-minute long downpours. If ya don't believe me, just ask Annie Lennox who said so over the mall loudspeakers that it was falling on her head like a memory. The whole ride thru Co. Monaghan was scary SLIPPERY because someone's fuel tank apparently leaked all down the road!

I arrived at my friend's an hour late because I mapquested WAY instead of AVE but got there in time for chicken n pork dinner and lots to catch up on after 6 years! We'll head over to a freind of theirs tonite for more catching up & drinks.

Today sightseeing & museums in Carrickfergus Castle & museum just up the coast from Belfast. By myself since the gang is at work & school. Karen suggested I see some fantastic murals in Belfast, since I would appreciate the artwork. The murals are a product of the political situation. I am not to drive my rental-car in that area because it has a southern registration. They have what are called black-taxis that can take you thru the troubled sections.

The food in Ireland is fantastic. Irish breakfasts have an egg, sausages, rashers (lightly fried ham slices), pudding (patties of pork and pork-blood), hash browns, tomatoes, mushrooms, soda bread. The At the Centra's (like a Mobil Mart), quiche & fancy wraps. Nice hearty food at supermarkets like tons of soda bread.