Rural pubs all over the country are experiencing difficult times currently, so it’s good when one has reason to celebrate.

And Whelan’s Pub in the South Galway village of Shanaglish has plenty to celebrate this weekend with the launch of a new, multi-media album entitled Nights In Shanaglish, which was recorded on the premises.
 

This production, features song, music, story and dance documented during a series of recordings in Whelan’s. Available on vinyl, CD and DVD, it is is a community project, involving people from the area.

The release has been directed and produced by Vincey Keehan and Paddy Egan. Vincey, a local man, has been living in San Francisco for the past 30 years, and it was there he struck up a friendship with Paddy Egan from Wicklow, who now lives in London.

Vincey is a singer as well as playing the mandolin and guitar, while Paddy’s instrument is the concertina. The two regularly met up for sessions in Whelan’s when Vincey was home on holidays and the idea for this project came from those musical nights.

“The idea was to catch a snapshot of rural life in South Galway-North Clare in Mike Whelan's pub, to show what sessions are like there and to show the community spirit among people during nights spent there,” explains Paddy.

“It started last year in August; we had a day and night recording session then. This year in June we had two evenings and night of recording, and from there we went into design and production.”

Musicians on the album include Susan Fogarty (fiddle), Séamus Keehan (whistle), Niall Finnegan (guitar and vocals), Anthony McGrath (guitar and vocals), Joe Kearney (vocals), Paddy Egan (concertina and dance), Vincey Keehan (guitar, mandolin, vocals, and lilting), Colie Moran (banjo), Brian O'Halloran (vocals), Mary Noonan (vocals), Rosie Keehan (vocals) and Paul O'Driscoll (double bass).

The performances include many locally composed songs by young and old performers, as well as older material. The music ranges from American Swing Country songs to contemporary arrangements of Irish music, Yiddish and Old-Timey waltzes to local yarn stories. Sean-nós dancing also features.

Nights In Shanaglish was recorded by sound engineer Brendan Hearty (of At the Racket), mixed by Seán O’Driscoll (of So There you go) and mastered by Ruairí Flaherty (who has played with Máirtín O’Connor, Donnacha Moynihan).

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.