Order Of Bards

I was in the middle of finishing off new templates for my new Celtic Ways web site, that I cannot wait to launch.

This work, combined with some recent emails and some dialogue with Mac Gunn of Brobdingnagian Bards, who is arriving on his first tour of Ireland shortly ..... threw me into a spin of a new idea.

The Order Of Bards idea

Several people email me requesting that their Ireland vacation here includes creative writing, exploration into classic and ancient Irish writers, going to harp concerts, finding out more about Irish harpers, writing poetry,
sharing poetry, story telling ..... and the list is endless

All wonderful, wonderful reasons for being in Ireland.

This combines so well with the visits to ancient and sacred sites that can feel as if their fires and flames are being rekindled and restored when a song, poem or story is shared within a sacred site left dormant.

If you have seen the "Dead Poets Society" movie which I am sure many of you have, something similar, broader and as special can be shared in so many places around Ireland.

There is the highly respected Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids in the UK and, understandably, membership requires substantial training, apprenticeship and testing over several years.

Without disrespect to this wonderful order I would like to offer a "fringe" version of this that you can achieve just be being on vacation with us for as little as one day !!

Have any of you heard or or remembered any of the various albums by the Portsmouth Sinfonia Orchestra?

It was an orchestra founded by Phil Shepherd, also founder of the Bath Arts Workshop and John Cale, best known as violinist with the Velvet Underground.
 
It was an orchestra that anyone could join without any formal musical education .... or even any musical ability!

The Portsmouth Sinfonia included musicians such as
2nd comb and toilet paperist.

Well, my plot now is to form something similar called the
"Order Of Bards".

Two qualifications for joining the Celtic Ways "Order Of Bards" is .......

1)  Join any of our Celtic Ways tours
     for a minimum of one day.

2)  Learn how to write and publish an online blog,
     if you do not publish one already. (I'll show you how!)

If you are already a writer, poet, singer, storyteller or harpist then you are already well ahead with this project.

If you are merely a fan of writers, poets, singers, storytellers and harpists ..... then this is just for you too.

I am compiling a template itinerary for a tour called
"Bard, Harp & Quill"

... and this will attempt to present what we see and do on our other tours through the eyes of  a novice bard
about to be inspired, capturing of spirit and letting it all flow through words and rhyme in voice, music and through the quill, pen (or keys).   

OrderOfBards.com is registered
and small web site to support it to soon follow.

You will hear more of this soon too

Meanwhile, please chat to me with your ideas about this ..


........ but more immediate for now, especially if you are in Ireland.

Robin Williamson, the Bard,  is in Ireland now !!

Anyone who goes to these concerts can qualify for part 1)
of the two requirements to join our "Order Of Bards".

If you already publish a blog
send my your blog or feed URL
and you'll qualify for part 2)

I think I'll need to create membership parchments :-)

So for Robin its .......

Tonight, 8:00 pm Ireland time,
May 17th (Thurs)  Dublin
Douglas Hyde Gallery within Trinity College

May 18th (Friday) Glendalough, Co. Wicklow
within the Glendalough Visitor's Centre

Meet me there !!!!!

May 19th (Saturday)  Dingle
at St. James Church, famous for its "Other Voices" concert

May 20th (Sunday)  Bally Ferriter, Co. Kerry
a sort of 60s Greenwich Village type club on the Dingle Peninsula.

May 21st (Monday)  Wallis's Town Hall Bar, Midleton, Co. Cork
about half way between Cork City and Youghal,
easy to get to  from Cork City
and one of Ireland's top session and bard concert venues

20 euros each show

Contact me
and ask for tickets for the day or days you are interested in.

I'm not selling tickets this year but will quickly forward you to the folks that are.

Let me know if you need to book accommodation too!

Also let me know if you are interested in these
day tours before Robin's concerts .......

May 18th day tour will be
Stone Circles of Co. Wicklow
Local tour of Glendalough

May 19th day tour will include
Castledermot High Crosses & Mating Stone
Brownshill Dolmen - largest in Ireland
Shrone Bealtaine City

May 20th
Prehistoric Museum
Megalithic sites of Dingle.

We will make arrangements for you to return to Dublin on Monday, May 21st such as connect to train from Tralee, and flights from Shannon, Kerry, Galway or Knock airports
...... or you might like to travel with me to Co. Sligo for more adventures.

Again, to enjoy this tour and Robin concert package please contact me and ask for days you are interested in.