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getting ready to start the seisiún. |
White Plains – If you thought you had to book a flight and head to Doolin, County Clare, just to hear good live traditional Irish music, think twice before you call your travel agent. It may be the best kept secret in White Plains, New York but, on any given Wednesday evening, you don't have to look any farther than Dunne's Pub, 15 Shapham Place, for an authentic seisiún of traditional Irish and Celtic music.
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getting ready to start the seisiún. |
When he bought the bar, formerly known as Cooke's Tavern, more than eight years ago, Dunne's goal was to turn the place into a neighborhood Irish pub. He wanted to promote Irish culture to those already steeped in the tradition as well as to those who were not even Irish. A Celtic cross hangs prominently over the bar. The cozy arrangement of tables and chairs are complemented by Edmund O'Sullivan landscapes, and signs proclaiming brands such as Guinness, Harp, Murphy's, and Foster's dot the walls. In the back corner, the dartboards provide a home to the Tuesday night Darts League as well as a halo to the Wednesday night musicians.
Dunne's vision of hosting a seisiún at his pub was realized when he met Bronx native Brian Conway after following Conway's musical career at festivals. In addition to being an Assistant District Attorney for Westchester County (north of New York City) working in the office of Jeannine Pirro, Westchester County DA, Conway is a world class fiddler. He earned his first All Ireland title in 1973 at the age of 12 and went on to capture the Senior All Ireland title in 1986. After retiring from competition, Conway recorded Green Linnet's Apple in Winter. His talent is a showcase for the Sligo style of fiddling popularized by Michael Coleman. Conway credits his teacher, Martin Wynn, and mentor, Andy McGann, for their influence. Conway, himself, is a teacher of the tradition and notes that his most promising student, Patrick Mangan, will be featured along with McGann on Conway's upcoming CD. The convenience of Dunne's hospitality to Conway's job resulted in the birth of the Wednesday night seisiún at Dunne's Pub in December 1997.
Conway stresses that the seisiún is not a performance where the tunes are announced; rather, it is more like a jam session where musicians of all levels of talent join in. Conway explains “The goal is to faithfully mimic or imitate an authentic Irish seisiún as if one were in Doolin, Clare. That's why there is minimal amplification. The objective is to create an acoustic sound.”
On a recent Wednesday night, musicians joining Conway included JoEllen Bosson on fiddle, Dan Milner on guitar, Paddy Shields on bodhran, Muriel Eaton on harp, and Kira Sherwood, a classical violinist from Montana who is also a student of Conway's. The musicians vary each week and the group can grow to a dozen or so when the seisiún gets into full gear. Other musical guests have included Mike Rafferty, Don Meade, Andy McGann, and Jerry O'Sullivan.
O'Sullivan, a Grammy nominee, is lauded as the best uilleann piper in North America. He recently offered Dunne's seisiún-goers a taste of his critically acclaimed CD, The Gift. O'Sullivan is enthusiastic about the Dunne's seisiún. He comments “Because of Brian, the musical standard is a lot better than in other seisiúns. Sean is incredibly welcoming and very respectful of the musicians. That degree of hospitality is rare. Sean goes the extra mile. The atmosphere is very friendly and everyone is welcome even if they're rank beginners. Dunne's is a good social scene where friendships are forged.”
Each musician signs Dunne's guest book so that they might all be invited back at some time in the future for a Dunne's reunion seisiún. Conway is pleased with the feedback he has received about his collaboration with Dunne. He laughs when he notes that the Dunne's seisiún has more of a reputation in Ireland than it does in White Plains; but, he is quick to point out that the crowd at Dunne's is the most appreciative he has ever experienced in his 27 years of playing the fiddle. He suggests this might be because the music is new to Westchester.
Jeannie McHale of White Plains was enjoying dinner at a table of other Wednesday night regulars. She noted that the Wednesday night experience at Dunne's was “a great outlet for social and cultural interaction.” Francis Harrigan of Rye added “You don't have to go the city anymore to hear live traditional music. Sean is a great host and the talent is terrific. The variety of people attracted to the music includes a mix of age and not everyone is Irish.” He recounted how a baseball team came in one Wednesday evening to relive the highlights of their game. Rather than relegating the music to the background with their excited commentaries, the ball players paid the highest compliment to the musicians by placing the music in the foreground while their conversations provided the background noise.
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taking a well-deserved break |
For some 'caint, craic, agus ceol' (conversation, fun, and music), stop in to Dunne's Pub any Wednesday evening you are in Westchester.
Treoir is the international publication of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. An abridged version of this article also appeared in The White Plains Watch, June, 1999.