After an amazing first trip to Ireland, I came home eager to learn some Irish tunes. I play mediocre fiddle and piano in the Boston Scottish and Cape Breton scene, but there’s not a ton of overlap in repertoire. I joined a Boston area Irish Fiddle group on FB to try to suss out where and what people play.

Deep in the winter, still stinging from my Wicklow Way failure, I saw a post asking for help. A long-established slow jam session in Galway had been on the hunt for a loaner accordion for decades. They finally had one offered for donation… but it was in New Hampshire. If anyone was coming from New England this summer, could they perhaps squeeze said squeezebox in their luggage?

I had been watching flights for May to take my vengeance on Wicklow, so I shot the group leader, Ryan, a message: IF I came to Ireland, MAYBE I could bring the accordion. Soon after, there was another post in the group: “GREAT NEWS, Theresa from Boston has agreed to deliver us the accordion!” I was then thrown into a group chat called “International Accordion Rescue.” Not one to ignore fate when it comes a’knockin, I took it as a sign to do the dang thing, and committed to the trip.

The accordion’s journey began in an Old Navy parking lot with a handoff from Bob, a NH local. Packing my fiddle, the accordion, all my remote work stuff, and gear for a 7-day hike was interesting; I ended up checking the accordion in a suitcase and hoped for the best. It made it to Dublin unscathed, and we went on a winding journey together along the Ring of Kerry and across the Ballaghisheen Pass. And on a Monday night in a bar called “The Office,” the accordion reached her new home: the Galway Slow Trad Session.

I spent 3 nights in Galway and attended the Monday and Tuesday slow sessions at The Office, which were awesome. Everyone was super nice, and the sessions had sets with sheet music, which was a great way to learn common tunes played in the area. I was working remotely that week, and settled into a routine of a morning walk around Galway, grabbing a yummy lunch somewhere, and going to sessions at night.

*wool on wool part II at my remote work station*

I planned to grab dinner with Ryan and the crew on my last night in Galway. Before dinner, I was asked the question I didn’t realize I’d been waiting my whole life to hear: “Do you play ukulele?” Um, yes, yes I do… why? Turns out Galway has a long-standing and very popular UKULELE SESSION!

After grabbing some grub, we found the session at Taylor’s. 20 people crammed in with their ukes and belted renditions of the Cranberries and Elton John. We even played David Bowie, for god’s sake. It was truly the most wholesome shit I have ever experienced.

I have found in my 30 years on this big blue ball that when you open yourself up to ridiculousness from the universe, the universe really delivers. Was it a little silly to smuggle an accordion across the Atlantic for a group of strangers? YES! Was it absolutely worth it? DOUBLE YES!!

where: galway, ireland
when: mystical may and i’m just about ready to move there
how: galway slow trad session & galway ukulele group

international accordion rescue

the wicklow way: clonegall to lough dan

porglandia