...and some guys gather in the corner and a small session starts. I didn't have any instruments on me, but I go over and listen. Nothing fancy, just a concertina and a banjo. But then one of them says something along the lines of "Iarraidh ar dhuine amhrán a rá" ("hey, somebody say a song"). You must realize that it's never "sing a song", it's always "say" because the words are more important than then melody.

Well, I take the bait and sit over by them and pull my cap over my brow (which is what a storyteller does) and start reciting the old song Oró Sé do Bheatha 'Bhaile. What I didn't expect was when one of the guys start winding me. Winding is when somebody will take the hand of a singer and start moving it clockwise. It's a symbol of solidarity and a way to tell the singer that you love the song and really 'feel' the lyrics.

Well, I'm done and people start clapping, and I'm brought over a pint and a man sits down and begins with the comhrá na Gaeilge (Gaelic conversation). I stop him, "Níos moille" (Slow down). He helps me a bit with the language, mind you, I'm still learning, and we have a good time. Eventually, somebody turns to him and says "Tomaltchach, a story! A story!" He just looks at them, and with a smile replies "Is tuísce deoch ná sceál!" (A drink first, then a story). They laugh, bring over the black stuff, and he goes into the wonderful story of his childhood in Kerry, but that'll have to wait for a different day...