Tá beirt cheoltóirí Mheiriceánacha i ndiaidh turas mór a dhéanamh ó Nua-Eabhrac go Béal Feirste le bheith ag teagasc i Scoil Samhraidh Fhéile Ceoil Bhéal Feirste.
Chaith Joanie Madden, arb as an Bronx di, seachtain ag teagasc na feadóige, agus bhí Brian Conway, arb as White Plains Nua-Eabhrac dó féin, ag teagasc na fidle.
Tá clú agus cáil ar Joanie as a bheith i gceannas ar an ghrúpa Cherish the Ladies, agus dúirt sí gur bhain sí an-sult as a bheith ag caitheamh na seachtaine i mBéal Feirste.
Joanie Madden
"I've had an amazing week. I have nineteen students from four different countries in my class. It's been incredible to be a part of this festival.
"I'm someone who has run music festivals and camps in America, and to see the operation that is run here is beyond anybody's wildest dreams.
"The enthusiasm from the people in the community is something to behold."
Tá Brian den bharúil go bhfuil TradFest Bhéal Feirste ina shampla don chuid eile den domhan.
"I think anybody who is thinking about starting or running a festival should look at this. It's the gold standard for how a large event should be run, and it's no surprise that it's the second largest summer school of its kind in the world."
Brian Conway
Dúirt sé fosta go bhfuil meascán iontach de chraic agus d'foghlaim sna ranganna.
"Everybody has a good sense of humour but they're also serious about the music."
Ar ndóighe, tá dlúthnasc idir phobal na hÉireann agus phobal Mheiriceá, agus tá sé sin thar a bheith tábhachtach do Joanie ina cuid ceoil. Baineann sé lena cuid pearsantachta agus féiniúlachta.
"My parents emigrated from Clare and Galway, I'm a first generation Irish-American. My dad was a champion accordion player
"It was very important to my parents and to thousands of others like myself that we pick up the music and carry on music, dancing, football, hurling.
Arsa Brian, "Being the son of an immigrant, immigrants tend to cling to their culture even more so than native people and my parents are no exception. I was part of a generation in which a lot of young Americans had Irish parents. My father always loved Irish music and so it was the most natural thing in the world for my family and I to pick up Irish music."
Cothaíonn ceol cumha agus mothúcháin sna ceoltóirí agus in achan duine, a deir Joanie, agus cuirtear fáilte mhór roimh lucht an cheoil in Éirinn.
"I have a house in County Clare, in Milltown-Malbay, because each time I came back there was something in my heart that would touch me that I knew that I was home. So there's been a deep connection with the music, country and people. Anybody who plays Irish music welcomes you, and if you can play a couple of tunes you're welcomed in."
FOCLÓIR:
Nua-Eabharc - New York
Ag teagasc - teaching
Ceoltóirí - musicians
Cumha - nostalgia
Féiniúlacht - identity
