The Anchor Bar Irish Music Session!

Welcome to the Anchor Bar Session.

Monday night is the Session night & all passing musicians receive a warm welcome at this weekly Session in Portstewart, Co. Derry, on the Causeway Coast of Northern Ireland. 
So if you are heading this way, we hope you will call in & share a few tunes with us. 
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The regular instrumental line up includes Fiddle, Harp, Flute, Mandolin, Fife, Anglo Concertina, Tenor Banjo, Harmonica, Tin Whistle, Hammered Dulcimer & Scottish Smallpipes. 

We gather by the fire in the front bar, where there is always room & a warm welcome, for passing musicians.

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Here's a video of a typical Causeway Coast Session.

 Rathlin Air, Turfahun Barndance, Kate Marie & Rathlin Reel 



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The Anchor Bar: Musical History!

In the late 1970s, there were regular sessions held in the Anchor Bar, in the section which is now an Off Licence & the musicians who were involved in the sessions back then, were all students at the local university. 

I am happy to report that they are all still playing & in fact, have all become household names in the world of Irish Traditional Music.  
They included Fermanagh Melodeon player Ciaran Kelly, Fermanagh Bouzouki player Ciaran Curran, Singer & Broadcaster Brian Mullen, Fermanagh Musician Fintan McManus, Belfast Flute player the Reverend Canon Gary Hastings  & Belfast Flute player Desi Wilkinson 
Here's a video of a lecture given by Gary & Brian for The Library of Congress in Washington.
 Rediscover Northern Ireland


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If you know of any others, I'd be delighted to hear of them & give them an honourary mention here.

 Ciaran Kelly 

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Here's a video which includes two of those fine musicians who were involved in the early Anchor Bar Sessions: Ciaran Kelly & Ciaran Curran. 

 The Dernawilt Jig, The Marine and Con Cassidys 

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The Anchor Bar Resident Musicians!

The use of Traditional musical instruments is what gives any Session in Ireland its unique sound, so our choice of instruments reflects our geographic location, here on the N. E. coast of Ireland, looking out across the sea to the Scottish Highlands & Islands.

On any Monday night then, the Traditional instruments you will hear in the Anchor will include the Fiddle, Harp, Flute, Mandolin, Fife, Anglo Concertina, Tenor Banjo, Harmonica, Tin Whistle, & Scottish Smallpipes.


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Here are a selection of photos showing the regular musicians at the Anchor Bar Session. 

Dick Glasgow on Fiddle!

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Sabine on Harp!
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Ruairidh Morrison

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Piper Alan Wade.

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Friends of the Anchor Bar Session!

The Session got off to a flying start, on Monday 23rd May 2011, when local musician Donal Hill arrived in to support this new venture, with his Fiddle over his shoulder & his Guitar under his arm.

Donal Hill

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Here's Donal Hill again, this time backing Alan's Scottish Smallpipes.

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We were delighted to be joined again on 6th June, by multi-talented Donal on Fiddle, Guitar & Songs, plus Frank on his Seamus O'Kane Bodhran, for the first time ... the first of many, we hope.

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July 25th 2011

The last Session with local musician Donal Hill, before he headed off to Switzerland.

 Videos

#1  Alan Wade, Donal Hill & Sabine Glasgow

playing Scottish Smallpipes, Guitar & Harp

#2  Donal Hill & Sabine Glasgow

playing Fiddle & Harp 

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August 2nd 2011

We had THREE sets of Scottish Smallpipes at the Session last night.

Here's a photo of two of them in action.

Maurice Bradley on Border Pipes, Alan Wade on Scottish Smallpipes, 

with Ruairidh Morrison on Flute.

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August 15th 2011

We were lucky to be joined last night, by this excellent young Fiddle player from Portglenone, Co. Antrim.

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August 22nd 2011

We were delighted to welcome Dave Lees to our session tonight,

all the way from the Midlands of England.

Here he is with his great wee Mandolin.

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Here's Dave again, this time with Ruairidh, Sabine & Alan.

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