July 19
The Roadside Tavern, Lisdoonvarna Billy Baldwin 2026
Another lazy day in Doolin. We got up slowly, drank coffee slowly, ate slowly, practiced some tunes……….not so slowly. Late morning Bridget got a message from her cousin Ronan. He lives not far from here in Ennis but messaged from out on Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands. He suggested getting together for dinner in Ennistymon or Lisdoonvarna. We could think of places in Ennistymon but not Lisdoonvarna. We got ourselves together and headed for Pot Duggans, which we remembered had some outdoor seating near the river Cullenagh that runs through town. We got there before Ronan, ordered our plates and drinks and waited under the partial shade of a tree for him to arrive.
James, Morgan and I were looking forward to hearing Tara Breen at Fitz’s, it was the only plan we’d made for the day. Tara is a renowned fiddler from County Clare. We spotted Ronan walking towards us and greeted him. He’s a second cousin to Bridget on her Mom’s side of the family. The last time we’d seen Ronan was 2018 in Ennis, so it was good to see him and catch up. We had a pleasant dinner and chat and found out that Eugene’s Whiskey Bar is in flux. Apparently Eugene would like to sell and retire but there’s some details that are complicating it. On our last trip we learned from Eugene that he owns the building, which he told us dates from the 1700’s. It’s been in his family for generations and because of that Eugene was exempt from changes in code that effect licensing an establishment such as his. If he sells though, the buyer will have to invest significant funds to bring it up to code and retain the operating license. We’ve gone by The Bar three times and it’s been closed. We were hoping to play there again but that’s now looking unlikely.
We bid Ronan farewell and headed back to Doolin. Made a quick stop by our rental, grabbed some necessities and headed down to Fitz’s to hear Tara Breen. Well…..somebody that manages their website screwed up because we were informed that Tara was on vacation and wouldn’t be playing. There was a session going on, but there were three fiddlers, we recognized Seamus Hynes, he plays flute left handed, and there was a keyboard as well but not a likely session for us. Sheeesh!!! So, we hit all the usual spots, nada! We thought, let’s check out the Roadside.
Billy Baldwin and James Hunter 2016. Mayuko, Roadside Tavern 2026
Down the road 15 minutes and we’re outside The Roadside Tavern. Morgan stepped inside and came out to say that a musician was packing up and the pub was quiet. People were watching the Spain vs. Argentina game under an enclosed outdoor area. We went inside and spoke to the young man tending bar, told him we’d played there many times, really loved it and that we had our instruments. He said, “it’s fine if you want to come in and play some tunes.” So we did just that. A few people drifted in to listen. A family that was having dinner seemed intrigued and stuck around. Andrew, the bartender, came with re-fills and the manager came to tell us how much they all enjoyed our playing. A young Japaneses woman named Mayuko was watching us. James and Morgan said to her “you look like a musician, you have that look about you.” She works at The Roadside and plays fiddle, loves Ireland and the music. James surprised her by speaking Japanese with her. She’s into the music and said she’d see us tonight at Fitz’s. Our old friend Billy Baldwin was sitting in an adjacent room close to the bar. He was the man behind the counter back in 2016. He retired just around Covid. He happened to be outside the pub when we visited in 2024. He’s a likable man and we’ve enjoyed seeing him each trip. The staff and manager told us to come anytime we were in the area. Kevin Griffin, a great banjo player, is going to be there Wednesday night, our last night here. We’re going to go hear him. We’re not sure if it’s an open session but if it’s not we’ll enjoy listening..