2016 Rochester Irish Fest

The Rochester Irish Fest is our favorite end-of-summer celebration! RavensFire has played at the festival for six years running, and we’re happy to be part of the excitement.

Attendees expect traditional Irish music at this festival, and we did our best to deliver. Everyone loves Whisky in a Jar (on our new CD) and the lullaby Hush Little Baby (also on the CD). This time we brought a few new tunes to the mix, like Finnegan’s Wake, a ballad famous since the 1850s.

RavensFire has always been featured on the main stage, and this year the band joined the fun in the Culture Room, where everyone enjoyed tea, some acoustic music from RavensFire and stories from the band’s trips to Ireland.

For those few of our fans who missed the stories and songs, we talked about such excitements as writing a thank you note, buying a souvenir in Dublin, or enjoying a morning cup of coffee.

Tea and stories at the Irish Fest

Larry shared a story from one of his trips to Ireland a couple of years ago. He likes to get up early in the morning and that morning was no different. The owner of the Kirrary House B&B, Eileen Collins, was up early, too; saw him heading out for a walk and asked if he’d like a cup of coffee.

“That would be wonderful” said Larry. To his surprise, Eileen walked over to the china cabinet and picked out a beautiful china tea cup, one like your grandmother’s mother would have handed down to you. Eileen filled it up with coffee and Larry heads out the front door towards Avondale road when she calls out to him.

“Don’t let the devil be makin’ you drop that cup now!”

Larry sat down on the front step, finished a lovely cup of coffee, and never let go of the cup until he handed it back to Eileen and went out to the street to finish his morning walk.