Irish Ukulele Tabs

40 Comments

1. Jimmy March 12th, 2008 9:51 pm
   

   Yup, no ukulele clubs. In fact, there’s only about five people I’m aware of that play the ukulele in Ireland. I wouldn’t say the traditional thang is stopping the ukulele, just that the uke’s pretty much unheard of. People will either of heard about the ukulele through The Simpsons or “that big fat guy with the tiny guitar”. Meh.

   Also, I’ve never heard of any of this stuff. Although, I chose to study classical violin rather than the traditional fiddle.

2. Woodshed March 13th, 2008 10:44 pm
   

   Five people is a start. So, why is the ukulele unheard of in Ireland?

3. Tony Boland March 21st, 2008 12:10 pm
   

   Hi All,
   Yes, you are right, there is no ukulele club in Ireland……yet! but hopefully this is about to change!
   I just got interested in the Uke last year and after struggliung to find ANYONE who might be able to help with lessons have been chugging along on my own. However, around the beginning of the year I started making contact with some Irish ukers scattered throughtout Ireland with the intention of starting some sort of UKE club or occasional get togethers to play and share the love of the uke.
   I am now in the process of trying to organise this and will let you know how it goes.
   My email address should anyone wnat to contact me about this is : tonyboland@esatclear.ie.
   Slainte,
   Tony

4. Friday Links | Uke Hunt March 21st, 2008 2:11 pm
   

   […] week, I mused out loud that I didn’t think there were any ukulele groups in Ireland. Tony got in touch and told me that he’s in the process of setting one up. If you’re […]

5. Woodshed March 21st, 2008 2:12 pm
   

   That’s great news, Tony. I’ve mentioned it in the latest post. Good luck with the group.

6. Mute April 9th, 2008 7:53 pm
   

   give me a shout, play the Uke, live near Dublin. willing to spread the good word, and feel like less of a freak :)

7. Woodshed April 9th, 2008 11:26 pm
   

   Hi, Mute. I’m not sure if Tony will be following the comments. You’d be best of sending him an email at the address above.

8. Mute June 23rd, 2008 3:05 pm
   

   Any sign of the Irish Ukers?
   No word from Tony (have emailed)
   Anyone still up for it, get in touch, thewintermute@hotmail.com.

9. Stephen Rigley July 25th, 2008 12:50 am
   

   Please email Tony @ the address above, there is a get together on the 9th of Aug in Dublin planned.
   Steve

10. Tony Boland July 29th, 2008 8:08 am
    

    Hi Mute,
    I just saw your post and responded immediately.
    I have sent you a direct email with all details of Ukeireland get together for Saturday August 9th. If you need any further details, just reply to my email and I will be happy to help
    Tony

11. Cian March 14th, 2009 2:36 pm
    

    Hey Guys!
    I live in Mayo and I play the ukulele!! Guess that makes six!
    It really is an unknown instrument here! People think its really strange that i play it, until they hear its beautiful sound!

12. Col March 18th, 2009 12:12 am
    

    Colin here from Cork, Ireland.

    I play a Hawaiian Lanakai Concert Ukulele every day!

    Bumped into it when living in Hawaii, it’s impossible not to see them! Bought this in Sydney now where I am currently living!

    Ukulele is a real nice instrument and think it may complement Irish Trad music in some way!

13. Tony Boland June 1st, 2009 2:04 pm
    

    Hi Colin from Cork and Cian from Mayo. If you contact me though “ukuhooley@ukeireland.com” I will be only too pleased to add you to our monthly Ukulele mailing list.
    Check out our ukeireland.com Forum.
    Regards,
    Tony

14. Molly F October 10th, 2009 9:04 pm
    

    Apparently, the ukulele scene is getting a bit bigger over here in Ireland. Hopefully the festival in Dublin would’ve promoted it quite a bit. My local music shop is stocking way more ukes than usual. Personally, I think that it’s the recession. The uke is cheap and cheery and just what people need.

    Also, Trad. music isn’t massive here. It’s mostly just pop and rock.

    Love the site!
    X

15. Woodshed October 10th, 2009 9:35 pm
    

    Molly: Great to hear it’s kicking off. The Great Depression is often blamed for killing off the popularity of the uke in the 30s, so who knows.

16. Tony Boland October 10th, 2009 10:50 pm
    

    Hi Al and Molly,
    Yes, the Ukulele Hooley 2009 does seem to have raised the visibility of the ukulele generally in Ireland. We were really surprised to have over a thousand people at the festival and also a great number of ukuleles were sold at it.
    Today we started a beginners class for an hour before the start of our usual Ukulele Meetup and a quite a number of new people came along for it. We are going to run this class regularly from now on.
    Interesting to note, when we were setting the irish uke festival up, we got what can only be described as a lukewarm reception from the Dublin Music Shops and it was amazing to see as the media profile on the festival began to build up (we got great Press, Radio and Television and great support from the internet) these same shops had whole windows dedicated to the ukulele in the week leading up to it.
    I was in one of the major shops in Dublin last week , who previously would only have stocked one or two coloured ukes but now they had a whole wall of all sizes, shapes and qualities of ukes.
    So I think we can at last begin to say there is a growing but vibrant ukulele community in Ireland!
    Hope to meet you sometime Molly!
    and anytime you feel like venturing over to Dublin Al, I would be happy to meet you and take good care of you!
    Regards,
    Tony
    PS:
    We have also started a Ukulele Open Mic at the Shebeen Chic in the centre of Dublin and you can find details on the website: http://www.ukeireland.com
    Here is a link to the finale of the Festival when over 50 Ukulele Players came on stage for a rousing version of “Ain’t She Sweet”
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx9VAPXi3Xk

17. Woodshed October 11th, 2009 4:07 pm
    

    Tony: Good to hear. The local music shop here has been picking up on them as well. They’ve now got some Ohanas in and they had an in-store from the Re-Entrants.

18. Grace May 3rd, 2010 6:21 pm
    

    hey just started playin ukulele and i live in wicklow :)
    i know about 3 other people who play it as well so its definetely not as uncommon as it used to be.
    i think the real problem is that its like impossible to get a good ukulele here..
    im trying to teach myself but there are no “teach yourself ukulele books” like there are “teach yourself guitar” which really annoys me..
    if anyone knows any shops you can get them in it would really help me out :D

19. Tony Boland May 4th, 2010 8:47 am
    

    Hi Grace,
    Just saw your post and glad to hear you (and your friends)play the ukulele. In Dublin, a number of shops NOW sell a variety of ukuleles (some good quality ones) and books on the uke as well.
    If you have a look at the ukeireland website you wee a list of shops that sell ukes both in Ireland and online and a description of what they have to offer.
    We also run lessons at our UkuHooley Meetings so you are welcome to come along and join in any time.
    All the details of where the UkuHooley meetups are held are on the website. http://www.ukeireland.com
    McCullough Piggot certainly have a good few books on uke playing.
    Drop us a line at the website if you don’t have any luck, but I’ll be surprised if you can’t get what you are looking for.
    Best,
    Tony

20. Maria October 18th, 2010 4:23 pm
    

    I have started ‘playing’ the ukulele since June, but have found it so difficult to find lessons in Cork City, did manage to find one guy, and he was really good but he moved to Dublin back at the end of July!! Cant find anyone else…can anyone advise..?

21. Colm October 28th, 2010 2:58 pm
    

    Howdy Folks
    Started playing Ukulele in Jan 2010 and enjoyed it so much that convinced my primary school principal to buy one for each of the children in my class (20 in total)
    I am teaching it as part of the music curriculum and the children are obsessed with them , I suppose it is a novelty
    Anyway any advice or suggestions would be very much appreciated as I am a novice myself
    Go raibh maith agaibh
    Colm

22. Tony Boland October 28th, 2010 6:08 pm
    

    Hi Colm,
    Glad to hear you are also bring the uke into the Irish classroom…it seems to be gathering apace, you are the third teacher I have heard of in the last month teaching the uke in schools here in Ireland.
    Beannacht leat!
    Tony
    http://www.ukeireland.com

23. Tony Boland October 28th, 2010 8:05 pm
    

    Colin,
    One further thing that may be useful to you as a ukulele class teacher is to subscribe to the Canadian website run by uke virtuoso James Hill. Its directed at Ukulele teachers.
    here’s the link:
    http://www.ukuleleyes.com/issues/vol9/no1/feature.htm

24. Colm November 8th, 2010 10:01 pm
    

    Thanks for the comments folks
    Things going well at present
    Go raibh math agaibh
    Colm

25. cian November 16th, 2010 1:27 pm
    

    This is all nicely intriguing to me.

    I fell in love with the uke around about 2005 and I am still in wonder at how a small novelty toy-ish instrument is still receiving far more serious playing than my classical guitar.
    I’m teaching classes in Dublin through VEC adult education, and am thinking now of getting some private students…

    uke on,
    cian

26. Rónan January 6th, 2011 10:29 pm
    

    Yo!!!
    Im in wicklow/carlow when i got my uke last christmas i had absolutely no idea what to do because there is absolutely nobody around giving lessons, but with the help of ukehunt and youtube kinda taught myself and now im giving lessons, i have three students, one of whom is my brother:)

27. Tony Boland January 7th, 2011 12:17 am
    

    Hi Ronan,
    So why don’t you come along and meet us for one of the Ukulele monthly meetups ?

    Info here: http://ukeireland.com/eden-park-shebeen-chic-meetups/

    Keep on uking!

28. Luke Stafford Lacey July 14th, 2011 6:13 pm
    

    hey guys!
    just reading through the comments and i too after teaching myself how to play has began lessons in my local school and area with about 25-30 students =]

29. Woodshed July 14th, 2011 11:57 pm
    

    Luke: That’s great to hear!

30. Davey, Wesht Limerick July 18th, 2011 5:59 pm
    

    Hello, My names Davey and I’m a Ukoholic….. these things should carry an addiction warning….

31. tony boland July 18th, 2011 7:11 pm
    

    Hi Davey,
    Thank you for sharing…you’re amongst those with the same affliction!
    Thanks for sharing :-)
    Tony

32. Fiona March 5th, 2012 9:54 am
    

    Hello,

    Anybody interested in giving ukulele lessons in Cork city or know of a class that already exists?

    Fiona

33. tony boland March 5th, 2012 11:06 pm
    

    Hi Fiona,

    I get a lot of enquiries from people in the Cork and around the South East looking for lessons or ukulele meetups in the area.
    Well, the West Cork Ukulele Orch. are about to change all that with the launch of the Ukulele Le Cheile at DeBarras in Clonakilty on Sunday 26th February from 14.00 to 15.30.

    Here’s what they say to any ukers in the area:

    “Drop in, bring a ukulele and learn easy happy songs from the West Cork Ukulele Orchestra. Hosted upstairs in DeBarras, Clonakilty and open to all ages and levels of ability. Can’t play? We’ll show you how!”

    Great to see the West Corker’s spreading the ukey love

    I posted this on the UkeIreland website so maybe you could check it out?
    Cheers,
    Tony

34. norman March 21st, 2012 10:09 pm
    

    i just stumbled on this site looking for “maggie” and read a familiar story that seems to be worldwide. my wife and I became uke addicts 12 mths ago in Newcastle, australia, where over 200 people enjoy playing and it is increasing every day. There is generally 40 to 60 people at one main get together and 40 to 50 at another in the same week plus being asked to play at city and private functions. Groups gather at different venues, homes, clubs ,etc to have fun playing and our small home group of 8 to ?????, people now play at a nursing home for the aged once a month ,and I am now learning ,????? harmonica to add an extra bit of flavour…. Uke playing is being taught in some schools also by the man who started it all here . Some seventy players competed in the television show ” Australia’s Got Talent” ,last month. All of this can be viewed at http://www.thesumoftheparts.com. or just google- ukulele in newcastle australia and it should be there….. ” keep on uken on “

35. shauna November 6th, 2012 5:16 pm
    

    Hey anyone living near donegal that know of shops selling ukulele my son seen them on nation wide and don’t want to spend a complete fortune on them but can’t seem to find where you can actually buy one for him

36. shauna November 6th, 2012 5:22 pm
    

    where do you buy ukulele’s in ireland through a shop and not on the internet can’t seem to get any at all thats of good quality. My son seen them on nationwide a few weeks ago and now wants one for chrsitmas. We don’t want to spend a lot of money on an instrument if he’s not going to keep it up

37. Tony Boland November 6th, 2012 7:03 pm
    

    Hi Shauna,
    A few yrs ago there were not many music shops in Ireland selling good quality ukuleles but thankfully times have changed and there are now quite a number of shops in Dublin who stock quality instruments.
    To see what you might be interested in, check out the “New to uke” link here on “Ukehunt” and the you might have a look at the list of Irish Retailers on the side bar of the UkeIreland website at : http://ukeireland.com/
    Good hunting :-)
    Tony

38. Steve Whiddon March 16th, 2014 1:57 pm
    

    Hey I’d love to come over for a ukulele club. That being said, I don’t have the money to get there, nor a job or way to support my family there, nor a house, nor a job for my wife, school for my boys, etc. but if someone has a great package deal for all that, just let me know. I’ll bring my uke and have Mikey (my 9-year old beginning uke playing boy) bring his. He’s working on a sweet version of the intro to “Brown-Eyed Girl” and he can totally pluck he melody out to “Imperial March” from Star Wars.

39. Hannah Bevan October 8th, 2016 9:30 am
    

    Just if any of ye were interested, many music classes in schools have started using the ukulele instead of the usual tin whistle or recorder. This has happened in a nearby school, and has been very popular. Also saw news of a ukulele club in Wicklow if any of ye live near

40. karen December 13th, 2016 3:28 pm
    

    Just heard a song – sort of vaudevillian about Maggie O’Toole and learning the hula (hooley) and going crazy over Hawaiian music. Anyone heard of it? Know where I can get my hands on the sheet music? Thanks.