Looking for good craic

Walking around Kinsale’s square, looking for the farmer’s market, when I come across Kate Sloyan, the proprietress of Apéritif, out walking her dogs. She’s with her daughter, an attractive twenty-something, who is miffed at her mom for dragging her down to a juice shop that isn’t open. You still have to take me out to lunch, says the young woman, only now I get to pick.

Kate just laughs. Apparently nothing bothers Kate. Lovely attitude. I ask her about the farmer’s market. Ah gawd, she says, waving a hand in disgust. Who knows? They’ve moved the days, moved the location. I think it’s on Wednesdays now, but god only knows where. Used to be on the Short Quay. Perfect there. Very popular. Then the city said it had to be moved. For health and safety issues. What health and safety issues? you ask. No one knows. I think everyone is disgusted with the whole thing now. Maybe they’ll move it back to the Quay, which is where it belongs.

Kate’s daughter is looking very bored by this conversation. Don’t blame her. She wants to go eat. Fishy Fishy, she says. Not there again, says Kate. I like their fish ‘n’ chips, says the young woman. I ask Kate where Mr. Lynch and I should go to listen to music tonight.

Well, says Kate, there’s a trad session at Dalton’s tonight. Good craic.

What’s a trad session?

Traditional Irish music. The real thing at Dalton’s. Not something brought in for tourists. In fact, you might be the only tourists there if you go. Good craic, she says again.

Off goes Kate, being pulled by her white dogs and her daughter, waving back at me. I wander down the street to Blue Haven. Sign out in front lists their music line up. Billy Crosbie & Friends “singing all your favorites” tonight. Not sure how Billy Crosbie knows what my favorites are. Can he do Florence + The Machine, I wonder? See him if he could. Tomorrow is Crazy Chester. Lousy name, that. “Rocking Kinsale as fans of Johnny Cash, Neil Young & Bob Dylan.” Doesn’t that sound deathly. Looks like it’s Dalton’s. For a trad session and some good craic.