In June of 2015, Patch
Glennan competed in a North American competition for Irish Traditional Music.
As a result of coming in second place, he qualified to go to Ireland to compete
in the Ireland Championships, called Fleadh Ceol.
In August of this year, Patch set out with his father Bob to
Ireland for two weeks. During his trip he experienced new friendships and
stories and many other travel related encounters. The Fleadh
Ceol is a week
long event held once a year and brings the best musicians from around the world
to compete. This year the event was held in a town called Sligo, known for
great Irish Traditional musicians throughout. One of the main goals of this
trip was to attend a music school, taught by the masters of Irish Traditional
Music, for which Patch had earned a scholarship. During the school week, Patch
was selected by the instructors to be interviewed by a radio host from RTE
radio in Ireland. He was also asked to join in a show production that featured
the story and music of a famed Irish musician that had emigrated to America.
That musician, James Morrison, born in 1891 near Sligo, is considered one of
the main reasons Irish Traditional Music is heard in America today.
Apart from competing and some wonderful distractions
during the week in Sligo, Patch made ample use of his free time by touring the
sights and lands of Ireland. Of course the obligatory visits to historical structures and known monuments were first in order.
However, Patch was actually thrilled to walk the paths and hillsides of many rural areas and enjoyed the landscapes not seen by the usual tourist in a car or bus. He and his father photographed much of what they saw and relayed much of this to friends and family back home to share. His longest hike lasted over 4hrs and covered 8+ kilometers through fields, hills and cliffs!
A special moment for Patch was the meeting of cousins
that call Ireland home. Patch spent two days in a small fishing village,
Cleggan in County Galway, with cousins and shared music and stories in a small
village pub owned by one of them. He was able to visit an old family farmland
and house that many were born in as well. It was two great days that he will
never forget.
Patch played his fiddle in many Irish Traditional
Sessions over in Ireland, met many people, travelled many miles, and enjoyed
the chance to be a world traveler. That his first chance to go to Ireland would
be so memorable and filled with a lifetime of experiences was a sure hit. He
hopes to return one day to travel the Irish countryside and play music again
with new friends he will meet and others he will meet again.
(Patrick “Patch”
Glennan is a sophomore at Gloucester Catholic High School and is a 2nd
year member of the Rams Cross Country Team. He is also an avid Traditional
Irish Musician, playing the violin, and has had the humble experiences of
playing and performing his music for over 8 years now. Patch plays regularly in
Traditional Irish Music Sessions throughout the Delaware Valley and is also
seen playing at many of the Traditional Irish Dance events in the area as
well.)
