But these pieces are so seamless, so personal, so true, that even the most rapt listener would have a hard time recreating the moment. They come and they pass. If you're lucky, you' re there to hear them. Those types of evenings are still common enough even in today's Celtic Tiger Ireland. When friends call to the house, televisions and radios are shut off.
People talk, they share stories, sometimes they sing.
The other night my partner, John, and a friend of ours brought this Irish tradition around the world with great effect. I must say that both of them have a good sense of humor and a way with words. So they told stories. They sang songs. They called for other people listening to do the same.