Just Put Your Lips Together

284

hen Rie Maruyama arrived in Ireland back in 2010, it was just for a quick week-long tour of Dublin and Galway.

It was a week that left a deep impression. Deep enough for Rie to quit her job and move here a year later, “for one or two years”.

The lady is still here, having fallen in love with the culture, the people, “the atmosphere” – and, perhaps most importantly, the tin whistle.

Yep, the feckin’ tin whistle, that little twig of a wind-driven wonder that everyone from Micho Russell to Mary Bergin has managed to spark a party whilst inducing heartache for the homeland in many a lonely emigrant.

Having studied with the great Antoín McRobin, two years ago, Rie started giving free tin whistle lessons every Monday night in The Harbour Bar, with a handful of wide-eyed enthusiasts showing up on that first night. Today, there are so many students, Rie has had to divide the night between absolute beginners (from 7.30pm to 8pm), beginners (8pm to 8.30pm) and those who can play The Lonesome Boatman with one hand (from 8.30pm to 9pm).

Rie also does private lessons, should you need that one-on-one attention – you can email [email protected] or call 0894601768.

In the meantime, we swung by The Harbour Bar just before the lessons kicked off, Rie’s good buddy, Sue, in town, the duo having just completed yet another groovy Asian-Irish Cultural Festival.

Update: Rie is travelling the world again; you can check out her tin whistle lessons on Facebook here.