When measuring the success of any event, it is sometimes helpful to gauge it later on in the “afters” period when the scheduled activities have finished and people have the luxury of enjoying the extra bits and assessing all that transpired. 

When the Andy McGann Traditional Music Festival drew to a close with the final set of the young promising GIRSA musicians from Pearl River at around 7:20 p.m. last Saturday night, people were sent forth into the East Durham night on their own. 

Many made their way directly to the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock on Route 145 where Monsignor Charlie Coen concelebrated the Saturday vigil for the first time with Irish traditional musicians from the Catskills Irish Arts Week (CIAW) staff in the beautiful church built by the Irish of East Durham where every seat was filled.

Many more headed off for do-it-yourself sessions at the Shamrock House, McGrath’s, McKenna’s and Furlongs, where the overtime sessions went right up to the Sunday a.m. GAA games from Ireland.

It was all indicative that the juggernaut that was the 15th annual CIAW could not come to a screeching halt after so much momentum and craic building all week, and needed the extra hours to allow people to unwind or go out in a blaze of reels, jigs and frivolity that would sustain them until next year.

It may come as a surprise to many who attend the week -- and a confession of sorts -- but even as the architect of the CIAW now for the sixth year as artistic director, I never really know what to expect until the week unfolds before us in the spunky little hamlet of East Durham that is the heart of the Irish Catskills.  

Like the chef who chooses all the right ingredients and readies them for a magnificent banquet, the proof is always in the eating, and based on that maxim and from comments from all the teachers, performers and students, the 2009 CIAW was a bountiful feast.  

It is even more extraordinary that it did so well in the midst of one of the most trying economic times in our history, proving that music is indeed good for the soul and that people need to be able to enjoy the simple things that bring us pleasure when our belts need to be tightened.

The present hard times did lessen CIAW registrations and attendance somewhat, but still, 500 people signed up for classes and countless more enjoyed 45 music sessions around the area roadhouses that opened their doors for the 2009 season. 

Rooms were scarce at the Blackthorne (and its newly acquired companion property, the Weldon House), Gavin’s, Shamrock House, McGrath’s, Rose Motel, Michael Dees and McKenna’s as the week went along.  

While numbers are very important for some in that very challenged community in the Catskills, it is far from the most significant barometer for tallying the impact of the historic week for Irish culture in America.  

Significant funding from myriad sources like the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council of the Arts, Greene County Tourism, Culture Ireland, Irish Institute of New York City,  Greene County Council for the Arts and smaller but genuine fellow cultural supporters like the Shamrock Irish Traditional Music Society, Irish American Association of North Jersey and the Michael Coleman Club of CCE all gave a firm foundation to this year’s programming ensuring it could go on even with diminished attendance.

Over 50 different acts graced the dual pavilions built and owned by the sponsoring organization, the Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural and Sports Center at the well-attended weeknight concerts and the closing Andy McGann Music Festival on the Saturday.  The concerts featured the stellar teaching staff on hand all week, with way too many highlights to single out any particular acts at the expense of all of the fine performers. 

The Friday night concert was dedicated to the late accordion player Joe Madden, with a few special guests added into the mix to honor a musician whose loss is still widely felt in the New York area since his tragic death last November. 

But the night was really a celebration of traditional music and dance that carried on Joe’s spirit and legacy from beginning to end.  Two of the central CD launches for the week, The New Broom and the Pride of New York, and the musicians who created them were key components to the magic of this night which will live on for many years to come. 

When Mike Rafferty and Willie Kelly (along with guest Felix Dolan) took the stage for their set, the quality and tone of their music had already been signaled in a glorious day and night on Wednesday but now had the largest audience of the week to applaud the beautiful music they made together.  

And could there have been a more fitting closing act to a concert dedicated to Joe Madden than the Pride of New York Quartet featuring his daughter Joanie Madden, Brian Conway, Billy McComiskey and Brendan Dolan, whose very presence and music are testaments to why the New York music scene is so celebrated round the world and so vigorously in the Catskills every summer?

Just before a grand finale with many of the night’s performers, a portrait of the popular box player in action painted by CIAW resident artist Vincent Crotty was presented to Joe’s wife Helen Madden and family.

In a busy week such as this, nothing compliments the quality of the teaching staff and the students who attend like the late afternoon lectures in either the Weldon House or the Shamrock House. 

Instead of sleeping off the late-light revelry or practicing new tunes intently, a fair number of people turn up for the simultaneous two-a-day informational sessions that tell the stories behind the tunes and give many much to take away from the week. 

Eleven such gatherings occurred with three scheduled on the Friday, all well attended by additional people up for the weekend.  The largest crowd turned out for Brendan Dolan’s talk on the Catskills and the Irish that helped provide some background for why it was a magnet for the Irish in years past.  

But the presentations of Len Graham, Eileen O’Brien, Earle Hitchner, Don Meade, Pat Mullins, Edel Fox, Martin Donohoe, Paul deGrae, Kieran Jordan, James Keane and Antoin MacGabhann provided wonderful entertainment and history for all who made the effort to attend them.

The Shamrock House was ceili central all week hosting four dances to capacity crowds, including an overflowing launch for the Pride of New York CD on the Thursday night which attracted way more people than it was prudent to pack into the halls. 

When the PONY quartet (or Joanie and the Killer Bees as Ms. Madden would have it) left the stage they left the dancing music in the very capable hands of young musicians from Pearl River and Baltimore who are all headed to the Tullamore All-Ireland Fleadh to do America proud this August. 

Jackie Daly, Matt Cranitch and Paul deGrae kept the Sliabh Luachra tradition raised high at the Tuesday Weldon House ceili while the Pride of Moyvane and guests assured a wonderful night over in Leeds at the Inn at Leeds. 

On Friday and Saturday night Catskill resident Mike McHale, a flute tutor all week, made sure there was lovely dance music along with Patrick Ourceau, Brendan Dolan and Dylan Foley for the hardcore dancing community.  

Another Catskills tradition held fast as most of these ceilithe were anchored by the finest ceili drummer in the U.S. Jimmy Kelly Senior, who was on display all week and kept the musicians on time in marvelous fashion.

With so much great music and fellowship fueling the cultural crossroads that is the CIAW all week, it becomes a very important community event in upstate New York whose influence stretches far outside its geographical boundaries.  

The kinship shared there during the week brings laughter and tears for our friends, new and old, lost and found for this nomadic community that takes over the Irish village every year.  

The fragility of life from year to year was brought home to us with the loss of Joe Madden last year, and late last week when an iconic Cape Breton fiddler, Jerry Holland (who had never been to the Catskills but had many friends there) lost his battle to cancer on Thursday.  

Len Graham closed out the Friday Wayside Inn singing session with the popular song of parting “Here’s A Health to the Company” with its meaningful chorus:

“Here’s a Health to the Company and one to my lass

Let’s drink and be merry all out of one glass

Let’s drink and be merry, all grief to refrain

For we may or may never all meet here again.”

There are many stories to tell about the Catskill Mountains, but the annual celebration of traditional Irish music and dance known as the Catskills Irish Arts Week must surely take its place at the forefront of its storied history.  Who would want to be anywhere else?  

Not me, so we see you all there from July 11-17, 2010.