The Somalia Shop: All good things come to those who Rummage!

Any non-native of Ennis will find it amusing that there is an actual shop called 'The Somalia Shop'. This charity shop is the grand-daddy of all charity shops in Ennis, has been there since at least the early nineties. I love the disorder of the place, at first glance you see an abundance of useless paraphernalia, and admittedly there is a lot of trash. But if you take a longer look around, and root around in the mounds of books/tapes/clothes, you might just find a gem. I recall rummaging through unlabelled boxes as a teenager, not knowing what I was going to find (or if I was going to find anything!). And who knows? Someone might just be looking for that spare plastic microwave cover, that unmistakable Mother Theresa print, or sequined owl?

A few years ago, I'm not sure when, a new breed of charity shop emerged: the type that markets old, forlorn, forgotten apparel from past decades as 'vintage'(!). Dublin is the number-one culprit, with poor hipsters being diddled into paying extortionate prices for Dublin City Marathon tees from the '90s, when you could grab it for a €1 in Ennis' Somalia Shop! What does vintage mean anyway? Does it not just mean 'old'? Or does it mean different things to different people (with more or less pretentiousness)? What I am getting at here is charging an appropriate price for the 'product'. The Somalia Shop in Ennis is one such place,they do not slap ridiculous prices on things: they know as well as you do, that you are not going to pay €8 for an old Guinness Book of Records. 

When people donate/dump things to a charity shop the majority are just happy to be rid of the stuff and/or  glad that the shop in question might raise a few quid from it. I'm not dissing charity shops, and because the Somalia Shop is still open, I presume they are still making money. I still enjoy going there, finding little gems from time to time. The staff are lovely, and Mary has been manager from day one. Some of the things I have picked up include: Yves Saint Laurent scarf (actually real) for €2, 'vintage' jewelry, tons of great handbags, scarves, and interesting once-off kitsch crockery/glassware. Keep the traditional charity shop ethos alive and donate your old stuff or drop in next time you're in town, you never know what you'll find! 

Other Charity Shops in Ennis:

Three of these are in close proximity to one another (St Vincent de Paul, Cancer Society, Somalia Shop), and Enable Ireland, Oxfam Books are both on Parnell St Upper (nearer to the Square).

The Society of St Vincent de Paul shop is  great for books (ie. NOT chick-lit or  Readers Digest back-issues). At 5 for €2 you can't go wrong, especially for a bit of summer reading.

Oxfam is excellent for special-interest books, popular fiction/non-fiction and vinyls/CDs.

Enable Ireland has brilliant window sales with new and nearly-new designer gear, if that's what floats your boat.

The Irish Cancer Society shop has household furniture, a wide range of specialist books, crockery, clothes, shoes, and accessories.

Clare Care is located on Harmony Row opposite the De Valera Library.

Top 5 tips for doing the charity shop run in Ennis:

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1. 
   
   Check the opening times, usually your best bet is to go early as they don't always open or close when you expect!
2. 
   
   Bring a bag with you (saving trees etc man!).
3. 
   
   Have plenty coins, I don't think they like breaking €50s, or even €20s.
4. 
   
   When donating things make sure clothes are packed neatly (or that similar items are packed together), that there is no actual rubbish in the bag, and that you drop-off the bag in when there is someone there in case it gets dumped or stolen.
5. 
   
   Enjoy the hunt, remember rummaging is an art in itself: girls can be very good at this, knowing what you like can give you a sharp eye for hidden gems :-)

The Ennis Review is on Facebook  click here

 x  T.E.R

The Somalia Shop is located near the Wood Quay car-park, and opens until 4:30/5pm most Monday-Saturday.

Brandon's Bar - a unique live-music venue and dive-bar. 8/10

Firstly dive-bar isn't a bad label, I mean it in the best way possible (see here). Having grown up in Ennis town, I couldn't resist writing about Brandon's Bar. Located next to renowned secret townie-bar O'Dea's and the Cathedral Church on O'Connell Street, it has its doors open to the public for nigh on three decades. And as time has passed, oh how it has hardly changed! A few benches, extensions, lights, TVs etc have been added, and a lick of paint here and there. I think perhaps the appeal is in the familiarity. What would the clientelle do if things changed? Change is scary. Real change in Brandons, would be wasted on us. Why bother redecorating if we're just going to make a pigs arse of the place anyway? Give us new picnic tables and chairs periodically and we'll be satisfied, and even if we aren't we'll still turn up on weekends. It's not the beer, it's not the décor: we go there out of habit, and a what a wonderful habit it is. Brandon's has always supported local bands, having the monopoly for years. If only there was a proper PA and a bigger stage. But if that changed, we'd have one less thing to nark about! We make it what it is: a proper bar. 

No matter where I end up in the world, I know I will meet some of those people I hung out with, at the 'Height' (Daniel O'Connell Monument) and the Tourist Office at lunchtimes during our woeful secondary-school years. Our venue of choice is Brandon's, we congregate there for Christmas and other major holliers. The Brandon's crew never tire of good company,  free BBQs in the rain, or the quintessential Brandon's soundtrack (rarely updated, but remember that small issue of 'change'?). It is what it is, and Declan is a damn straight, old-fashioned barman. Glad to see its name over the door instead of some tacky title like 'The Place' or whatever. Long live Brandon's! 

Brandon's Bar is on Facebook here

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O'Riada Concert, Fleadh Nua 2010 and 'Close Encounters of the Comhaltas Kind'.

Maybe it was the weather, but I got the impression that there were not as many tourists(or people,come to think of it) at the Fleadh Nua this year. To be honest, I didn't stick around too long myself, I caught a session or two on Saturday and Sunday. I noticed a decrease in gypsies selling those massive balloons with rice in them, and bad hairbraiding jobs (the majority have probably left for Slovakia or wherever). However there are always good silver jewelry vendors in the square.

The 'gig rig' was at the square, and various grúpa ceols and céilí bands provided entertainment. O'Connell St was made a pedestrian-only zone, and THAT is when I noticed the difference between a sunny Fleadh and a rainy Fleadh. Give us good weather and we come out in droves: I bet there were tons of Ennis-folk and beyond, looking out the window thinking 'ah sher, we should make an effort and go to a session or something', but staying in to watch the 'Some place has got Talent' instead.

The Fleadh Nua is always a great occassion, but I prefer the Trad fest later in the year (when the weather is crap, and more spontaneity with the programmed events). I'm not going to get into a big Comhaltas debate, my traditional music ideology is a firmly neutral one.....Whatever about the roles and responsibilities of Comhaltas-heads, and there are/were some fabulous people involved, BUT, I am waiting for the day when Labhras O Múrchú sets up a Comhaltas party and takes over the government It seemed like such a great idea back in the 1950s, but the corruption doesn't go unnoticed, the organization needs to modernize, get with the times. I feel like a hypocrite of the first order, because I have been employed by them over the years, but that's business! It is a funny and contentious subject amongst musicians, almost all of them have had 'Close Encounters of the Comhaltas Kind' at some stage in their musical lives. I think the perceived embarassment of being alligned with Comhaltas has something to do with the competitions? I'd be interested in hearing what you all think! On a more positive note, Comhaltas have an amazing online (free) archival database which will have a huge impact on Irish traditional music scholarship and research! You can access that web-archive here. 

The Celebrity Concert paid homage to luminaries Brian Prior and Sonny Murray with a great cast of musicians from Clare and beyond. I still think it's hilarious that it's called the 'Celebrity Concert' though.... I always liked the Fleadh Nua because it means that Willie Clancy Week isn't far off, and us Ennis-folk can wander with pashtey skin onto the beaches once more. Hopefully the weather will be great this year, Clare is a beautiful place when the weather is right. Beaches, vast landscapes, mountain peaks, and a range of odd and wonderful festivals. I think it is worth noting that Ennis has a vibrant traditional music scene outside of these festivals, and so you don't need an 'excuse' to go out and enjoy music when it is available to you in several bars, every night of the week, almost every night of the year!

Peadar O'Riada, Cór Cúl Aodha, Ceoltóirí Chualann, Peadar O'Loughlin, Geraldine Cotter, Maeve Donnelly, Eamon Cotter, Hugh Healy, Blackie O'Connell, Edel Fox, Tara Breen, and many other musicians performed at a benefit gig in Glór recently. The historic occassion commemorated Seán Ó Riada, and raised funds to commission a memorial sculpture of him. I'm not sure about the full story, but I imagine the government made a promise of it, and (surprise surprise) the project fell through.

Aside from raising money for a worthy cause, the concert also raised the profile of Seán O Riada's work, reaffirming his position as a real figurehead for Irish Traditional music composition, and performance. It was a full house, and everyone had a great time. Peadar O 'Riada has a new album out with Martin Hayes and Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh called 'Triúr sa Draighean' featuring all new compositions. It's fantastic, you can buy it in Custy's or Peadar's website: http://www.peadaroriada.ie/

The Rowan Tree, Harmony Row. - Not your average dingy hostel. 9/10

Sitting beside the calm flow of the River Fergus drinking a damn fine cup of coffee, it is clear that this cafe/bar slash restaurant and fancy hostel is a big hit in Ennis. ‘The Buena Vista Social Club’ is piped outside to the terrace full of lunchtime diners, reminding us how lucky we are to have a warm and dry day. Managing director Brian O’Neill tells me that he and his partner Marianne developed this idea after realizing that yes, there was a niche market in Ennis for both casual dining and no-fuss hostel accommodation that doesn’t break the bank. It is obvious that Brian loves it, he speaks with great enthusiasm about the Rowan Tree which is approaching its first birthday this August; of course this is good to hear, as oppose to the usual down and out whinging of late due to the dreaded ‘r’ word (rhymes with ‘session’). Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the town, the property itself dates back to 1740 when it was originally a gentleman’s club; ‘they had tons of money, good taste and time to build it’ says Brian. So he and Marianne have hardly touched the original structure ‘we just enhanced what was there’. There is a range of options for foodies and wine connoisseurs: from light bites to evening dinners and an extensive wine list.

The interior has high ceilings, great light, and ambience. Very importantly they have suitably spaced tables allowing for conversation (this is not a cafeteria people!). One of my gripes with cafes/bistros these days is the extortionate price of scones: it’s a scone, not haute cuisine! In fact, scones are pretty ugly looking things, and I will welcome anyone to try and convince me otherwise. In the Rowan Tree, a yummy freshly baked scone is a measly €1.80, and so it should be! My favourite salad is their Bluebell honey and garlic goats cheese salad with roasted cherry tomatoes and rocket leaves drizzled with house dressing and basil pesto. It is only €6.95 and thankfully it isn’t drowned in dressing. A salad dressing should only coat the leaves of the salad, what is wrong with people who drown salads? :-( While the weather is fine, why not go for a glass of their Campo Nuevo Garnacha Rosado rosé with a crisp salad?

Their menus read ‘good food Mediterranean style’, but it has its own stamp: great locally-sourced ingredients, consistent presentation, friendly and knowledgeable staff who are on the ball and a unique location. I sometimes sense an air of pretension in nouveau-med-bistro joints, but this place is just plain chilled-out.



For menus/rates/bookings see:
www.rowantreehostel.ie
(Breakfast 10-12, Lunch 12-5pm and Dinner 5pm-10pm.)

Brian and Marianne also run the award-winning Kinlay House in Dublin.
www.kinlaydublin.ie