Put on by the Irish Association of Korea, the Irish Ceili offered a chance to appreciate a wonderful tradition of music and dance. Held in an excellent location - the Daesung Plaza in Insa-dong - the hundreds in the crowd had a chance to join in the festivities as well as watch them. Start with a cup of 'Irish' tea and popcorn (not exactly standard fare for the Irish culture), then grab a chair and settle in.
After the usual introductory remarks, dancers and plenty of other people were coaxed into coming out. The level of instruction wasn't quite adequate for the beginners, but with a little more practice it could have been great! There were enough experienced dancers around, but even they seemed a bit lost from time to time.
Some nice dancing on the main stage.
As the show wrapped up the announcer encouraged people to come out for another dance. With a bit of encouragement, enough people came around to make a good set.
While not disappointing in any way, I sort of wished there were a bit more. It's quite possible that Korea has spoiled me with its wonderful festivals, but I left this one wondering 'where's the Guinness?'... That there was no Irish food, beer, or anything of an interactive nature other than dancing left the crowd sitting, exploring a small face-painting booth where t-shirts were also sold, or waiting in a long line for popcorn and tea.
Ratings (out of 5 taeguks):
Ease to arrive:
Foreigner-friendly:
Convenience facilities:
Worth the visit:
© Chris Backe - 2010
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