East Clare sound kept alive
The Tulla Céilí Band
The Tulla Céilí Band was formed in the 1960s and has kept the East Clare style — slower, more ornamented — alive through changing times. P.J. Hayes was a central figure.
Tulla is known to people who care about Irish trad as the home of the Tulla Céilí Band — a group founded in the 1960s that preserved the East Clare style of playing. The village itself is quiet. The music is the thing.
P.J. Hayes, a legendary local musician, is buried here. The tradition is woven into the parish. Most of the year it is a working village; in session season it is a destination for people who know what they are looking for.
The reason to come back. The things every local will eventually tell you about, usually after the second pint.
Wear waterproofs. Bring a sandwich. Tell someone where you're going if it's the mountain.
Ennis to Tulla is 20 minutes south-east on the R352.