2 days ago
A Breton in Ireland: ‘My wife calls me a culchie, which I completely embrace'
They always say 'Don't meet your heroes', but for Charlie Le Brun, a fateful day on which he met his musical idol in
Westport
,
Co Mayo
, sealed his future in Ireland.
Growing up in Brittany,
France
, he loved music, particularly traditional Breton music, and also had a strong appreciation of Irish music.
At 18, he came to Ireland with only one thing in mind, and that was to meet
The Chieftains'
flute player,
Matt Molloy
. He travelled to Westport and visited his namesake's pub with a rucksack on his back and his flute under his arm.
To his amazement, Molloy came out from the back of the pub and Le Brun played a tune for him.
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His rendition of Moving Cloud was met with Molloy's approval and he was invited to join in a session. Day after day for nearly eight months, he played in Molloy's pub.
Before this, Le Brun's only knowledge of Irish music came from recordings and popular CDs. He felt as if his 'horizons were broadened'.
'An Irish music session is much more than just sitting down and playing tunes. It's about communication, the jokes, the banter, the culture and the community that goes around it. I was absolutely welcomed into that first experience in Westport, and I was honestly living the dream.'
Le Brun fostered a love for all things Irish while living in Rennes, a city in Brittany. His parents, from Finistère, grew up with more of a farming background. His grandparents were Breton speakers and he spoke Breton, as well as French, at school.
From a young age, Le Brun was aware of Breton culture and saw its similarities to Irish music, dance, culture, farming and language. 'I was very intrigued in wanting to learn more about the Irish cousins,' he says.
Charlie Le Brun: 'An Irish music session is much more than just sitting down and playing tunes.' Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
His earliest memories centre on Irish and Celtic music being played at home, particularly the sounds of The Chieftains, Planxty and Paul Brady. While still a child, he picked up the timber flute after listening to recordings of Molloy.
He would sit in front of the speaker and press play on the CD over and over again to the point where his father would have to move him away, afraid his hearing would be damaged.
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'Sometimes kids get very absorbed, but I still have that kind of personality, I'm very tunnel-focused when I have something in mind.'
After his eye-opening experience in Ireland at 18, he knew he would be back. 'I just felt like it was right for me. To put it in a nutshell, I felt I could be myself here and I felt very welcome.'
In 2012, Le Brun moved to Belfast and took a job in a call centre. His heart was set on moving to Westport, but securing a job and accommodation proved difficult.
Later, after meeting his now wife, Aoife Kelly, he moved to Dublin, where he has lived since 2015.
While playing at a wedding in Inishowen, Co Donegal, Le Brun was introduced to Kelly, who was a guest, and 'things clicked from there'.
At the time, Le Brun and Kelly did not realise that their relationship was, in a way, written in the stars, decades before.
Le Brun's father had visited Dublin in 1976 and he paid a visit to Capel Street in Dublin where he listened to a session with some fiddle players. The fiddle players happened to be Kelly's father and grandfather.
Le Brun has certainly fitted well into the Kellys, a strong traditional music family, with his wife playing the concertina.
When he first arrived in Ireland to live he struggled to pronounce some Irish names, such as Gráinne or Siobhán. He also realised that his way of greeting people with a kiss on the cheek was not the done thing in Ireland. Some accents have been difficult for him to understand at times. 'I've been here a long time now, but there are still times where there would be an old man calling at the door and I would have no idea what they're saying.'
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One thing that Le Brun admires about Irish people is how they don't shy away from speaking out. He gives the example of Palestine and Kneecap. 'Ireland is one of the only places that just says things how they are, however horrendous they might be. I think it's really fair play to you guys because there's not many people in places in the world where you can have that freedom.'
A similarity he sees between Brittany and Ireland is how the younger generation are losing their attachment to their home places as they move to cities for work.
Charlie Le Brun: 'Ireland is one of the only places that just says things how they are, however horrendous they might be.' Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
'I really hope that we can try to repopulate the countryside, maybe through working from home, and give a chance for people to preserve their little heritage.'
Le Brun continues to prioritise his love of music while living in Ireland. Two years ago, he recorded an album comprising mostly Brehon music with a Celtic twist with Ryan Molloy, a piano player. He also attends a lot of sessions where he talks about Breton culture. In July, he will be teaching at the Meitheal Traditional Music Summer Camp in Limerick and is offering his skills for timber flute lessons during the year in Dublin.
Since moving to Ireland, Le Brun has tried to 'shine a light' on Breton culture. 'That's not from an egocentric point of view in saying we're any better than the rest, it's just simply that the Breton language is disappearing.
'When people say 'where are you from?' I always take a bit of time to explain and even when I play Breton music to the people here in Ireland, they are always intrigued. They're like, 'Oh, that sounds somewhat familiar. Where is that music from?' So, I always stand up to try to promote my culture.'
He describes Irish people as being very friendly and generous. Living in Ireland has taught him to go with the flow more and be more relaxed. One of his favourite things about Ireland is the 'good craic'.
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He recalls a story of his time in Westport when a local would say 'Take it easy, Charlie' when parting ways. At the time, Le Brun took it literally, thinking the man saw him as looking stiff or regimented. Anytime, he would see him, he would try to change his walk or how he looked, but the man kept saying it. , Le Brun laughs as he explains that he now understands what the man meant.
His biggest piece of advice to people who are moving to Ireland would be to engage with the local people as best you can, even if it means going outside your comfort zone.
In more recent years, Le Brun and his wife have bought a farm cottage with some land in Kilfenora, Co Clare, where some of Kelly's family came from. There, he enjoys the beauty of the landscape and outdoor activities such as kayaking or fishing.
He sees himself probably moving to the countryside full-time at some stage. 'My wife calls me a culchie, which I completely embrace,' he says.
We would like to hear from people who have moved to Ireland. To get involved, email
newtotheparish@
or tweet
@newtotheparish
