This article is from page 8 of the 2006-06-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
CLARE County Council has confirmed that it is to set up a panel to conduct auditions for musicians who wish to continue to busk at the Cliffs of Moher.
The move by the council is part of its initiative to end the “free-for-all” at the cliffs.
“Some of the comments that have been made to us are that visitors are bombarded with music and that some of the musicians can’t play very well,” said the cliff’s project manager, Ger Dollard.
“At the moment, it really is a free for all and people can take up a tin whistle and go up to the Cliffs of Moher and start busking.
“We will be placing an ad in the local press inviting people to make an application, who will then undergo an audition process where people will be given a chance to indicate what they intend to do, what standard they intend to do it to.”
Mr Dollard said that busking was a positive activity and that a “capable” panel was to be established to ascertain whether the people could play music or not.
The move comes against the council taking legal proceedings against 19 buskers and traders at the cliffs, in a bid to expel them from the site. The case is expected to come before Ennis Circuit Court in October.
“We want to start with a clean sheet,” said Mr Dollard.
He added that there was no question of the council paying the musicians a retainer to play at the cliffs and ruled out holding any talks with the traders or the buskers.
“We haven’t engaged with them, because there are so many, some we know, some we don’t know and if we did engage with them, it would confer a status on them they don’t have in the first place.”
However, busker at the cliffs for the past 22 years, Tina Morrissey, yesterday dismissed the council’s plan as “crazy”.
“I’ve been playing the harp here for over 20 years. I’m well able to do it, so why should I have to audition?”
“It is up to the public to judge if you are good or not. If you are not any good, you won’t make any money.”
Ms Morrissey said that it was not viable for musicians to just busk at the Cliffs – they must also trade.
“Ninety per cent of my income comes from CD sales of my music.”