Happy new year - with ukuleles

The Bluegrass Ireland Blog has now been in operation for just over six years, in which time over 2,400 posts have been published on it; nearly all of them are still there, and still accessible to anyone. We're happy to take this opportunity of thanking again Alice Toner, who originally set up the BIB, chose for it the appearance with which it still charms the world, and made it fully operational.

And we're also happy to be able to draw attention to another of Alice's achievements: 'Ukulele Hooley 2011', a documentary film which she made at the 2011 Ukulele Hooley by the Sea, held at Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, on 19-20 August. The documentary can be seen in two parts on the Uke Ireland & Ukuhooley Blog, and also on the Ukuhooley YouTube channel. The two parts, adding up to nearly half an hour, vividly convey the atmosphere of the event as well as some remarkable acoustic string music. Anyone with an interest in ukulele playing and related events in Ireland should visit these two sites.

The ukulele is enjoying renewed popularity at present, and old-time musicians seem increasingly fond of it. 'Is it a bluegrass instrument?', you ask. A prudent reply would be: 'Not yet'. But a video on the bluegrass scene in this island, comparable to Alice's documentary on the Ukuhooley, would be worth having.