Eun-Gyeong, right, with her friend Soomee, Peter Burke and his sons Ted and Leo during the South Korean duo’s trip to Mullingar for the fleadh.

South Korean trad devotee loves ‘fantastic’ Mullingar

There aren't too many South Koreans learning how to play the button accordion and speak the Irish language, but that hasn't stopped Eun-Gyeong Choe and her small group of fellow devotees from following their passions.

The Seoul native was among the 500,000 people in Mullingar over the week of the fleadh. She and her friend Soomee stayed with the family of Minister of State Peter Burke, who extended an invite to them in March, when he saw them play at a function during his St Patrick's Day trip to South Korea and Japan.

Eun-Gyeong told the Westmeath Examiner that her love for our culture was inspired by an uilleann pipe playing Irish friend of hers who she met when he taught English in South Korea.

“I just wanted to see what was happening in the country and started travelling.”

On one of her trips to Ireland she met the acclaimed musician Breanndán Ó Beaglaíoch and formed a friendship with him. In fact, she appeared on his RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta show earlier this year. She not only played a few tunes but was also interviewed as Gaelige.

After years of listening to trad music, Eun-Gyeong started learning how to play the button accordion two years ago at the start of the pandemic.

When asked what is it about the music that she loves, she said that she is struck by its power to bring people together.

“Maybe it's because we can communicate through the music. We have language barriers sometimes, but if you know the music you can easily get together with people from all around the world.”

She admits that the button accordion is not an easy instrument, but enjoys the challenge and is playing the long game when it comes to mastering it.

“It's difficult. Maybe if you were a young child it might be easier because they are like sponges. I am in my thirties. It's not easy, but I have another 50 years, I think, and will be a lifetime learner.”

Eun-Gyeong believes that learning to play the accordion and to speak Irish is giving her a real insight into a culture that she loves dearly.

“If you learn the language, you can see the culture,” she said.

Although she has been to Ireland on a number of occasions and is currently coming near the end of an extended stay in Kerry, the Homecoming was her first experience of the fleadh. She also got to play in a couple of sessions while in Mullingar.

“It's just so lovely because I am staying in Ballybunion. It's a small town and it's hard to find traditional music. When I go for a walk [in Mullingar] I can listen to the trad music on the street. It is just fantastic.”