leonardcohenforum.com

Does anyone know how large the audience will be for this concert?

I thought it was 10,000
Edit - must be a reaaally big house

Yes, 10,000 is the figure mentioned in the reports, whether that is accurate or not. (" 10,000 people are expected to descend on Lissadell....." etc,) Luckily the concert is in the garden / grounds, not in the house - under a beautiful moonlit starry sky, we hope !

TipperaryAnn wrote: Luckily the concert is in the garden / grounds, not in the house - under a beautiful moonlit starry sky, we hope !

Oh yes please!!!! How idyllic and with the sounds of the ocean between each song.. I get more and more excited about this concert with every passing hour

musicmania wrote:

TipperaryAnn wrote: Luckily the concert is in the garden / grounds, not in the house - under a beautiful moonlit starry sky, we hope !

Oh yes please!!!! How idyllic and with the sounds of the ocean between each song.. I get more and more excited about this concert with every passing hour

..... not wishing to put a damper on it... but the 10,000 will be outnumbered by the midges which "bless" this part of the world.... seriously, pack insect repellent along with the champagne! Having said that, the minor irritation of the midges will be brushed aside by the beauty of the place and the moment...

"Midges"? I'm unacquainted with that term. Could they be the dreaded mosquitos? If not...do they bite? And thanks SOOO much for the heads up!

ladydi wrote:"Midges"? I'm unacquainted with that term. Could they be the dreaded mosquitos? If not...do they bite? And thanks SOOO much for the heads up!

.... we call them "midges", but mosquitoes they are not.... (in my household we just call them "the b*stards"... as in "the b*stards are out tonight...")

They are prevalent & virulent, so do pack the repellent.... I've not been to Lissadell, but looks like perfect territory for them..... I'm just up the coast, and they're just getting warmed up now....

Gimme a break here and stop sending up the poor woman. Midges are nothin like mosquitos. Did ya do any biology at school? The Irish Tourist Board needs you like a hole in the head!!!

euge wrote:Gimme a break here and stop sending up the poor woman. Midges are nothin like mosquitos. Did ya do any biology at school? The Irish Tourist Board needs you like a hole in the head!!!

... you're probably right....

Scottish Highland midges and Irish midges ( the same species ) have a reputation which is respected internationally. Midges are most active on calm, cloudy and moist days. Adult midges form cloud-like swarms like a foggy column in the air. A single bite is a tiny irritation; but midges come by the thousand, and a you can be bitten many times.
The bites are distracting and annoying, and there are tales of people being driven to madness by the attention of midges. It all depends on your own body's reaction. People vary. Usually they are less than a nettle sting, just a reddened spot after a 1/2 hour. Some people are more allergic than others getting raised itchy bumps. Scratching will make it worse. Instead, take an anti histamine, because the swelling is caused by your body's immune system releasing histamines and white blood cells to eliminate infection and repair the wound.

Midges live around stagnant water, bog pools and wet areas and are a feature of life in the hills. They don't like winds because their flight speed is slow. So they get left behind a running person, although they gather again when a person stops moving. In still evenings they come down off the mountain into sheltered valleys. They don't like strong sunlight, dry air or wind. Light aversion makes them tend to be most active at dawn and dusk but they appear during the day if the conditions are right. If it is a 'midgy' day then activities such as picnics should be avoided. Staying in one place will quickly result in midges hanging around you. Midges are an annoyance to people fishing the damp boggy uplands areas.

In 2001 scientists in the UK proved that some people are really bitten more than others, and it depends on the responses of midges to different people's sweat . They collected sweat samples from volunteers using skin swabs after putting them through a vigorous exercise routine. They then gave each sweat sample a 'field attractiveness score'. The higher the score the more likely a person is to be bitten by midges. So you should hope you are not too "tasty" to midges! The research will help entomologists develop new repellents to block receptor sites on midges' antennae and thus stop people being bitten, no matter how attractive their sweat is to the insects.

Thank you for reminding me of the wee midgies. I may stop envying you all in Lissadell on those barmy summer's evenings. If the midgies in Ireland are anything like the midgies in Scotland then .... good luck. Believe me, rain can be a blessed relief.

Failing rain, I recommend Avon Skin So Soft. Goodness knows what's in it but it's as effective as anything else.

Fortunately we'll be indoors on Tayside.

Wendy

real-alan wrote:

euge wrote:Gimme a break here and stop sending up the poor woman. Midges are nothin like mosquitos. Did ya do any biology at school? The Irish Tourist Board needs you like a hole in the head!!!

to me they're much the same, but you're probably right....

Scottish Highland midges and Irish midges ( the same species ) have a reputation which is respected internationally. Midges are most active on calm, cloudy and moist days. Adult midges form cloud-like swarms like a foggy column in the air. A single bite is a tiny irritation; but midges come by the thousand, and a you can be bitten many times.
The bites are distracting and annoying, and there are tales of people being driven to madness by the attention of midges. It all depends on your own body's reaction. People vary. Usually they are less than a nettle sting, just a reddened spot after a 1/2 hour. Some people are more allergic than others getting raised itchy bumps. Scratching will make it worse. Instead, take an anti histamine, because the swelling is caused by your body's immune system releasing histamines and white blood cells to eliminate infection and repair the wound.

Midges live around stagnant water, bog pools and wet areas and are a feature of life in the hills. They don't like winds because their flight speed is slow. So they get left behind a running person, although they gather again when a person stops moving. In still evenings they come down off the mountain into sheltered valleys. They don't like strong sunlight, dry air or wind. Light aversion makes them tend to be most active at dawn and dusk but they appear during the day if the conditions are right. If it is a 'midgy' day then activities such as picnics should be avoided. Staying in one place will quickly result in midges hanging around you. Midges are an annoyance to people fishing the damp boggy uplands areas.

In 2001 scientists in the UK proved that some people are really bitten more than others, and it depends on the responses of midges to different people's sweat . They collected sweat samples from volunteers using skin swabs after putting them through a vigorous exercise routine. They then gave each sweat sample a 'field attractiveness score'. The higher the score the more likely a person is to be bitten by midges. So you should hope you are not too "tasty" to midges! The research will help entomologists develop new repellents to block receptor sites on midges' antennae and thus stop people being bitten, no matter how attractive their sweat is to the insects.

Yeah and too many bites from the critters turn fellas morbid so they go around trying to scare the daylights out of nice innocent people. People are really lookin forward to this concert - don't be spoilin it with this sort of tomfoolery!

Yikes! Well, I "think" I thank everyone for their incredible information on midges. I will be the one you can smell from 5 km away (er, the spray) and the weirdo who will be completely covered in netting!!! What a pretty sight we may all be

However...not to worry. For four nights it will be calm, clear, and dry. The moon will shine above us as we hear the surf roll in, and the stars twinkle above us. Every moment will be magical. I will prepare for that.....but be suited up for the worst....

@Wendy....YES...that "Skin So Soft" has been recommended for years for "midge" problems!!!!

Don't worry, most of us will be getting midges and mosquito bites all summer, but YOU get to see Leonard Cohen, and in one of the MOST beautiful parts of the world (well, I've only been as far as Connemara and Clifden, but it was breathtaking)! Make sure you enjoy it!

Apologies if I've "worried" people.... not my intent...

My thought was if you prepare for the midges, you can minimise their effect.... insect repellent DOES help, and anything which enhances the overall experience (which will be beautiful...) is for the good.... euge is right in that my tone wasn't particularly positive.... I am passionate about the beauty & wonder that abounds in the North West, and hope my little "tip" helps everyone enjoy it even more... I'll try & be more measured in future (but I make no promises on that one.. )

Hey real-alan from the West coast of Ireland (lucky you!), I don't think you worried anybody and I think you've got a very good point. Insect repellent (on your legs especially) is an excellent tip!