Siobhán Peoples, who is playing in both festivals. Photograph: Con Kelleher.

The festival season is in full swing now, with the Fiddle Fair in Baltimore on this weekend, the Skerries Trad Music Weekend on next weekend from 18 – 20 May, and without so much as a pause for breath the Fleadh Nua in Ennis is on the week after that from 20 – 28 May.

Performing in Skerries are the Bonney Men, the Brock McGuire Band, Siobhán Peoples, Catherine McEvoy, Máire O’Keeffe, Mary Bergin, Con Fada O’Drisceoil, Mick O’Brien, Alan Byrne, Peter Browne, Mairéad Casey, Liam O’Connor, Conor McEvoy, Seán Ryan, Caitlin Nic Gabhann and Conal O Gráda.

The weekend includes workshops, music on the streets, a céilí with Triskell Céilí Band and numerous sessions throughout the town.

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Fleadh Nua has quite a few unique programming elements but perhaps none more so that the range of céilithe featured. Starting mostly at 10pm in Cois na hAbhna the line up is as follows:

Thursday Tulla Céilí Band Cois na hAbhna
Friday Johnny Reidy
Saturday Abbey Céilí Band
Sunday Star of Munster
Monday at 11am Micheal Sexton Venue to be confirmed
Monday at 9.30pm Four Courts Céilí Band

The Celebrity Concert, on Saturday, 26 May at 8pm in Glór features the Máirtín O’Connor Band, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh with Liam Flanagan and Donal Clancy of Danú, Mick and Michelle Mulcahy.

The Comórtas Rince Náisiúnta set dancing competitions will take place at Cois na hAbhna, commencing at 11.00am on Saturday, while the Fleadh Nua 2012 Sean Nós Dancing Competitions will take place at the Auburn Lodge Hotel, Gort Road, commencing at 1.00pm on the same day.

There are singing sessions led by Paddy Berry, Seamus MacMathúna and Ann Mulqueen over the weekend commencing at 9.30pm in the Old Ground Hotel.  The Foinn Seisún workshops are directed at musicians who enjoy a ‘slow session’ and will take place each day starting at 4pm, from Monday, 21 to Friday, 25 May. Led by Frank Custy, the well known Clare music teacher and musician, they will feature selections from the Foinn Seisiún books, devised and edited by the late Brian Prior and published by Comhaltas.

Finally there is the free lunchtime Riches of Clare concerts, devised by the County Arts Office, running from Monday to Friday, 21 – 25 May in the County Museum:

Monday Siobhán Peoples, Tola Custy, Patricia Clark and Dessie Kelliher
Tuesday Tommy Hayes, Christy Barry, Terry Bingham and Brendan Hearty
Wednesday Andrew MacNamara, Mary MacNamara, Geraldine Cotter and Kate Purcell
Thursday Brock McGuire Band
Friday Kieran Hehir, Kieran Kissane, James Duddy and Tommy Carew

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