Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, the Irish traditional music summer school, now in its 53rd year, will take place from 5 to 13 July in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare. 

Classes will take place from Monday to Saturday and cover a range of instruments: uilleann pipes, whistle, flute, fiddle, concertina, button accordion, banjo, harmonica and harp. There are also singing workshops and classes in set dancing, step dancing and sean-nós dancing.

The school will be officially opened on Saturday 5 July by harper and author Kathleen Loughnane, who recently published a second volume of her arrangements drawn from the Patrick O’Neill Manuscripts of County Kilkenny. This will be followed by the annual Breandán Breathnach Memorial Lecture at 8.30pm, titled ‘In Safe Hands: The Role of Clare Musicians in Dublin’s Traditional Music Legacy’, presented by musician and collector Mick O’Connor.

Public lectures will continue throughout the week and include ‘The Muckross Music Collection’ (7 July, 3pm), presented by Mary Mitchell Ingolsby of University College Cork. ‘Tommy McCarthy and the London Connections: A Celebration of Traditional Music and Musicians in the City, 1950s–1980s’ (8 July, 3pm) will feature contributions from the McCarthy family and friends. ‘The Forde and Pigot Collections: Irish Traditional Music on the Eve of the Famine’ (9 July, 3pm) will be presented by Nicholas Carolan with Caitlín Uí Éigeartaigh, while ‘Islands of Fiddlers: The Donegal Fiddle Music of Beaver Island, Lake Michigan’ (10 July, 2.30pm) will be presented by Caoimhín MacAodha. Francis McPeake IV will give an illustrated talk titled ‘The Four Francis McPeakes and A Century of Irish Traditional Music’ on 12 July (2.30pm).

The recitals begin on Monday 7 July and feature a range of well-known musicians and tutors from the school. The harp recital will be presented by Gráinne Hambly and takes place at the Mill Marquee at 5pm on Monday. That evening at 8pm the fiddle recital will be presented by John Kelly at the Community Centre. The whistle and flute recital (8 July) is presented by Majella O’Beirne and Paul McGrattan; the banjo recital on Wednesday 9 July is presented by Muireann Banks and Theresa O’Grady; and the uilleann piping recital features performers selected by Na Píobairí Uilleann and takes place on Wednesday evening at the Community Centre.

The button accordion and melodeon recital, presented by Anne Conroy Burke and Jackie Daly, will be held at the Community Centre on Thursday 10 July (5pm), as well as a step, set and sean-nós dance exhibition led by Mary Friel at 8pm. The traditional singing recital, presented by Brian Mullen and Ciarán Ó Gealbháin, takes place on Friday at 3pm, and will be followed by  the harmonica recital at 5pm, presented by Mick Kinsella and Rick Epping, and the concertina recital presented by Noel Hill at 8pm.

Three other main concerts will be held. On Sunday 6 July there will be a concert featuring TG4 Gradam Ceoil recipients and guest performers that will be broadcast live on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. On 8 July, a Ceolchoirm Idirnáisiúnta at 5pm will feature Irish and international artists at the Mill Marquee, while on 12 July, Ceolchoirm Chuimhneacháin Mhuiris Uí Rócháin, a concert in memory of former director Muiris Ó Rócháin, will be presented by Muireann Ní Dhuigneáin.

Specialist courses this year include traditional singing seminars and workshops led by Brian Mullen and Ciarán Ó Gealbháin, with additional sessions by Jerry O’Reilly and Máire Ní Chéileachair. Dúchas an Cheoil/Scope of Irish Music, a course accredited by the University of Limerick, will be delivered by Cathal Goan and Paddy Glackin. Dr Liz Doherty’s Read Music the Trad Way, in partnership with I Teach Trad and the Royal Irish Academy of Music, will take place from Monday to Friday, and there will also be Irish-language conversational classes each afternoon.

Nightly céilithe will be held at the Mill Marquee and Quilty Tavern, with céilí bands such as the Brian Ború, Taylor’s Cross, Kilfenora, Tulla, Four Courts, and The Abbey Trio.

Download the programme below. For further details, visit www.scoilsamhraidhwillieclancy.com.