Miltown on standby for Willie Clancy week

DETAILS of this year’s Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy have been announced. The festival this year will run from Saturday, July 3 to Sunday, July 11.
Over the years, the festival has become Ireland’s largest traditional music summer school, with tourists and musicians travelling from all over Ireland, Europe and much further afield to join in the sessions and avail of the workshops. It has been held annually since 1973 in memory of the piper Willie Clancy.
Last year, over 1,000 students attended daily classes taught by experts in Irish music and dance, as well as a full programme of lectures, recitals, céilithe and exhibitionsand this year promises to be no different.
Enrolment for Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy will be at the community hall in Miltown Malbay from 2 to 6pm. The hall will host this year’s Breandán Breathnach Memorial Lecture, entitled The Traditional Arts and the National Economy, which will be hosted by Philip King, musician, broadcaster and filmmaker.
Among the other highlights of this year’s Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy will be a lecture on The Music of Kerry: A Wider Landscape by Nicholas McAuliffe, musician and music tutor. Ceolchoirm Mhór, a traditional concert with leading traditional artists will be held at Miltown Malbay Community Hall on Saturday, July 10, while a musical tribute will take place at Willie Clancy’s grave.
The first gig of the festival this year will be at the official opening with Michael Falsey, traditional musician and singer.
Monday, July 5 at 9.30am will see students enrolling in their chosen classes, including music, dance, Irish and Scots Gaelic, after which all classes will begin.
That night, there will be a fiddle recital with renowned fiddle players including John Kelly, Martin Hayes, Tommy Peoples, Tony Linnane, Nicholas McAuliffe, Mick Conneely, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Anne Rynne, Siobhán Peoples, Liam O’Connor, Leah Kelly, Joe Rynne, Eamon McGivney, Kevin Glackin, Peadar Ó Lochlainn, Bernadette McCarthy, Gerry O’Connor and Matt Cranitch in the community hall.
On Tuesday, there will a seminar in tribute to the McPeake family of musicians and singers from Belfast, facilitated by Dr Fintan Vallely, musician, writer and lecturer at DIT Dundalk. That evening will feature a whistle and flute recital, with many well-known musicians including Gary Hastings, Seán Potts, Mick Crehan, Mick Hand, Eibhlin de Paor, Geraldine Cotter and Gavin Whelan, followed by a céilí with the Tulla Céilí Band in the Mill Marquee, GAA Grounds.
On Wednesday, there will be a two-hand dance workshop with Marie Garrity. A piping recital will be held that night with Kevin Rowsome, Cormac Cannon, Donncha Dwyer, Pat Mitchell, Pádraig Keane, Nollaig Mac Cárthaigh, Sheila Friel and Tiarnán Ó Duinchinn. Afterwards there will be a céilí with the Kilfenora Ceili Band in the Mill Marquee.
A lecture on Irish traditional singing in English, past, present and future will be given by Dr John Moulden, singer and scholar of traditional song on Thursday, July 8. The céilí that evening will be with the Brian Boru Céilí Band, and later that night, there will be another céilí with the Tulla Céilí Band. There will also be an accordion recital presented by Joe Burke and Jackie Daly.
On Friday, July 9, crowds will flock to the traditional singing session in Irish and English with Eoin Warner, Tommy McCarthy, John Lyons, Nell Ní Chróinín, Pól Ó Ceannabháin, Róisín White, Margaret Bennett, Gabriel McArdle, Caitríona Ní Cheannabháin and Séan Mac Craith. The concertina recital with Noel Hill, Marty O’Keeffe, Lorraine O’Brien, Caitlín Nic Ghabhann, Mary Ellen Curtin, Timmy Collins, Edel Fox, Dympna O’Sullivan and others will be held that night.
The Ceolchoirm Mhór with leading traditional musicians will be held in the community hall on the final Saturday of the week. This is always a highlight of the festival.
On the closing morning of the festival weekend, the 10am mass in St Joseph’s Church will be with Cór Chuil Aodha.
Full details of the festival are available online at www.setdancingnews.ie.