Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy 2024
Sráid na Cathrach, Co. an Chláir, 6ú Iúil - 14ú Iúil.
The 52nd Willie Clancy Summer School, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare, Ireland.
Saturday 6th July to Sunday 14th July, 2024.
Welcome to the official website of Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, The Willie Clancy Summer School, a major traditional Irish music, song and dance event held annually in Miltown Malbay, County Clare, Ireland with instrument and dance classes, lectures, workshops, recitals and céilithe all through the week.
Organising Committee:
Harry Hughes (Administrator) tel. 086 877 3747
Éamon McGivney tel. 065 708 7417 or 087 950 0006
Séamus Ó Rócháin tel. 087 926 4256
Deirdre Comber tel. 087-673 5172
and the coordinators of classes/workshops and venue managers.
Please direct all enquiries to: scoilwclancy73@gmail.com
Please do not send queries via Facebook or any of the school's social media channels.
Accommodation contact: Maureen Kilduff 089-232 0498 email: kilduffmg@gmail.com
The Willie Clancy Summer School is an Irish registered charity.
To read or download the School's Child Welfare and Safeguarding Policy please click here.
SSWC@50 Photographic Exhibition Video
A selection of photographs from past Willie Clancy Summer Schools was compiled to commemorate the 50th summer school in 2022. It was on view in the Community Centre for the duration of last year's school and is now available to watch on YouTube here.
The YouTube logo below is a link to the summer school's channel of all SSWC videos.
For a list of the Summer School's sponsors and benefactors please visit the About page.
Celebratory weekend with Na Píobairí Uilleann
Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy and Na Píobairí Uilleann are hosting a weekend series of events to celebrate fifty years of partnership in 2024. This will be held in Miltown Malbay, County Clare, from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th December 2023.
PROGRAMME
Friday 8th December from 8pm:
Official Opening at the Community Centre.
Lecture: Na Píobairí Uilleann and Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy: 50 years of Partnership.
Presented by Gay McKeon, CEO, and Emmett Gill, Archivist, NPU.
Followed by music from pipers Pádraic Mac Mathúna and Seán Neylon.
Admission free.
Saturday 9th December
Piping workshops and lectures at the Community Centre.
9.30am - Students assigned to classes at intermediate and advanced levels.
A special workshop, Try The Pipes, is also on offer.
10am to 1pm: Workshops with tutors Mickey Dunne and Jimmy O'Brien Moran.
3pm: Lecture: Becoming a Traditional Musician in a Modern Context.
Presented by Pat Mitchell, piper, author and researcher in Irish traditional music.
Followed by music from pipers Marion McCarthy and Jimmy O'Brien Moran.
Admission free.
8pm: Concert at Westbridge, Main Street.
Sponsored by SSWC and the Irish Traditional Music Archive.
Featuring Pádraic Keane, Síle Denvir, Andrea Palandri, Caitlín Nic Gabhann, Johnny Mháirtín Learaí Mac Donnchadha, Seán McKiernan, Bríd O'Donoghue & Séamus Ó Rócháin, Seán Talty, Paul Dooley & Kseniya Rusnak.
Admission €10
Sunday 10th December
10am - 12pm: Workshops
12.30pm - Visit to Willie Clancy's grave, weather permitting.
Registration:
Contact Na Píobairí Uilleann at info@pipers.ie +353 (0)1 873 0093.
Seán Keane RIP
All at Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy are shocked and saddened by the recent death of master fiddle player Seán Keane. Seán was a supporter of the school from its inception and attended regularly as a performer, tutor and visiting musician at Máire O’Keeffe’s fiddle workshops over the decades. He and his brother James first visited Miltown Malbay as young boys in 1957 when the first County Clare Fleadh was held there and he was a frequent visitor to the area since then, absorbing the music and lore of Willie Clancy, Junior Crehan, Bobby Casey, Joe Ryan, Patrick Kelly and many other West Clare musicians. SSWC was privileged to screen ITMA’s documentary ‘A Portrait of an Artist: Seán Keane’ at last year’s summer school.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam ceolmhar.
Photo: Tony Kearns
The University of Limerick’s BLAS International Summer School of Irish Traditional Music has joined forces with Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy to promote deeper understanding and appreciation of Irish Traditional music. Click here for more information.
Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy have had a long association with the Irish Traditional Music Archive whose ITMA Field Recording team are in attendance every year to record all official events for the archive.