Times are shown wherever they're known, but if they're not, you can make a good guess at them because they follow a consistent pattern. Ceilis usually begin at 10pm and finish at 1.30am on Friday and Saturday nights, or at midnight on other nights. Sunday ceilis are most often in the afternoon, generally from 3 to 6pm. Workshops usually start at 10.30am on Saturday, break for lunch from 1 to 2pm and continue till 5pm. Sunday workshops are from 11am to 1pm and are followed by a ceili. Admission costs for ceilis are from €7 to €10, and workshops are around the same.
Events can be changed or cancelled without notice. Wherever possible a contact name is listed to allow you to confirm an event. Look up phone numbers by clicking on the highlighted name or refer to the teachers and organisers page for Ireland.
Everyone is encouraged to send details of events to Bill Lynch for free inclusion in future issues of the magazine and on the Internet. Thanks to everyone who supplied information about events.
12 May 2008, 9pm-12am, €10A venue for the monthly live music ceili. Contact Brenda O'Neill.
Future dates: 9 June, 14 July, 8 September, 13 October, 10 November 2008
12 May 2008 Annaly Ceili Band 19 May 2008 Carousel 2 June 2008 Annaly Ceili Band 7 July 2008 Carousel 28 July 2008 Carousel Dancing every Monday night from 9.30pm to 12.30am. Contact May Julian.
12 May 2008, 9-11pmA dance workshop with Mike Mahony. Contact Teresa O'Brien and Bernadette Daniels.
Also on: 9 June, 14 July 2008
13 May 2008 9pm-12am Davey Ceili Band 10 June 2008 9pm-12am Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh 24 June 2008 9pm-12am Brian Ború Ceili Band 23 September 2008 9pm-12am Carousel 14 October 2008 9pm-12am Colin McGill and James Hogan 11 November 2008 8.30-11.30pm Cúpla Ceili Band 16 December 2008 8.30-11.30pm fancy dress Christmas party with Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh Popular ceilis in a country hall between a church and cemetery along the road from Kilbeggan to Tullamore. Contact Martin Newton.
16 May 2008 Brian Ború Ceili Band 20 June 2008 Copperplate Ceili Band 18 July 2008 Annaly Ceili Band 15 August 2008 Glenside Ceili Band 19 September 2008 Matt Cunningham 17 October 2008 Annaly Ceili Band 21 November 2008 Danny Webster 19 December 2008 Copperplate Ceili Band Ceilis on the third Friday of the month, 9.30-12.30am. Contact Peter Joyce.
16 May 2008 9.30pm-1am Copperplate Ceili Band 20 June 2008 9.30pm-1am Glenside Ceili Band 18 July 2008 9.30pm-1am Brian Ború Ceili Band 15 August 2008 9.30pm-1am Fódhla Ceili Band 19 September 2008 9.30pm-1am Davey Ceili Band 17 October 2008 9.30pm-1am Glenside Ceili Band 21 November 2008 9.30pm-1am Four Courts 19 December 2008 9.30pm-1am Brian Ború Ceili Band Monthly ceilis on the third Friday, €10, with fear an tí Joe Condron. Contact Sean Broderick, Attracta Lynch and Tony Whelan.
16 May 2008 9pm fleadh ceili with Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh 18 May 2008 Colin McGill and James Hogan 26 September 2008 9pm Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh 26 December 2008 4pm Colin McGill and James Hogan Contact Donnchadh Ó Cinnéide, Margaret Redmond and Margaret Carrie.
16 May 2008 Jerry McCarthy A Friday night mixed ceili with sets and ceili dancing from 9.30pm to 12.30am. Timmy Woulfe teaches ceili dancing from 8.30 to 9.30pm. Contact Timmy for further info.
Also on: 13 June 2008
16 May 2008 Johnny Reidy Dancing from 9.30pm to 12.30am. Contact Mary Murphy.
These weekend competition festivals usually include one or more ceilis and occasionally dance workshops.
16-18 May 2008 Cashel, Co Tipperary Donnchadh Ó Cinnéide 16-18 May 2008 Ardara, Co Donegal 16-18 May 2008 Cushendall, Co Antrim 16-18 May 2008 Letterfrack, Co Galway 17-18 May 2008 Trim, Co Meath Noel Castles 17-18 May 2008 Mullinavat, Co Kilkenny 17-19 May 2008 Castlepollard, Co Westmeath 18 May 2008 Ferns, Co Wexford 29 May-1 June 2008 Cappamore, Co Limerick 30 May-1 June 2008 Milltown, Co Cavan 30 May-1 June 2008 Gurteen, Co Sligo 30 May-1 June 2008 Camross, Co Laois 5-8 June 2008 Dungiven, Co Derry 7 June 2008 Lurgan, Co Armagh 7 June 2008 Castleblaney, Co Monaghan 20-22 June 2008 Castlewellan, Co Down 20-22 June 2008 Killarney, Co Kerry 20-22 June 2008 Moy, Co Tyrone Marie Garrity 21-22 June 2008 Tulla, Co Clare Further information is available for the fleadhs with a highlighted date, or contact the person shown above or Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.
16-18 May 2008, €35The annual charity weekend of dancing gets under way at a ceili with the Davey Ceili Band on Friday night, 9.30pm-1am. There's a new teacher this year, none other than Pat Murphy who will be covering the Limerick Tumblers, Flight of the Earls and Antrim Square sets on Saturday from 10.30am to 5pm. The Copperplate Ceili Band plays for the Saturday night ceili from 10.30pm to 1.30am. Pat has another workshop on Sunday morning from 11am to 1pm, then the Copperplate rounds out the weekend at an afternoon ceili from 2.30 to 5.30pm. Contact Seamus Regan.
17 May 2008 Glenside Ceili Band 21 June 2008 Fódhla Ceili Band 19 July 2008 Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh 16 August 2008 Glenside Ceili Band 20 September 2008 Matt Cunningham 18 October 2008 Johnny Reidy 15 November 2008 Fódhla Ceili Band 20 December 2008 Glenside Ceili Band Dancing from 9.30pm to 1am, every third Saturday of the month. Contact Carmel Jameson and Annette Phelan.
17 May 2008 Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh 14 June 2008 Matt Cunningham 13 September 2008 Triskell Ceili Band 11 October 2008 Cathal McAnulty 8 November 2008 Glenside Ceili Band 13 December 2008 Christmas party with Carousel Dancing from 10pm to 1.30am. The April ceili celebrates twenty years of dancing in this venue with Frank and Bobbie Keenan. Contact Henry and Carmel O'Callaghan.
17 May 2008 Tom McCarthy 21 June 2008 Glenside Ceili Band 19 July 2008 Danny Webster 16 August 2008 Jerry McCarthy and Liam Healy 27 September 2008 Taylor's Cross A remarkable dance hall converted from a cow shed - friendly, comfortable, full of character, located on a tiny country lane surrounded by fields. Turn off the new bypass on the Cork-Dublin road into Watergrasshill and head north along the main street in the Dublin direction. Just outside the village take the first left, and turn left again down a narrow lane till you find the barn. Contact Michael Murphy.
17 May 2008 Four Courts 8 November 2008 Star of Munster Ceilis from 10pm to 1am. Contact Michael Flynn.
17 May 2008 9.30pm Allow Ceili Band 26 July 2008 9.30pm Tim Joe and Anne O'Riordan Wheelin' 'n' reelin' in Meelin - It's the highest dance hall in Cork in a village between Newmarket and Rockchapel. Contact Connie O'Sullivan.
17 May 2008 10pm-1am Carousel
17 May 2008, 10pm-1amThe Fleadh ceili has music by Carousel.
17 May 2008, 10pm-1am, €10Following the junior (6pm) and senior (8pm) set dancing competitions at this fleadh weekend is the Saturday ceili with music is provided by Sean Norman and his ceili band. Contact Noel Castles.
17-18 May 2008The dancing at this weekend festival includes two workshops, a competition and a ceili. Mick Mulkerrin and Mairéad Casey teach sets and sean nós and Marie Garrity teaches two-hand dances from 10.30am to 4pm in the Little Theatre, Skerries Community Centre, Thomas Hand Street. The competition is purely for fun as competitors dance in fancy dress to win the prize, beginning at 10pm at the Pier House Hotel, Harbour Road. The Sunday night ceili has music by Cathal McAnulty with fear an tí Seán Clerkin at 8.30pm in the Rugby Club, Rush Road. Contact Lucy Coleman and Mary Keane.
18 May 2008 Sean Brennan 25 May 2008 Frank Nelson 1 June 2008 Knock Out 8 June 2008 Perfect Match 15 June 2008 Midnight Melodies 22 June 2008 Perfect Stranger 29 June 2008 Forest Ramblers 6 July 2008 Jim Connery 13 July 2008 Carmel Mac 20 July 2008 Shillelagh 27 July 2008 Hearts Delight 3 August 2008 Sean Brennan 10 August 2008 Drifting Cowboy 17 August 2008 The Lancers 24 August 2008 Bross Walsh 31 August 2008 Caher Sound 7 September 2008 Midnight Melodies 14 September 2008 Brian McDermott 21 September 2008 Carmel Mac 28 September 2008 Country Roads 5 October 2008 Matt Cunningham 12 October 2008 Sean Brennan 19 October 2008 Larry McEvoy 26 October 2008 Cois Tine 2 November 2008 Tony Cawley 9 November 2008 Perfect Match 16 November 2008 Liam Naughton 23 November 2008 Drifting Cowboy 30 November 2008 Hillside Duo 7 December 2008 Owen McDermott 14 December 2008 Carmel Mac 21 December 2008 Matt Cunningham 28 December 2008 Sean Brennan Ceili and old-time Sunday afternoon tea dances, 3-6pm. Contact Peter Joyce.
18 May 2008 Jimmy Hynes 25 May 2008 Breege and Michael Cleary 1 June 2008 Micheál Sexton 8 June 2008 T R Dallas 15 June 2008 Duet Ets 22 June 2008 Heart's Delight 29 June 2008 Carmel McLoughlin 6 July 2008 Jimmy Hynes 13 July 2008 Breege and Michael Cleary 20 July 2008 Midnight Melodies 27 July 2008 The Lancers Sunday afternoon charity tea dancing, 3-6pm, mostly ballroom dancing with a set or two. Contact Della Dolan.
18 May 2008 3.30-6.30pm Glenside Ceili Band 20 June 2008 10pm-1am Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh 24 October 2008 10pm-1am Glenside Ceili Band 21 November 2008 10pm-1am Brian Ború Ceili Band 28 December 2008 3.30-6.30pm Glenside Ceili Band Contact Cormac O'Neill.
18 May 2008 3.30pm Jerry McCarthy and the Curra Ceili Band 10 August 2008 3.30pm Tim Joe and Anne O'Riordan 31 December 2008 10pm New Year's Eve mixed dancing Admission €10. Contact Paddy O'Riordan.
22 May 2008, 9pm, €8Triskell plays the music and John McEvoy calls the sets. Contact John and Sheila McEvoy and Jim Finegan.
Also on: 19 June, 7 August, 28 August, 18 September 2008
22-26 May 2008The Fleadh Nua is an annual festival of ceilis, competitions, sessions and more which fills the town of Ennis with musicians and dancers. There are seven ceilis over the long weekend from Thursday to Monday -
Thursday 22 May 10pm-1.30am Tulla Ceili Band Old Ground Hotel Friday 23 May 10pm-1.30am Abbey Ceili Band Cois na hAbhna Saturday 24 May 10pm-1.30am Glenside Ceili Band Auburn Lodge Hotel 10pm-1.30am Kilfenora Ceili Band Cois na hAbhna Sunday 25 May 10pm-1.30am Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh Cois na hAbhna Monday 26 May 11am-3pm Star of Munster Queens Hotel 9.30pm-1am Four Courts Cois na hAbhna Most ceilis take place in Cois na hAbhna on the Gort Road, a mile from the town centre. The Old Ground Hotel in the centre of town is the venue for the opening ceili on Thursday. The second ceili on Saturday is in the Auburn Lodge Hotel about two miles from town on the Gort Road. The early ceili on Monday morning is a farewell session in the disco of the Queens Hotel. Other events of interest to dancers include workshops on Friday and Saturday, a parade on Sunday, set and ceili competitions (12-6pm on Saturday in Cois na hAbhna) and the pléaráca, scoriaíochta and clanntraí competitions, which are performances of music, song, dance and drama. All the pubs in town are also filled with session musicians. Contact Frank Whelan and Dick O'Connell.
23 May 2008 Danny Webster 13 June 2008 Annaly Ceili Band 18 July 2008 Cúpla Ceili Band 22 August 2008 Carousel 19 September 2008 Brian Ború Ceili Band 17 October 2008 Tim Joe and Anne O'Riordan 14 November 2008 Copperplate Ceili Band Dancing on one Friday per month at 9.30pm, admission €10. The venue is probably the highest dance hall in Ireland at over 1,000 feet with spectactular views over Carlow town and surrounding area. Contact Eddie Whelan.
23 May 2008, 9.30pm-1am, €10Carousel plays for this charity ceili.
24 May 2008 Johnny Reidy 21 June 2008 Swallow's Tail 20 September 2008 Glenside Ceili Band 18 October 2008 Copperplate Ceili Band 15 November 2008 Brian Ború Ceili Band 20 December 2008 Christmas dinner with Davey Ceili Band Dancing from 10pm to 1.30am, called by Frank Keenan. Frank and his wife Bobbie are honoured for their twenty years of teaching set dancing in Dunderry Hall at the ceili in February. Contact Ena McKiernan.
24 May 2008, 9pm-12.30am, €10Tim Joe and Anne O'Riordan supply the music at this ceili. The village is halfway between Athy and Kilcullen. Contact Betty Davis and Syl Bell.
Next ceili: 2 November 2008 with Copperplate Ceili Band
24 May 2008 Copperplate Ceili Band Dancing 10.30pm-1.30am. Contact Jim Monroe.
24 May 2008, 9.30pm, €10Brian Ború Ceili Band plays for this céilí mór. Contact Angela Bernard.
25 May 2008 Davey Ceili Band 27 September 2008 Glenside Ceili Band 29 November 2008 Shaskeen Dancing 10pm-1.30am every second month on the last Saturday. Contact Eugene McCormack.
25 May 2008, 9-11.30pmLive music ceili. The hotel is just across the bridge from town. Contact Doreen McGrath and John Byrne.
25 May 2008 4-7pm Copperplate Ceili Band Dancing usually from 4 to 7pm on Sunday, admission €10. Contact Mary Philpott, Jerry O'Rourke and Michael O'Rourke.
25 May 2008, 8.30pmAn annual charity ceili with the Seanóg Ceili Band. Contact Lucy Coleman.
25 May 2008, 5-8pm, €10It's a ceili with Johnny Reidy. Contact Thérèse McConnon.
29 May 2008 Annaly Ceili Band
30 May 2008 cancelled Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh 22 June 2008 4-7.30pm Donncha Lynch 27 June 2008 9.30pm-1am Danny Webster 25 July 2008 9.30pm-1am Brian Ború Ceili Band 29 August 2008 9.30pm-1am Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh 26 September 2008 9.30pm-1am Carousel 31 October 2008 9.30pm-1am Danny Webster 28 November 2008 9.30pm-1am Cúpla Ceili Band 26 December 2008 9.30pm-1am Brian Ború Ceili Band Monthly dances on the last Friday, plus a Sunday midsummer ceili in June, admission €10. The venue is two miles from Carlow on the Hacketstown Road. Contact Peter O'Neill.
30 May 2008, 9pm-1am, €10Festival ceili with the Glenside Ceili Band and bean a' tí Mary Brogan.
30 May-1 June 2008This festival offers everything you're looking for in a good weekend - great bands, top teachers, a fine spacious hall, a beautiful town and good weather (usually). It gets started at the Friday night ceili with Copperplate Ceili Band, 10pm-1.30am. On Saturday morning and afternoon Pádraig and Róisín McEneany teach sets and steps at a workshop from 10.30am to 5pm. The big ceili that night from 10pm to 1.30am has music by the Abbey Ceili Band. There's also music before the ceili at a session in the Chestnut Bar, Green Street, from 7.30 to 10pm. John Creed from Dungarvan, Co Waterford, has mastered tradtional step dancing as taught by Dan Furey and Celine Tubridy and shares his knowledge in a workshop from 11am to 1pm on Sunday morning. Sunday's dancing continues with the Five Counties Ceili Band at the afternoon ceili from 3 to 6pm. Contact Donal Morrissey and Ronan Morrissey.
31 May 2008 Glenside Ceili Band 28 June 2008 Davey Ceili Band 26 July 2008 Copperplate Ceili Band 30 August 2008 Glenside Ceili Band 27 September 2008 Brian Ború Ceili Band 25 October 2008 Glenside Ceili Band 29 November 2008 Copperplate Ceili Band 27 December 2008 Brian Ború Ceili Band Ceilis on the last Saturday of the month, 9.30pm-1am. Contact Ann O'Donnell.
31 May 2008 Tara Ceili Band 28 June 2008 Cathal McAnulty Dancing on the last Saturday of the month, 9.30pm-1am, €8, in a hall halfway up the side of a mountain on the Cooley peninsula. Contact Michael and Kathleen McGlynn.
31 May 2008 Copperplate Ceili Band
31 May 2008, 10pm-1amDance to the music of Matt Cunningham at this ceili in a hall seven miles west of Roscommon town on the Knock road. Contact Brendan McDermott.
1 June 2008 Tom McCarthy 6 July 2008 Danny Webster 7 September 2008 Davey Ceili Band 5 October 2008 Colin McGill and James Hogan 2 November 2008 Taylor's Cross 7 December 2008 Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh Monthly Sunday ceilis, all at 8pm. Contact Michael Loughnane.
1 June 2008, 9pm-12amMonthly Sunday night ceilis featuring music by Liam Carter for sets, two-hands and waltzes. Contact Maria McInerney and Freda Smith.
Future dates: 13 July, 10 August, 14 September, 12 October, 9 November, 7 December 2008
1 June 2008, 10pmA memorial set dance social for the late Maureen Duffy, a keen set dancer who revived the Louisburgh Set. Heather Breeze will be playing the music.
1 June 2008, 10pm-1amA ceili with the Lough Ree Ceili Band.
1 June 2008 Annaly Ceili Band Dancing from 10pm to 1am. Contact Frank Killion.
2 June 2008, 2.30pmA bank holiday ceili with the Glenside Ceili Band. Contact John Sinnott, Mícheál Lalor and Peter Redmond.
6 June 2008 10pm-1am Annaly Ceili Band 4 July 2008 10pm-1am Brian Ború Ceili Band 1 August 2008 10pm-1am Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh 5 September 2008 10pm-1am Davey Ceili Band 3 October 2008 10pm-1am Brian Ború Ceili Band 19 October 2008 4-7pm Glenside Ceili Band 7 November 2008 10pm-1am Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh 5 December 2008 10pm-1am Swallow's Tail 21 December 2008 4-7pm Glenside Ceili Band Dancing on the first Friday of the month, 10pm-1am, and monthly Sunday afternoons, 4-7pm, €10 admission. Contact Joe Ganley and Dún na Sí Heritage Centre.
6 June 2008 Tulla Ceili Band 27 June 2008 Four Provinces 25 July 2008 Glenside Ceili Band 15 August 2008 Swallow's Tail 29 August 2008 please confirm 26 September 2008 Tulla Ceili Band 17 October 2008 Matt Cunningham 14 November 2008 Four Courts 5 December 2008 Tulla Ceili Band 19 December 2008 Glenside Ceili Band Dancing on Fridays, 10pm to 1.30am. Contact John Henchy.
6 June 2008 Four Provinces 5 September 2008 Brian Ború Ceili Band 3 October 2008 Cathal McAnulty 7 November 2008 Fódhla Ceili Band 5 December 2008 Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh Ceilis on the first Friday of the month, 9.30pm-12.30am, with calling by Joe Farrell. Contact Patsy O'Hagan.
6-8 June 2008The Connie Ryan Gathering moves to a new location this year in the historic town of Cashel. Ger Murphy and Ken Cotter open the dancing at the ceili on Friday evening, 9pm-12.30am. Pat Murphy and Betty McCoy offer a workshop on Saturday from 10.30am to 5pm. Mass in memory of Connie Ryan, the popular and influential set dancing teacher, is offered at 6.30pm in St John the Baptist Church. The Saturday night ceili from 10pm to 1.30am has music by the Glenside Ceili Band. On Sunday morning from 11am to 12.30pm Maureen Culleton offers a workshop of two-hand dances. Johnny Reidy moves the dancers at the Sunday afternoon ceili, 2-5.30pm, and that night Danny Webster plays for ceili and old-time from 9pm to 12.30am. Cashel is not far from the village of Clonoulty where the weekend was held for the past nine years, and as a popular tourist destination accommodation is easily available. Contact Margaret Slattery and Noreen Ryan.
7 June 2008 Carousel 5 July 2008 Glenside Ceili Band 2 August 2008 Brian Ború Ceili Band 6 September 2008 Copperplate Ceili Band 4 October 2008 Davey Ceili Band 1 November 2008 Brian Ború Ceili Band 21 November 2008 charity ceili with Copperplate Ceili Band 6 December 2008 Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh Ceilis are held on the first Saturday of every month from 9.30pm to 1am. Contact Ann O'Donnell and Tommy O'Brien.
7 June 2008 Lough Ree Ceili Band 6 September 2008 Matt Cunningham Dancing from 10pm to 1am. Contact Gertie Tighe.
7 June 2008, 10pm-12.30amCeili and old-time with Matt Cunningham in the pub beside the Shannon ferry. Contact Pat Donovan.
Also on: 1 November 2008
7 June 2008A day of dancing beginning with a workshop by Patrick O'Dea from 11 to 5pm. Playing at the ceili that night from 10pm to 1am is the Annaly Ceili Band. Proceeds from the day are for charity. Contact Karen Feerick.
7 June 2008, 9.30pmA ceili with music by Danny Webster. The venue is three miles from Tralee on the Dingle road. Contact T J Nelligan.
8 June 2008, 5-8pm, £5, €8This ceili with the Oriel Ceili Band and calling by Joe Farrell celebrates the eightieth birthday of Vincent Lewis from Coalisland, Co Tyrone. No presents; donations for charity. Contact Desmond McGartland and Mary McCann.
13 June 2008, 10pm-1.30amA country ceili with Carousel, held on the second Friday of the month. Follow the old Longford road from Mullingar; after a mile there's a level crossing and the hall is past it on the right. Contact Paddy Gaffney.
Future ceilis: 11 July 2008
13 June 2008 10pm-1am Four Courts Charity ceilis in a sixty-year old hall beside the N18 between Ardrahan and Gort, admission €10. Contact Frank Holland.
13-15 June 2008Set dancing comes alive in Sligo town this weekend. The Copperplate Ceili Band start off on Friday night at a ceili from 10pm to 1am. Shay White from Co Meath takes charge of the workshop from 10am to 1pm on Saturday, and there are organised sessions after lunch. Music for the Saturday night ceili is by the Annaly Ceili Band, 10pm-1am. There's an early farewell ceili with Swallow's Tail from 11.30am to 1pm on Sunday. Contact Helen Kilgallen and Vera Meehan.
14 June 2008 Brian Ború Ceili Band 12 July 2008 Copperplate Ceili Band 9 August 2008 Matt Cunningham 13 September 2008 Mort Kelleher 11 October 2008 Mountain Road 8 November 2008 Tim Joe and Anne O'Riordan 13 December 2008 Abbey Ceili Band Thirty sets dance every month in this spacious hall from 9.30pm to 1.30am, €10. Contact Kitty Murphy and Barry Cogan.
14 June 2008 Cathal McAnulty 12 July 2008 Carousel 13 September 2008 Davey Ceili Band 11 October 2008 Glenside Ceili Band 8 November 2008 Brian Ború Ceili Band 13 December 2008 Swallow's Tail These ceilis are held on the second Saturday of every month, 9.30pm-1am, and feature ceili dances, sets and waltzes. Contact Mary Murphy and Ann Ryan.
14 June 2008 9.30pm-1am Fódhla Ceili Band 12 July 2008 9.30pm-1am Four Provinces 9 August 2008 9.30pm-1am Fódhla Ceili Band 13 September 2008 9.30pm-1am Brian Ború Ceili Band 11 October 2008 9.30pm-1am Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh 26 October 2008 3-6pm Glenside Ceili Band 8 November 2008 9.30pm-1am Carousel 13 December 2008 9.30pm-1am Glenside Ceili Band Monthly ceilis with the top bands, admission €10. Contact Eileen Coyne and Finola O'Brien.
14 June 2008 9.30pm Cúpla Ceili Band 6 September 2008 9.30pm Brian Ború Ceili Band 15 November 2008 9.30pm Tim Joe and Anne O'Riordan Dancing in a cosy and comfortable pub lounge. Raheen is signposted on the road between Portlaoise and Abbeyleix. Contact June Carter.
14 June 2008 Paudie O'Connor 13 September 2008 Timmy O'Connor A new series of monthly live music ceilis in Dublin city centre featuring one or two musicians. The hall is downstairs, opposite the Rotunda Hospital. Dancing runs from 8 to 11.30pm; admission €10. Contact Pat O'Reilly.
Future dates: 11 October, 8 November, 13 December 2008, 10 January 2009
14 June 2008 Copperplate Ceili Band Contact Chris Oates.
14 June 2008, 10.30am-4.30pm, £8John Cassidy teaches a worskhop in steps for sets at this weekend of Clare music and dance. There's an informal session that night with music by Kevin Crawford, Tony Linnane and Padraic Rynne. Contact Belfast Set Dancing and Traditional Music Society.
15 June 2008 4-7pm Copperplate Ceili Band 27 July 2008 4-7pm Danny Webster 10 August 2008 4-7pm Glenside Ceili Band 21 September 2008 4-7pm Danny Webster 19 October 2008 4-7pm Annaly Ceili Band 23 November 2008 4-7pm Brian Ború Ceili Band Sunday afternoon ceilis. Contact Joan Pollard Carew and Danny Webster.
17-22 June 2008Among the events at Kerry's big music weekend are a few which will interest dancers. On Wednesday evening, 18 June, there's a session of music, song, dance and storytelling at the Gleneagle Hotel, Muckross Road. Kids have a ceili of their own on Friday, 20 June. Uí Bhríain play for a mixed ceili in the Killarney Heights Hotel, Cork Road, on Saturday the 21st. On Sunday the outdoor entertainment runs from 2 to 10pm including a ceili with Tim Joe and Anne O'Riordan. Contact Donough Spillane.
20 June 2008 Five Counties Ceili Band 12 September 2008 Glenside Ceili Band 10 October 2008 Allow Ceili Band 7 November 2008 Johnny Reidy 28 November 2008 Abbey Ceili Band Dancing from 10pm to 1.30am. Contact Joan O'Sullivan and Sean Hartnett.
20 June 2008, 10pm-1amA ceili with Carousel. The hall is on the Mullingar to Ballymahon road. Contact Marie Mulvey.
Also on: 18 July 2008
21 June 2008 Jerry McCarthy 20 September 2008 Four Provinces 8 November 2008 Five Counties Ceili Band 6 December 2008 Mountain Road Ceilis from 9.30pm to 1am, €10. Contact Margaret Geary.
21 June 2008, 10pm-1amThe weekend festival (19-22 June) honours the local fiddler who made his name as a recording artist on 78rpm records. The Saturday night ceili mór features the music of the Annaly Ceili Band. Contact Michael Hurley and Mary Doddy.
21 June 2008, 10pm-1am, £6Music at the fleadh ceili is by the Copperplate Ceili Band. Contact Marie Garrity.
21 June 2008 Matt Cunningham
20-22 June 2008A weekend of competitions, music and dance in Tulla. Set dancing competitions take place on Friday 7pm in St Joseph's Secondary School. On Saturday night at 10pm the fleadh ceili takes place in Minogue's Bar with music by Andrew MacNamara and friends. Outoors on Sunday evening at 7pm the Tulla and Kilfenora ceili bands play at an outdoor gig rig with a platform available for those interested in dancing a set. Contact Breda MacNamara and Mary MacNamara.
22 June 2008 3.30-7pm Brian Ború Ceili Band 7 November 2008 9pm-12.30am Cathal McAnulty 12 December 2008 8.30pm Christmas party with Liam Carter Ceilis with live music and fear an tí Joe Condron. Contact Maria McInerney and Freda Smith.
22 June 2008, 4-7pmA Connacht Fleadh fundraising ceili with Heather Breeze. Contact Marie Ruane.
22 June 2008, 4-7pm, £6A charity ceili with music by Copperplate Ceili Band. Contact Anne Cassidy.
28 June 2008A mixed night of Caledonian Sets and ballroom dancing with Matt Cunningham.
Also on: 18 October, 20 December 2008
28 June 2008A day of music and dance in a rural village outside of Tullamore. Gerard Butler conducts a workshop 11am to 5pm in Killina Presentation Secondary School. The Glenside Ceili Band plays for the ceili from 10pm to 1am in the Community Centre. Contact Barbara Gaffey.
28 June 2008 Carousel
29 June 2008, 3.30-6.30pmMatt Cunningham plays in his local hall off the main road three miles south of Headford - turn at the Hazel House sign and continue ¾ of a mile.
More dancing: 28 September, 2 November, 7 December 2008
29 June 2008 Tim Joe and Anne O'Riordan Sunday afternoon ceilis from 4 to 7pm. The village is on the N4 between Mullingar and Edgeworthstown. Contact Patsy Finn.
29 June 2008, 3-6pmA weekend festival in honour of a fiddler who is still "hale and hearty" and running a pub in the village. For dancers the highlight of the weekend is on Sunday afternoon when the Abbey Ceili Band play from 3 to 6pm. The weekend also has a concert, sessions, a night with the wren boys and an outdoor busking competition. Contact Mary O'Mahony.
29 June 2008, 4-7pmAlfresco dancing to the Brian Ború Ceili Band. In case of unsuitable weather the dancing moves to the Community Centre. Contact Jackie Flanagan.
2 July 2008 Matt Cunningham 9 July 2008 Annaly Ceili Band 16 July 2008 Matt Cunningham 23 July 2008 Sean Norman 30 July 2008 Carousel 6 August 2007 Emerald Ceili Band 13 August 2008 Matt Cunningham 20 August 2007 Carousel 27 August 2007 Matt Cunningham A summer series of Wednesday night ceilis with top bands, 10pm-1am. Contact Mildred Beirne.
4 July 2008, 9pm, €10Cúpla Ceili Band play for a ceili. Contact John SheehanMary Meaney.
4-13 July 2008Your set dancing dream come true! No other event can top the pleasure of dancing at the Armada Hotel's ten-day festival of set dancing. The floor is crammed with an international assortment of the keenest dancers, all passionate about sets. Our ears fill with superb music, shivers run down the spine and the feet move without any conscious control of the brain. The atmosphere overflows with boundless energy and excitement. This is exactly why we dance sets! One of the ceilis you attend is bound to be good enough on its own to make your entire trip worthwhile, and the experience of dancing here for a week will stick with you for the rest of the year.
The Armada is a large hotel which stands barely fifty metres from the Atlantic Ocean in the growing village of Spanish Point, two miles from Miltown Malbay. Nearly forty years ago it was a pub the size of a cottage and today it is a full service hotel with close to 100 bedrooms, 35 of which were added in the past year as part of a large programme of improvements. In the early days there were weekly dances here with Michael Sexton, Jimmy Ward and P J Murrihy - the Bannermen. In July 1993 the Armada offered its first ten-day programme of afternoon and evening ceilis with top bands and the formula remains successful today.
The hotel ballroom is a scenic gem thanks to the huge windows revealing the glory of the ocean and Clare coast, which has been known to distract many a dancer in the midst of a ceili. Thankfully the windows are all opened and the curtains are all removed, which maximises the flow of healthy sea breezes to our nostrils and cools off our overheated bodies. Even more air enters through three sets of exit doors, each with its own security guard to control access in and out. There's a desirable patch of permanent timber floor in front of the band, and the carpet over the rest of the floor is covered by dozens of plywood panels held together with screws and brackets - keep your new shoes at home!
The two daily ceilis are as different as night and day. Crowds are thick at the night ceilis, especially so during the second weekend when you wouldn't think it was possible to dance with so many in the hall. On four nights there's extra dancing in the Ocean Bar (formerly the Lower Deck) which relieves a bit of the pressure in the main hall and offers more relaxed dancing. Afternoon ceilis are a delight for the lighter crowds, ample elbow room, relaxed atmosphere and views of the sea, which can be glitteringly gorgeous or dramatically stormy, and often enough both at once!
An excellent selection of the most popular bands is included in the ceili programme, with each one performing no more than three times during the week. While most of them are tried and tested favourites, two Cork bands are here for the first time. The ten-piece Five Counties Ceili Band plays on the first Saturday night and look out for the two-piece Curra Ceili Band with Jerry McCarthy on box on Thursday afternoon. In a departure from the constant set dancing, P J Murrihy will be playing in the Ocean Bar on three nights for some waltzing and jiving to his lovely songs.
Here is the full ceili schedule -
| Atlantic Room | Lower Deck | |||||
| 3-6pm | 9.30pm-1.30am | 9.30pm-1.30am | ||||
| Friday 4 July | Swallow's Tail | |||||
| Saturday 5 July | Copperplate Ceili Band | Five Counties Ceili Band | ||||
| Sunday 6 July | Johnny Reidy | Copperplate Ceili Band | ||||
| Monday 7 July | Brian Ború Ceili Band | Abbey Ceili Band | ||||
| Tuesday 8 July | Swallow's Tail | Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh | ||||
| Wednesday 9 July | Lough Ree Ceili Band | Brian Ború Ceili Band | ||||
| Thursday 10 July | Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh | Abbey Ceili Band | P J Murrihy | |||
| Friday 11 July | Jerry McCarthy | Johnny Reidy | Matt Cunningham | |||
| Saturday 12 July | Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh | Brian Ború Ceili Band | P J Murrihy | |||
| Sunday 13 July | Johnny Reidy | |||||
The dancers and the bands are in charge of the ceilis here; there's no fear an tí (MC). If there's a particular set you'd like to dance, be sure to ask the band to play it, but don't be disappointed if it doesn't happen. Most of the dancers know most of the sets so there's no calling, though a volunteer will sometimes announce the figures of a less common set and generally everyone helps out those who need it. Dancers are always warmly appreciative of the musicians and will give a spontaneous, genuine cheer whenever they feel sufficiently moved by the music.
Two Willie Clancy Summer School dance classes take place in the Armada on mornings from Monday to Saturday. Paddy Neylon and Geraldine Connolly teach a class in the Ocean Bar, which is suitable for people who have no previous dance experience. In the main ballroom, improving dancers get practice in the most popular sets with Mary Clancy. See the Willie Clancy Summer School for information on all the dance classes available and how to join them.
Thanks to its sandy blue flag (an official award for cleanliness) beach, Spanish Point is a magnet for locals and tourists alike. While accommodation is plentiful, it can be in short supply during the set dancing week so be sure to make your booking as early as possible. Contact the Armada Hotel for information on the dancing week and to book a bedroom or self-catering cottage; you can also book via their web site - www.armadahotel.com. The Ennis Tourist Office can help with other local accommodation.
The four fleadhanna in each of Ireland's provinces are large popular events, usually with ceilis.
Connacht Fleadh 5 July 2008 Westport, Co Mayo Marie Ruane Leinster Fleadh 11-13 July 2008 Dundrum, Dublin 14 Munster Fleadh 18-20 July 2008 Kenmare, Co Kerry Ulster Fleadh 25-27 July 2008 Castlewellan, Co Down Contact Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.
5 July 2008Heather Breeze plays for the Saturday fleadh ceili. Contact Marie Ruane.
5-6 July 2008, €72Timmy McCarthy teaches two days of workshops - from 1.30pm to 7.30pm on Saturday and from 10am to 4pm on Sunday. Benny O'Carroll play for a ceili on Saturday at 9pm. Contact Benny for more info.
5-13 July 2008, €140, £110, $220The town of Miltown Malbay has two completely opposite personalities. Most of the time it's a quiet little west Clare village, an almost remote, forgotten place on the periphery of the modern world. Then for one week in July the modest Miltown throws off its disguise to reveal itself as the centre of the universe - the Irish traditional music universe, that is, for this is the week of the Willie Clancy Summer School. The town's population increases several-fold to the bursting point and feels more like a city with throngs of people on the streets, gridlocked traffic jams and cars parked for miles in every direction. Music and dance become the top priority, class and ceili timetables are followed religiously and very little of the outside world filters through the cloud of pleasure that rises from Miltown.
The Willie Clancy is the longest running and most popular traditional music summer school. Its emphasis is on the music, offering dozens of classes in traditional instruments for players at a wide range of levels. No other event can match the summer school for its choice of dance classes, with eleven in total. Five of these are devoted to set dancing, with one class for beginners, two for improving dancers and two more specialised classes. In addition, there are three levels of traditional step dancing, plus classes in sean nós, Clare battering and two-hand dances.
Dance classes at this year's summer school are described below, listed in approximate order from easy to advanced -
The week's tuition consists of six three-hour classes from 10am to 1pm, Monday to Saturday, with the exception of two-hand dancing which is from 3 to 6pm on Monday and Tuesday only. Classes are open to registered students only. A few of the class venues have permanent timber floors - both halls in the Armada, the Community Hall, the Golf Club and the hall in St Joseph's Secondary School. The rest are supplied with temporary parquet dance floors laid over carpet for a bit of cushioning.
- Paddy Neylon and Geraldine Connolly
- None of us are born dancing - we have to start learning it somewhere. This class is for total beginners who'd like to learn the Clare sets. Paddy is a local dancer famed for his wild sean nós steps, while Geraldine from Dublin provides expert assistance. By the end of the week new dancers will have practiced three sets danced at nearly every ceili, the Caledonian, Connemara and Plain. Class is held in the Lower Deck of the Armada Hotel, Spanish Point.
- Marie Garrity
- Two-hand dances are most popular in Donegal and nearby counties, and are increasingly showing up as a welcome break between sets at ceilis throughout Ireland. These are easy dances for couples and sometimes a gent and two ladies and other configurations. Marie, from Omagh, Co Tyrone, teaches two afternoon classes from 3 to 6pm on Monday and Tuesday, 7 and 8 July, at the Mill Marquee in the parking lot of St Joseph's GAA Club, Miltown.
- Mary Clancy
- New and improving dancers gain experience at this class by learning a few sets danced occasionally at ceilis - the Ballyvourney Reel, Derradda, Labasheeda and Mazurka. Local teacher Mary from Mullagh makes learning sets fun in the main ballroom of the Armada Hotel, Spanish Point.
- Brooks Academy
- Enthusiasts will enjoy the selection of sets covered at this class - the Connemara Jig, Iveragh, Limerick Orange and Green, Kilfenora and South Sligo Lancers. Terry Cullen, Mary Friel, Irene Martin, Eileen O'Doherty and Jerry O'Reilly, all pioneers of the set dancing revival and members of the club known as Brooks Academy, share the teaching in the Community Hall, Miltown Malbay.
- Timmy McCarthy
- The rich repertoire of polka and jig sets from Cork and Kerry are explored in this class. Timmy teaches, plays music on accordion, calls, tells jokes and anecdotes and displays remarkable passion for his subject. Extra help with the music is provided by Andy O'Sullivan on mouth organ and Dave O'Sullivan-Baker on box. Timmy's class is in the chapel at St Joseph's School, Spanish Point.
- Larry Lynch
- The unusual sets at this class were collected by Larry from elderly dancers across Ireland during research in the 1980s, and would have been lost without his work. He teaches the dances exactly as he learned them, emphasising the original style and encouraging students to rely on memory rather than calling. This year's sets are the Plain Set from Lakyle near Labasheeda, Co Clare, the Polka Set from Valentia, Co Kerry and the Victora Set from east Kerry and north Cork. Sliabh Luachra box player Timmy O'Connor provides live music. Larry's class is at the Golf Club, Spanish Point.
- Mick Mulkerrin and Mairéad Casey
- Sean nós is the relaxed and informal style of solo dancing which has become quite popular among set dancers in recent years. Mick and Mairéad were among the first to teach it and their pioneering summer school class continues to be popular. They divide the class in two - Mairéad takes the beginners and Mick handles the improvers. Both can simplify and break down the complicated steps and there's plenty of practice to music at slow and normal speed. Occasional guest musicians and dancers visit the class, which is at the Mill Marquee in the car park of St Joseph's GAA Club in Miltown.
- Aidan Vaughan and Betty McCoy
- Clare battering is perhaps the ultimate achievement of learning set dancing. Not everyone can handle it but with Aidan and Betty everyone has a good chance. They break down the steps and provide plenty of slow, repetitive practice dancing, both individually and in the Caledonian and other Clare sets. Aidan is a sean nós dancer and ceili band drummer from Miltown, while Betty from Dublin was the dance partner of teacher Connie Ryan. Class is in the hall at St Joseph's Secondary School, Spanish Point.
- Noel Devery, Patrick O'Dea and Margaret Wray
- Old-style step dancing is a gentle and relaxed type of solo step dancing which doesn't require a commitment from childhood, noisy shoes, garish costumes, frizzy wigs, a make-up artist or a massive ego. The dances and music are a delight and experienced set dancers can pick them up without difficulty. The three teachers divide the students into separate beginning, intermediate and advanced groups. Classes are held in the changing rooms at St Joseph's GAA Club, Miltown.
Ceilis form the other half of the summer school experience and this year there are a total of fourteen with music by nine bands. The most popular band by far is the Tulla Ceili Band, who play on Tuesday and Thursday nights to a capacity crowd of over 600 in previous years. The band's music is famous for its buoyant, almost jazzy lift which never fails to carry the dancers along effortlessly. Guest fiddler Martin Hayes adds his own special magic to the music and performs a few solo tunes. A couple other big ceili bands are also here, including the legendary Kilfenora Ceili Band playing on Wednesday night, and the current All-Ireland champions, the Allow Ceili Band, are performing for the first time at the summer school.
Ten ceilis are held in the summer school's main venue, the Mill Marquee. This is a substantial solid-sided marquee erected in the car park at the local GAA grounds. The basic floor is substantially raised and levelled by laser beam, then a temporary parquet dance floor is laid over that. St Joseph's GAA Club is located on the southwestern edge of Miltown along the Quilty Road. Entry to the site is by the Bog Road, a tiny lane which runs between Miltown and Spanish Point. On foot it's about five minutes from the main street and just over a mile from Spanish Point and the Armada Hotel. There's no lighting at night on the Bog Road so walkers might prefer to ask for a lift after the ceilis.
Weekend ceilis are also held in the Quilty Tavern, a comfortable lounge bar located about five miles south in the seaside village of Quilty. There's a good timber floor at one end and a temporary floor covers most of the carpet. Two summer school ceilis are also operated by Larry Lynch in the Bellbridge Hotel, Spanish Point, to dance his own unique selection of sets without calling. There's a night of Clare sets on Thursday and polka and jig sets on Friday. The advertised times are 10.30pm to 1am but they usually start and finish much later. There's one final bit of recommended dancing for an hour at noon on the last day of classes, Saturday, 12 July. This is when members of all the classes meet in the Community Hall in Miltown for a live music mini-ceili. There's time to dance three sets, all with calling, and Brendan Begley usually provides his beautiful music. The atmosphere in the hall is delightful; the floor is the best of all the week's venues.
Here is the full list of Willie Clancy Summer School ceilis -
| Mill Marquee | Quilty Tavern | Bellbridge Hotel | ||||||
| 3-6pm | 9.30pm-1am | 9.30pm-1am | 10.30pm-1am | |||||
| Saturday 5 July | Taylor's Cross | Matt Cunningham | ||||||
| Sunday 6 July | Templehouse Ceili Band | Taylor's Cross | ||||||
| Monday 7 July | Two-hand dancing with Marie Garrity | Matt Cunningham | ||||||
| Tuesday 8 July | Two-hand dancing with Marie Garrity | Tulla Ceili Band | ||||||
| Wednesday 9 July | Brian Ború Ceili Band | Kilfenora Ceili Band | ||||||
| Thursday 10 July | Brian Ború Ceili Band | Tulla Ceili Band | Clare musicians | |||||
| Friday 11 July | Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh | Brian Ború Ceili Band | Sliabh Luachra musicians | |||||
| Saturday 12 July | Allow Ceili Band | Tim Joe and Anne O'Riordan | ||||||
There's much more to the summer school than dancing. One of the most moving musical events is the tribute to Willie Clancy at his grave in the cemetary on the Ballard Road on Sunday, 6 July, at 3pm. Lectures and seminars on music and musicians are held on the opening Saturday night and on Monday to Thursday afternoons in the Community Hall. One which will be of great interest to both musicians and dancers is a tribute to Michael Tubridy on Tuesday afternoon at 3pm. Recitals take place in the Community Hall at 8pm from Monday to Friday, and on Thursday and Friday afternoons. The Thursday evening recital is devoted to dancing, with demonstrations by students in the classes and performances by teachers and other notable dancers. Michael Tubridy is the host; music is by Bobby Gardiner and others. The summer school climaxes at a big concert on Saturday night beginning at 7pm. For four hours you'll witness a nonstop succession of performances by top traditional musicians, with a bit of dancing included as well. Buy tickets early in the week from Hurley's Newsagents on the main street in case it's sold out later and show up early on the night to get a good seat.
Summer school registration is held in the Community Hall on the main street in Miltown from 2 to 6pm on Saturday, 5 July, and at the class venues on Monday morning, 7 July. It is not possible to register in advance, though those preferring to pay before arriving in Miltown are issued with a receipt which is used in place of payment at registration. There is no limit on the size of dance classes so even those registering at the last minute will find a place in the class of their choice. Registrations are only available for the full week; partial week registration and day passes are not available. Most teachers don't mind if you change classes during the week, but you're encouraged to ask first.
Registration also includes free attendance at afternoon lectures (normally €8) and nightly recitals (€10). Registered students can also attend summer school ceilis in the Mill Marquee, Quilty Tavern and Bellbridge Hotel for €5, saving 50% on the normal €10 admission price - just show your summer school badge at the door. Be sure to complete your summer school registration on Saturday afternoon rather than Monday morning if possible - you'll have two extra days of discounted ceili entry. On weekend nights when ceilis are on in both the Mill Marquee and Quilty Tavern, you can pay one admission price and move from one venue to the other - ask for a ticket when leaving.
While accommodation in the area is not quite as scarce as it used to be, there is enormous demand so it's important to book a place as soon as possible. The summer school publishes a list of local accommodation - get in touch with them for a copy. An official telephone booking service is provided by Willie and Marie Healy - note that this is only for summer school students staying for the full week; the Healys cannot help weekend and casual visitors. Local accommodation is also listed on the website www.ibrickane.ie. If you're travelling by car, consider staying in Doonbeg or Lahinch, both about twenty minutes from Miltown. Ennis Tourist Office has a full list of regional accommodation and can make bookings for you. If you're brave enough to leave it to the last minute, check the accommodation board in the Community Hall which has dozens of notices offering rooms.
Willie Clancy loved every aspect of the Irish tradition - he played pipes, fiddle, flute and tin whistle, and sang, danced and told stories. The summer school began in 1973 following Willie's death and its enormous popularity today is fitting tribute to an influential musician and clear evidence of the vitality of the tradition. The name of Willie Clancy is better known now than in his lifetime, and thankfully, the organisers have protected the name and operate the summer school on a strictly non-commericial basis. For further information please contact Harry Hughes and Muiris Ó Rócháin. See the official programme on the Willie Clancy Summer School web site at www.setdancingnews.net/wcss.
12 July 2008, 10pm-1amA ceili with the Annaly Ceili Band. The hall is eight miles from Castlebar on the Belmullet road.
13-19 July 2008County Sligo achieved international fame for its traditional music many decades ago when skilled local players like Michael Coleman and Paddy Killoran emigrated to the USA and became successful recording artists in the days of 78rpm records. The tradition has remained strong over the years up to the present day, as can be seen by two decades of the thriving South Sligo Summer School taking place every July in the town of Tubbercurry. From the first year in 1987 the school's curriculum has included both music and set dancing, taught for the first ten years by the legendary Connie Ryan.
More recently Pat Murphy has taken on the teaching with the help of Connie's dance partner Betty McCoy, and the pleasure of spending a week here is as strong as ever. Pat's repertoire of sets is unsurpassed and he selects a dozen or so to teach six morning classes from 10am to 1pm, along with a few two-hand dances. All dancers, from recent beginners to old veterans, enjoy learning together in St Brigid's Hall at the top end of the town's square. Since its recent refurbishment the hall has never been a better place to dance. In addition, Brenda O'Callaghan teaches afternoons classes here in old-style step dancing from 4 to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
Nightly ceilis run in the hall from Sunday to Saturday, with an extra afternoon ceili on Saturday, with a selection of Ireland's most popular ceili bands. Heather Breeze is back from retirement for a welcome visit here on Thursday night for the only ceili of the week which is free to registered students. Pat Murphy chooses the programme of familiar and unusual sets and provides calling as needed.
Here is the ceili schedule -
| Sunday 13 July | 9.30pm-12.30am | Swallow's Tail | ||
| Monday 14 July | 8.30-11.30pm | Copperplate Ceili Band | ||
| Tuesday 15 July | 8.30-11.30pm | Matt Cunningham | ||
| Wednesday 16 July | 8.30-11.30pm | Four Courts | ||
| Thursday 17 July | 8.30-11.30pm | Heather Breeze | ||
| Friday 18 July | 9pm-12.30am | Davey Ceili Band | ||
| Saturday 19 July | 3-6pm | Glenside Ceili Band | ||
| 9pm-12.30am | Brian Ború Ceili Band |
The summer school opening precedes the first ceili on Sunday evening, 13 July. Registration is on Monday morning from 8.30am; there is no advance registration or payment. The fee includes morning and afternoon classes, lectures, recitals, reduced price ceili admission and the free Thursday ceili. Day and partial week registration is available. The South Sligo Summer School is approved for teachers by the Irish Department of Education. One of the lectures will be of particular interest to dancers - on Friday at 3pm Brenda O'Callaghan delivers a talk called, Traditional dancing - My own story.You'll find the perfect summer school environment in the neat little town of Tubbercurry. Accommodation is easily available within walking distance of St Brigid's Hall, though as always, you're strongly advised to book early. The town has good restaurants, shops and plenty of pubs to lure in session musicians. For excursions out of town, the scenic Ox Mountains are a few minutes west and Sligo town is half an hour north. Further north are blue flag beaches at Rosses Point and Mullaghmore, and historic Lissadell House. To the west the seaside town of Enniscrone is recommended for its seaweed baths. For some musical sightseeing, head east to Gurteen to visit the Coleman Irish Music Centre and Michael Coleman's cottage.
More information is available from Marie Flannery and Rita Flannery. The summer school website www.sssschool.org has programme and accommodation details. For assistance with accommodation contact Roger McCarrick. Handy maps of Tubbercurry and Co Sligo are on this website - www.johnthemap.co.uk.
16-20 July 2008Dancing gets underway at Clarecastle's annual summer festival on Wednesday at 8.30pm at a beginners' set dancing workshop by Mike Mahony. On Saturday Mike returns with a workshop for all dancers from 10am to 5pm. Suzanne Leahy teaches sean nós dancing between 7 and 9pm on Saturday and from 11am to 4pm on Sunday. The Saturday céilí mór features music by Taylor's Cross from 9.30pm. The highlight of the weekend is the crossroads dance with music by the Four Courts on Sunday afternoon, 5-8pm, at Kerin's Cross beside the main N18 road just south of Clarecastle. Contact Teresa O'Brien and Bernadette Daniels.
18-20 July 2008The weekend of the Munster Fleadh includes mixed ceilis on Friday with Tim Joe and Anne O'Riordan, Saturday with Mort Kelleher and Sunday with the Allow Ceili Band, each at 10pm. In addition, the Five Counties Ceili Band are performing on stage on Saturday. There's also a set dancing competition on Friday at 8pm, plus concerts, sessions and more. Contact Helen Brosnan.
19-26 July 2008Drumshanbo is a tiny town at the southern end of Lough Allen, a popular destination for boating and angling. The town and lake are in the midst of a scenic wilderness of mountains and forests which spreads into the adjacent counties of Cavan, Roscommon and Sligo. All this natural beauty is overlooked during the week in July when the Joe Mooney Summer School fills the town with musicians and dancers. In recent years the little summer school has enjoyed enormous popularity thanks to six days of morning set dancing workshops with Pat Murphy, afternoon workshops in other types of traditional dance and live music ceilis every night.
The Joe Mooney Summer School bears the name of a local man who worked hard as a member of the senate and tourism organisations to promote Drumshanbo and Co Leitrim. For the summer school's first two years, Connie Ryan taught set dancing classes, but in 1990 he handed it over to Pat Murphy who has been teaching here every year since. Pat's outstanding expertise and engaging manner contribute to the summer school's success - as many as two dozen sets of dancers attend the daily workshops. For his programme of dances Pat draws on the vast repertoire of sets found in his two widely read books, Toss the Feathers and The Flowing Tide, as well as many unpublished sets destined for a third volume.
The official opening takes place on Saturday evening in the High Street. Enrolment is on Sunday afternoon between 4 and 6pm in Áras Phádraig and continues at 9am Monday morning in the Mayflower Community Centre, where all the dancing takes place. Pat's classes run from Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 1pm; there is no advance registration or payment. The Irish Department of Education has approved the summer school for teachers.
In addition to set dancing classes, there's a variety of alternative traditional dance classes afternoons from 4 to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Edie Bradley from Donegal shares her delightful collection of two-hand dances on Monday and Tuesday, Gerard Butler shows how to dance solo steps and steps for sets on Wednesday and Thursday, and Rónan Regan teaches sean nós dancing on Friday afternoon, with an additional class that evening from 7 to 9pm.
Summer school ceilis operate nightly from Monday to Saturday, except on Thursday when the grand concert takes place. On Saturday afternoon there's also outdoor dancing on Drumshanbo's main street. One of the newest bands on the scene make their first summer school appearance this week - look out for Longford's Annaly Ceili Band on Monday night. Pat Murphy selects and calls the sets so expect to dance the rare and unusual as well as the old and familiar.
The following schedule includes the summer school ceilis and afternoon classes -
| Monday 21 July | 4-6pm | two-hand dances with Edie Bradley | ||
| 10pm-12am | Annaly Ceili Band | |||
| Tuesday 22 July | 4-6pm | two-hand dances with Edie Bradley | ||
| 10pm-12am | Micheál Sexton and Pat Walsh | |||
| Wednesday 23 July | 4-6pm | steps for sets and solo steps with Gerard Butler | ||
| 10pm-12am | Copperplate Ceili Band | |||
| Thursday 24 July | 4-6pm | steps for sets and solo steps with Gerard Butler | ||
| Friday 25 July | 4-6pm | sean nós dancing with Rónan Regan | ||
| 7-9pm | more sean nós with Rónan | |||
| 10pm-1am | Swallow's Tail | |||
| Saturday 26 July | 5pm | Davey Ceili Band | ||
| 10pm-1am | farewell ceili with Glenside Ceili Band |
Don't delay booking your hotel or B&B accommodation - the summer school is too popular to leave spare rooms available in July. Refer to the long list of accommodation on the Joe Mooney Summer School web site (www.joemooneysummerschool.com) or contact one of the summer school organising committee for help and answers to any other questions - Nancy Woods, Mary Doyle, Pádraig McLoughlin and Jimmie Costello. See www.johnthemap.co.uk for an excellent map of the town.
21-30 July 2008An island holiday package offering a variety of activities, including two days of beginners' dance workshops with Tony Ryan. Contact Elizabeth Zollinger.
25 July 2008, 10pm-1amEaster ceili with Carousel. The hall is on the road between Mullingar and Ballynacargy.
25-27 July 2008Contact Roy Galvin.
26 July 2008 10pm-1am Carousel
27 July 2008, 10am-6pmThe fifth annual charity fundraising dance marathon at the bandstand on Bray's seafront offers eight hours of non-stop dancing. The first half is to recorded music, then Brian Ború Ceili Band provide live music from 2 to 6pm. Contact Carmel Kearns and Anne Blount.
27 July-4 August 2008Keadue is a small village of 200 inhabitants in the remote northern end of Co Roscommon, an area of mountainous wilderness, unpolluted lakes, megalithic monuments and spectacular scenery. The village was declared Ireland's tidiest village in 1993 and has continued winning beauty prizes since then. There is a long musical tradition here going back beyond the time of Irish composer Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738), who moved to the area with his parents at the age of four. It was here that he lost his sight due to smallpox at 18, learned to play the harp and began his career as an itinerant musician and composer. He was buried in Kilronan Abbey near Keadue and is survived by his 200 compositions which are commonly played today by traditional musicians. As the most famous resident of Keadue, O'Carolan is remembered by this week-long summer school and weekend harp festival.
The O'Carolan Summer School specialises in the harp, but offers tuition in most traditional instruments as well as classes in set dancing and sean nós dancing. The set dancing is in the capable hands of Pádraig and Róisín McEneany, who had a long association with dance master Connie Ryan. They teach the sets that he made popular, as well as those which have been revived in the decade since Connie's death. They have the knack of breaking down steps so that they're easy to practice and learn. The week's six classes are from Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm, and on Saturday from 10.30am to 1pm.
Sean nós dancing is the specialty of Paraic Ó hOibicín, a Connemara teacher who emphasises his local style. His classes are from 4.30 to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Summer school enrolment is from 9am on Monday morning in St Ronan's Hall, where all the dancing workshops and ceilis take place. Tuition is approved for teachers by the Irish Department of Education.
The week features three ceilis, beginning at 9.30pm on the opening Sunday night when Swallow's Tail provides the music. The revived O'Carolan Country Ceili Band plays on Tuesday at 9.30pm, and Matt Cunningham plays for dancing on Friday at the same time. On other evenings, Pádraig and Róisín arrange informal set dancing in the village pubs.
The summer school is followed by the O'Carolan Harp Festival on the bank holiday weekend, 1-4 August, with concerts, competitions, workshops and sessions. At 3pm on Saturday, Mary Conboy leads a ceili dancing class suitable for beginners, and on Sunday afternoon at 4.45pm there's a performance by Shaskeen Ceili Band, followed by a session with box player Liam Purcell. Liam also provides music for the door dancing competition on Sunday evening at 7.30pm, when competitors dance in a traditional style on a half-door, as was the custom in the past.
For assistance with local accommodation and any other questions please contact Paraic Noone and Margaret Grimes or consult the summer school web site,