Fleadhs and flings

By far the biggest scene inside traditional music is instrumental music, and the most concentrated event in this area is the Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay, Co Clare (July 6th-14th), which attracted over 1,000 students last year.

The most intimate scene, however, is unaccompanied singing, a travelling community focused on the various "singers weekends" around the country. Already this year we have had eight of them in Wexford, Dungarvan, Dublin, Inishowen, Coalisland, Ballyvaughan, Feakle and the final one considered by many the gem of them all the Clare Singers Festival in Ennistymon.

We have also had the Derry Fleadh in Creggan, the Limerick Fleadh in Glin, Sligo Fleadh at Gurteen, the Cavan one in Killeshandra and the "Northern Lights "Festal" in Ballycastle, Co Antrim.

Ballycastle's Fleadh Amhran's Rince starts today, and there are Fleadhanna Cheoil at Irvinestown, Co Fermanagh, Tarbert, Co Kerry, Omagh, Co Tyrone and Tulla, Co Clare on 21st-23rd, Tubbercurry, Co 27th-29th and Co Down on has the 14th to 123.

Beginning on July 6th is the Willie Clancy Summer School. Biggest and most cosmopolitan of the music schools, it has instrumental concerts, lectures, recitals, set dance workshops and ceilis, singing and endless music in sessions (065-84148). Hot on its heels from July 15th to 21st is the South Sligo music school at Tubbercurry (071-850 10), and after that, from July 22nd to 28th, is the Joe Mooney school in Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim (078-41213).

There are fleadhanna in Dingle over July 12th to 14th, Cootehill, Co Cavan on 19th-21st, Kilcormac, Co Offaly 26th-28th, Brideswell Celtic Festival outside Athlone takes place from July 27th to 29th (0902-88140), and from July 30th to August 4th runs the Fiddler's Green International Festival, Rostrevor, Co Down, a week of Irish and international folk music, song and dance, talks, workshops, concerts (08-01 6937-38353).

Things move to Drogheda from August 2nd-4th for Feile na Boinne (041-52113), to Keadue, Co Roscommon from August 4th-7th for the O'Carolan Harp and Traditional Music Festival (078-47204), then back to Clare for the Feakle festival, to Granard for the harp festival on 9th-11th. Overlapping with all this, from August 2nd-11th, is the West Belfast Festival (01 232-313440). August 11th-17th has Clairseoiri na hEireann at Kilmore House, Glenariff, Co Antrim, a live in/camp harp summer school with classes on other instruments, recitals and set dancing held in the ancestral home of the MacDonnells of Antrim (08 01232 425545).

With autumn looming, it is the accordion that is feted next from August 15th-20th by the Aonach Paddy O'Brien in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, which also hosts the all Ireland set dancing championships (067-34211). August 17th and 18th brings the harp back again with the Belfast Harp Festival at the City Hall and a major concert in the Ulster Hall (08 01232 425545). This year's Merriman Summer School at Ennistymon, Co Clare cashes in on music, too, from August 17th to 24th under the theme An Ceol Agus An Phoball, a prestigious week of debate, lectures, music recitals and set dancing which has the intellectuals, the academics and the media scrutinising and being scrutinised by the people (0671 9429).

Last of the music schools is CCE's Scoil Eigse in Listowel, Co Kerry from 18th-23rd, and finally, the last days before parental freedom resumes are celebrated in style from August 23rd to 25th by Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann, Listowel three days and nights of wall to wall music, crack, crowded streets and socialising amid the battle cries of the competitors for the national traditional music honours.