The 47th Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay begins tomorrow, Saturday 6 July, and runs until Sunday 14 July. As well as daily classes in traditional music, song and dance, there will be recitals, lectures, talks and workshops.

There will also be a number of new and recent albums and books launched on Sunday at 4pm at the the Mill Marquee.

Among the releases are recordings by singers Treasa Ní Mhiolláin and Robert Cinnamond, accordion-player Damien O’Reilly, fiddle-player Gerry O’Connor, uilleann piper Gay McKeon, concertina player Rory MacMahon, and the groups Gatehouse, The Dublin Lassies, The Conifers, Anders Trabjerg and Giro, and the trio of Eimear Coughlan, Francis Cunningham and Carl Hession.

Launches
Lán Mara by sean-nós singer Ní Mhiolláin is a new release on the Cló Iar-Chonnacht label. It features nineteen songs in Irish and English, including eight from Ní Mhiolláin’s native Inis Mór, several of which have not been commercially released before. The majority of the songs were recorded by Jack Talty in a church on Inis Mór, Séipéal Eochla. The album is produced by Deirdre Ní Chonghaile.

’Tis Pretty to be in Ballinderry: Robert Cinnamond 1884–1968, a double-CD and booklet, is a tribute to the Antrim singer produced by Roisín White. The first CD contains recordings by Cinnamond. The second is a compilation of his songs sung by Northern singers.

Dúchas by Damien O’Reilly has just been released on the Raelach Records label. It will be launched by Liam O’Brien. The Dublin Lassies by Aoife O’Connor, Majella O’Beirne and Mary Corcoran will be launched by broadcaster Áine Hensey. The new album from Gatehouse, Heather Down Tthe Moor, will be launched by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh.

Gerry O’Connor’s recent CD Last Night’s Joy and his book The Rose in the Gap, a collection of dance music from the Oriel region, will be launched together. Piper Tommy Keane will speak about Gay McKeon’s new solo CD The Turning of the Geese. Rory MacMahon’s new concertina CD is titled Waiting in the Long Grass. Giro at the Céilíby Anders Trabjerg and Giro will be launched by Mick Crehan. Hession, Coughlan and Cunningham’s new CD is titled Úrnua. It will be launched by concertina player Tim Collins. The Conifers’ recording will be launched by broadcaster and flute-player Caoimhín Ó Sé.

A book of tunes by composer Michael Dwyer and a collection of poems by Anne Casey will also be launched on Sunday, as well as re-release of a 1970s recording of singing from Conamara, produced by John Howsen.

Talks and tributes
Among the lectures at this year’s summer school are the Breandán Breathnach Memorial Lecture in which Professor Ríonach uí Ógáin will discuss the legacy of collector Tom Munnelly. Dr John Tunney will give a talk on the transmission of song repertoire; Dr Jimmy O’Brien Moran will discuss the pre-Famine piper Paddy Conneely; broadcaster and piper Peter Browne will present a selection of recordings from 70 years of visits to Sliabh Luachra; and Aoife Kelly will discuss the music of fiddle and concertina player John Kelly (1912–1989).

On Tuesday, there will be a special tribute to musician and broadcaster Tony MacMahon presented by Liam O’Connor.

The summer school begins with an official launch by musician Brendan Mulkere at 8pm tomorrow, followed by the Breandán Breathnach Memorial Lecture.

For full details, visit http://www.scoilsamhraidhwillieclancy.com