Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich pictured (second from left) recently rowing with friends in a namhóg from Rathlin in Northern Ireland to Iona in Scotland. Photograph: Paddy McLaughlin

The Blas International Summer School of Irish Traditional Music and Dance returns to the Irish World Academy at the University of Limerick for the sixteenth successive year this June.

Directed by Ernestine Healy and running from 25 June – 6 July, the school includes tuition and master classes, lectures on traditional music, song and dance, a field trip, sessions, Irish language classes (facilitated through the Aonad na Gaeilge) lunchtime and evening concerts, céilís.

The summer school will be launched this year by Aodán O’Dubhghaill, Director of RTÉ lyric fm, on Monday, 25 June at 5.30p.m. and a number of public events will take place throughout the summer school. On Tuesday 26th June at 5pm, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Nell Ní Chróinín and Eamonn Costello come together for a discussion entitled ‘Irish Language Singers in a Contemporary Context’.

Mel Mercier will deliver this year’s Francis Roche Memorial Lecture on Thursday 28 June at 5pm in the Tower Theatre at the Irish World Academy, entitled ‘Making Music Together: Father and Son Duets’.

This year’s public concerts include performances by Iarla Ó Lionáird, Steve Cooney, Tom Doorley, Derek Hickey and guests on Wednesday, 27 June; and Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich, Seamus Begley, Michelle Mulcahy and guests on Wednesday, 4 July. A series of free lunchtime concerts will also run daily at 1.15p.m. daily from Tuesday, 26 June to Thursday, 5 July.

Tickets for the concerts are available on www.uch.ie or by contacting the box office at 061-331549.

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