To coincide with the Willie Clancy Summer School taking place in West Clare this week, Clare County Library has announced the addition of three traditional Irish music collections to its extensive online database.
The collections, which have been provided by Barry Taylor, John Joe Healy, Jim Carroll and Pat Mackenzie, feature live traditional music sessions of Clare musicians from the early 1960s to the late 1990s.
Willie Clancy, the well-known Uilleann Piper from Miltown Malbay which is hosting a festival in his honour this week, is among the musicians featured. Others include Elizabeth Crotty, Seamus Ennis, Martin ‘Junior’ Crehan, Paddy Canny, Micho Russell, Bobby Casey, Kevin Burke, PJ Crotty and Michael Falsey.
In September 2012, the Clare County Council Library service launched the first part of its online Music of Clare project, featuring a selection of traditional Irish tunes commonly associated with County Clare and including transcriptions of the tunes. In March 2015, the Library launched its online Singers and Songs of County Clare project, featuring over 400 songs from the Carroll Mackenzie Collection.
Cllr. Pat Hayes, Chair of Clare County Council’s Cultural Services and Arts (including Community, Recreation and Amenities) SPC thanked Barry Taylor, John Joe Healy, and Jim Carroll and Pat Mackenzie “on behalf of the people of Clare for their generosity in making their life’s work available to the library, and the library staff for making such wonderful use of the material”.
“The Singers and Songs of County Clare project re-enforces Clare County Council’s strong commitment to the arts and culture of Clare“, he said.
Check out the recordings visit www.clarelibrary.ie or click on the links below.