Summer Schools

1798

Prussia Street, Dublin May 11th-16th

The Free University of Ireland is running this once-off school to celebrate the 1798 bicentenary. Speakers include Dr Kevin Whelan (University of Notre Dame), Dr James Quinn (RIA), and Dr Daire Keogh (St Patrick's College). Topics include Wolfe Tone, The United Irishmen, and Maria Edgeworth.

Tel: 01 8683368.

Goldsmith Summer School

Ballymahon, Co Longford May 29th-31st

This year the Goldsmith Summer School joins with the 18th Century Irish Society Conference. Prof Declan Kiberd (UCD) will give the keynote address: "18thCentury Ireland: Two Cultures Or One?" Andrew Carpenter (UCD) will speak on 18th-century Irish song, Tanya Cassidy (TCD) will discuss Irish drinking and there will be a special 1790s session. Tel: 0902 32374.

Social Study Conference

Donegal town June 25th-28th

This summer school is 46 this year, and takes as its theme for 1998 "Breaking the Taboos - Talking About Sex". Speakers include Fionnuala Kilfeather, co-ordinator of the National Parents Council, John Waters of The Irish Times and theologian Father Martin O'Hagan. Tel: 021 293336/080 1232 666993

Byrne-Perry Summer School

Gorey, Co Wexford June 26th-28th

This summer school commemorates two local figures who were significant players in the 1798 Rebellion, Miles Byrne and Anthony Perry. This year's theme is "The 1798 Rebellion And Its Aftermath" and speakers include Prof David Dickson (TCD), Tommy Graham (editor of History Ireland), Ruan O'Donnell (St Patrick's College) and Patrick Comerford of The Irish Times. Tel: 053 59769.

Achill Archaeological Summer School

Dooagh, Achill from June 29th (seven weeks)

This hands-on field school is centred on current archaeological excavation of the deserted village in Slievemore. There are lectures and seminars on topics from Celtic art to crannogs, and field trips to local sites such as Achill Beg Island and the megalithic tombs in Keel and Dugort. Tel: 0506 21627.

Bard Summer School

Clare Island, Co Mayo June 29th-July 3rd

Each year this summer school selects a Celtic myth, and for 1998 it is "Deirdre And The Sons Of Ushna" (the related theme being "Myths of Love, War And Exile"). Lecturers include Dr Daithi O hOgain (UCD), Dr Lucy Collins (TCD) and Anne Chambers (biographer of Granuaile, the 16th-century pirate queen who lived for a time on Clare Island). Tel: 086 8302915.

Bram Stoker Summer School

Clontarf, Co Dublin July 1st-5th

This international school celebrates the creator of Dracula with a variety of speakers. Albert Power will lecture on "Sheridan LeFanu And The Spirit Of 1798", Leslie Shepherd will discuss "The Stoker Family On The Move" and Ed Coughlan will talk about "The Sinking Of The White Water Titanic". There will also be a Gothic Art Exhibition featuring the work of Don Conroy and other invited artists. The venue is the Clontarf GAA Clubhouse. Tel: 087 2364829.

Willie Clancy Summer School

Miltown Malbay July 4th-12th

"Willie Week" must be the most popular traditional Irish music gathering of the summer, attracting thousands of musicians and music lovers to west Clare for the past 26 years. There are classes in the mornings, afternoon lectures and evening workshops and ceilis. The school will be opened by Sile de Valera, TD, the Minister for the Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera. Lectures include "From West Bengal To West Clare - In Pursuit of Traditional Song" by Dr Stan Scott of Wesleyan University, Connecticut; and "The Fiddle Music Of Paddy Cronin" by Matt Cranitch (University of Limerick). The many musicians who will give recitals include fiddlers Martin Hayes and Bobby Casey and singers Triona and Mairead Ni Dhomhnaill. Tel: 065 84148.

Synge Summer School

Rathdrum, Co Wicklow July 5th-11th

This year's theme is Theatre and History, and speakers include Frank McGuinness "On Writing History Plays"; Prof Terry Eagleton on "Oscar Wilde: the Divided Self"; and Prof Kevin Barry on "Brian Friel's Plays As A History Of Ideas". Seamus Heaney will give a poetry reading. Tel: 0404 46131.

Kiltartan Hedge School

Gort, Co Galway July 5th-12th

This unusual school is now 25 years old and is intended for those who like their Yeats out of doors. Students gather on the shores of Coole Lake, wander in the Seven Woods and climb the winding stair of the Yeats tower. Schoolmaster Louis Muinzer brings his students to these places where Yeats lived and wrote in order to put his work in context. Throughout, Yeats's poetry, prose and plays are related to the district's lore and legends, as preserved by Lady Gregory. Tel: 080 1232 649010

James Joyce Summer School

Newman House, Dublin July 12th-24th

This large and successful academic school features a host of varied lecturers offering views on Dublin's most famous novelist. The school's director, Dr Anne Fogarty (UCD) will speak on "Force, Hatred, History And All That: Joyce And Nationalism". Prof Robert Tracy of the University of California at Berkeley will discuss "Joyce and the Anglo-Irish Literary Tradition"; Prof Jennifer Levine of the University of Toronto will speak on "Conversation As A Model For Understanding In Ulyssses"; and Dr Peter Van de Kamp (Tralee Institute of Technology) will ask "Who Dunnit In Dubliners?" Tel: 01 7068323

Blas

University of Limerick July 13th-24th

This new summer school of traditional Irish music and dance got off to an impressive start last year. Designed by the Irish World Music Centre (which is presided over by Dr Micheal O Suilleabhain), Blas 1998 includes lectures, tutorials, workshops, field trips and sessions. Tutors and performers include Andy Irvine, Matt Cranitch, Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill, Mel Mercier, Noirin Ni Riain, Niall Keegan and Sandra Joyce. Tel: 061 202047

George Moore Summer School

Claremorris, Co Mayo July 16th-21st

"Mayo, the French and 1798" is the title of one of the sessions at the Moore Summer School, which features historians Prof Thomas Bartlett (UCD) and Prof Anne McCartney (University of Ulster); a lecture by Ciaran MacGonigal, now director of the Hunt Museum, on "Yeats and Nationalist Imagery After 1798", and a poetry reading by Seamus Heaney. Tel: 094 71830

Douglas Hyde Conference

Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon July 17th-19th

This event celebrating Ireland's first president will be, appropriately, opened by our current president, Mrs McAleese. The focus of the school will be the impact of local government in Ireland. Lecturers include Dr Mary Daly (UCD) and Dr Paraic Travers (St Patrick's College). Tel: 0903 37100

Women's Studies Summer School

TCD, Dublin July 20th-24th

This school started last year and attracted more than 500 participants from at home and abroad. It is clearly set to become part of the annual calendar. This year's theme is "The Power of Women: Negotiating Our Identities" and speakers include journalist Nell McCafferty, poet Eavan Boland, and historian Sheila Rowbotham. There will be lectures, seminars and workshops. Tel: 01 6609011.

Glandore Classic Boat Regatta and Summer School

Glandore, Co Cork July 21st-26th

"Where the Land Meets the Sea" is the theme of this year's Glandore Summer School. Speakers include maritime historian Dr John de Courcy Ireland, who will launch the school with a talk on "Sea Links With Iberia". Other speakers include local archaeologist Paddy O'Leary; Bairbre Ni Fhloinn on " `Cold Iron' Luck: Beliefs Of Fishermen"; and Michael McCaughan of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum on "Titanic: Out Of The Depths And Into The Culture". There are walks and harbour trips, exhibitions, the regatta, and a workshop on drawing boats with Donal McPolin. Tel: 021 545333.

Gerard Manley Hopkins Summer School

Monasterevin, Co Kildare July 25th-31st

This year's Hopkins Summer School celebrates its 11th birthday with a distinguished array of guest lecturers including Hugh Kenner, Prof Terence Brown (TCD); historian Christine Kinealy and Robert Welch (editor of The Oxford Companion To Irish Literature). The many poets who will read include Desmond Egan, artistic director of the Hopkins Society, as well as Yves Broussard (France) and Thomas Kabdebo (Hungary). The Auer Quartet (Budapest) will give a concert at Moore Abbey. Tel: 045 525416.

John Hewitt Summer School

Carnlough, Co Antrim July 27th-August 1st

Lecturers at this year's Hewitt School include poet John Montague, and playwright Graham Reid. Unionist academic Norman Porter will speak on the relevance of 1798 to the unionist community, the political analyst Simon Partridge will talk about the Council of the Islands, and Prof W.J. McCormack will discuss "The Politics of Commemoration". There will be a poetry reading by Jamie McKendrick and a poetry workshop with Robert Greacen. Elizabeth Wassell will read from her novel about summer schools, The Honey Plain. Tel: 080 1846 662445

Kerry International Summer School of Living Irish Authors (KISS)

Tralee, Co Kerry July 31st-August 7th

This year's KISS is a shorter and lighter version of the usual twoweek school. The theme is "Size And Sighs: Sensitive Sonnets And Burly Blockbusters". Speakers include Anglo-Irish Studies expert, Prof A. Norman Jeffares, poet Desmond Egan and cultural anthropologist John Moriarty. Novelist Evelyn Conlon will read from her work. There will be a Lorca recital by soprano Judith Mok. Living writers whose work will be discussed include Derek Mahon and Seamus Deane. The school will be opened by local TD Dick Spring, TD. Tel: 066 29370

Yeats Summer School

Sligo August 1st-14th

The Yeats Summer School features a list of impressive speakers, including Sir Frank Kermode and Prof Helen Vendler (Harvard); also Prof Terence Brown (TCD), Prof Edna Longley (QUB) and Fintan O'Toole (The Irish Times). Topics vary from "Yeats And American Modernism" to "Yeats And The Gaelic World". There is a huge array of seminars to choose from, and there will be poetry readings by Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill and Bernard O'Donoghue. Prof Thomas Flanagan, author of The Year Of The French, will open the school. Tel: 071 42693.

William Carleton Summer School

Clogher, Co Tyrone August 3rd-7th

Themes to be addressed at this year's school include the work of the school's namesake, the 19thcentury novelist William Carleton, as well as 1798 and its effect on the Carleton family. The work of Benedict Kiely and other contemporary Irish writers will also be highlighted. Guests include the poets John Montague, Michael Longley and Adrian Rice; the novelist Clare Boylan; and the academics Prof A. Norman Jeffares and Prof Thomas Bartlett (UCD). Tel: 080 1868 767259.

Parnell Summer School

Avondale, Co Wicklow August 9th-16th

This year's theme for the lively Parnell Summer School is "The Republic", and the focus of the school will be the commemoration of 1798 and the Young Ireland revolt of 1848. Lectures and symposia will examine the origins, development and nature of the idea of a republic in Ireland and internationally from earliest times to the present. Speakers include Prof John Molony from Australia, the biographer of Thomas Davis and Ned Kelly (he will compare the development of republicanism in Ireland and Australia). Other speakers are Patricia McKenna MEP, Dr Ian McBride (Durham), Dr Garret FitzGerald, Eamon O'Cuiv TD, and Dr Maria Luddy (Women's History Project). The Yarnspinners from Co Antrim will tell the story of Ulster Presbyterians in 1798 in a performance entitled Boul Proota Diggers. Tel: 01 2874124.

Patrick McGill Summer School

Glenties, Co Donegal August 9th-14th

"Challenging Times" is the title of this year's school, which will focus on issues such as the Belfast Agreement and the EMU. Speakers to be confirmed later. Tel: 075 51103.

General Humbert Summer School

Ballina, Co Mayo August 19th-23rd

The three themes of this year's bicentenary school are "1798: The Legacy"; "EU: Expansion Or Reform?" and "Towards Peace In The North". Speakers include the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, John Hume, Prof Jim McMillan (Strathclyde University), Kevin McNamara (vice-chair of the British-Irish parliamentary body) and Paul Gillespie of The Irish Times. The school will be opened by Seamus Brennan, TD, Chief Whip and chair of the government's 1798 Commemorations Committee. A descendent of Humbert, Pierre Maurice, will also attend. Tel: 01 4903963.

Merriman Summer School

Ennistymon, Co Clare August 23rd-30th

This popular and well-established summer school will not only cover the irreverent poet Brian Merriman, but also a range of themes including the changing fortunes of Clare's Gaelic families 1200-1680; the environmental diversity of Clare; the sociological background to Clare's recent hurling triumphs; language loss; and Clare in Europe. Speakers include Irish language lecturer, Neil Buttimer (UCC), microbiologist, Emer Colleran (UCG), Pat Cox, MEP, and traditional music expert, Dr Ciaran MacMathuna. There will be classes in Irish language and folklore and set-dancing. Tel: 01 4531818.

Lady Gregory Autumn Gathering

Gort, Co Galway September 25th-27th

In its fourth year, this late school features a lecture by Prof Lucy McDiarmid (Villanova University) on "Lady Gregory, Shaw, Yeats And Cultural Property"; Edna Longley (Queens) on "Images Of The Anglo-Irish"; and Prof Declan Kiberd (UCD) on "Lady Gregory, Synge and `Irish' Ireland". The school will be opened by Loretta Brennan Glucksman, president of the American Ireland Fund. Tel: 091 521836.

Classical Events

AIB Music Festival in Great Irish Houses

June 4th-14th

If listening to music in surroundings as diverse as Barrettstown Castle, the US Ambassador's Residence, the South Mall branch of AIB in Cork, the National Gallery in Dublin or Hillsborough Castle in Co Down is your cup of tea, this festival is the one for you. This year's offerings include the Dublin debut of British tenor Ian Bostridge, a return to the city by French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, two appearances by cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, recitals by violinists Catherine Leonard and Isabelle van Keulen, an evening of early music with the Lachrimae Consort and a saxophone programme from Gerard McChrystal. Tel: 01 2782506

West Cork Chamber Music Festival

Bantry, Co Cork June 28th-July 5th

Bantry is the brightest new spot in Ireland's festival calendar. The West Cork Chamber Music Festival draws together a pool of top musicians from at home and abroad to create a community which can target anything in the phenomenally diverse and hugely rewarding repertoire of chamber music. At one extreme, this year's programme offers Schoenberg's chamber reduction of Mahler's valedictory "Lied von der Erde" (soloists Alison Browner and Ludwig van Gijsegem. One of the world's elite of great string quartets, the Borodins, join the Vanbrughs in residence this year with pianists MarcAndre Hamelin, Joanna MacGregor and Hugh Tinney, three of the wind principals from the NSO (flautist William Dowdall, oboist Matthew Manning and clarinettist John Finucane) as well as a host of others. Tel: 027 61485, voice & fax; email coomkeen@tinet.ie; website www.rte.ie/music/ vanbrugh/festival.html

International Music Festival

Killaloe, Co Clare July 9th-July 12th

Killaloe is where the Limerick-based Irish Chamber Orchestra has decided to base its summer festival, with concerts taking place in the 12th-century St Flannan's Cathedral. Among this year's visitors are Thomas Stacy, cor anglais player of the New York Philharmonic, and Max Levinson, winner of the 1997 Guardian Dublin International Piano Competition. The closing concert, appropriately enough for a riverbased location, will see ICO artistic director Fionnuala Hunt leading performances of Handel's Water Music and Royal Fireworks Music. 061 202620; fax 061 202617; email ico@ul.ie; website http://www.ul.ie/ iwmc/ico/home.html

Kilkenny Arts Week

Kilkenny August 15th-August 22nd

Kilkenny Arts Week has always prided itself on the strength of its music programme. This year's primary flavour is Nordic, with major visitors from Finland (the Sinfonia Lahti Chamber Ensemble and the New Helsinki String Quartet) and Sweden (the baritone Bo Skovhus, and the guitarist Magnus Andersson with Ensemble Son). Finnish and Swedish music is well represented and the Magnus Andersson programme will also include newly-commissioned works by Roger Doyle and Barry Guy. There are concerts by Max Levinson, baroque violinist Maya Homburger (a late-night programme of Biber's Mystery Sonatas with harpsichordist Malcolm Proud), the RTECO and cellist Raphael Wallfisch. Tel: 056 63663; fax 056 51704; email kaw@iol.ie

Wexford Festival Opera

Wexford October 15th-November 1st

Wexford's exhumation and revitalisation of operas obscure, neglected or forgotten reaches into unusual quarters this year. Not much is known in this part of the world of the operatic output of Brazilian composers. Wexford's new production of Fosca by Carlos Gomes (1836-1896) should help change that. And, no, it won't be sung in Portuguese, because it was written in Italian. The Czech Pavel Haas (1899-1944), a pupil of Janacek, died in a Nazi gas chamber. His 1938 tragicomic opera Sarlatan is benefiting from the growth of interest in "entartete Musik", the "degenerate music" suppressed by the Nazis. By comparison, Riccardo Zandonai (18831944) is relatively well known. But Wexford is staging not his most familiar work France- sca da Rimini but I Cavalieri di Ekebu, a tale set in Lutheran Sweden, which was premiered in 1925 under Toscanini. Tel: 053 22144; fax 053 24289; email info@wexopera.ie; website www.iol.ie/wexopera