July 13th - 19th, 2008
www.east-durham.org
The 14th Annual Catskills Irish Arts Week Summer School will take place from July 13-19th in the Irish American Resort Town of East Durham in upstate New York. The largest summer school in North America devoted to traditional Irish music, song and dance attracted over 600 students last year from over 30 U.S. States including Hawaii and Alaska, 6 Canadian Provinces and Europe. Hundreds more filled up all the local resorts feasting on the daily menu of lectures, concerts, ceilithe and multiple sessions scheduled around the Irish Catskill region.

Many popular teachers from Ireland are returning like Jackie Daly, Matt Cranitch, Paul deGrae, Edel Fox, Brian McNamara, Catherine McEvoy, Mary Bergin, Liz and Yvonne Kane, the Mulcahy Family, Michael Rooney and June McCormack, Tim Collins, and Roisin White. Joining the CIAW staff for the first time are Alec Finn, Johnny “Ringo” McDonough, Martin Donohoe, John Wynne and John McEvoy and singers Lasairfhiona Ni Chonaola and Con Fada O’Drisceoill. Set Dance tutelage will be handled by Padraig O’Dea who began teaching at age 17 in the Catskills and for ten more years and also Timmy “The Brit” McCarthy.

They will join many of the finest musicians in America like Billy McComiskey, Felix and Brendan Dolan, Mike McHale, Tony Demarco, Willie Kelly, Seamus Connolly, Gearoid O’hAllmhurain, Patrick Ourceau, Kevin Burke, Darren Maloney, Martin Donohue, Pio Ryan, Jerry O’ Sullivan, Dr. Mick Moloney and many more.

The annual Summer School features a daily lecture, open-air evening concert and ceili plus sessions galore around the quaint East Durham vicinity. The week closes with the Andy McGann Traditional Music Festival (renamed last year in honor of the legendary New York fiddler who helped shape the New York Sligo style of music) on Saturday, July 19.

For more information contact the Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural and Sports Centre at phone: 518-634-2286 or via the web at www.east-durham.org
or via email to irishartsweek@gmail.com
Contact: Paul Keating @ Phone + 201-722-0059 Email: paulkeating@aol.com