Exploring the History of Traditional Music in Dublin
When considering a musically-focused educational visit to Dublin, Ireland, the scene that comes to mind is likely to consist almost entirely of fiddles, harps, flutes and whistles, accordions and concertinas, and Uilleann piles.
Ireland, and Dublin in particular, has managed to maintain a better grasp on its indigenous folk music than other countries in Europe.
This is due to its largely agricultural economy, and the fact that during the World Wars Ireland itself was not a geographical battleground.
But, though the city has a long heritage of traditional styles of folk music, it also boasts several important modern venues that promote tradition.
They are an important aspect in the city's musical landscape for students to explore, embracing both past and present musical evolutions.
Ceol, The Irish Traditional Music Centre Located at Smithfield Village, in Dublin, this museum near the heart of the city combines the use of modern technology and a sleek atmosphere with a hands-on approach to the conservation and study of traditional Irish folk music.
An educational visit to the museum can guide students around the exhibit, and not only introduce the sounds and styles of the instruments used, but also weave together the historical, political, and economic factors involved in the progress of Ireland's music scene.
In addition, the museum reveals the history of the Ceili and there is a wooden dance floor incorporating projected dancers.
Students can join in and give folk dancing a try to get a real taste of Irish history.
The Merry Ploughboy While many sessions of folk music are still held at the local level in various pubs across the city, an educational visit to the city to learn about traditional music is not complete without students experiencing a proper live show.
Consider having tickets booked to an event at The Merry Ploughboy - a pub/small concert hall hybrid that is known for its "Merry Ploughboys Live In Concert" show.
Both the venue and the show itself are excellent ways to introduce the traditional song and dance of Ireland.
The Merry Ploughboy is located at Rockbrook, Edmondstown Rd, in Dublin.
Irish Traditional Music Archive While in Dublin, a trip to the Irish Traditional Music Archive (Taisce Cheol Dúchais Éireann) at 73 Merrion Square, will be educational.
Visit the archives, which is a 'national reference archive and resource centre for the traditional song, instrumental music and dance of Ireland'.
It was established in 1987 to archive a multimedia collection that centres around traditional Irish music, and it is the largest such reserve in existence.
The archive is free to visit and has public rooms for reading and studying; specialist rooms for digitising, conserving, cataloguing, and storing materials; as well as a recording studio.
All of this is housed in an 18th century terraced building on Merrion Square, where the houses were built, for the most part, for those wealthy enough to have country estates elsewhere.
The house itself once belonged to John Stratford, the third Earl of Aldborough, and over the years has housed various governmental offices before becoming the home of the Irish Traditional Music Archive in 2006.
Ireland, and Dublin in particular, has managed to maintain a better grasp on its indigenous folk music than other countries in Europe.
This is due to its largely agricultural economy, and the fact that during the World Wars Ireland itself was not a geographical battleground.
But, though the city has a long heritage of traditional styles of folk music, it also boasts several important modern venues that promote tradition.
They are an important aspect in the city's musical landscape for students to explore, embracing both past and present musical evolutions.
Ceol, The Irish Traditional Music Centre Located at Smithfield Village, in Dublin, this museum near the heart of the city combines the use of modern technology and a sleek atmosphere with a hands-on approach to the conservation and study of traditional Irish folk music.
An educational visit to the museum can guide students around the exhibit, and not only introduce the sounds and styles of the instruments used, but also weave together the historical, political, and economic factors involved in the progress of Ireland's music scene.
In addition, the museum reveals the history of the Ceili and there is a wooden dance floor incorporating projected dancers.
Students can join in and give folk dancing a try to get a real taste of Irish history.
The Merry Ploughboy While many sessions of folk music are still held at the local level in various pubs across the city, an educational visit to the city to learn about traditional music is not complete without students experiencing a proper live show.
Consider having tickets booked to an event at The Merry Ploughboy - a pub/small concert hall hybrid that is known for its "Merry Ploughboys Live In Concert" show.
Both the venue and the show itself are excellent ways to introduce the traditional song and dance of Ireland.
The Merry Ploughboy is located at Rockbrook, Edmondstown Rd, in Dublin.
Irish Traditional Music Archive While in Dublin, a trip to the Irish Traditional Music Archive (Taisce Cheol Dúchais Éireann) at 73 Merrion Square, will be educational.
Visit the archives, which is a 'national reference archive and resource centre for the traditional song, instrumental music and dance of Ireland'.
It was established in 1987 to archive a multimedia collection that centres around traditional Irish music, and it is the largest such reserve in existence.
The archive is free to visit and has public rooms for reading and studying; specialist rooms for digitising, conserving, cataloguing, and storing materials; as well as a recording studio.
All of this is housed in an 18th century terraced building on Merrion Square, where the houses were built, for the most part, for those wealthy enough to have country estates elsewhere.
The house itself once belonged to John Stratford, the third Earl of Aldborough, and over the years has housed various governmental offices before becoming the home of the Irish Traditional Music Archive in 2006.
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