Every summer in the third week of July, Drumshanbo plays host to the award winning Joe Mooney Summer School, a week long traditional festival of music, song and dance.
Drumshanbo is a small picturesque town situated in thevery heart of County Leitrim, Ireland. The town takes its name from the Irish, Druim-Sean-Bhoth or "Ridge of the old huts".
The town is justly proud of its links with the past. The legends of the Tuatha de Danann recall the arrival of these magical people in a swirling mist on the nearby Sliabh an Iarainn mountain. They brought with them three musicians, Ceol, Binn and Téidbhinn - music, melody and harmony, whose legacy still remains.
Every summer in the third week of July, Drumshanbo plays host to the award winning Joe Mooney Summer School. This is a week long traditional festival of music, song and dance named after the man who did so much to promote the cause of Leitrim and his beloved town.
Classes are open to people of all ages with some previous experience, although beginners are welcome to the set dancing, tin whistle and bodhrán classes.
In addition to the classes and workshops there are recitals, ceilithe, lectures, and open air music events. The impromptu music sessions, the natural beauty of the Drumshanbo area and the traditional 'ceád míle fáilte' hospitality of County Leitrim provide an unforgettable week for all those who participate in the classes and also for those who just visit the town to be part of the experience!
