Arts & Education
Music Network
The Music Network organisation is supported by the Arts Council and sets up tours throughout the country by musicians of all kinds: jazz, classical and traditional. Their website gives details of artists and tour dates. It also provides directories of musical services in Ireland.
www.musicnetwork.ie

Irish World Music Centre
The Irish World Music Centre is based in the University of Limerick. The website provides details of their degree course, BA in  Irish Music and Dance, and their various MA courses. It also gives details of various events and concerts hosted and sponsored by the Centre.
Maoin Cheoil, of course, has a very close relationship with the IWMC as its Director, Professor Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, is also Chair of the Maoin Cheoil Board of Directors.
www.ul.ie/~iwmc/

Irish Department of Education
Download your Junior or Leaving Cert. Music Syllabus.
Information on all aspect of the exams.
www.education.ie

Joanna MacGregor's Piano World
Joanna MacGregor is one of today's most interesting and talented young pianists. Check out her young musicians PianoWorld site and follow through to her SoundCircus record label site for a selection of strange and wonderful c.d's.
www.soundcircus.com/pianoworld/index.htm

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
An invaluable source of information and advice for students, parents and teachers on one of our major examining bodies. Here you will be able to download a syllabus, check on advice for doing exams, join discussion groups and link to the ABRSM Publishing site.
www.abrsm.org

London College of Music
Another of our examining boards. This site gives an overview of courses offered at the college and also links to the LCM examinations information site with information on Entry, Syllabuses etc.
www.tvu.ac.uk/faculties/London_College_of_Music_&_Media.jsp

Royal Irish College of Music
Once again the site gives clear information about the college itself as well as providing all you need to know about exams. Syllabuses for the different instruments and grades can be brought up on screen. A very clear and well presented site.
www.riam.ie

The Contemporary Music Centre Ireland
Gives voice to what is happening on the Irish Contemporary Music scene with news on the latest cd's, features on new composers, education resources, a calendar of new music events around Ireland and publications of new compositions for students to play.
www.cmc.ie

Glór Irish Music Centre
An online guide to the west's premiere performance venue.
www.glor.ie

Clare County Library
NOT just Clare County Library but the definitive place to start looking for any kind of information on the County: Arts, History, Projects, Exhibitions, Arts Newsletter, Photographs, Events Calendar. It's all here plus invaluable contacts for anyone interested in or involved in artistic endeavours anywhere in Clare.
www.clarelibrary.ie

Shops

Penguin Pianos

Rania and Veit Kuhn, 40 Willsgrove, Ennis Co. Clare, 00353 65 6848076, www.penguinpianos.com Pianos, Pianos, Pianos, workshops and more…

Custy's Music Shop
For hard to get c.d's, musical instruments, music books. Mail Order Service Worldwide.
www.custysmusic.com

Opus II Galway Specialist Music
Instruments and Mail Order music books for most exam bodies.
www.galway.net/galwayguide/search/ypshow.cgi/2759

StrinGmail
An online shop for strings, bows, cases. Mail Order. Great Choice of Products.
www.stringmail.co.uk

MadforTrad
Excellent  Irish Traditional Music resource. Tons of Information, great instruction books, schools material etc.
www.madfortrad.com

Festivals
Willie Clancy Summer School
The Mother of All Traditional Irish Music Festivals. If you like Irish Traditional Music and have never enjoyed the Willie Clancy experience - go on give yourself a treat.
www.setdancingnews.net/wcss

Fledh Nua Festival
www.fleadhnua.com

Iniscealtra Arts Festival
www.iniscealtra-artsfestival.org

Feakle Festival
www.feaklefestival.ie

All these events require a massive committment in time and energy from a largely voluntary group of organisers, fund-raisers, humpers, drivers, telephone-answerers, leaflet-stuffers, poster-putter-uppers and many, many more. Please support them in your local community. Their contribution is invaluable.
Remember - Communities are Made not Given - and it is people like these, who care and do something about it, who are making them.

Classical Performance
ConTempo
Galway based String Quartet - information on tour dates and their Summer School - 25th - 31st July 2005
www.galwayensemble.ie
 
Galway Early Music Festival
Annual celebration of the best in Early Music.26 - 29 May 2005
www.galwayearlymusic.com
 
National Concert Hall - Dublin
A site for concert schedules, Online Booking for events and RTE National Symphony Orchestra information.
www.nch.ie
 
Irish Chamber Orchestra
All you need to know about our nearest and best opportunity to experience LIVE classical performances.
www.icorch.com
 
Radio Stations
Lyric FM
RTE's dedicated classical music station. Their Saturday Night Operas relayed live from New York's Metropolitan Opera House seem haunted by the ghosts of the Great Gatsby and Citizen Kane. The Blue of the Night, Reels to Ragas, Grace Notes,The Third Wave and Jazz Alley are all chock full of the kind of musical surprises that blow away the stations slightly stuffy 'strictly classical' reputation. Here you get music you probably won't find anywhere else. A refreshing change from the heavily rotated playlists of other radio stations.
www.rte.ie/lyricfm
 
BBC Radio
For those of you on broadband the BBC Radio site is a wonder. Tune in and listen live to Classical, World, Indy Pop - you can find just about any kind of music you might want. Plus archived Arts programmes, documentaris, travelogues, drama, interviews, sports and the World Service bringing reports from around the globe.
The biggest treat of all is - NO ADS - entire programmes without those annoying interruptions.
www.bbc.co.uk/radio