Students

Former student Aidan Quigney reviews Meitheal in Irish Music Magazine Feb 2022.

"Meitheal definitely opened doors for me. The composition, orchestra and arrangement classes challenge you in ways your usual summerschool would not. You'll take in a wealth of music, tunes and technique, but as well you could find a lot of musical creativity within you that you mightn't have found before." Christina Dolphin
"Absolutely amazing teachers and the classes are brilliant. I really enjoy the week and would reccomend it to anyone." Niall Preston
"Meitheal is an exciting and music filled week which offers a unique approach to learning music and also gives you the opportunity to meet like minded musicians from all around the world. At Meitheal I made great friends which I now perform with on a regular basis. I enjoyed my Meitheal experience and have reccommended it to many others." Alisha McMahon
"Meitheal was the most amazing, fun, intensely tiring yet musically energising week of my life...5 years in a row! Couldnt get enough!" Courtney Cullen
"Meitheal is a great place to meet new friends, learn new tunes and is a brilliant overall experience. It is also extremely great value for money, as the tutors are top class and the activities and classes provided during the week are unique to this summer school. I would certainly reccommend it to any musician who would like to expand their musical knowledge and also make great friends." Aisling McMahon
''Meitheal provides opportunities for people of all ages to meet and learn from vastly experienced musicians in a very warm and welcoming atmosphere.'' Cillian King

Tutors

"I thoroughly enjoyed working with their large trad orchestras - it was so exciting for me to explore their timbral possibilities. They really excelled themselves in learning the music I'd composed for them, and gave brilliant performances of it." Anne-Marie O Farrell
"I had the great fortune to be at Meitheal as both a student and tutor. The friends I made there as a teenager are friends for life and it definitely played a big part in my decision to go into music professionally." Lucia McPartlin
"I absolutely loved being involved in Meitheal. The students were so advanced and I loved showing them a bit of what I have learned over the years. Hearing them practice the tunes I had taught them over the week was so rewarding and the arrangement and composition classes were so much fun!" Maria Ryan
"Meitheal gave me the opportunity to work alongside some of the country’s finest musicians and tutor Ireland’s up and coming musicians in different musical settings. A thoroughly enjoyable experience that I will cherish for a long time." Conor O Loughlin
"The Meitheal experience was a most amazing one. From the point of a teacher it was so different to what I had expected. I was unprepared for the sheer variety of the musical experiences made available to the young people attending the school. composition classes with seven flute players and me a fiddle player!!, I thought I was in the wrong room but it worked brilliantly; arrangement classes with some of the best young musicians out there was also another highlight and the fiddle classes themselves were great although I would love to have been a student for a while in Seamus Connolly's room! While it was hard work for the teachers and long days it was all worth it and a great experience to be part of such a passing on of traditional music in such a varied way. Sitting on stage at the final concert, with all the students behind us performing their orchestral piece was truly amazing. At the end of the week I wished I could have been a teenager again so that I could come back the following year and I really hope that Meitheal is still going strong when my own child, who is now eight, becomes a teenager. Fantastic experience and so well organised for both teachers and students and especially safe surroundings for young musicians." Máire O Keefe
"Meitheal is the best Trad Week of the year for music, enthusiasm, craic and energy. Everyone is so positive and uplifting, you get carried away on a raft of musical experiences. Long may it last and if you have not yet been, get yourself there pronto and get stuck in." Denis Liddy
"I loved Meitheal. I thought the young people were all brilliant players especially the concertina class! I also never knew 10 banjos could swing so brilliantly. The classic ceilidh band night was a revelation to me and a great idea to show the participants their roots. Here's to more Meitheal Trad Weeks." Simon Thoumire
"Meitheal is a fantastic week, total musical immersion, very well run and conceived. Meitheal was brilliant to teach at and I would have loved it if it were around when I was a music-mad teenager!" Enda Schhill
"I loved it - particularly the challenge of teaching a flute class!" Siobhan Peoples
"Meitheal is tremendous because it offers a very focussed environment for young people to meet and share, develop their own musical prowess, whilst preserving the traditions and passing the music on. Its an immensely positive experience for the young people involved and does not just impact on their lives for the duration of the week, but will have an effect that will stay with the young people involved for their life. Using the music as common ground, a platform is created for forming and strengthening friendships, sharing experiences, embracing new opportunities, and enabling young people to reach their potential. This leads to fulfillment and success which can be transferred to all situations, and nurture our future generation of successful young people in all walks of life. So it actually benefits young people far beyond their musical career. Meitheal is a very slick operation, and has a very well-planned schedule which is sure to keep participants engaged at every point, whilst offering challenges and opportunities to progress and stretch the boundaries of participants' technical ability and musical knowledge, whether that be in performance, composition or the technicalities of the instrument." Particular highlights for me were the Ceili Band night - recreating the sounds of bands from the past - a fabulous idea!! And of course the final concert which was an amazing chance to see/hear the top-quality music. And of course my first ever Trad Disco!! It was brilliant - well planned and well delivered by Gary, Ernestine and Eimear and the rest of the team. It was a privilege to be involved. Here's to its continued success!!" Clare McLaughlin
" I enjoyed Meitheal summer school immensely. It's as big a challenge for the tutors as it is for the pupils including unique workshops like Tune Composing and Music Arrangement classes on top of the Master Classes. The pupils involved are of the highest quiality and this only adds to the success of the course. Meitheal Sumer School is organised at the very highest level with the pupils musical future in mind. Hats off to Garry, Ernestine and Eimear on their trojan work to keep it at the high standard it is now known for." Damien McKee
"An absolutely fabulous experience - wonderful staff, fantastic tutors and extremely talented youngsters. It was an absolute joy to watch them establish close friendships and have great craic in a very intensive and nurturing musical environment." Katie Boyle
"Meitheal is an important entity which creates an atmosphere of total enjoyment for students and staff within the current zeitgeist of traditional Irish music (education). It was a pleasure to work with such a group of talented, vibrant and sound young people who are stone-mad about trad!" Eoin Coughlan
"Meitheal is a professionally run, comprehensive course that offers students not only an unique experience of the traditional genre, but a course that involves a high level of social interaction, enhancing every students' musical and social abilities." Eamonn de Barra
"As teaching experiences go, this truly was the most rewarding. The kids were exceptional, as is the concept. For me the best part were the group and composition classes, opening the students minds up to new ideas and innovation. As a musician I personally learned as much as any of my students, a truly amazing week which I would recommend to any student or tutor." Darren Maloney
"Meitheal offers a unique opportunity for the next generation of young traditional Irish musicians - from performance based workshops to lectures developing their knowledge of music business and law, there has truly never been anything of this kind before. The 'Julliard' of Trad" Stephan Markham
"Definitely a winner, can I be a student this year!?" Niamh Dunne
"Meitheal is a completely new concept for traditional music education, encouraging creativity and team work for real, contemporary goals. It is the full package, catering for the needs and interests of the young traditional musician in a in a safe and nurturing environment. It's just a pity it wasn't about for me!" Niall Keegan
"Meitheal was a fantastic experience for me. On every level- staff, students, fellow instructors- it was as good a music camp as I've ever attended. I came away thinking I would have paid to be there- I learned alot. " Liz Carroll