May 1st 2024

Summer Festival 2024

Join us 26 July – 1 August 2024, onsite in Kilkenny and LIVE online

Hands-on workshops

Concert performances

Immerse yourself in the world of the exquisite and ancient Gaelic harp in a full schedule of 55 events: concerts, workshops, talks, social occasions and more!

Join participants from Ireland—and all around the world—for the 22nd Scoil na gCláirseach–Festival of Early Irish Harp. We invite you to rediscover the music and traditions of Gaeldom's ancient harp, guided by world experts! Join us in Kilkenny, Ireland OR live ONLINE each day.

We warmly welcome players of ALL kinds of harps.

Find out more on our festival website

 

SPECIAL OFFERS

Early Bird 
€390 — Book by 21 June to save €100 off the full All-Access ticket price

Student / Unwaged
€195 — Save 60% on a full-price All-Access ticket.

Book your ticket

 

What you get:

  • Two evening concerts performed in the 1000-year-old Parade Tower of Kilkenny Castle
  • Three intimate 'teatime' concerts at our main festival venue, Coláiste Pobail Osraí
  • Daily hands-on workshops and 'players' session' classes
  • Illustrated talks
  • Interviews with master musicians in the living Gaelic tradition
  • Social events
  • Access to event recordings until 29 December, 2024 — to rewatch, practice and learn at your own pace

Optional add-ons: 

  • Our annual Dublin field trip to visit historic harps — a festival favourite!
  • One-to-one coaching with festival tutors
  • Rental harps — Don't want to travel with a harp? Rent one of our HHSI Student harps, each one copied from a surviving historic Irish harp.

 


What our festival goers say...

I think this is the best festival I have ever attended. You have given me food for thought and learning for a long time to come.
MM, USA

Great to see old friends and make new ones. And so much wonderful music and inspired teaching. 
MW, Ireland

Thank you again for organising and hosting this wonderful festival and connecting us all, early Irish harp lovers together.
AG, France

 

Scoil na gCláirseach–Festival of Early Irish Harp is kindly funded by An Chomhairle Ealaíon [The Arts Council], Kilkenny County Council, and Harp Ireland. Our student rental harp collection has been funded by The Music Capital Scheme, supported by The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, managed by Music Network.