We are now taking bookings!  Dates: 15–21 August 2018 Venue: Coláiste Pobail Osraí in the medieval city of Kilkenny, Ireland.     WATCH US ON YOUTUBE  EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT  of €25 on the week rate if you book by 15 May 2018 and / or BRING A FRIEND DISCOUNT  of €25 on the week rate if you sign up with a friend who is new to the festival. HHSI Associate Members receive a €30 discount on Player's fees  paid in their year of membership. Join now at www.irishharp.org 2018 VISITING ARTISTS & SCHOLARS include Allan Macdonald (Scottish piper and singer), Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin (singer), Eibhlís Ní Ríordáin (singer), Paul Dooley (harpist) & Karen Loomis (lecturer) and also familiar faces: Siobhán Armstrong, Scoil director, Simon Chadwick, Scoil assistant director, Ann Heymann, Sylvia Crawford & James Ruff. Our juicy, bursting-to-capacity programme includes the following CONCERTS Ceòl Mór: The Big Music of Harp and Pipes [S. Chadwick, A. Heymann & A. Macdonald] The Dawn of Day: Songs of the Harpers [S. Armstrong, E. Ní Ríordáin & Mícheál Ó Catháin] Highlands and Lowlands: Sounds of Scotland [A. Macdonald & J. Ruff] A Hidden Ulster: The Music of Oriel [P. Ní Uallacháin, S. Crawford & Darren Mhag Aoidh] TALKS / WORKSHOPS include Passing on the tradition: learning old Irish harp repertory, style, and technique Radiocarbon dating the Queen Mary harp (K. Loomis; virtual presentation live from Princeton, USA) Exploring tuning strategies (P. Dooley) A’ ghlas mheur [< the finger lock]: Adapting Piobaireachd to Cláirseach (A. Heymann) Music, Ireland and the sixteenth century (S. Armstrong) Emotion and Passion in Ceòl Mór: dealing with rhythm and tension in phrasing (A. Macdonald) Lyons, O’Kane & O’Hampsey: The transmission of Eibhlín a Rún variation sets in the eighteenth century (S. Armstrong) PLUS Intensive morning harp tuition  and Afternoon harp masterclasses As ever, we also offer our unique, measured * HHSI Student and HHSI Connemara harps for you to rent and play * delicious, hot, vegetarian lunches cooked for us each day by our cook, Pat Glavin and * a field trip to museum collections in Dublin to see surviving harps Players: Join us for the complete festival programme, from 8.45 a.m. to 6.45 p.m. each day. Auditors: Join us for part – or all – of any day to listen in on Players' sessions, workshops, lectures, masterclasses and concerts. Field trippers: Join us for a day in Dublin, inspecting historic harps close-up, guided by world experts, on Tues. 21 August. ** * ** What's it all about? Informational video HERE See the 2017 festival timetable HERE  Booking information HERE                   Contact us by email or phone:  info@irishharp.org              +353 (0)86 8623430