Packed to the rafters: Joe Mooney Summer School hits new high

The sound of trad echoed from every pub in Drumshanbo during this year’s 35th festival, spilling into the streets and filling the town with vibrant energy. Under warm, mostly dry skies, the area buzzed with spontaneous music sessions, lively dancing, and foot-tapping crowds. The Joe Mooney Summer School made its return this July, offering a unique mix of world-class traditional music classes and street culture, drawing nearly 1,300 students and 65 tutors from around the globe for an action-packed week of events.

“This year, we had a lot of students, and we had 65 tutors covering 13 different musical instruments,” said Dessy Doyle,  Chairman of the Joe Mooney Summer School. “We used up virtually every available space in the town as regards venues, and while some classes were a little crowded, most people were very happy.”

Dessy reflected on the town's capacity: “We’ve reached the limit with venue space. If the festival continues to grow, we might have to consider capping numbers or even using people’s homes for classes, as they do in the Willie Clancy Summer School in Milltown Malbay. Right now, we’ve used every venue in Drumshanbo that we can possibly think of.”

The festival’s success has had a big impact on the local economy. “The local pubs, B&Bs, shops, and restaurants were packed. Some of those pubs probably made more money in that week than they do for the rest of the year,” Doyle said. “It’s a huge boost to the local economy.”

With crowds coming from all corners of the world, the event has become a truly international gathering. “We had people from Japan, America, and various parts of Europe. It’s a very cosmopolitan event now, and the word spreads mainly through our website and social media, as well as through the traditional music community,” added Doyle.

Doyle also paid tribute to Joe Mooney, the festival’s namesake. “Joe Mooney wasn’t a musician himself, but he was a huge promoter of Irish culture and heritage. He fought for Leitrim, especially Drumshanbo, and was responsible for bringing the secondary school and the amenity area to the town. His legacy is still felt today,” he explained.

“Joe Mooney Summer School was busy as ever,” said Pádraig Piper Mac Samhráin, a music instructor at this year’s event. “The mild and relatively dry weather led to multiple street sessions. The number of students in classes hit a record high last year, and by all accounts, felt very similar this year.” He praised the diversity and enthusiasm of his students: “My class had a range of age between under 10 and late 60s. People from Leitrim, Roscommon, Dublin, Belfast, Belgium, and Switzerland—all very clued in and keen to learn the instrument.”

The Summer School is celebrated not only for its expert-led classes but also for creating a buzzing cultural hub in Drumshanbo each July. “Many of the kids expressed their delight at the range of activities outside of classes too,” said Mac Samhráin, “with street sessions, walking at Acres Lake, tennis courts, swimming pools, and watersports available to them in
the evening.”

Adults also embraced the full programme, attending music recitals, CD launches, and local events throughout the week. “Quite a few in my class also availed of the mining experience in Arigna,” he added.