• National Folklore Collection
• News & Events
• Irish Folk Music
• Manuscripts
• Schools Folklore Scheme 1937-38
• Audio
• Video
• Photographic Collection
• Researching & Publishing
• Visiting the National Folklore Collection

Gaeilge

Privacy

Disclaimer

Freedom of Information

Acceptable Use Policy

In 1974, the Department of Education transferred to University College Dublin, the large collection of music and song assembled by the late Breandán Breathnach. This led to the creation of the Irish Folk Music Section of the Department of Irish Folklore.

The Irish Folk Music Section has inherited a number of other collections of music and song assembled by the Irish Folklore Commission. The range and depth of recorded folk music and song material has been extended considerably since the 1970s through the work of the specialist music and song collector, Tom Munnelly, and other members of the Department of Irish Folklore.

In addition to sound recordings, the Irish Folk Music Section houses a large collection of manuscripts and books dealing with almost every aspect of music, song and dance. Among the most interesting of these is a set of English-language songbooks dating from the 18th century, and an important collection of broadsheet ballads.

The collection includes first editions of major works on music and dance by Edward Bunting, George Petrie, and Francis O’Neill; the collected papers of music scholars and collectors such as Fionán Mac Coluim and Dónall Ó Súilleabháin; and a large collection of commercially-released recordings, mostly concerned with Irish traditional music, 78-rpm records, LPs, cassettes and CDs.

The Folk Music Section of the National Folklore Collection is housed in room A207c, John Newman Building, Belfield, UCD. Access to the Section can be arranged by phoning (01) 716 8439 for an appointment or emailing: simon.oleary@ucd.ie or anna.bale@ucd.ie.
 

Musicians

The late folk music collector Tom Munnelly	Fiddle player Mickey Doherty	Uileann piper Johnny Doran

Sample  Audio