Donal Dineen and Myles O’Reilly filmed this documentary featuring Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh looking at Willie Clancy week in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare where Ireland’s largest traditional music summer school has been held since 1973 in memory of the piper Willie Clancy.
Donal Dineen explains:
“Our inspiration for this documentary was a film Tony McMahon made of the Fleadh in Listowel, County Kerry in ’73. It’s a very powerful piece of work and it struck both of us like lightning. It really captures the spirit of the place, the people and the time. There are glorious performances throughout and really critical interviews with some giants of the age. As a Kerryman myself I love the way McMahon’s camera interacts with the many faces of the Fleadh. We see so many of them in his film. It’s a folk festival and the director introduces us to the people, the best a filmaker can do. I think seeing it woke us both up to the importance of trying to highlight the virtues of something really vital that might be get missed and lost in time otherwise. If you can capture the essence of what something stands for at a particular time then it becomes a valuable document just like ‘Listowel 1973’. That’s what took us to Milltown Mallbay.” Donal Dineen
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
I’m basically alive because of Willie Clancy Week. My parents met there, one taking pity on the other’s fiddle playing, in 1984. I attended every year of my 26 years. It’s wonderful. And nothing like the cold salty Atlantic ocean to make you feel alive.