Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for all ages.   Students will be divided into classes based on age and interest.  They can choose from the topics below for their preference of classes; we try very hard to accommodate everyone's wishes.

In addition to classes, each day we'll have a special activity or two with a guest musician or speaker, or a cultural project.  We try very hard to make our camp a fun week while also being an authentic learning experience about the art and culture of Ireland.

Our main teachers for the week will be our summer artists-in-residence, Úna ni Fhlannagáin from Co. Galway, and Helen Gubbins from Co. Limerick.  (Read more about them)

This year we're very pleased to have the support of St. Louis Irish Arts, which is a very successful and long-running school of Irish music and dance.  SLIA is also a branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, the worldwide society for Irish traditional music . Helen Gannon, director of SLIA and one of her alumni, Katie DeGreef will be teaching Irish step dancing.  PJ Gannon will be teaching harmonica one day and giving a mini-concert of Irish storytelling, songs and recitation.

Topic Descriptions

Irish Step Dancing - Similar to the dancing seen in Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, step dancing is a fun, rhythmic, athletic form of performance dance unique to the Irish tradition. Katie DeGreef, a graduate of St. Louis Irish Arts, will be teaching step dancing.

Irish Social Dancing – Remember the party scene in “Titanic” where the Irish immigrants are dancing? If that looked like fun, this class is for you! You’ll learn the basics of Irish “ceili dance” (kay-lee) and “set dance” for groups. These are ancestors of American folk dancing forms such as contra, square and line dancing and done mainly just for fun in informal, social settings.

Sean Nos Dancing – Sean nos or “old style” crosses over both step and social dancing. It’s an individual dance style, but uses the low, rhythmic battering steps that ornament set dancing in certain regions of Ireland.

Folk Instrument Sampler – think you might want to play a folk instrument, but don’t know what you might like? In this session you will get to try different instruments each day, taught by visiting and local musicians who play each instrument. Harp, fiddle, accordion, mandolin, guitar, banjo, bodhran (percussion). 

The Irish Song Tradition – Do you think all Irish songs are about drinking and rebellions? Not true! Oral tradition is alive and well in Ireland and is reflected in songs old and new. We’ll use age-appropriate material for each age group to explore the various song traditions.

Tin Whistle – the first instrument Irish children learn in school is the tin whistle. You’ll learn to play the tin whistle and to play a few traditional Irish tunes. Learn the difference between jigs, reels and slow airs and some of the history of Irish music. We will teach a beginning class, and also an intermediate class for kids who took whistle classes last summer or over the winter.

Fiddle -- For kids who have already started learning fiddle (or violin) we'll have a special class just for you.

Irish Language - Learn basic phrases and conversation in Irish (sometimes called Gaelic), the native language of Ireland.  Irish is required in all Irish national schools through secondary school and there are areas of Ireland called "the gaeltacht" where Irish is still spoken daily as the main language.

All About Ireland – learn about the counties, provinces, folklore and people of Ireland. Are there really leprechauns? Where are the Aran Islands? What are dolmens and standing stones?  What do people eat? Why are there so many sheep? Answers to all your pressing questions!

Irish Writers, Poets and Playwrights (teens) – Irish writers are some of the most prolific and outstanding in the world of literature. From James Joyce, Brendan Behan, Patrick Kavanagh to modern authors such as Frank McCourt and Maeve Binchy, we’ll sample their writing and find common threads. 

Overview of Irish History – A short-course on the major events in Irish history from the migration of the Celtic tribes across Europe during  the Iron Age, Viking invasions, English rule, uprisings, emigration and the arrival of the "Celtic Tiger" in Ireland in the 1990s.

Celtic Art – We’ll learn about the themes in art from Celtic countries – the spirals and knotwork  from standing stones and illuminated manuscripts, pottery and fibers, and create some artwork and crafts.

Summer Arts Overview
Online registration form
Printable brochure & registration form (PDF)

Photos from last year: