Ireland in Schools

The opportunities Irish music offers for enriching the curriculum are not yet fully appreciated.

Irish music is rarely used to deliver the Music curriculum, but is usually drawn upon to
  • support other activities, particularly in History;
  • introduce children to a distinctive aspect of Irish culture;
  • try out Irish instruments, including the accordion, bodhrán and tin whistle; and
  • bring the whole school together, particularly through visits by Irish musicians and learning
and singing Irish songs - ‘I’ll Tell My Ma’, ‘Molly Malone’, ‘The Fields of Athenry’ and
‘The Irish Rover’ are the favourites.

Feasibility

There are, however, signs at primary level that Irish music can become an integral part of the
Music curriculum - with the support of the likes of the Manchester Music Service and if suitably
qualified teachers are in post, as is happily the case at St Thomas RC Primary School More,
Great Wyrley.

‘The Reel Thing’ - Traditional Irish Music in the Classroom
This is an excellent and comprehensive resource from TeachNet in Ireland for those who want
to make Irish music an integral part of the curriculum in Britain, not just something reserved
for special occasions.

It seeks to help children appreciate and understand Ireland’s traditional music, its origins,
tunes, instruments and styles. The resources - web links of famous musicians, past and
present, and examples of the different instruments and types of tunes - can stand alone,
while the teaching schemes can be readily adapted to the curriculum in England,
Scotland and Wales.  (Caution: most of the links to music samples on the Green Linnet
web site do not work.)

Accordion  Banjo  Bodhran  Concertina*  Fiddle  Flute  Solo Celtic harp  Uilleann pipes  
Video clips featuring different instruments

* Second and third clips only