Tionól Willie Clancy – Irish Music Festival in Montreal

Tionól Willie Clancy (Irish Music Festival) to be held at Concordia (School of Irish Studies) and McGill University (Tanna Schulich Hall) in Montreal on April 10-11.

Montréal will host a historic celebration of Irish traditional music this spring as the world-renowned Willie Clancy Summer School travels to North America for the first time.

Founded in 1973 in memory of Ireland’s most celebrated traditional piper, Willie Clancy, the Willie Clancy Summer School has grown into Europe’s largest school of traditional music. Each July, thousands of musicians, singers, dancers, scholars, and enthusiasts gather in Miltown Malbay, County Clare, to study and perform Irish traditional arts at the highest level.

Now, in partnership with Dr. Seán Ferguson, Dean of the Schulich School of Music at McGill, the School of Irish Studies at Concordia University will host a special two-day tionól (gathering) on April 10–11, 2026. This landmark event brings distinguished performers and tradition-bearers from Ireland to Montréal for lectures, recitals, workshops, and an international concert celebrating Irish and Québécois music.

Featured Artists from Ireland

· Piper, Séamus Ó Rócháin, son of Muiris Ó Rócháin, co-founder of the Willie Clancy Summer School.

· Whistle player, Bríd O’Donohue, niece of JC Talty, founding figure of the school.

· Fiddler Siobhán Peoples, daughter of Irish fiddle master, Tommy Peoples.

Event Highlights

Friday, April 10 – 7:00 PM – Guest Lecture York Amphitheatre, EV Building, Concordia University Lecture: Educating the Musical World: The Global Impact of the Willie Clancy Summer School 1973–2026 by Séamus Ó Rócháin. Followed by a recital of Irish traditional music.

Saturday, April 11 – Workshops McEntee Library, School of Irish Studies (Hall Building, Room 1001.01)

· Uilleann Pipes (10:00–11:15 AM) – Séamus Ó Rócháin

· Fiddle (11:30 AM–12:45 PM) – Siobhán Peoples

· Tin Whistle (1:45–3:00 PM) – Bríd O’Donohue

Saturday, April 11 – 8:00 PM – Concert Tanna Schulich Hall, McGill University

Free International Concert of Irish and Québécois Music (8:00–10:00 PM), with Séamus Ó Rócháin, Bríd O’Donohue, Siobhán Peoples, Martine Billette, Seán Ferguson, Kate Bevan-Baker and Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin.

This once-in-a lifetime gathering underscores Montréal’s vibrant Irish heritage and its dynamic cultural exchanges with Ireland. The tionól promises an enriching experience for musicians, scholars, students, and the broader community.

Information: Lecture, recital, and workshops, visit Concordia University’s School of Irish Studies events page. https://www.concordia.ca/cuevents/artsci/irish-studies/2026/04/17-18/hosting-the-world-renowned-willie-clancy-school—tionol-cheoil-.html

Information Concert: visit McGill University’s Schulich School of Music website. https://www.mcgill.ca/music/about-us/halls/tanna-schulich-hal