Scoil Acla Achill Island

As one of Ireland’s oldest summer schools, originally founded on Achill Island, Co.Mayo in 1910 and revived in 1985, Scoil Acla is a week-long music and cultural summer school comprising of classes in Traditional Irish Music, Irish language classes – Achill dialect (Gaelig’ Acla), and Sean-Nós singing plus workshops in Sean nós dancing, Traditional Irish Dancing,and the ever popular and well attended Creative Writing.  

The Traditional Basket Weaving instruction has proven to be one of the more popular courses for those who may not be too artistic when it comes to an instrument, a pen, a voice or who may have ‘two left feet’!  The original founding members in 1910 had a vision to set up a summer school for the preservation and promotion of the Irish language, traditional Irish music and an appreciation of the arts.  These aims and ideals have not been left in history but remain an integral part of Scoil Acla in the 21st century.  Our traditional Irish music classes offer tuition on accordion, banjo, bodhrán, concertina, flute, fiddle, harp, tin whistle and uileann pipes, with all levels being catered for.  Practice and experience can be obtained in one of the many ‘sessions’ held around Achill Island throughout this Irish music festival. Why not join us in July for a taste of Achill, and our Irish culture, in this fun-filled, week long Traditional Irish Summer School – Scoil Acla, there is something here for everyone….