(Published 21st May, 2024)

The ultimate reference for all players, devotees and students of Irish music, an indispensable guide to Ireland’s internationally-celebrated and performed traditional music, song and dance. A comprehensive body of information, it has an unparalleled broad historical and contemporary, geographic and social, coverage that is relevant to organisers, teachers and students of the music alike. This makes it also a productive foundation for further aesthetic and sociological investigation within not only Irish music, but the now-international cultural field of Irish Studies.A vital source-book, the Companion is now substantially revised, expanded and re-focused on modern-day issues and practices—the most extensive collection to date of such diverse data. It brings together the knowledge of 217 contributors in an A—Z format with c. 600,000 words, 190 images, 90 music transcriptions and 1800 entries covering:

• All tune types
• Style and ornamentation
• Composition and arrangement
• Ballads, sean-nós, and Irish-language song
• Dance—step & sean-nós dance, céilí and sets
• Solo playing and sessions
• Competitions and awards
• Céılí bands, groups and professionalism
• 
Instruments and technology
• Organisations, media & promotion
• Teaching and learning
• Education and transmission
• Collectors and archives
• History and revival
• Performers, stylists, commentators
• Broadcasting and recording
• Women in Traditional music
• Irish music in all Irish counties, in Europe, USA, Australia, Canada & worldwide
• 
Bibliography of Irish music, song and dance literature and tutors
• All-Ireland fleadh cheoil analysis and winners 1952-202

• Digital music and song download album included, linked to the described and notated material in the book, and also available as a CD and DVD.  To download, send an email to suas@ceolweb.ie

Kindle version available. In-house, library editions are available by negotiation with the publishers. Available from Cork University Press

See the CITM website