In its second decade of existence, the voluntary Folk Music Society of Ireland (FMSI) – Cumann Cheol Tíre Éireann – added to its annual programme of public lectures, recitals, seminars, and newsletter and journal publication, with a series of other publications intended to contribute to the documentation and study of Irish traditional music.
For further details on the Folk Music Society of Ireland – including a full list of its activities and publications – visit the FMSI website.
The driving force in the production of all the FMSI publications was Dr Hugh Shields (1929–2008), a founder-member of the Society in Dublin in 1971 who acted as its general editor and also produced the associated audio cassette series European Ethnic Oral Traditions. He was also a founding Board member of the Irish Traditional Music Archive.
Five of these early publications are reproduced here in facsimile from the ITMA collections as searchable PDFs:
Sean-Amhráin i gCló, 1716–1855 / [ed. Hugh Shields]. Dublin: Cumann Cheol Tíre Éireann / Folk Music Society of Ireland, 1984
Booklet of song facsimiles produced for a day-seminar of the Society: ‘Amhránaíocht agus Amhráin i nGaeilge’ (singing and songs in the Irish language) which was held in 15 Henrietta St, Dublin 1, on 5 May 1984 (see seminar report here).
A Short Bibliography of Irish Folk Song / Hugh Shields. Dublin: Folk Music Society of Ireland, 1985; 2nd impression 1987
This booklet is of historic importance as listing the major print publications in Irish traditional song available to 1985. Hardcopies of the 2nd impression can be purchased here.
Oliver Goldsmith and Popular Song / Hugh Shields. Dublin: Folk Music Society of Ireland / Cumann Cheol Tíre Éireann, 1985
Booklet reprint of an essay of the same title by the author in the Trinity College Dublin journal Long Room nos 26–27 (spring–autumn 1983).
Popular Music in Eighteenth-Century Dublin / [ed. Hugh Shields]. Dublin: Na Píobairí Uilleann & Folk Music Society of Ireland, 1985
Booklet of essays produced to accompany an exhibition of the same title organised in the Dublin Civic Museum 27 August – 31 October 1985 as an event of European Music Year by the FMSI and Na Píobairí Uilleann (the society of uilleann pipers). FMSI and NPU at that time shared an office and secretariat in 15 Henrietta St, Dublin 1 (see exhibition report here). The contributors of essays were Breandán Breathnach (‘Eighteenth-Century Tunes Today’ ‘The Irish Bagpipe’, ‘Dancing’), Brian Boydell (‘Georgian Lollipops’), Nicholas Carolan (‘Gaelic Song’), and Hugh Shields (‘Ballads, Ballad Singing and Ballad Selling’).
A Short Discography of Irish Folk Music / Nicholas Carolan. Dublin: Folk Music Society of Ireland, 1987
This booklet is of historic importance as classifying and listing the major audio publications in Irish traditional music available in LP and cassette formats to 1987. Hardcopies of the discography can be purchased here.
A sixth FMSI publication, Old Dublin Songs, edited by Hugh Shields, Dublin: 1988, is available from the FMSI website here.
These publications add to the ITMA republication of Ceol Tíre 1–33, the FMSI newsletter, here.
With thanks to Lisa Shields, Caitlín Uí Éigeartaigh, & Professor Seóirse Bodley.
NC & MG, 1 October 2012
