General Information
Irish traditional music and dance are an intrinsic part of
the cultural life of this island. In recent years they have
become significant economically, and traditional
musicians and dancers now have careers over the entire
globe. In a modern context, musicians and dancers not
only need excellent performance skills to make a career
but also a wide variety of vocational skills (educational,
technological, business etc) to be successful in these
competitive fields.
This degree is primarily designed to develop the
performance skills of students, and to do this students
work with visiting and resident tutors who represent
the best performers in Ireland and beyond. The main
bulk of performance work is solo but there is also a
significant amount of ensemble work. Students are
encouraged to develop second performance skills –
making them more versatile as performers.They also
engage in vocational studies directly relevant to
traditional music and dance enabling them to engage
in the real world of professional performance. For
example, students record CDs and videos, use digital
media, write business plans, plan tours and organise
performances.They also engage in academic studies
relevant to their performance skills in areas such as
traditional music and dance studies, popular music and
dance studies, histories of western music and dance,
ethnomusicology, ethnochoreology, music and dance
education and music and dance psychology. Students
also engage with the wider cultural, social and historical
context of this island through a number of modules in
Irish cultural studies.
The BA Irish Music and Dance is the first of its kind and
is unique because it places performance at its heart. It
recognises the vocational needs of future graduates who
will make their careers from music and dance
performance, as well as allowing students to develop
interests in areas of academic study. This blend enables
students to pursue career paths outside of performance.
For example, this programme is recognised as a music
degree by the Teachers’ Registration Council. Therefore,
on completion of the degree, graduates can undertake a
teaching diploma to enable them to become secondary
school music teachers.
Entry Requirements
Applicants are required to hold at the time of enrolment the established Leaving Certificate (or an approved
equivalent) with at least Grade C3 in two Higher Level subjects and a Grade D3 in four Ordinary or Higher level
subjects (including Mathematics; Irish or another language; and English).
Applicants must also attend an audition and their application must be approved by the panel at that audition.We
welcome applications from Mature Students.Application forms are available from the UL Admissions Office.
Career Prospects
The BA Irish Music and Dance is designed to produce performers who will play or dance professionally.The principal aim is to do this but also to
provide the students with a wide variety of performance and non-performance skills that augment their careers. It is a fact that very few performers
of music and dance in any tradition make their living solely as performers – this degree recognises that fact and introduces the student to
music/dance and arts business and management, technology, education etc.
Possible careers include working as music and dance teachers, sound technicians, arts administrators in media or cultural organisations, as well as, of
course, performers.
