A unique perspective of Willie Clancy week in Miltown Malbay, Co Clare, through the eyes of Donal Dineen and Myles O’Reilly by invite of Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh and the St.Joseph’s Fiddle School.
Our inspiration for this documentary was a film Tony McMahon made of the Fleadh in Listowel, County Kerry in ’73. It’s a very powerful piece of work and it struck both of us like lightning. It really captures the spirit of the place, the people and the time. There are glorious performances throughout and really critical interviews with some giants of the age. As a Kerryman myself I love the way McMahon’s camera interacts with the many faces of the Fleadh. We see so many of them in his film. It’s a folk festival and the director introduces us to the people, the best a filmaker can do. I think seeing it woke us both up to the importance of trying to highlight the virtues of something really vital that might be get missed and lost in time otherwise. If you can capture the essence of what something stands for at a particular time then it becomes a valuable document just like ‘Listowel 1973’. That’s what took us to Miltown Mallbay.
– Donal Dineen
Filmed by Myles O’Reilly. Visuals Donal Dineen. Edited by Myles O’Reilly
Myles O'Reilly's Arbutus Yarns 2010 - 2020 
just saw got me and my son on it singing Sweet Forget me Not
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really beautiful..
Thankyou so much for this lovely child. His spontanaiety. His nonchalance. His art. There is some thing so unique and soulful about him. He just loves what he does and gets on with it. A musical soul already honed.
Hi Myles, just had a look at your brilliant trailer of Willie Clancy festival week, it is beautiful, I doubt if you remember but you filmed my dad in a pub in Miltown that week, we were home from England and Dad was talking about his leaving Ireland in the 50s and how he misses it and would love to be back etc. I wish I was born there my self and would like to move over to my roots!!! any way one of you took my email which has changed it is now philomena.liston@newcollege.ac.uk its my work one as I am setting up with Virgin and have to create account etc! Any way when will the Willie Clancy festival 2012 film be done could I buy a copy?? I checked out your music also its awesome.
Any way I will stop now as i have taken too much of your time already
Many thanks Philomena Liston x
Hauntingly Beautiful !
Can’t wait to see more of this documentary and was it filmed at this year’s 40th Anniversary week?
It was indeed filmed this year Paul. Was my first Willie Clancy week, great introduction to go on the anniversary 🙂
Brilliant cant wait for the full version
Delightful, just delightful.