Since 2013, we have partnered with St Mary’s on the Hill to provide traditional music education to every child in the school. Building on the school’s rich tradition of singing, we also teach tin whistle, bodhrán, composing and arranging in whole class settings. From early years, to special education and mainstream classes, we use a variety of activities and methods to engage all students in traditional music-making. Our work in St Mary’s inspired us to launch Club Ceoil Knocknaheeny in 2014 – where youngsters learn traditional instruments, such as the fiddle, flute, concertina, and accordion. Creative Tradition was enabled to launch our project in St Mary’s on the Hill’s thanks to the establishment of Music Generation Cork City, who remain committed supporters of the programme to the present day.

Our music programme in Scoil Íosagáín started back in 2018, and the boys have been flying it ever since. Scoil Íosagáín is home to an incredibly gifted, dedicated, and musical population - students and staff alike! In addition to our Music Generation tutors, the programme is taught by Mr Hennessey and Mr O Connell, who are fantastic traditional musicians themselves on guitar and banjo respectively. In a short few years, the boys have performed several high profile concerts at Seafest, the Everyman Theatre, and beyond. Creative Tradition’s current programme in the school includes traditional music classes for early years, special education needs, and mainstream classes, instrumental classes, and grúpa cheoil. In 2023, we partnered with Scoil Íosagáín, Music Generation Cork City to launch Féile Fearann na Rí – a new traditional music festival for the northside.

South Lee Educate Together was established in 2019, and Creative Tradition partnered with the school in it’s very first month to provide a new, innovative traditional music programme. We currently support young children (ages 4-8) of all abilities to play, sing, dance, and creative their own music. We mostly play tin whistle and percussion instruments, but will offer more traditional instrumental classes in the coming years. As the school grows, so will the music programme!

Our newest primary school programme is in Strawberry Hill National School, which launched in 2022. One of our talented Music Generation tutors, Karl Nesbitt currently teaches tin whistle to the boys and girls. We are delighted to be involved in Strawberry Hill, and are looking forward to growing and nurturing the music programme in the years to come.

In September 2023, we began a new project in Scoil Aiséirí Chríost thanks to support from Music Generation Cork City. The girls wowed audiences in June 2023 with their singing abilities at Féile Fearann Rí. We're over the moon to be working with them every week now, learning new songs, arrangements, tin whistles, flutes, fiddles, & guitars. The school has a long history of traditoinal music-making and singing, so we’re really looking forward to being a part of the school culture!