Monday 28th July - Friday 1 August 2025 | 10am – 1pm | Ulster University, York Street, BT15 1ED

We have a fantastic Summer School accommodation offer starting at only £349 for 7 nights in Belfast City Centre, click here to find out more.

Born into a very musical family, Mary Bergin began playing at an early age winning many awards in Oireachtas and Fleadh Ceoil competitions, including the All-Ireland Championships at Junior and Senior level. She has toured extensively across Europe, America and Australia performing in concerts and festivals as well as giving workshops, seminars and masterclasses. In 2000, Mary herself won the prestigious ‘Traditional Musician of the Year' Award. 

Irish Times remarked, ‘Just about the best Tin Whistle player this century’.

Mary Bergin’s playing is a ‘dazzling combination of technique and passion’. 

Hailing from Belfast, Patrick Davey is a respected performer, teacher and composer of traditional Irish music.  He studied with the late Francie McPeake and is a former All-Ireland uilleann pipes champion, and he is also an examiner for the Irish traditional music examinations of The London College of Music.  Patrick has been composing traditional Irish music for many years and his compositions have been performed and recorded by many musicians, including Barry Kerr, Gráinne Hambly and the groups Beoga and Réalta.  Patrick also has a background in classical music and holds a BMus degree as well as an MA in Musical Performance, both from Queen's University, Belfast. He has performed and recorded with many well-known musicians over the years, including Micheál Ó Suilleabháin, Craobh Rua, The Belfast Harp Orchestra and The Irish Rovers.  He is very much in demand as a tutor of Irish traditional music, and his students continue to achieve considerable successes on whistle, flute & uilleann pipes, and in 2024 Patrick’s students brought back a total of seven medals from the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil.

Maria Rafferty has long been a stalwart of the Belfast flute community. Having studied with the McPeake School of Music, and having had the opportunity to spend many years in the company of well-known and respected musicians from the locality, Maria has a wonderful repertoire and style which she passes on to the many students she teaches in the greater Belfast area and beyond.   

The Summer School’s team of tutors is made up of internationally renowned performers with proven track records as teachers and educationalists. The primary means of teaching and learning will be ‘by ear’ with an emphasis in the less experienced classes of assisting pupils to develop oral/aural skills in addition to instrumental competency and developing core repertoire. All classes are designed for intermediate to advanced (minimum 2 years instrument experience) adults and children over 6 years of age except beginner instrument classes, whistle and sing, set dancing, sean nós dancing, traditional singing & sean nós singing which are suitable for all levels including beginners.