The Ward Irish Music Archives to Celebrate Silver with Musical Tribute

To celebrate the 25^th Anniversary of the Ward Irish Music Archives, CelticMKE will host Irish musicians Jimmy Keane and Mick Moloney in concert on Saturday, October 21 at the CelticMKE Center. Together they will perform a musical tribute to the most brilliant and colorful Irish performers in America during the 20^th century, the Flanagan Brothers.

Established in 1992, the Ward Irish Music Archives now includes over 50,000 items and houses the largest public collection of Irish and Irish American music in North America. They’ve built relationships with institutions, universities, festivals and individuals from all over the world, all in the name of preserving and disseminating Irish musical heritage.

In addition to the concert, folklorist and musician Mick Moloney will present on the memorable story of the two pioneers of Irish music in America, which will include video clips and historic audio recordings on their songs and vaudeville style skits.

The Archives will also release hundreds of newly digitized audio tracks and videos to the public via their online catalog. Through digitization efforts, the Archives have developed four websites containing tens of thousands of materials, accessible for anyone to use for a variety of purposes.

“We are very thankful for the support from the board of directors at CelticMKE and especially to all of those that continue to support our mission through financial donations, through donations of materials that will help us fulfill our goals, and from the support of those who attend our events,” said Barry Stapleton, Director of the Ward Irish Music Archives.

Tickets for the concert are available to purchase for $15 in advance [online] and are $20 at the door. For more information about the Ward Irish Music Archives and the 25^th Anniversary Celebration concert, visit www.celticmke.com or copy and paste this link: http://bit.ly/WIMA25

About CelticMKE
Through original programming and events, CelticMKE aims to preserve, promote and celebrate all aspects of Irish, Irish American and Celtic cultures. CelticMKE produces the world-renowned Milwaukee Irish Fest, along with a variety of Celtic-themed classes, concerts, music lessons and cultural heritage projects. The CelticMKE Center is located in Wauwatosa, Wis.