Ned Myers, manager of Muckross House Museum in County Kerry describes a project to create a comprehensive collection of traditional music.
There has been a lot of support for the scheme and the American Irish Foundation has promised a grant for the following year. Aside from Muckross House, the principal bodies involved in the scheme are Siamsa Tíre, home to Ireland's National Folk Theatre and the Kerry Federation of the County Board of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann, promoters of traditional Irish music and culture around the world.
The people with old songs have also been very cooperative. During the summer two women from the Muckross House Museum spent ten weeks collecting their songs. In this report, Katherine Foley visits Gerry Lynch on his farm to record him singing ‘Four and Nine’.
It is estimated that the bulk of the work will be completed in three years, however, Ned Myers feels this type of recording work could go on forever.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 16 September 1980.
