Frequently Asked Questions
This event is a weekend-long gathering of traditional Irish musicians and fans – a fun time for all!
It includes instrument instruction workshops, Irish Journeys, sessions, and a concert performance of world class Irish musicians.
Cruinniú is an Irish word which means “to gather”, assemble or draw together.
It is pronounced “creh-new“.
Click the play button below to hear it.
The weekend class package will cost $325 per person before April 1st. After April 1st it will be $350/person.
Harp and Fiddle Fundamentals only: One day option – $175 per person before April 1st. After April 1st it will be $200/person.
This does not include meals or lodging.
Registering for a Class Package will include:
- All instruction in your selected class. Note that these classes are intended to be sequential, each building on the one before. Therefore, only one workshop class may be selected for each person.
- Irish Journeys. These are topics of general interest to the Irish music community.
- Multiple sessions each day.
- Admission to the Friday night céilí
- One ticket to the Saturday evening concert.
Irish Journeys are presentations on any Irish Culture-related topic: music, dance, storytelling, history, etc. We offer several Irish Journeys simultaneously. Simply pick the ones you want to attend.
This years Irish Journeys descriptions are here.
Of course! The concert is open to anyone in the public who wishes to buy a ticket. Please go to the Concert page to purchase tickets.
- 1 – Beginner – know basics of instrument (how to make a sound and where the notes are), can play a tune, may only have been playing for short time. Exception – bodhran or whistle (previous knowledge of another wind instrument is helpful) can be total beginner.
- 2 – Early Intermediate – playing for a while, still working on basic/early techniques and increasing repertoire, or new to Irish music. May not yet be totally comfortable playing at session speed.
- 3- Late Intermediate – familiar and comfortable with basic techniques, starting to apply more advanced techniques, can play a number of tunes at session speed.
- 4 – Advanced – Playing for some time, has a good repertoire. Ready to explore the advanced nuances of the instrument and Irish music
No better place to start learning! The fundamentals classes are designed for you!
If you are coming from an old time or bluegrass background, you will learn new ornaments, the “feel” of the various Irish dance rhythms, and interesting ways of creating variations which fit the basic melody. If you are coming from a classical background, you may begin experiencing the art and skill of learning by ear. You will learn how some of the ornaments you have heard from recordings of Irish players are done. You will begin to see the similarities and differences between Irish and classical techniques.
Boehm system flute players are welcome in the flute class; an “Irish” flute is not necessary.
If there is no fundamentals offering for your instrument you can try the intermediate/advanced class. However, if you have not played Irish music before, you might find it challenging, and fast-paced its will be taught at a level 3/4.
Please read the class level descriptions and class descriptions carefully before choosing a class. If in doubt; shoot us an email. We are happy to help.
The Cruinniú offers some classes for beginner to lower intermediate players. Look for the ones labeled “Fundamentals”. These classes are meant for people who have some knowledge of their instrument, who play bluegrass or another style but are new to Irish music.
All participants need to have a basic knowledge of their instrument. You should be able to find all the notes, play a basic scale and a simple melody.
An exception might be experienced woodwind or recorder players. They should be able to pick up the penny whistle fairly easily, because whistle fingering is much like that of the recorder or clarinet. Note that the whistle you will need is called a “D-whistle” – the six-fingered note is a D, and it plays a D scale. Boehm system flute players are welcome in the flute class; an “Irish” flute is not necessary.
No experience is necessary for the Bodhrán Fundamentals class. You will need to have your own bodhrán.
Please read our class level descriptions to determine where your ability fits.
If we do not offer a fundamentals class in your instrument you may still register and will no doubt get some benefit from it. Note however the class will be taught at the higher level to meet the expectations of the more advanced students.
If in doubt, email us. We will guide you with the choices!
Students between the ages of 11 and 18 (middle and high school age) are welcome to attend the Cruinniú. However, they must be supervised by an adult at all times.
Both parents/guardians and students must review the Youth Policy section of our Cruinniú Terms and Conditions prior to registration for complete information.
Come prepared for a lot of fun! You will get to catch up with old friends, meet new ones, and get to know and hear some incredible musicians.
June weather in Houston can be really nice, hot, or sometimes really hot. Unfortunately, it’s one thing we can’t control. All classes and sessions are inside where its air-conditioned. If it’s nice, the UST campus has some lovely outdoor areas for lunch.
- Your instrument and/or dancing shoes
- A water bottle – stay hydrated! We will have filling stations on campus
- Recording device to capture all those new tunes
- Notebook and pencil – handy for making sure you remember every detail
- Sweater – in case the A/C is a bit cold for you
- Bring your tunes and share them!
- We have compiled MP3 files of some of the common Houston sets to share in case you want to brush up. The bundle also has a couple of pdf files with links to pages on the session.org for those tunes and a quick reference to the starting measures. Download this zip file for the tunes.
- “The Third Coast” was written in 2025 by Colin Farrell for the Cruinniú. You can find a recording, ABCs, and the dots here.
The Cruinniú is centered on the University of St. Thomas campus
The concert will be in Jones Hall on the UST campus
Evening sessions will be held at Hugh O’Connor’s Dincans.
All of the location information along with maps of the area are under “Logistics” in the web menu.
There will be private rooms available on the University of St. Thomas campus in Guinan Residence Hall. We have also arranged for a special Cruinniú rate at our host hotel, the Crown Plaza Galleria.
For more information see the Lodging page.
There are also many other hotels and other facilities in Houston.
Breakfast and lunch will be available on campus for an additional charge. You may select and pay for these meals at registration. Click here for details.
Dinner will be on your own. There is a variety of restaurants in the immediate vicinity of the university. See the Local Dining page for details.
Drinks: We encourage everyone to bring a reusable water bottle; there are filling stations on campus.
There will be a limited number of bottles of water for sale. There is also a campus vending machine with soda and sometimes water.
Coffee and tea may be served during breaks for a voluntary donation.
Please use our Contact Us page to give us your suggestions. We will try to answer all queries as soon as possible.