Dunn Family Collection

On August 16, 2010, WIMA officially launched the Francis O’Neill Cylinders CD and the Dunn Family Collection website during the opening of the Milwaukee Irish Fest Summer School. We were delighted to have so many friends and supporters turn out for the event to help us celebrate the release of these projects, which of course are closely related.

You can purchase the O’Neill Cylinders CD (which is a double CD set, by the way) from the Irish Fest online store:  Francis O’Neill Cylinders CD.

And we invite you to explore the Dunn Family Collection site, which features audio from the cylinder recordings, as well as music manuscripts, artifacts, and photos about Michael J. Dunn, Francis O’Neill, and other famed Irish musicians of the time. Keep posted for further updates to exhibit, including several manuscripts found within James Early’s copy of The Dance Music of Ireland which were just added today!

Also released at the event was a compilation of music from the Celtic Rock Stage at Milwaukee Irish Fest. The Celtic Rock Stage dates back to the 1990 festival. Since then, dozens of bands from across America, Ireland, Northern Ireland , Scotland and Canada have entertained Irish Fest audiences. The new CD contains songs of some of the most popular bands from the last two decades. You can purchase the CD from the Irish Fest store: Celtic Rock CD.

Jeff Ksiazek, Archivist