SCHOOL will definitely be in session next week when hundreds of academics invade New York for the American Conference for Irish Studies hosted this year by City University of New York’s Institute for Irish American Studies.

Providing some relief from a heady mix of papers and discussions over five days will be two public performances of trad music. Brian and Rose Conway along with Patty Furlong and Brendan Dolan will offer a free concert entitled “Passing it On: Teachers and Students of Irish Traditional Music” at the CUNY Graduate Center (between 34th and 35th Streets on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan) at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 19.

On Friday, April 20 twin concertinists Dr. Gearold O’hAllmhurain and Timmy Collins will be in a Blarney Star concert at NYU’s Glucksman Ireland House at 9 p.m., and again on Saturday, April 21 in a Fairfield House Concert. O’hAllmhurain and Collins played in the Kilfenora Ceili Band together when they won an All-Ireland

in 1993.