The Arts Council has expressed its deep regret at the death of former Council member Tom Munnelly. The folksong and folklore collector died this morning after a long illness. He had served for three years as a member of the Arts Council from February 1986 to December 1988.
Born in Dublin in 1944, he moved permanently to Miltown Malbay, County Clare to devote more time to working in the field of collecting folksongs in 1978. He has been responsible for recording the most comprehensive collection of traditional folksongs ever compiled in Ireland.
Speaking today, Mary Cloake, Director of the Arts Council said, "Tom Munnelly began recording and collecting traditional songs as far back as 1964. He was a social historian and he belonged to a long line of distinguished field collectors that includes Seamus Ennis and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill. He will be greatly missed and we offer our condolences to his family".