WELCOME TO RILEY SCHOOL!

Here you will find a spirited and open community of children, teens and adults dedicated to the pursuit of Irish traditional music. We celebrate each person's achievements and honor the individual and collective talents of our extended family.


Visit our Facebook Page for the latest information on all our extracurricular activities.

Summer Recess

Classes are finished for the school year, but here are some of the places you can find us this summer.
Classes will resume with Fall Quarter on September 6th and registration will open in mid-August.
Countercurrent Concert and Workshop : June 29

Riley is delighted to sponsor a concert and workshop by Countercurrent on June 29. Countercurrent is a powerhouse acoustic folk duo based in Olympia, Washington, featuring driving guitar, lyrical fiddle, harmony vocals, and foot percussion. Bringing the deep drive of dance music to every performance, their arrangements blend both traditional and modern influences with astounding musicianship and fluency. Countercurrent is a genre-bending experience rooted firmly in the traditional music of the Celtic Isles and America. Get more info on Facebook.

Dayton Celtic Festival : July 25-27

The Riley School will host a large session tent - bring your instrument or just come to listen.
We will also host a whistle workshop.

SummerCéilí : August 21, 22

Riley will be partnering with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and the Irish Heritage Center to present the SummerCeili, a special installment of the Chamber Crawl series. The Chamber Crawl concerts, featuring Liz Knowles, Kieran O'Hare, Randy Clepper, and our own John Skelton, will take place at the IHC on Thursday and Friday nights, August 22 and 23.

A Saturday concert will take place at the Cincinnati School For Creative & Performing Arts (108 W. Central Parkway) on August 23, and SCPA is offering student tickets and kids under 13 are free with a paying adult.

On Sunday, August 24, the performers will be offering a day-long workshop package featuring multiple classes, which includes light refreshments and beverages.


Upcoming Events
Fall Open House - September 6

The Riley School invites kids and adults to visit one of our classes the first day of our Fall Quarter. Check our class schedule, then email to sign up for the class or classes you want to try that day. The late fee is waived for new students who sign up for classes that day.

Everyone is invited to meet the Riley community and have a light lunch of soup and bread at noon.


Location and Quarter Dates

In-person classes are held on Saturdays, beginning at 9:00 am at :

Grace United Methodist Church
2221 Slane Avenue
Norwood, OH

Dates for the 2025-26 school year are -
Fall Quarter : 6 SEP - 7 NOV
Winter Quarter : 3 JAN - 7 MAR
Spring Quarter : 21 MAR - 2 MAY
Registration generally opens about a month before classes begin.

Current Sessions

For up to date information on all our sessions, please contact to be added to the Cincinnati Sessions Facebook Messenger group, or to be added to the Dayton Session Facebook Messenger group.
Check out our Community Sessions Page for information about our regularly scheduled Irish music sessions.


Celebrating our 25th Anniversary

25th Anniversary Logo
Watch our Anniversary Video

Riley School of Irish Music receives support from the Ohio and Kentucky Arts Councils.

OH Arts Council Logo KY Arts Council Logo