Song collector and folklorist Tom Munnelly dies

The Arts Council has expressed its regret at the death of the folklorist Tom Munnelly, who died yesterday following a long illness.

Mr Munnelly (63) was responsible for compiling the most comprehensive collection of traditional folk songs in Ireland.

Born in Dublin, Mr Munnelly was prominent in the burgeoning Dublin folk scene of the 1960s, but eventually found his niche as a collector of songs through his work with UCD's department of Irish folklore, which has become the UCD Delargy Centre for Irish Folklore.

He served for three years as a member of the Arts Council, from February 1986 to December 1988.

Mary Cloake, the council's director, said that he would be greatly missed.

"Tom Munnelly began recording and collecting traditional songs as far back as 1964," she said.

"He was a social historian and he belonged to a long line of distinguished field collectors that includes Séamus Ennis and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill.

"He will be greatly missed and we offer our condolences to his family."

Mr Munnelly moved to Miltown Malbay, Co Clare, in 1978 to continue his work of collecting folk songs.