It's shaping up as another stimulating weekend on the music and dance front in Manhattan with plenty of events on tap.

Christy McNamara, the Clare musician and photographer from Crusheen outside of Ennis, is opening an exhibit of photographs taken over a two-decade span mostly of traditional musicians revealing much more than spare black and white images thanks to his insights into the times and places where they were captured. 

Entitled “From Clare to Here -- A Journey in Photographs,” the exhibition will hang at the Irish Consulate (345 Park Avenue, 17th Floor) from November 16-December 21.  Ireland’s Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaelthacht, Jimmy Deenihan from Kerry, will do the honors of opening the exhibit this Friday at a special reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m.  Last minute attendees need to send an affirmative RSVP via email to nycginvites@dfa.ie.

Later on Friday evening is the Blarney Star concert at Glucksman Ireland House in Manhattan (www.blarneystar.com) at 9 p.m. featuring a couple of fiddling whizzes in Caitlin Warbelow and special guest from Cape Breton Troy McGillivray and accompanist Jake Charron on guitar.   The Alaskan Miss Warbelow, residing in New York City for several years, will also have some special guests on hand from her many session gigs around town so it should be an action-packed evening at One Washington Mews.

At the Irish Arts Center on West 51st Street, the annual dance show produced by Darrah Carr called ModERIN has four shows this weekend. Once again the modern dance choreographer from Boston, Sean Curran, is collaborating with the Darrah Carr Company this year. 

Curran, who lost his father, John Curran, a noted member of the Boston Irish community this year has new work dealing with laments for “sadness, longing or regrets” incorporating modern and traditional Irish dance. 

Shows are at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Saturday at 11 a.m. (children’s show) and Sunday at 3 p.m.   Sunday’s final show will also donate 50 percent of the proceeds from ticket sales to Hurricane Sandy relief.  Visit irishartscenter.org.