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Aug 24, 2022 · The term ‘folk music’ is only used on occasion, while vague generic labels like Celtic Music, World Music, and market-driven typologies like Celtic Fusion, Afro-Celt, and Ethno Pop enjoy ...
- Gearóid Ó Hallmhuráin
Apr 22, 2024 · Traditional Irish music, a genre steeped in history and emotion, encompasses the soulful sounds that echo the spirit of Ireland. Our cultural heritage is melodiously preserved through the timeless tunes played on instruments ranging from the fiddle to the bodhrán. Each note and rhythm carries a tale from the past, inviting us to relive the ...
Apr 22, 2024 · Irish traditional music remains a testament to the resiliency of cultural expression. It has traversed from local pub sessions to grand international stages, preserving emotional resonance and uniting communities. The tunes, like “The Kesh Jig,” continue to be cherished, symbolising Ireland’s enchanting musical heritage.
Irish traditional music is all of the following things: a Connemara parent soothing a child with an old lullaby, and an urchin bawling out a ballad for loose change on a city street. It is a Dublin piper dazzling his hearers with complexity and a Clare fiddler dazzling his audience with subtlety and nuance. It is The Chieftains playing for an ...
- Ireland’s Musical History
- The Celtic Harp and British Colonisation
- The Irish Diaspora
- The 20th Century Revival of Irish Music
- Modern Irish Fusion
- Irish Music Today
- Traditional Irish Instruments
- Where to Experience Traditional Music in Ireland
The earliest evidence of music in Ireland can be traced back to the Celtic settlements in the Iron Age around 500 BC. They used instruments like the harp, pipe, bagpipes and skin drums, which are still played in Ireland today. The oral tradition of the Celts meant that music was not written down, but shared amongst villages and clans, like storytel...
The beautiful harp is the oldest Irish instrument and has been part of Irish music since the 10th century. While the harp is synonymous with Ireland (fun fact: it’s on the Irish passport, flag and coins) it is believed to have originated in Egypt. Harpists held elite status in the courts of the ruling Gaelic chieftains until the 16th century when E...
Irish emigrant communities in countries like the USA, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom celebrated their heritage with traditional music and dance. They sang sad songs pining for the country they’d left in a style known as Caoineadh (pronounced kween-ah). They also sang the lively Irish folk music that was had been repressed in Ireland. As t...
The 1960s saw a fresh reinvigoration of traditional music, largely influenced by Seán Ó’Ríada, who blended classical music with Irish folk music. His band, Ceoltóiri Chualann (later became The Chieftains), helped free traditional Irish music from its negative associations with poverty and rural regions, and it became widely respected around the wor...
The 1980s and 1990s saw many Irish musicians blending modern music with traditional Irish sounds. Sinead O’Connor had global success, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin blended classical elements with Irish music, and the Pogues created a fusion of punk rock and traditional Irish music.
Today there are many famous Irish musicians with stars like U2, Westlife, Van Morrison, The Cranberries, The Script, Hozier and Niall Horan all hailing from the Emerald Isle. Traditional Irish music is also thriving. The band Kíla combines Irish instruments with hip-hop and electronic beats. Singer Damien Dempsey also blends traditional folk music ...
With many unique styles and sounds, you’ll come across a diverse range of instruments in Irish music from pipes to pianos.
Trafalgar’s Ireland tripswill take you from Dublin to Killarney to experience the best of Irish music, song and dance. Witness the Celtic Steps with champion dancers and musicians. Watch the Gaelic Roots showcase traditional Irish instruments, dance and folk songs. Get into the craic with a Ceilidh evening filled with music, dance and plenty of foo...
Jan 17, 2024 · The traditional music played by the Irish came to the country with the Celts 2,000 years ago. The Celts were influenced by the music of the East, and it’s believed that the traditional Irish ...
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A reel is the most common type of dance, carrying four beats in every bar, and you can tap along with a “one-two, one-two” rhythm. A jig, meanwhile, has what are known as syncopated beats. Listen for the rhythm: it sounds like “one-two-three, four-five-six”, and is simple to pick up. Traditional music is social, it’s oral, it’s diverse.
