Ireland's music: 6 ways to discover ideas and stories you may not have heard

Ireland is a rather small country, as countries go.

As the time in spring around Saint Patrick’s day on 17 March reminds, though, through the creativity and courage of its sons and daughters Ireland has had and continues to have impact across the world.

At Music Road, we’ve been mainly concerned with how that happens through music.

Whatever aspect of Ireland you celebrate, and however you may be doing that, music goes along.

I encourage you to take this Patrick season to explore the music of Ireland beyond what’s often shared this time of year.

Slam-your-mug-on-the-table droning songs have their place, as do cry in your cup of tea sentimental pieces, fast flying jigs to which to dance, and light as air new age tinged music.

They all, in deed have their places in Irish music.

There is more to the music of Ireland, and the creativity of Irish musicians, though. There wisdom of an Ireland that is both ancient and new.

Here are several ways to help you explore these ideas.

From Altan The Gap of Dreams will take you Donegal and beyond

Connections between Ireland and Scotland in music, language, and story : Allt from Julie Fowlis, Eamon Doorley, Zoe Conway, and John McIntyre.

Fiddle, Flute, Guitar: 3 Ways to Explore Ireland

Northern Ireland: 4 Songs to Help You Understand

Discover ways Karan Casey, Cathie Ryan, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, and Cara Dillon tell Ireland’s stories, and their own

Music and Community:Stories of Ireland

...and coming up later this year, I’ve another project to tell you about that will expand on these ideas. Stay tuned!

-->Your support for Music Road is welcome and needed. If you are able to chip in, here is a way to do that, through PayPal. Note that you do not have to have a PayPal account to do this. Thank you.

You can also

Ireland elsewhere

Along the music road, Ireland is a frequent stop.
As everyone is tuning up for Saint Patrick’s day, here’s a chance to explore ideas about Ireland through stories I've told at other places.


Literary Landmarks in Dublin at Wandering Educators

The city of Derry: healing through the arts at Perceptive Travel


Eileen Ivers explores Irish and American history through music at Irish Fireside

An Evening in Belfast with musician Cathie Ryan at Perceptive Travel

patrick season: emigration

There's a recurring story in Irish legend in which a person sets out -- usually because they've been banished from the island, community, or family--in a curragh with only the night stars as guide and a knife for tool. No oars, no companions. A curragh is a small fabric framed boat. Having made the night (and day) sea journey to arrive again on land, the person is then able to accomplish great things.



photograph of the Irish Sea off the coast of Louth


you may also wish to see

Music Road: patrick season: music and mist
Music Road: Songs of the Immigrants
Music Road: Cathie Ryan: Songwriter
to explore photographs from many parts of the world, visit Delicious Baby's Photo Friday

Patrick season: music and mist

In Irish, the word for music is ceol; the word for mist is ceo.

It would seem a fairly large leap to suppose they are related. I’ve asked several scholars of Irish about this over the years, and other Irish musicians too, and have heard of no connection.

Music comes out of silence, and out of mystery. That does not have one face or one landscape, of course, but mist and the varied aspects of Irish landscape are certainly two of them.

Making connection between the two words and the two ideas seems a leap that’s more spiritual than practical or intellectual -- which of course makes it entirely possible. The only musician who offered a thought about this remarked that she didn’t know about the words, but that music rises out of the landscape in Ireland, though it’s not something much talked about.

I think she’s got it right, on both counts. This is in her music and in that of others you have met and will meet along the music road. It’s an aspect of music that travels to other landscapes and other silences as well, I think (see, for example, this ). As is often the case, Irish music gives a good perspective to think about things within Ireland and beyond.


you may also want to see

patrick season: far from home

Potato Music

patrick season: thoughts for patrick's eve

Irish music, Irish landscape

-->Your support for the work,here at Music Road is welcome and needed.
Here is one way to offer that, through PayPal. Note that you do not have to have a PayPal account to do this. Thank you.