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Irish music is music that has been created in various genres on the island of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
.
The indigenous music of the island is termed
Irish traditional music
Irish traditional music (also known as Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants) is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland.
In ''A History of Irish Music'' (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that, in Gaelic Ireland, there we ...
. It has remained vibrant through the 20th and into the 21st century, despite globalising cultural forces. In spite of emigration and a well-developed connection to music influences from
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, Irish traditional music has kept many of its elements and has itself influenced many forms of music, such as
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
and
roots music in the United States, which in turn have had some influence on modern
rock music
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...
. It has occasionally been fused with
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
,
punk rock, and other genres. Some of these fusion artists have attained mainstream success, at home and abroad.
In art music, Ireland has a history reaching back to
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainsong, plainchant, a form of monophony, monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek (language), Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed ma ...
s in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
,
choral and
harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
music of the Renaissance, court
music of the Baroque
Music of the Baroque is an American professional chorus and orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois.
Most members of the orchestra also perform with other groups, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Lyric Opera of Chicago. Chorus members h ...
and early
Classical period, as well as many
Romantic, late Romantic and twentieth-century
modernist music
In music, modernism is an aesthetic stance underlying the period of change and development in musical language that occurred around the turn of the 20th century, a period of diverse reactions in challenging and reinterpreting older categories o ...
. It is still a vibrant genre with many composers and ensembles writing and performing
avant-garde art music in the classical tradition.
On a smaller scale, Ireland has also produced many
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
musicians of note, particularly after the 1950s.
Early Irish music
By the High and Late Medieval Era, the
Irish annals were listing native musicians, such as the following:
* ''921BC: Cú Congalta, priest of Lann-Leire, the Tethra (i. e. the singer or orator) for voice, personal form and knowledge, died.''
* ''1011: Connmhach Ua Tomhrair, priest and chief singer of
Cluain-mic-Nois, died.''
* ''1168:
Amhlaeibh Mac Innaighneorach
Amhlaeibh Mac Innaighneorach, Chief Harper of Ireland, died 1168.
Mac Innaighneorach is one of the earliest recorded Irish professional musicians. The Annals of the Four Masters call him the ''chief ollamh of Ireland in harp-playing'' but provide ...
, chief ollamh of Ireland in harp-playing, died.''
* ''1226:
Aed mac Donn Ó Sochlachain
Aed mac Donn Ó Sochlachain (died 1226) was Erenagh of Cong and an Irish musician.
Ó Sochlachain was one of the earliest Irish musicians described in the extant Irish annals, denoting the respect the profession had acquired in recent generations ...
, erenagh of
Cong, a man eminent for chanting and for the right tuning of harps and for having made an instrument for himself which none had made before, distinguished also in every art such as poetry, engraving and writing and in every skilled occupation, died.''
* ''1269:
Aed Ó Finn
Aed Ó Finn was a 13th century Irish musician. His obituary, '' sub anno'' 1269, records that he was a "master of music and minstrel
A minstrel was an entertainer, initially in medieval Europe. It originally described any type of entertain ...
, master of music and minstrelsy, died.''
* ''1329:
Maol Ruanaidh Cam Ó Cearbhaill
Maol Ruanaidh Cam Ó Cearbhaill, otherwise ''An Giolla Caoch'' and ''Cam Ó Cearbhaill'', sometimes anglicised as Cam O'Kayrwill (died 10 June 1329) was a notable Irish harpist and player of the tiompan, murdered with many others at the Braganstow ...
,
tiompanist, murdered during the Braganstown Massacre in
County Louth.
* ''1330:
Mael Sechlainn Mac Carmaic, a general entertainer, died.''
* ''1343:
Donnchad Clereach Ó Maol Braonáin, a
choral canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
of
Elphin, was killed by an arrow.''
* ''1357:
Donn Shléibhe Mac Cerbaill, an accomplished musician ... died.''
* ''1360:
Gilla na Naem Ó Conmaigh, music
ollam
An or ollamh (; anglicised as ollave or ollav), plural ollomain, in early Irish literature, is a member of the highest rank of filí. The term is used to refer to the highest member of any group; thus an ''ollam brithem'' would be the highes ...
h of
Thomond
Thomond (Classical Irish: ; Modern Irish: ), also known as the kingdom of Limerick, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Clare and County Limerick, as well as parts of County Tipperary around Nena ...
... died.''
* ''1361.
Magraith Ó Fionnachta, Chief Musician and
Tiompanist to the
Síol Muireadaigh
The Síol Muireadaigh or Síol Muireadhaigh (Anglicized as Sil Murray or Silmurray), was a leading sept of the Connachta group of Gaelic dynasties in medieval Ireland. The name Síol Muireadaigh was also used to refer to the territory occupied by ...
, died.''
* ''1364: Bran Ó Brain, a skilful tympanist ... died.''
* ''1369: John Mac Egan, and Gilbert Ó Bardan, two accomplished young harpers of
Conmaicne, died.''
* ''1469: Ruaidrí mac Donnchad Ó Dálaigh, the most musical-handed harpist in all Ireland.''
* ''1490: Diarmait MacCairbre, harper, was executed.''
* ''1553: Tadhg, son of Ruaidhri Ó Comhdhain, i.e. the ollamh of
Éire
() is Irish for "Ireland", the name of both an island in the North Atlantic and the sovereign state of the Republic of Ireland which governs 84% of the island's landmass. The latter is distinct from Northern Ireland, which covers the remainde ...
and
Alba
''Alba'' ( , ) is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is also, in English language historiography, used to refer to the polity of Picts and Scottish people, Scots united in the ninth century as the Kingdom of Alba, until it developed i ...
in music, died.''
* ''1561:
Naisse mac Cithruadh
Naisse mac Cithruadh, Irish musician, died 1561.
Biography
The Annals of Loch Ce, ''sub anno'' 1561, contain a reference to Naisse and his wife, and their deaths on Lough Gill:
''Naisse, the son of Cithruadh, the most eminent musician that was i ...
, drowned on
Lough Gill
Lough Gill () is a freshwater lough (lake) mainly situated in County Sligo, but partly in County Leitrim, in Ireland. Lough Gill provides the setting for William Butler Yeats' poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree".
Location and environment
Lough ...
.''
* ''1589. Daighre
Ó Duibhgeannáin
The Ó Duibhgeannáin () clan were a family of professional historians in medieval and early modern Ireland.
They originated in the kingdom of Annaly (formerly called Tethbae) on the east bank of the Shannon (mostly situated in what is now ...
, a most affable, musical man, died.''
Modern interpretation
Early Irish poetry and song has been translated into modern Irish and English by notable Irish poets, song collectors and musicians. The 6th century hymn ''Rop tú mo baile'' by
Dallán Forgaill
Eochaid mac Colla ( 560 – 640), better known as Saint Dallán or Dallán Forgaill ( sga, Dallán Forchella; la, Dallanus Forcellius; Primitive Irish: ''Dallagnas Worgēllas''), was an early Christian Irish poet and saint known as the writer of ...
for example, was published in 1905 in English by
Mary Elizabeth Byrne
Mary Elizabeth Byrne, M.A. (2 July 1880 – 19 January 1931) was an Irish linguist, author, and journalist.
She translated the Old Irish Hymn, "Bí Thusa 'mo Shúile," into English as "Be Thou My Vision" in ''Ériu'' (the journal of the School o ...
, and is widely known as ''
Be Thou My Vision
"Be Thou My Vision" ( sga, Rop tú mo baile or ''Rob tú mo bhoile'') is a traditional Christian hymn of Irish origin. The words are based on a Middle Irish poem that has traditionally been attributed to Dallán Forgaill.
The best-known English ...
''. ''The Blackbird of Belfast Lough'' ( sga, Int én bec; ga, An t-éan beag) has been notably translated by poets such as
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. ,
Ciaran Carson
Ciaran Gerard Carson (9 October 1948 – 6 October 2019) was a Northern Ireland-born poet and novelist.
Biography
Ciaran Carson was born in Belfast into an Irish-speaking family. His father, William, was a postman and his mother, Mary, w ...
and
Frank O'Connor. Notable recordings of modern interpretations of early Irish music include
Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin
Pádraigín Máire Ní Uallacháin () is an Irish singer-songwriter, academic, and former newsreader 's ''
Songs of the Scribe
''Songs of the Scribe'' is the seventh studio album from Irish singer Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin, who is also Traditional Singer in Residence at the Seamus Heaney Centre For Poetry at Queen's University, Belfast. Released on 3 December 2011, th ...
'', various music albums by choral group
Anúna
Anúna (stylized in all caps) is a vocal ensemble formed in Ireland in 1987 by Irish composer Michael McGlynn under the name An Uaithne. Taking the current name in 1991,Allmusic Biography/ref> the group has recorded 18 albums and achieved a ...
, and the recordings of
Caitríona O'Leary with Dúlra and the eX Ensemble.
Early Irish musicians abroad
Some musicians were acclaimed in places beyond Ireland.
Cú Chuimne
Cú Chuimne (died 747 AD) was a monk and scholar of Iona. Cú Chuimne, along with Ruben of Dairinis, was responsible for the great compendium known as '' Collectio canonum Hibernensis'' (''Irish collection of Canon law''), which is the first syst ...
(died 747) lived much of his adult life in Gaelic Scotland, and composed at least one hymn.
Foillan
Saint Foillan (''Faélán, Faolán, Foélán, french: link=no, Feuillen'') is an Irish saint of the seventh century.
Family
Foillan was the brother of Saints Ultan and Fursey. He is described as the 'uterine brother' of Fursa, meaning that ...
, who was alive in the seventh century, travelled through much of Britain and France; around 653 at the request of St. Gertrude of Brabant, taught
psalmody
The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...
to her nuns at Nievelle.
Tuotilo
Tuotilo (died 27 April 915) was a Frankish monk at the Abbey of Saint Gall. He was a composer, and according to Ekkehard IV a century later, also a poet, musician, painter and sculptor. Various trope melodies can be assigned to Tuotilo, but wo ...
(c.850–c. 915), who lived in Italy and Germany, was noted both as a musician and a composer.
Helias of Cologne
Helias of Cologne, Irish abbot and musician, died 1040.
Background
Helias was a native of what is now County Monaghan, apparently been a monk at the monastery of Muckno which is now the parish around the town of Castleblayney. Trithemius states ...
(died 1040), is held to be the first to introduce
Roman chant
Old Roman chant is the liturgical plainchant repertory of the Roman rite of the early Christian Church. It was formerly performed in Rome, and, although it is closely related to Gregorian chant, the two are distinct. Gregorian Chant gradually supp ...
to
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
. His contemporary,
Aaron Scotus
Aaron Scotus, Irish abbot and musician, fl. late 10th century – 14 December 1052.
Background
Aaron was an Irish abbot and music theorist, the term ''Scotus'' at the time denoting Irish (person).
St. Martin's of Cologne
A Benedictine, Scotus wa ...
(died 18 November 1052) was an acclaimed composer of
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainsong, plainchant, a form of monophony, monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek (language), Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed ma ...
in Germany.
Donell Dubh Ó Cathail (c. 1560s-c.1660), was not only musician of
Viscount Buttevant
Earl of Barrymore was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created for David Barry, 6th Viscount Buttevant, in 1627/28. Lord Barrymore held the subsidiary titles of Baron Barry (created c. 1261) and Viscount Buttevant (created 1541) in th ...
, but, with his uncle
Donell Óge Ó Cathail, harper to
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
.
Early modern times
Up to the seventeenth century, harp musicians were patronised by the aristocracy in Ireland. This tradition died out in the eighteenth century with the collapse of
Gaelic Ireland
Gaelic Ireland ( ga, Éire Ghaelach) was the Gaelic political and social order, and associated culture, that existed in Ireland from the late prehistoric era until the early 17th century. It comprised the whole island before Anglo-Normans co ...
.
Turlough Carolan
Turlough O'Carolan ( ga, Toirdhealbhach Ó Cearbhalláin ; 167025 March 1738) was a blind Celtic harper, composer and singer in Ireland whose great fame is due to his gift for melodic composition.
Although not a composer in the classical sense, ...
(1670–1738) is the best known of those harpists, and over 200 of his compositions are known. Some of his pieces use elements of contemporary baroque music, but his music has entered the tradition and is played by many folk musicians today.
Edward Bunting
Edward Bunting (1773–1843) was an Irish musician and folk music collector.
Life
Bunting was born in County Armagh, Ireland. At the age of seven he was sent to study music at Drogheda and at eleven he was apprenticed to William Ware, organist ...
collected some of the last-known Irish harp tunes at the
Belfast Harp Festival
The Belfast Harp Festival, called by contemporary writers The Belfast Harpers Assembly,Sara C. Lanier, «"It is new-strung and shan't be heard": nationalism and memory in the Irish harp tradition». in: ''British Journal of Ethnomusicology''; Vol. ...
in 1792. Other important collectors of Irish music include
Francis O'Neill
Francis O'Neill (August 28, 1848 – January 26, 1936) was an Irish-born American police officer and collector of Irish traditional music. His biographer Nicholas Carolan referred to him as "the greatest individual influence on the evolution o ...
and
George Petrie.
Other notable Irish musicians of this era included
Cearbhall Óg Ó Dálaigh
Cearbhall Óg Ó Dálaigh (; fl. 1630), sometimes spelt in English as Carroll Oge O'Daly, was a 17th-century Irish language poet and harpist, who composed the song "".
Cearbhall (Carroll) was a common name amongst people of the Ó Dálaigh ( ...
(fl. c. 1630);
Piaras Feiritéar
Piaras Feiritéar (; 1600? – 1653), or Pierce Ferriter, was an Irish clan Chief of the Name, Chief, and Irish poetry, poet. Although best known for his many works of Bardic poetry in the Irish language, Feiritéar is also a widely revered folk ...
(1600?–1653);
William Connellan
William Connellan () was an Irish harper. He was born in Cloonamahon, County Sligo.
Connellan was a harper, who may or may not have composed the tune ''Caoineach Luimnigh'' (the lament for Limerick). He was well known in Scotland, where he trav ...
(fl. mid-17th century) and his brother,
Thomas Connellan
Thomas Connellan ( – 1698) was an Irish composer.
Connellan was born about 1640/1645 at Cloonamahon, County Sligo. Both he and his brother, William Connellan became harpers. Thomas is famous for the words and music of ''Molly MacAlpin'' ...
(c. 1640/1645–1698), composers;
Dominic Ó Mongain (alive 18th century);
Donnchadh Ó Hámsaigh Donnchadh () is a masculine given name common to the Irish and Scottish Gaelic languages. It is composed of the elements ''donn'', meaning "brown" or "dark" from Donn a Gaelic God; and ''chadh'', meaning "chief" or "noble". The name is also written ...
(1695–1807); poet and songwriter
Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin
Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin (174829 June 1784), anglicized as Owen Roe O'Sullivan ("Red Owen"), was an Irish poet. He is known as one of the last great Gaelic poets. A recent anthology of Irish-language poetry speaks of his "extremely musical" p ...
(1748–1782);
Arthur O'Neill
Arthur Edward Bruce O'Neill (19 September 1876 – 6 November 1914), was an Irish Ulster Unionist Party politician who was the first Member of Parliament to be killed in World War I.
Early life
O'Neill was the second but eldest surviving son of ...
(fl. 1792);
Patrick Byrne (c.1794–1863); world-renowned piper
Tarlach Mac Suibhne (c. 1831–1916); poet and songwriter
Colm de Bhailís (1796–1906).
Traditional music
![Dungloe music festival (1) - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Dungloe_music_festival_%281%29_-_geograph.org.uk_-_51567.jpg)
Irish traditional music includes many kinds of songs, including drinking songs,
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
s and
lament
A lament or lamentation is a passionate expression of grief, often in music, poetry, or song form. The grief is most often born of regret, or mourning. Laments can also be expressed in a verbal manner in which participants lament about somethin ...
s, sung unaccompanied or with accompaniment by a variety of instruments. Traditional
dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...
includes
reels
A reel is an object around which a length of another material (usually long and flexible) is wound for storage (usually hose are wound around a reel). Generally a reel has a cylindrical core (known as a '' spool'') with flanges around the ends ...
(4/4),
hornpipe
The hornpipe is any of several dance forms played and danced in Britain and Ireland and elsewhere from the 16th century until the present day. The earliest references to hornpipes are from England with Hugh Aston's Hornepype of 1522 and others ...
s and
jig
The jig ( ga, port, gd, port-cruinn) is a form of lively folk dance in compound metre, as well as the accompanying dance tune. It is most associated with Irish music and dance. It first gained popularity in 16th-century Ireland and parts of ...
s (the common double jig is in 6/8 time). The
polka arrived at the start of the nineteenth century, spread by itinerant dancing masters and mercenary soldiers, returning from Europe.
Set dancing Irish set dancing, sometimes called "Irish sets", is a popular form of folk dancing in Ireland danced to irish tunes in groups of eight or four dancers. It is also sometime named set dance, but this name refers more often to a kind of dance in iris ...
may have arrived in the eighteenth century. Later imported dance-signatures include the
mazurka
The mazurka (Polish: ''mazur'' Polish ball dance, one of the five Polish national dances and ''mazurek'' Polish folk dance') is a Polish musical form based on stylised folk dances in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, with character de ...
and the highlands (a sort of Irished version of the Scottish
strathspey Strathspey may refer to one of the following:
* Strathspey, Scotland, an area in the Highlands of Scotland
* Strathspey Camanachd
Strathspey Camanachd is a shinty club based in Grantown-on-Spey, Strathspey, Scotland, currently competing in the ...
).
The
Irish fiddle
The Celtic fiddle is one of the most important instruments in the traditional repertoire of Folk music of Ireland, Celtic music. The fiddle itself is identical to the violin, however it is played differently in widely varying regional styles. In t ...
has been played in Ireland since the 8th century. The
bagpipes have a long history of being associated with Ireland
Great Irish warpipes
Irish warpipes ( ga, píob mhór; literally "great pipes") are an Irish analogue of the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe.
"Warpipes" is originally an English term. The first use of the Gaelic term in Ireland was recorded in a poem by Seán ...
were once commonly used in Ireland especially in battle as far back as the 15th century.
A revival of Irish traditional music took place around the turn of the 20th century. The button
accordion
Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...
and the
concertina
A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It consists of expanding and contracting bellows, with buttons (or keys) usually on both ends, unlike accordion buttons, which are on the front.
The ...
were becoming common.
Irish stepdance
Irish stepdance is a style of performance dance with its roots in traditional Irish dance. It is generally characterized by a stiff upper body and fast and precise movements of the feet. It can be performed solo or in groups. Aside from public ...
was performed at
céilís, organised competitions and at some country houses where local and itinerant musicians were welcome. Irish dancing was supported by the educational system and patriotic organisations. An older style of singing called ''
sean-nós'' ("in the old style"), which is a form of
traditional Irish singing
Traditional Irish singing is the singing of traditional songs in the native styles such as sean nós. Though some people consider sean nós to particularly refer to singing in the Irish language, the term 'traditional singing' is more universally ...
was still found, mainly for very poetic songs in the
Irish language
Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...
.
From 1820 to 1920 over 4,400,000 Irish emigrated to the US, creating an Irish diaspora in Philadelphia, Chicago (see
Francis O'Neill
Francis O'Neill (August 28, 1848 – January 26, 1936) was an Irish-born American police officer and collector of Irish traditional music. His biographer Nicholas Carolan referred to him as "the greatest individual influence on the evolution o ...
), Boston, New York and other cities. O'Neill made the first recordings of Irish music on
Edison wax cylinders. Later, Irish musicians who were successful in the USA made commercial recordings which found their way around the world and re-invigorated musical styles back in the homeland. For example, American-based fiddlers like
Michael Coleman,
James Morrison and
Paddy Killoran
Patrick J. Killoran (1903–1965) was an Irish traditional fiddle player, bandleader and recording artist. He is regarded, along with James Morrison and Michael Coleman, as one of the finest exponents of the south Sligo fiddle style in the "gol ...
did much to popularise Irish music in the 1920s and 1930s, while
Ed Reavy composed over a hundred tunes that have since entered the tradition in both Ireland and the diaspora.
After a lull in the 1940s and 1950s, when (except for
Céilidh bands) traditional music was at a low ebb,
Seán Ó Riada
Seán Ó Riada (; born John Reidy; 1 August 1931 – 3 October 1971), was an Irish composer and arranger of Irish traditional music. Through his incorporation of modern and traditional techniques he became the single most influential figur ...
's
Ceoltóirí Chualann,
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous wi ...
,
Tom Lenihan
Tom Lenihan (1908–1990) was a well known Irish traditional singer from Milltown Malbay, County Clare, Ireland.
__NOTOC__
Tom and Margaret Lenihan (born Vaughan) lived in a farmhouse in Knockbrack, a few miles outside Miltown Malbay. He was ...
,
The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
,
The Irish Rovers
The Irish Rovers is a group of Irish musicians that originated in Toronto, Canada. Formed in 1963'Irish Rovers are Digging out those old Folk songs', By Ballymena Weekly Editor, Ballymena Weekly Telegraph, N. Ireland – 20 August 1964 and na ...
,
The Dubliners
The Dubliners were an Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named after its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves The Dubliners. The line-up saw many changes in personnel over their fifty-ye ...
,
Ryan's Fancy
Ryan’s Fancy was an Irish folk music group active from 1971–1983. The band consisted of multi-instrumentalists Denis Ryan, Fergus O'Byrne, and Dermot O'Reilly, all of whom were Irish immigrants to Canada.
History 1967–1970: Early year ...
and
Sweeney's Men
Sweeney's Men was an Irish traditional band. They emerged from the mid-1960s Irish roots revival, along with groups such as The Dubliners and the Clancy Brothers. The founding line-up in May 1966 was Johnny Moynihan, Andy Irvine and "Galway ...
were in large part responsible for a second wave of revitalisation of Irish folk music in the 1960s. Several of these were featured in the 2010 TV movie "My Music: When Irish Eyes are Smiling". Sean O'Riada in particular was singled out as a force who did much for Irish music, through programming on Radio Éireann in the late 1940s through the 1960s. He worked to promote and encourage the performing of traditional Irish music, and his work as a promoter and performer led directly to the formation of the Chieftains. His work inspired the likes of
Planxty
Planxty were an Irish folk music band formed in January 1972, consisting initially of Christy Moore (vocals, acoustic guitar, bodhrán), Andy Irvine (vocals, mandolin, mandola, bouzouki, hurdy-gurdy, harmonica), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitars ...
,
The Bothy Band
The Bothy Band were an Irish traditional band active during the mid 1970s. They quickly gained a reputation as one of the most influential bands playing Irish traditional music. Their enthusiasm and musical virtuosity had a significant influen ...
and
Clannad
Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including ...
in the 70s. Later came such bands as
Stockton's Wing,
De Dannan
De Dannan (originally ''Dé Danann'') is an Irish folk music group. It was formed 1975 by Frankie Gavin (fiddle), Alec Finn (guitar, bouzouki), Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh (bodhrán) and Charlie Piggott (banjo) as a result of sessions in Hughes's ...
,
Altan,
Arcady
Junctions is a software package by Transport Research Laboratory. It incorporates the previously separate programs ARCADY, PICADY and OSCADY. The latest version, Junctions 10, was launched Wednesday 3 February 2021.
ARCADY
ARCADY (Assessment o ...
,
Dervish
Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from fa, درویش, ''Darvīsh'') in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, ...
and
Patrick Street
Patrick Street is an Irish folk group founded by Kevin Burke (formerly of The Bothy Band) on fiddle, Andy Irvine (Sweeney's Men, Planxty) on mandolin, bouzouki, harmonica and vocals, Jackie Daly ( De Dannan) on button accordion, and Art ...
, along with a wealth of individual performers.
More and more people play Irish music and new bands emerge every year such as
Téada
Téada, an Irish band, plays traditional music. Téada is Irish for "strings". The five members of the band are fiddle player Oisín Mac Diarmada, button accordion player Paul Finn, Damien Stenson performs on flute, Seán Mc Elwain switches ...
,
Gráda
Gráda is a traditional Irish music band founded in 2001 whose members are a mix of Irish and New Zealand musicians. Based in Dublin and Galway, Ireland, Gráda have spent much of their time touring internationally. In 2011, members of Gráda ...
,
Dervish
Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from fa, درویش, ''Darvīsh'') in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, ...
, and
Lúnasa
Lughnasadh or Lughnasa ( , ) is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. In Modern Irish it is called , in gd, Lùnastal, and in gv, ...
.
Classical music in Ireland
![John Field - restoration1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/John_Field_-_restoration1.jpg)
There is evidence of music in the "classical" tradition since the early 15th century when a polyphonic choir was established at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, and "city musicians" were employed in the major cities and towns, who performed on festive occasions. In the 18th century, Dublin was known as the "Second City" of the British Isles, with an active musical life culminating in, among other events, the first performance of
Handel's famous oratorio ''
Messiah
In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; ,
; ,
; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...
''. The
Ballad Opera The ballad opera is a genre of English stage entertainment that originated in the early 18th century, and continued to develop over the following century and later. Like the earlier '' comédie en vaudeville'' and the later ''Singspiel'', its dist ...
trend, caused by the success of the
Beggar's Opera
''The Beggar's Opera'' is a ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch. It is one of the watershed plays in Augustan drama and is the only example of the once thriving genre of sat ...
, has left noticeable traces in Ireland, with many works that influenced the genre in England and on the continent, by musicians such as
Charles Coffey
Charles Coffey (late 17th century – 13 May 1745) was an Irish playwright, opera librettist and arranger of music from Westmeath.
Following the initial failure of his ballad opera '' The Beggar’s Wedding'' (Dublin, Smock Alley Theatre, 24 Ma ...
and
Kane O'Hara
Kane O'Hara (1711 or 1712 – 17 June 1782) was an Irish composer and playwright.
Biography
O'Hara was born at Templehouse, Connaught, Ireland, the second son of Kean O'Hara, high-sheriff of County Sligo. He graduated from Trinity College, Dubli ...
.
Composers of note
Apart from the harper-composers of the 16th century, composers in the 16th and 17th century usually came from a Protestant Anglo-Irish background, as due to the discrimination of Catholics no formal musical education was available to them. Composers were often associated with either
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle ( ga, Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a former Motte-and-bailey castle and current Irish government complex and conference centre. It was chosen for its position at the highest point of central Dublin.
Until 1922 it was the se ...
or one of the Dublin cathedrals (
St Patrick's and
Christ Church). These include immigrants in the 18th century such as
Johann Sigismund Cousser,
Matthew Dubourg
Matthew Dubourg (1703 – 3 July 1767) was an English violinist, conductor, and composer who spent most of his life in Ireland. Among other achievements, Dubourg led the orchestra at the premiere of Georg Friedrich Handel's great oratorio ''Me ...
, and
Tommaso Giordani
Tommaso Giordani (c. 1730 to 1733 – before 24 February 1806) was an Italian composer active in England and particularly in Ireland.
Life
Giordani was born in Naples between 1730 and 1733 and came from a musical family. His father was Giuseppe ...
.
Thomas Roseingrave
Thomas Roseingrave (1690 or 1691 – 23 June 1766), like his father Daniel Roseingrave, was an English-born Irish composer and organist.
Early years
He was born at Winchester, where his father Daniel Roseingrave was the Cathedral organist, b ...
and his brother Ralph were prominent Irish baroque composers. Among the next generation of composers were the Cork-born
Philip Cogan
Philip Cogan (1750 – 3 February 1833) was an Irish composer, pianist, and conductor.
Biography
Cogan was born in Cork, where he was a choirboy and vicar choral at St Fin Barre's Cathedral. In 1772, he was appointed a stipendiary at Christ C ...
(1750–1833), a prominent composer of piano music including concertos,
John Andrew Stevenson
Sir John Andrew Stevenson (November 1761 – 14 September 1833) was an Irish composer. He is best known for his piano arrangements of ''Irish Melodies'' with poet Thomas Moore. He was granted an honorary doctorate by the University of Dublin an ...
(1761–1833), who is best known for his publications of ''Irish Melodies'' with poet
Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist celebrated for his ''Irish Melodies''. Their setting of English-language verse to old Irish tunes marked the transition in popular Irish culture from Irish ...
, who also wrote operas, religious music, catches, glees, odes, and songs. In the early 19th century Irish-born composers dominated English-language opera in England and Ireland, including
Charles Thomas Carter
Charles Thomas Carter (c.1735 – 12 October 1804) was an Irish composer and organist with mixed success as an opera composer in London, but with some songs that remained popular beyond his lifetime.
Life
There is considerable confusion about th ...
(c.1735–1804),
Michael Kelly (1762–1826),
Thomas Simpson Cooke
Thomas Simpson Cooke ("Tom Cooke") (July 1782 – 26 February 1848) was an Irish composer, conductor, singer, theatre musician and music director – an influential figure in early 19th-century opera in London.
Life
Mostly referred to as "Tom Co ...
(1782–1848),
William Henry Kearns
William Henry Kearns (1794 – 28 December 1846) was an Irish violinist, conductor and composer active mainly in England.
Biography
Kearns was born in Dublin and, like many of his Irish contemporaries, emigrated to England where he settled at lea ...
(1794–1846),
Joseph Augustine Wade
Joseph Augustine Wade (1796'c.1801' according to Lisa Parker: "Wade, Joseph Augustine", in: ''The Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland'', ed. H. White & B. Boydell (Dublin: UCD Press, 2013), vol. 2, p. 1036 – 15 July 1845) was an Irish composer and ...
(1801–1845) and, later in the century,
Michael W. Balfe (1808–1870) and
William Vincent Wallace
William Vincent Wallace (11 March 1812 – 12 October 1865) was an Irish composer and pianist. In his day, he was famous on three continents as a double virtuoso on violin and piano. Nowadays, he is mainly remembered as an opera composer of n ...
(1812–1865).
John Field (1782–1837) has been credited with the creation of the Nocturne form, which influenced
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...
.
John William Glover (1815–1899),
Joseph Robinson (1815–1898) and
Robert Prescott Stewart (1825–1894) kept Irish classical music in Dublin alive in the 19th century, while mid-19th-century emigrants include
George William Torrance
George William Torrance (25 July 1835 – 20 August 1907) was an Irish composer, mainly of church music, who was resident in Australia for many years.
Early life
Torrance was born in Rathmines, Dublin and became a choirboy at Christ Church Cat ...
and
George Alexander Osborne
George Alexander Osborne (24 September 1806 – 16 November 1893) was an Irish composer and pianist.
Biography
Osborne was born in Limerick. He left Ireland at the age of eighteen for Brussels, where he was appointed music instructor for the el ...
.
Charles Villiers Stanford
Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (30 September 1852 – 29 March 1924) was an Anglo-Irish composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Romantic era. Born to a well-off and highly musical family in Dublin, Stanford was educated at the ...
(1852–1924) and
Hamilton Harty
Sir Herbert Hamilton Harty (4 December 1879 – 19 February 1941) was an Irish composer, conductor, pianist and organist.
After an early career as a church organist in his native Ireland, Harty moved to London at about age 20, soon becoming a w ...
(1879–1941) were among the last emigrants in Irish music, combining a late romantic musical language with Irish folklorism. Their contemporary in Ireland was the Italian immigrant
Michele Esposito (1855–1929), a figure of seminal importance in Irish music who arrived in Ireland in 1882. The years after Irish independence were a difficult period in which composers tried to find an identifiable Irish voice in an anti-British climate, which included ressentiments against classical music as such. The development of Irish broadcasting in the 1920s and the gradual enlargement of the Radio Éireann Orchestra in the late 1930s improved the situation. Important composers in these years were
John F. Larchet (1884–1967),
Ina Boyle
Ina Boyle (8 March 1889 – 10 March 1967) was an Irish composer. Her compositions encompass a broad spectrum of genres and include choral, chamber and orchestral works as well as opera, ballet and vocal music. While a number of her works, incl ...
(1889–1967),
Arthur Duff
Arthur Knox Duff (13 March 1899 – 23 September 1956) was an Irish composer and conductor, best known for his short orchestral pieces such as the Handel-inspired ''Echoes of Georgian Dublin''. His career also encompassed senior positions in th ...
(1899–1956),
Aloys Fleischmann
Aloys Fleischmann (13 April 1910 – 21 July 1992) was an Irish composer, musicologist, professor and conductor.
Life
Fleischmann was born in Munich to Ireland-based German parents. Both were musicians, both graduates of the Royal Academy of Mu ...
(1910–1992),
Frederick May (1911–1985),
Joan Trimble
Joan Trimble (18 June 1915 – 6 August 2000) was an Irish composer and pianist.
Education and career
Trimble was born in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland. She studied piano with Annie Lord at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin, ...
(1915–2000), and
Brian Boydell (1917–2000). The middle decades of the 20th century were also shaped by
A.J. Potter
Archibald James Potter (22 September 1918 – 5 July 1980) was an Irish composer and teacher, who wrote hundreds of works including operas, a mass, and four ballets, as well as orchestral and chamber music.
Early years
Potter was born in Bel ...
(1918–1980),
Gerard Victory
Thomas Joseph Gerard Victory (24 December 1921 – 14 March 1995) was a prolific Irish composer. He wrote over two hundred works across many genres and styles, including tonal, serial, aleatoric and electroacoustic music.
Biography
Victory ...
(1921–1995),
James Wilson James Wilson may refer to:
Politicians and government officials
Canada
*James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada
* James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Quebe ...
(1922–2005),
Seán Ó Riada
Seán Ó Riada (; born John Reidy; 1 August 1931 – 3 October 1971), was an Irish composer and arranger of Irish traditional music. Through his incorporation of modern and traditional techniques he became the single most influential figur ...
(1931–1971),
John Kinsella (1932–2021), and
Seóirse Bodley
Seóirse Bodley (first name pronounced ; born 4 April 1933) is an Irish composer and former associate professor of music at University College Dublin (UCD). He was the first composer to become a Saoi of Aosdána, in 2008. Bodley is widely regarde ...
(b. 1933). Prominent names among the older generation of living composers in Ireland today are
Frank Corcoran
Frank Corcoran ( ; born 1 May 1944) is an Irish composer. His output includes chamber, symphonic, choral and electro-acoustic music, through which he often explores Irish mythology and history.
Life
''"I came late to art music; childhood soundsca ...
(b. 1944), Eric Sweeney (b. 1948),
John Buckley (b. 1951),
Gerald Barry (b. 1952),
Raymond Deane
Raymond Deane (born 27 January 1953) is an Irish composer and co-founder of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Biography
Deane was born in Tuam, County Galway and brought up on Achill Island, County Mayo. From 1963 he lived in Dublin, ...
(b. 1953),
Patrick Cassidy (b. 1956), and
Fergus Johnston
Fergus Johnston (born 21 May 1959) is an Irish composer and member of Aosdána.
Life and career
Johnston was born in Dublin, the son of the physicist and political activist Roy Johnston, Roy H. W. Johnston, and studied for both a degree in music ...
(b. 1959) (see also
List of Irish classical composers
This is a list of composers from Ireland working in the classical (art music) tradition. It does not contain composers for pop, rock, trad, jazz, or film music. For Irish film music composers search for the 'Irish film score composers' in the sea ...
).
Performers of note
Performers of note in classical music include
Catherine Hayes (1818–1861), Ireland's first great international ''prima donna'' and the first Irish woman to perform at La Scala in Milan; tenor
Barton McGuckin (1852–1913), a much-demanded singer in the late 19th century; tenor
Joseph O'Mara (1864–1927), a very prominent singer around the turn of the century; tenor
John McCormack (1884–1945), the most celebrated tenor of his day; opera singer
Margaret Burke-Sheridan (1889–1958); pianist
Charles Lynch (1906–1984); tenor
Josef Locke
Joseph McLaughlin (23 March 1917 – 15 October 1999), known professionally as Josef Locke, was an Irish tenor. He was successful in the United Kingdom and Ireland in the 1940s and 1950s.
Background
Born in Derry, Ireland, he was the son of a ...
(1917–1999) achieved global success and was the subject of the 1991 film ''
Hear My Song
''Hear My Song'' is a 1991 British comedy-drama film directed by Peter Chelsom, who co-wrote the screenplay with Adrian Dunbar, based on the story of Irish tenor Josef Locke. It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 46th British Ac ...
''; the concert flautist
Sir James Galway
Sir James Galway (born 8 December 1939) is an Irish virtuoso flute player from Belfast, nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Flute". He established an international career as a solo flute player. In 2005, he received the Brit Award for Outstand ...
and pianist
Barry Douglas.
[Niall O'Loughlin/Richard Wigmore, 'Galway, Sir James', '' Grove Music Online'']
Retrieved 12 August 2007. Douglas achieved fame in 1986 by claiming the
International Tchaikovsky Competition
The International Tchaikovsky Competition is a classical music competition held every four years in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Russia, for pianists, violinists, and cellists between 16 and 32 years of age and singers between 19 and 32 years of ...
gold medal. Mezzo-sopranos
Bernadette Greevy
Bernadette Greevy (3 July 1940 – 26 September 2008) was an Irish mezzo-soprano. She was founder and artistic director of the Anna Livia Dublin International Opera Festival.''The Irish Times'', "Festival seeks to promote opera among young peopl ...
and
Ann Murray
Ann Murray, (born 27 August 1949) is an Irish mezzo-soprano.
Life and career
Murray was born in Dublin. Having won a number of prizes at the Feis Ceoil, she studied singing at the College of Music (now the DIT Conservatory of Music and Dram ...
have also had success internationally.
Choral music
![Anuna](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Anuna.jpg)
Choral music has been practised in Ireland for centuries, initially at the larger churches such as
Christ Church Cathedral,
St Patrick's Cathedral, and
St Mary's Pro-Cathedral
St Mary's Church ( ga, Leas-Ardeaglais Naomh Muire), known also as St Mary's Pro-Cathedral or simply the Pro-Cathedral, the Chapel in Marlborough Street or the Pro, is a pro-cathedral and is the episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop ...
, as well as the University of Dublin Choral Society (founded in 1837).
Founded and directed by composer
Michael McGlynn
Michael McGlynn (born 11 May 1964) is an Irish composer, producer, director, and founder of the vocal ensemble Anúna.
Career
McGlynn was born in Dublin and attended Coláiste na Rinne and Blackrock College. He was a student of Music and Eng ...
in 1987,
Anúna
Anúna (stylized in all caps) is a vocal ensemble formed in Ireland in 1987 by Irish composer Michael McGlynn under the name An Uaithne. Taking the current name in 1991,Allmusic Biography/ref> the group has recorded 18 albums and achieved a ...
contributed significantly to raising the profile of choral music, particularly through their contributions to
Riverdance
''Riverdance'' is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions Je ...
which they were a part of from 1994 to 1996. They were nominated for a Classical Brit Award in the UK and appeared at the
BBC Proms
The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...
series in the
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
in 1999. In 2012 they featured as the voices of Hell in the video game
Diablo III
''Diablo III'' is a hack-and-slash action role-playing game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment as the third installment in the ''Diablo'' franchise. It was released for Microsoft Windows and OS X in May 2012, PlayStation 3 and Xb ...
. In February 2018 the group won the Outstanding Ensemble category of the Annual Game Music Awards 2017 for their contributions to the video game
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
''Xenoblade Chronicles 2'' is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. Released on December 1, it is the third installment in ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' and the seventh main en ...
.
The
Chamber Choir Ireland, formerly National Chamber Choir of Ireland, is principally funded by the
Arts Council of Ireland
The Arts Council (sometimes called the Arts Council of Ireland; legally ga, An Chomhairle Ealaíon) is the independent "Irish government agency for developing the arts."
About
It was established in 1951 by the Government of Ireland, to encour ...
. Their artistic director is
Paul Hillier
Paul Douglas Hillier OBE (born 9 February 1949) is an English conductor, music director and baritone. He specializes in both early and contemporary classical music, especially that by composers Steve Reich and Arvo Pärt. He was a co-foun ...
. The choir has produced a number of CDs with international (including Irish) repertoire. There are many semi-professional choirs in Ireland at local level, too. Many perform and compete at the annual
Cork International Choral Festival (since 1954).
Opera
Although Ireland has never had a purpose-built opera house (the
Cork Opera House
Cork Opera House is a theatre and opera house in Cork in Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the Nort ...
is a multi-purpose theatre), opera has been performed in Ireland since the 17th century. In the 18th century, Ireland was a centre for
ballad opera The ballad opera is a genre of English stage entertainment that originated in the early 18th century, and continued to develop over the following century and later. Like the earlier '' comédie en vaudeville'' and the later ''Singspiel'', its dist ...
and created important works that helped to develop the genre in the direction of operetta, with works by
Charles Coffey
Charles Coffey (late 17th century – 13 May 1745) was an Irish playwright, opera librettist and arranger of music from Westmeath.
Following the initial failure of his ballad opera '' The Beggar’s Wedding'' (Dublin, Smock Alley Theatre, 24 Ma ...
and
Kane O'Hara
Kane O'Hara (1711 or 1712 – 17 June 1782) was an Irish composer and playwright.
Biography
O'Hara was born at Templehouse, Connaught, Ireland, the second son of Kean O'Hara, high-sheriff of County Sligo. He graduated from Trinity College, Dubli ...
. Nationally identifiable Irish operas have been written by immigrants such as
Tommaso Giordani
Tommaso Giordani (c. 1730 to 1733 – before 24 February 1806) was an Italian composer active in England and particularly in Ireland.
Life
Giordani was born in Naples between 1730 and 1733 and came from a musical family. His father was Giuseppe ...
and
Johann Bernhard Logier
Johann Bernhard Logier (9 February 1777 – 27 July 1846) was a German composer, teacher, inventor, and publisher resident in Ireland for much of his life.
Biography
Logier was born in Kassel and was first taught music by his father, a violinist. ...
as well as by native composers such as
John Andrew Stevenson
Sir John Andrew Stevenson (November 1761 – 14 September 1833) was an Irish composer. He is best known for his piano arrangements of ''Irish Melodies'' with poet Thomas Moore. He was granted an honorary doctorate by the University of Dublin an ...
and
Thomas Simpson Cooke
Thomas Simpson Cooke ("Tom Cooke") (July 1782 – 26 February 1848) was an Irish composer, conductor, singer, theatre musician and music director – an influential figure in early 19th-century opera in London.
Life
Mostly referred to as "Tom Co ...
, continued in the 19th century with works by
John William Glover and
Paul McSwiney.
Michael William Balfe
Michael William Balfe (15 May 1808 – 20 October 1870) was an Irish composer, best remembered for his operas, especially ''The Bohemian Girl''.
After a short career as a violinist, Balfe pursued an operatic singing career, while he began to co ...
and
Vincent Wallace
William Vincent Wallace (11 March 1812 – 12 October 1865) was an Irish composer and pianist. In his day, he was famous on three continents as a double virtuoso on violin and piano. Nowadays, he is mainly remembered as an opera composer of n ...
were the most prominent representatives of mid-19th-century English-language operas.
The Celtic Renaissance after 1900 created works such as ''
Muirgheis
''Muirgheis'' is a 1903 opera by Thomas O'Brien Butler (1861–1915), written originally in the Irish language. Caving to market and political pressures of the time, the piece was mainly staged in English. Nonetheless, some consider it the first ...
'' (1903) by
Thomas O'Brien Butler
Thomas O'Brien Butler (3 November 1861 – 7 May 1915; lost on the '' Lusitania''), was an Irish composer who wrote the Irish-language opera ''Muirgheis'' (1903).
Biography
O'Brien Butler, as he was generally known, was born in Caherciveen, Cou ...
, ''Connla of the Golden Hair'' (1903) by William Harvey Pélissier, ''
Eithne
Eithne is a female personal name of Irish origin, meaning "kernel" or "grain". Other spellings and earlier forms include Ethnea, Ethlend, Ethnen, Ethlenn, Ethnenn, Eithene, Ethne, Aithne, Enya, Ena, Edna, Etney, Eithnenn, Eithlenn, Eithna, Ethni, ...
'' (1909) by
Robert O'Dwyer, and ''The Tinker and the Fairy'' (1910) by
Michele Esposito. ''Muirgheis'' and ''Eithne'' have librettos in Irish, as have a number of works by
Geoffrey Molyneux Palmer
Geoffrey Molyneux Palmer (, 8 October 1882 – 29 November 1957) was an Irish composer, mainly of operas and vocal music, among them the first musical settings of poems by James Joyce.
Biography
Palmer was born of Protestant Irish parents in S ...
and several 1940s and '50s works by
Éamonn Ó Gallchobhair
Éamonn Ó Gallchobhair (30 September 1906 – 27 December 1982) was an Irish composer, and a major representative of the conservative side in Irish art music.
Life
Ó Gallchobhair (anglicised "O'Gallagher") was born in Dundalk, County Louth, ...
. Most of the Irish operas written since the 1960s have a contemporary international outlook, with important works by
Gerard Victory
Thomas Joseph Gerard Victory (24 December 1921 – 14 March 1995) was a prolific Irish composer. He wrote over two hundred works across many genres and styles, including tonal, serial, aleatoric and electroacoustic music.
Biography
Victory ...
,
James Wilson James Wilson may refer to:
Politicians and government officials
Canada
*James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada
* James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Quebe ...
,
Raymond Deane
Raymond Deane (born 27 January 1953) is an Irish composer and co-founder of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Biography
Deane was born in Tuam, County Galway and brought up on Achill Island, County Mayo. From 1963 he lived in Dublin, ...
,
Gerald Barry, and a number of young composers since the turn of the century.
There have been subsequent attempts to revive the Irish-language tradition in opera. A brother-sister team previewed sections of the opera ''Clann Tuireann'' publicly, and in 2017 musician
John Spillane
John Spillane (born 1961) is a singer-songwriter from Cork, Ireland.
Background
Spillane grew up in the Cork suburb of Wilton, in a family of five boys. He was educated in Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh, Bishopstown. Raised by his mother, she ...
told the
Evening Echo
''The Echo'', formerly known as the ''Evening Echo'', is an Irish morning newspaper based in Cork. It is distributed throughout the province of Munster, although it is primarily read in its base city of Cork. The newspaper was founded as a bro ...
that he was then working on a Gaelic opera to be titled ''Legends of the Lough''.
Wexford Festival Opera
Wexford Festival Opera () is an opera festival that takes place in the town of Wexford in south-eastern Ireland during the months of October and November.
The festival began in 1951 under Tom Walsh and a group of opera lovers who quickly gene ...
is a major international festival that takes place every October and November.
Popular music
Early popular performers
Performers of popular music began appearing as early as the late 1940s;
Delia Murphy
Delia Murphy Kiernan (16 February 1902 – 11 February 1971) was an Irish singer and collector of Irish ballads. She recorded several 78 rpm records in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. In 1962 she recorded her only LP, ''The Queen of Connemara'', for ...
popularised Irish folk songs that she recorded for
HMV
Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom.
The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...
in 1949;
Margaret Barry
Margaret Barry (1917–1989) was an Irish Traveller, traditional singer and banjo player.
Biography
Born Margaret Cleary in Cork into a family of Travellers and street singers, she taught herself how to play the zither banjo and the fiddle ...
is also credited with bringing traditional songs to the fore; Donegal's
Bridie Gallagher shot to fame in 1956 and is considered 'Ireland's first international pop star'; Belfast-born singer
Ruby Murray
Ruby Florence Murray (29 March 1935 – 17 December 1996) was a Northern Irish singer. One of the most popular singers in the British Isles in the 1950s, she scored ten hits in the UK Singles Chart between 1954 and 1959. She also made pop chart ...
achieved unprecedented chart success in the UK in the mid-1950s; Dublin native
Carmel Quinn
Carmel Quinn (31 July 1925 – 6 March 2021) was an Irish-American entertainer who appeared on Broadway, television and radio after immigrating to the United States in 1954.
Biography
Quinn was born in July 1925 and educated in Dublin. Her fath ...
emigrated to the US and became a regular singer on
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
''Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts'' (also known as ''Talent Scouts'') was an American radio and television variety show which ran on CBS from 1946 until 1958. Sponsored by Lipton Tea, it starred Arthur Godfrey, who was also hosting ''Arthur Godf ...
and appeared frequently on other TV variety shows in the 1950s and '60s.
The Bachelors
The Bachelors were a popular music group, originating from Dublin, Ireland, but primarily based in the United Kingdom. They had several international hits during the 1960s, including eight top-ten singles in the UK between 1963 and 1966.
Car ...
were an all-male harmony group from Dublin who had hits in the UK, Europe, US, Australia and Russia;
Mary O'Hara
Mary O'Hara (born 12 May 1935) is an Irish soprano and harpist from County Sligo. She gained attention on both sides of the Atlantic in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Her recordings of that period influenced a generation of Irish female singer ...
was a soprano and harpist who was successful on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1950s and early 1960s; Waterford crooner
Val Doonican
Michael Valentine Doonican (3 February 1927 – 1 July 2015) was an Irish singer of traditional pop, easy listening, and novelty songs, who was noted for his warm and relaxed style. A crooner, he found popular success, especially in the ...
had a string of UK hits and presented his own TV show on the BBC from 1965 to 1986.
Showbands in Ireland
Irish
Showbands were a major force in Irish popular music, particularly in rural areas, for twenty years from the mid-1950s. The showband played in dance halls and was loosely based on the six or seven piece
Dixieland
Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ( ...
dance band. The basic showband repertoire included standard dance numbers,
cover versions
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of pop music hits, ranging from
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
,
country and western to
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
standards. Key to the showband's success was the ability to learn and perform songs currently in the
record chart
A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often ...
s. They sometimes played
Irish traditional or
Céilidh music and a few included self-composed songs.
Country and Irish
With the rise in popularity of
American country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, old- ...
, a new subgenre developed in Ireland known as 'Country and Irish'. It was formed by mixing American Country music with Irish influences, incorporating Irish folk music. This often resulted in traditional Irish songs being sung in a country music style. It is especially popular in the rural Midlands and North-West of the country. It also remains popular among Irish emigrants in Great Britain.
Big Tom and The Mainliners
Big Tom and The Mainliners were a Country and Irish showband from the Castleblayney area of County Monaghan, Ireland.
Timeline
1966–1975
Originally named as "The Mighty Mainliners Showband", the band achieved fame after appearing on RTÉ Te ...
were the first major contenders in this genre, having crossed over from the showband era of the 1960s. Other major artists were
Philomena Begley
Philomena Begley (born 20 October 1942) is a country music singer from Northern Ireland. In 1975, Begley had a hit with her version of the Billie Jo Spears' song Blanket on the Ground reaching higher sales then Spears in both the UK and Irelan ...
and
Margo *** People
* Margo (actress) (1917–1985), Mexican-American actress and dancer
* Margo (magician), American magic performer and actress
* Margo (singer), Irish singer
* Margo (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name
...
, the latter even being bestowed the unofficial title of ''Queen of Country & Irish''. The most successful performer in the genre today is
Daniel O'Donnell
Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell, MBE (born 12 December 1961) is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. After rising to public attention in 1983, he has since become a household name in Ireland and Britain; he has also had co ...
, who has garnered success in the UK, US and Australia. O'Donnell's frequent singing partner
Mary Duff
Mary Duff is an Irish country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an ...
has also had success in this genre and most recently County Carlow native
Derek Ryan has enjoyed Irish chart hits doing this type of music.
Fusion
Traditional music played a part in Irish popular music later in the century, with
Clannad
Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including ...
,
Van Morrison
Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards.
As a teenager in t ...
,
Hothouse Flowers
Hothouse Flowers are an Irish rock band that combine traditional Irish music with influences from soul, gospel, and rock. Formed in 1985 in Dublin, they started as street performers. Their first album, ''People'' (1988), was the most success ...
and
Sinéad O'Connor using traditional elements in popular songs.
Enya
Enya Patricia Brennan (; ga, Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin; born 17 May 1961), known professionally by the mononym Enya, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician known for modern Celtic music. She is the best-selling Irish solo arti ...
achieved international success with
New Age
New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consi ...
/Celtic fusions. The
Afro-Celt Sound System
Afro Celt Sound System is a British musical group who fuse electronic music with traditional Gaelic and West African music. Afro Celt Sound System was formed in 1995 by producer-guitarist Simon Emmerson, and feature a wide range of guest artists. ...
achieved fame adding West African influences and electronic dance rhythms in the 1990s while bands such as
Kíla
Kíla is a 1987 Irish folk music/ world music group from the Irish language secondary school, Coláiste Eóin in County Dublin.
Band History
Kíla began in 1987 in the secondary in Coláiste Eoin, in the first year they busked nearly every wee ...
fuse traditional Irish with rock and world music representing the Irish tradition at world music festivals across Europe and America. The most notable fusion band in Ireland was Horslips, who combined Irish themes and music with heavy rock.
The Shamrock Wings is a Colombian band that fuses Irish music with Caribbean rhythms.
''
Riverdance
''Riverdance'' is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions Je ...
'' is a musical and dancing interval act which originally starred
Michael Flatley
Michael Ryan Flatley (born July 16, 1958) is an Irish-American dancer. He became known for Irish dance shows '' Riverdance'', '' Lord of the Dance'', '' Feet of Flames'', and '' Celtic Tiger Live''. Flatley's shows have played to more than 60 mi ...
and
Jean Butler
Jean Butler (born March 14, 1971) is an American stepdancer, a master of Irish Dance, choreographer, and actress. She is best known for originating the principal female role in the Irish dance theatrical production ''Riverdance''. In January 20 ...
and featuring the choir
Anúna
Anúna (stylized in all caps) is a vocal ensemble formed in Ireland in 1987 by Irish composer Michael McGlynn under the name An Uaithne. Taking the current name in 1991,Allmusic Biography/ref> the group has recorded 18 albums and achieved a ...
. It was performed during the
Eurovision Song Contest 1994
The Eurovision Song Contest 1994 was the 39th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Dublin, Ireland, following the country's victory at the with the song "In Your Eyes" by Niamh Kavanagh. It was the first time that any countr ...
as "
Riverdance
''Riverdance'' is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions Je ...
". Popular reaction to the act was so immense that an entire musical revue was built around the act.
Pop/Rock
The 1960s saw the emergence of major Irish rock bands and artists, such as
Them
Them or THEM, a third-person plural accusative personal pronoun, may refer to:
Books
* ''Them'' (novel), 3rd volume (1969) in American Joyce Carol Oates' ''Wonderland Quartet''
* '' Them: Adventures with Extremists'', 2003 non-fiction by Welsh ...
,
Van Morrison
Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards.
As a teenager in t ...
,
Emmet Spiceland
Emmet Spiceland was an Irish folk band formed when brothers Brian Byrne and Michael Byrne of the Spiceland Folk Group joined forces with Dónal Lunny, Brian Bolger and Mick Moloney's Emmet Folk Group.
Emmet Spiceland hold a special place in ...
,
Eire Apparent
Eire Apparent were a band from Northern Ireland, noted for launching the careers of Henry McCullough and Ernie Graham, and for having Jimi Hendrix play on, and produce, their only album.
History Tony and The Telstars
The origins of the group ...
,
Skid Row
A skid row or skid road is an impoverished area, typically urban, in English-speaking North America whose inhabitants are mostly poor people " on the skids". This specifically refers to poor or homeless, considered disreputable, downtrodden or fo ...
,
Taste
The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste (flavor). Taste is the perception produced or stimulated when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste receptor ...
,
Rory Gallagher
William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Due to his virtuosic playing, but relative lack of fame compared to some others, he has been referred to as "the greatest ...
,
Dr. Strangely Strange
Dr. Strangely Strange are an Irish experimental folk group, formed in Dublin in 1967 by Tim Booth (born 6 September 1943, County Kildare, Ireland), vocals and guitar, and Ivan Pawle (born 17 August 1943, England), bass and keyboards.
Career
A ...
,
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or som ...
,
Gary Moore,
Mellow Candle
Mellow Candle were a progressive folk rock band. Principally Irish, the members were also young, Clodagh Simonds being only 15 and Alison Bools (later O'Donnell) and Maria White 16, and still at school, at the time of their first single, "F ...
.
![Front Thin Lizzy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Front_Thin_Lizzy.jpg)
In 1970
Dana put Ireland on the pop music map by winning the Eurovision Song Contest with her song
All Kinds of Everything
"All Kinds of Everything" is a song written by Derry Lindsay and Jackie Smith; as performed by Dana, it won the Eurovision Song Contest 1970 representing . "All Kinds of Everything" marked a return to the ballad form from the more energetic pe ...
. She went to number one in the UK and all over Europe and paved the way for many Irish artists.
Gilbert O'Sullivan
Raymond Edward "Gilbert" O'Sullivan (born 1 December 1946) is an Irish singer-songwriter who achieved his most significant success during the early 1970s with hits including "Alone Again (Naturally)", " Clair", and "Get Down".
O'Sullivan's so ...
went to the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic in 1972 with a string of hits, and the all-sister line-up of
The Nolans
The Nolans are an Anglo-Irish girl group who formed in Blackpool in 1974 as the Nolan Sisters, before changing their name in 1980. Often referred to as Ireland's ''First Family of Music'', they were the first Irish performing family to achiev ...
gained international chart success in the late 1970s.
Chris de Burgh achieved international acclaim with his 1986 hit "
Lady in Red".
Some groups who formed during the emergence of
Punk rock in the mid-late 1970s included
U2,
Virgin Prunes
Virgin Prunes were an Irish post-punk band formed in 1977 in Dublin, Ireland. They disbanded in 1986 after the departure of singer Gavin Friday. The other members continued under the name The Prunes until they split up in 1991.
History
The Vir ...
,
The Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats are an Irish rock music, rock band originally formed in Dublin in 1975. Between 1977 and 1985, they had a series of Irish and UK hit record, hits including "Like Clockwork", "Rat Trap", "I Don't Like Mondays" and "Banana Repub ...
,
The Undertones
The Undertones are a rock band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. From 1975 to 1983, the Undertones consisted of Feargal Sharkey (vocals), John O'Neill (rhythm guitar, vocals), Damian O'Neill (lead guitar, vocals), Michael Bradle ...
,
Aslan
Aslan () is a major character in C. S. Lewis's ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' series. Unlike any other character, he appears in all seven chronicles of the series. Aslan is depicted as a talking lion, and is described as the King of Beasts, the ...
,
Gavin Friday
Gavin Friday (born Fionán Martin Hanvey, 8 October 1959) is an Irish singer and songwriter, composer, actor and painter, best known as a founding member of the post-punk group The Virgin Prunes.
Early life
Friday was born in Dublin and attend ...
, and
Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers are a punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977 at the height of the Troubles, which informed much of their songwriting. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star (named after the De ...
. Later in the 80s and into the 90s, Irish punk fractured into new styles of
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
, which included
That Petrol Emotion
That Petrol Emotion were a London-based Northern Ireland-originating band with an American vocalist, Steve Mack. It featured the O'Neill brothers from celebrated Derry pop-punk band The Undertones plus ex-members of fellow Derry bands Bam Bam and ...
,
In Tua Nua
IN, In or in may refer to:
Places
* India (country code IN)
* Indiana, United States (postal code IN)
* Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN)
* In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
Businesses and organizations
* Indepen ...
,
Fatima Mansions,
My Bloody Valentine and
Ash
Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
.
In the 1990s, pop bands like
The Corrs
The Corrs are an Irish family band that combine pop rock with traditional Irish themes within their music. The group consists of the Corr siblings, Andrea (lead vocals, tin whistle, mandolin, ukulele), Sharon (violin, keyboards, vocals), Car ...
,
B*Witched
B*Witched are an Irish girl group consisting of twin sisters Edele and Keavy Lynch, Lindsay Armaou and Sinéad O'Carroll. Originally active between 1997 and 2002, they enjoyed success in both Europe and North America between 1998 and 2002, r ...
,
Boyzone
Boyzone were an Irish boy band, created in 1993 by talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's '' The Late Late Show''. Their most successful line-up was composed of Keith Duffy, Steph ...
,
Westlife
Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member, until he left in 2004. The group temporarily di ...
and The Cranberries emerged. In the same decade, Ireland also contributed a subgenre of folk metal known as Celtic metal with exponents of the genre including Cruachan (band), Cruachan, Primordial (band), Primordial, Geasa (band), Geasa, and Waylander (band), Waylander. Bands lik
Moxielead the wave of Neo-Irish music in the new millennium with ''fluidity, cross-pollination, and innovation.''
In recent decades Irish music in many different genres has been very successful internationally; however, the most successful genres have been rock, popular and traditional fusion, with performers such as (in alphabetical order):
Altan,
The Answer (band), The Answer,
Ash
Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
,
Aslan (band), Aslan,
Axis Of,
B*Witched
B*Witched are an Irish girl group consisting of twin sisters Edele and Keavy Lynch, Lindsay Armaou and Sinéad O'Carroll. Originally active between 1997 and 2002, they enjoyed success in both Europe and North America between 1998 and 2002, r ...
,
Bell X1 (band), Bell X1,
Frances Black,
Mary Black,
The Blizzards,
The Bothy Band
The Bothy Band were an Irish traditional band active during the mid 1970s. They quickly gained a reputation as one of the most influential bands playing Irish traditional music. Their enthusiasm and musical virtuosity had a significant influen ...
,
Brendan Bowyer,
Boyzone
Boyzone were an Irish boy band, created in 1993 by talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's '' The Late Late Show''. Their most successful line-up was composed of Keith Duffy, Steph ...
,
Paul Brady,
Chris de Burgh,
Paddy Casey,
The Cast of Cheers,
Celtic Thunder,
Celtic Woman,
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous wi ...
,
The Clancy Brothers,
Clannad
Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including ...
,
Codes (band), Codes,
Curious Grace and Black Rabbit,
Rita Connolly,
The Coronas,
The Corrs
The Corrs are an Irish family band that combine pop rock with traditional Irish themes within their music. The group consists of the Corr siblings, Andrea (lead vocals, tin whistle, mandolin, ukulele), Sharon (violin, keyboards, vocals), Car ...
,
Phil Coulter,
Nadine Coyle (of Girls Aloud),
The Cranberries,
Peter Cunnah (of D Ream, D:Ream),
Dana,
De Dannan
De Dannan (originally ''Dé Danann'') is an Irish folk music group. It was formed 1975 by Frankie Gavin (fiddle), Alec Finn (guitar, bouzouki), Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh (bodhrán) and Charlie Piggott (banjo) as a result of sessions in Hughes's ...
,
Cathy Davey,
Damien Dempsey,
The Divine Comedy (band), The Divine Comedy,
Joe Dolan,
Val Doonican
Michael Valentine Doonican (3 February 1927 – 1 July 2015) was an Irish singer of traditional pop, easy listening, and novelty songs, who was noted for his warm and relaxed style. A crooner, he found popular success, especially in the ...
,
Ronnie Drew,
The Dubliners
The Dubliners were an Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named after its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves The Dubliners. The line-up saw many changes in personnel over their fifty-ye ...
,
Mary Duff
Mary Duff is an Irish country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an ...
,
Duke Special, Eden (musician), EDEN,
Enya
Enya Patricia Brennan (; ga, Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin; born 17 May 1961), known professionally by the mononym Enya, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician known for modern Celtic music. She is the best-selling Irish solo arti ...
,
Julie Feeney,
Fight Like Apes,
Mick Flannery,
The Frames,
Bridie Gallagher,
Rory Gallagher
William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Due to his virtuosic playing, but relative lack of fame compared to some others, he has been referred to as "the greatest ...
,
Lisa Hannigan,
Glen Hansard of The Frames,
Keith Harkin,
Gemma Hayes, The High Kings,
Niall Horan (of One Direction),
Horslips,
The Hothouse Flowers,
Hozier (musician), Hozier,
In Tua Nua
IN, In or in may refer to:
Places
* India (country code IN)
* Indiana, United States (postal code IN)
* Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN)
* In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
Businesses and organizations
* Indepen ...
,
Andy Irvine (musician), Andy Irvine,
Laura Izibor,
Gavin James (singer), Gavin James,
Jape (band), Jape,
Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club,
Siva Kaneswaran (of The Wanted),
Dolores Keane,
Luke Kelly,
Dermot Kennedy (singer), Dermot Kennedy,
Keywest,
Kíla
Kíla is a 1987 Irish folk music/ world music group from the Irish language secondary school, Coláiste Eóin in County Dublin.
Band History
Kíla began in 1987 in the secondary in Coláiste Eoin, in the first year they busked nearly every wee ...
,
James Kilbane,
Kodaline,
Jack L,
Johnny Logan (singer), Johnny Logan,
Dónal Lunny,
Phil Lynott and
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or som ...
,
Tommy Makem,
Imelda May,
Eleanor McEvoy,
Christy Moore,
Gary Moore,
Van Morrison
Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards.
As a teenager in t ...
,
Moving Hearts,
Samantha Mumba,
Mundy,
Róisín Murphy,
Ruby Murray
Ruby Florence Murray (29 March 1935 – 17 December 1996) was a Northern Irish singer. One of the most popular singers in the British Isles in the 1950s, she scored ten hits in the UK Singles Chart between 1954 and 1959. She also made pop chart ...
,
My Bloody Valentine,
Declan Nerney,
Maura O'Connell,
Sinéad O'Connor,
Daniel O'Donnell
Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell, MBE (born 12 December 1961) is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. After rising to public attention in 1983, he has since become a household name in Ireland and Britain; he has also had co ...
,
Annmarie O'Riordan,
Declan O'Rourke,
Gilbert O'Sullivan
Raymond Edward "Gilbert" O'Sullivan (born 1 December 1946) is an Irish singer-songwriter who achieved his most significant success during the early 1970s with hits including "Alone Again (Naturally)", " Clair", and "Get Down".
O'Sullivan's so ...
,
Picturehouse (band), Picturehouse,
Picture This (band), Picture This,
Pillow Queens,
Planxty
Planxty were an Irish folk music band formed in January 1972, consisting initially of Christy Moore (vocals, acoustic guitar, bodhrán), Andy Irvine (vocals, mandolin, mandola, bouzouki, hurdy-gurdy, harmonica), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitars ...
,
Carmel Quinn
Carmel Quinn (31 July 1925 – 6 March 2021) was an Irish-American entertainer who appeared on Broadway, television and radio after immigrating to the United States in 1954.
Biography
Quinn was born in July 1925 and educated in Dublin. Her fath ...
,
Republic of Loose,
Damien Rice,
The Riptide Movement,
Dickie Rock,
Derek Ryan,
RUN iN RED,
The Saw Doctors,
The Script,
Sharon Shannon,
Pa Sheehy (of Walking on Cars),
Snow Patrol,
Something Happens,
Davy Spillane,
Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers are a punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977 at the height of the Troubles, which informed much of their songwriting. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star (named after the De ...
,
Stockton's Wing,
The Strypes,
Swenzy#'Yasha Swag' Viral Videos, Yasha Swag,
Tebi Rex,
Therapy?,
The Thrills,
The Undertones
The Undertones are a rock band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. From 1975 to 1983, the Undertones consisted of Feargal Sharkey (vocals), John O'Neill (rhythm guitar, vocals), Damian O'Neill (lead guitar, vocals), Michael Bradle ...
,
Walking on Cars,
The Wolfe Tones,
Time Is A Thief,
Two Door Cinema Club,
U2,
VerseChorusVerse,
Villagers (band), Villagers,
Westlife
Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member, until he left in 2004. The group temporarily di ...
,
Bill Whelan,
Finbar Wright,
achieving success nationally and internationally.
Top biggest selling Irish acts of all time
Top 5 'most standout' Irish acts of all time
In 2010, PRS for Music conducted research to show which five Irish musicians or musical ensemble, bands the public considered to be the 'most standout'.
U2 topped the list with sixty-eight percent while
Westlife
Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member, until he left in 2004. The group temporarily di ...
,
Van Morrison
Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards.
As a teenager in t ...
,
Boyzone
Boyzone were an Irish boy band, created in 1993 by talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's '' The Late Late Show''. Their most successful line-up was composed of Keith Duffy, Steph ...
and The Cranberries came in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th, respectively. The research also suggested that the 'top-five' had sold over 341 million albums up to March 2010.
See also
*Celtic music
*Sean-nós singing
*Lilting
*Irish traditional music session
*List of Irish ballads
*Irish rebel music
*List of Irish people#Music, List of Irish musicians
*List of All-Ireland Champions
*List of Irish music collectors
*List of artists who reached number one in Ireland
*List of songs that reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart
*One Hit Wonders in Ireland
References
Bibliography
*Boydell, Barra: ''A History of Music at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin'' (Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer, 2004).
*Boydell, Brian: ''A Dublin Musical Calendar, 1700–1760'' (Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1988).
*Boydell, Brian: ''Rotunda Music in Eighteenth-Century Dublin'' (Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1992).
*Breathnach, Breandán: ''Folk Music and Dances of Ireland'' (Cork: Mercier Press, 1971).
*Breathnach, Breandán: ''Ceól Rince na hÉireann'' (Dublin: Oifig an tSoláthair, 1963 (vol. 1), 1976 (vol. 2), vol. 3 (1985)).
*Clayton-Lea, Tony & Taylor, Rogan: ''Irish Rock. Where it’s Come From, Where it’s At, Where it’s Going'' (Dublin: Gill & Macmillan, 1992).
*Daly, Kieran Anthony: ''Catholic Church Music in Ireland, 1878–1903. The Cecilian Reform Movement'' (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 1995).
*Dervan, Michael (ed.): ''The Invisible Art. A Century of Music in Ireland, 1916–2016'' (Dublin: New Island, 2016).
*Dwyer, Benjamin: ''Different Voices. Irish Music and Music in Ireland'' (Hofheim: Wolke, 2014).
*Fitzgerald, Mark & O’Flynn, John (ed.): ''Music and Identity in Ireland and Beyond'' (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2014).
*Fleischmann, Aloys (ed.): ''Music in Ireland. A Symposium'' (Cork: Cork University Press, 1952).
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External links
Audio clips: Traditional music of Ireland.Musée d'ethnographie de Genève. Accessed 25 November 2010.
A History of Irish Music, by W. H. FloodContemporary Music Centre, DublinIreland's national resource and archive centre for contemporary Irish classical music.
Comhaltas Ceoltóirí ÉireannA global movement promoting Irish traditional music and culture
The Journal of Music in IrelandIreland's bi-monthly music magazine: reviews, interviews, in-depth articles, sessions
TheSession.organ online tune database and discussion site for adherents of Irish Traditional Music
Fleadh Cheoil Music & dance CompetitionBreakingTunes.comArts Council of Ireland Website that specialises in the promotion of contemporary Irish Music.
TradTune.comOnline database of traditional Celtic tunes with many from Ireland.
Chief O'Neill BlogBlog covering multiple aspects of the life and legacy of Francis O'Neill
Vashon Celtic TunesIrish (mostly) dance tunes with sheet music and chords.
TTA – The Traditional Tune ArchiveThe Traditional Tune Archive : The Semantic Index of North American, British and Irish traditional instrumental music with annotation, formerly known as "The Fiddler's Companion"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Music of Ireland
Irish music,
Irish culture
Irish styles of music