Music of the Republic of Ireland
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Irish music is music that has been created in various genres on the island of Ireland. The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music. 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 and the United States, Irish traditional music has kept many of its elements and has itself influenced many forms of music, such as country and roots music in the United States, which in turn have had some influence on modern rock music. It has occasionally been fused with rock and roll, 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 chants in the Middle Ages,
choral A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...
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 Romantic may refer to: Genres and eras * The Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement of the 18th and 19th centuries ** Romantic music, of that era ** Romantic poetry, of that era ** Romanticism in science, of that e ...
, 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 musicians of note, particularly after the 1950s.


Early Irish music

By the High and Late Medieval Era, the
Irish annals A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over t ...
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, chief ollamh of Ireland in harp-playing, died.'' * ''1226: Aed mac Donn Ó Sochlachain, 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, master of music and minstrelsy, died.'' * ''1329: Maol Ruanaidh Cam Ó Cearbhaill, tiompanist, murdered during the Braganstown Massacre in
County Louth County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the ...
. * ''1330:
Mael Sechlainn Mac Carmaic Mael Sechlainn Mac Carmaic, Irish musician, died 1330. Mael Sechlainn is called a ''brughaidh'' in the Irish language originals of several contemporary annals, which has been variously translated as ''general entertainer'' or ''rich and prosperous ...
, a general entertainer, died.'' * ''1343:
Donnchad Clereach Ó Maol Braonáin Donnchad Clereach Ó Maol Braonáin, Irish cleric and musician, died 1343. The Annals of Lough Ce, ''sub anno'' 1343, note the manner of Ó Maol Braonáin's death: ''Donnchadh Clerech O'Maelbhrenainn, a canon chorister at Oilfinn ( Elphin), was ...
, a
choral A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...
canon of
Elphin Elphin may refer to: Places Canada * Elphin, Ontario, a hamlet in North Sherbrooke, Lanark County Ireland * Elphin, County Roscommon, Ireland * Diocese of Elphin, a diocese in Ireland * Roman Catholic Diocese of Elphin Scotland * Elphin, Highl ...
, was killed by an arrow.'' * ''1357:
Donn Shléibhe Mac Cerbaill Donn Shléibhe Mac Cerbaill, Irish musician, died 1357. The Annals of Connacht ''sub anno'' 1357 mention the death of ''Donn Shléibhe Mac Cerbaill, an accomplished musician.'' Mac Cerbaill or Mac Cearbhaill, anglicised as MacCarroll and MacCarv ...
, an accomplished musician ... died.'' * ''1360:
Gilla na Naem Ó Conmaigh Gilla na Naem Ó Conmaigh, Irish musician, died 1360. The Annals of the Four Masters, ''sub anno'' 1360, record the death of ''Gilla-na-naev O'Conmhaigh, Chief Professor of Music in Thomond.'' This indicates that Ó Conmaigh was considered th ...
, music ollamh of Thomond ... died.'' * ''1361. Magraith Ó Fionnachta, Chief Musician and Tiompanist to the Síol Muireadaigh, 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 and Alba 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.'' * ''1589. Daighre Ó Duibhgeannáin, 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, and is widely known as '' Be Thou My Vision''. ''The Blackbird of Belfast Lough'' ( sga, Int én bec; ga, An t-éan beag) has been notably translated by poets such as Seamus Heaney, Ciaran Carson and
Frank O'Connor Frank O'Connor (born Michael Francis O'Donovan; 17 September 1903 – 10 March 1966) was an Irish author and translator. He wrote poetry (original and translations from Irish), dramatic works, memoirs, journalistic columns and features on a ...
. Notable recordings of modern interpretations of early Irish music include Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin's '' Songs of the Scribe'', various music albums by choral group Anúna, and the recordings of
Caitríona O'Leary Caitríona O'Leary (born 17 November 1969) is an Irish singer known for her performances of Irish traditional music and Early music. Described by Crescendo Magazine as "a fascinating, charismatic singer" and by Toccata-Alte Musik aktuell as a mus ...
with Dúlra and the eX Ensemble.


Early Irish musicians abroad

Some musicians were acclaimed in places beyond Ireland. Cú Chuimne (died 747) lived much of his adult life in Gaelic Scotland, and composed at least one hymn. Foillan, 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 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 work ...
(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 to Cologne. His contemporary, Aaron Scotus (died 18 November 1052) was an acclaimed composer of Gregorian chant in Germany.
Donell Dubh Ó Cathail Donell Dubh Ó Cathail aniel Duff O'Cahill(c.1580–c.1660) was an Irish musician, a performer on the Irish harp. Family Ó Cathail was the son of a Cormac Ó Cathail, and a nephew or close relative of the Donell Óge Ó Cathail, harper to E ...
(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.


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 collected some of the last-known Irish harp tunes at the Belfast Harp Festival in 1792. Other important collectors of Irish music include Francis O'Neill 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 (O' ...
(fl. c. 1630); Piaras Feiritéar (1600?–1653); William Connellan (fl. mid-17th century) and his brother, Thomas Connellan (c. 1640/1645–1698), composers;
Dominic Ó Mongain Dominic Ó Mongáin, or Dominic Mungan, was an Irish harper and poet, born around 1715 in County Tyrone. The poem and air ''An raibh tú ag an gCarraig?'', translated by Walsh as Have you been at Carrick?, has been attributed to him. He was the f ...
(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" po ...
(1748–1782); Arthur O'Neill (fl. 1792); Patrick Byrne (c.1794–1863); world-renowned piper
Tarlach Mac Suibhne Tarlach Mac Suibhne (known as An Píobaire Mór, meaning The Great Piper), c. 1831–1916, was a notable Irish people, Irish uilleann pipes, piper. He was born in Baile an Droichid, Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal, and he is buried in the Maghe ...
(c. 1831–1916); poet and songwriter
Colm de Bhailís Colm de Bhailís (2 May 1796 – 27 February 1906) was an Irish poet, songwriter, stonemason and centenarian who lived to be 109 years old. Biography De Bhailís was from Lettermullen, Connemara. A stonemason who traveled extensively througho ...
(1796–1906).


Traditional music

Irish traditional music includes many kinds of songs, including drinking songs, ballads and laments, sung unaccompanied or with accompaniment by a variety of instruments. Traditional dance music includes reels (4/4), hornpipes and jigs (the common double jig is in 6/8 time). The
polka Polka is a dance and genre of dance music originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though associated with Czech culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the Americas. History Etymology The term ...
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 Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, No ...
have a long history of being associated with Ireland Great Irish warpipes 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 were becoming common. Irish stepdance 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 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), Boston, New York and other cities. O'Neill made the first recordings of Irish music on
Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These invention ...
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 Ed Reavy (1897–1988) was an Irish-American musician and composer of numerous traditional Irish dance tunes. Born in the town of Barnagrove (aka Barnagrow, Barnagrows or Barr na gCnó), Knappagh, County Cavan, he emigrated to Philadelphia in 19 ...
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's
Ceoltóirí Chualann Ceoltóirí Chualann (pronounced ) was an Irish traditional band, led by Seán Ó Riada, which included many of the founding members of The Chieftains. Ceoltóirí is the Irish word for musicians, and Cualann is the name of an area just outsid ...
, The Chieftains,
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 Irish Rovers, The Dubliners,
Ryan's Fancy Ryan’s Fancy was an Music of Ireland, Irish folk music group active from 1971–1983. The band consisted of multi-instrumentalists Denis Ryan (singer), Denis Ryan, Fergus O'Byrne, and Dermot O'Reilly, all of whom were Ireland, Irish immigra ...
and Sweeney's Men 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 in the 70s. Later came such bands as
Stockton's Wing Stockton's Wing is an Irish band formed in 1977 by four All-Ireland champion musicians; Paul Roche on flute/whistle, Maurice Lennon on fiddle, Tommy Hayes on bodhran, and Kieran Hanrahan on banjo/ mandolin, along with Tony Callinan on guita ...
,
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 Hughe ...
, 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 and Patrick Street, 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 be ...
, Gráda, Dervish, 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

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 George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...
's famous oratorio '' Messiah''. The Ballad Opera trend, caused by the success of the Beggar's Opera, 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.


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 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, and Tommaso Giordani. Thomas Roseingrave and his brother Ralph were prominent Irish baroque composers. Among the next generation of composers were the Cork-born Philip Cogan (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 and ...
(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 (1782–1848), William Henry Kearns (1794–1846), Joseph Augustine Wade (1801–1845) and, later in the century,
Michael W. 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 ...
(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 John Field may refer to: *John Field (American football) (1886–1979), American football player and coach *John Field (brigadier) (1899–1974), Australian Army officer *John Field (composer) (1782–1837), Irish composer *John Field (dancer) (192 ...
(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 John William Glover (19 June 1815 – 19 December 1899) was an Irish composer, conductor, organist, violinist, and teacher. Life and music Glover was born in Dublin, where he initially became an orchestral violinist as early as 1830. In 1848, he ...
(1815–1899), Joseph Robinson (1815–1898) and
Robert Prescott Stewart Sir Robert Prescott Stewart (16 December 1825 – 24 March 1894) was an Irish composer, organist, conductor, and teacher – one of the most influential (classical) musicians in 19th-century Ireland. Biography Stewart was born in Dublin; his gr ...
(1825–1894) kept Irish classical music in Dublin alive in the 19th century, while mid-19th-century emigrants include George William Torrance 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 (1852–1924) and Hamilton Harty (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 Michele Esposito (29 September 1855 – 19 November 1929) was an Italian composer, conductor and pianist who spent most of his professional life in Dublin, Ireland. Training Esposito was born at Castellamare di Stabia, near Sorrento. As a boy ...
(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 John Francis Larchet (13 July 1884 – 10 August 1967) was an Irish composer and teacher. He studied at Trinity College Dublin (MusB 1915, MusD 1917), also at the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) with Michele Esposito. Larchet was music dire ...
(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 (1910–1992), Frederick May (1911–1985), Joan Trimble (1915–2000), and
Brian Boydell Brian Patrick Boydell (17 March 1917 – 8 November 2000) was an Irish composer whose works include orchestral pieces, chamber music, and songs. He was Professor of Music at Trinity College Dublin for 20 years, founder of the Dowland Consort, con ...
(1917–2000). The middle decades of the 20th century were also shaped by A.J. Potter (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 (1922–2005), Seán Ó Riada (1931–1971), John Kinsella (1932–2021), and Seóirse Bodley (b. 1933). Prominent names among the older generation of living composers in Ireland today are Frank Corcoran (b. 1944), Eric Sweeney (b. 1948), John Buckley (b. 1951), Gerald Barry (b. 1952), Raymond Deane (b. 1953), Patrick Cassidy (b. 1956), and Fergus Johnston (b. 1959) (see also List of Irish classical composers).


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 Barton McGuckin (28 July 1852 – 17 April 1913) was an Irish tenor singer of renown, who made his career principally in Britain with the Carl Rosa Opera Company, but also gained a wide success in oratorio and concert. Richard Ellmann put him for ...
(1852–1913), a much-demanded singer in the late 19th century; tenor
Joseph O'Mara Joseph O'Mara (16 July 1864 – 5 August 1927) was an Irish opera singer of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. After studying opera in Milan, Italy, he made his London stage debut in 1891 in the tenor title role of the opera '' Ivanhoe'' by A ...
(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 Margaret Burke Sheridan (15 October 1889 – 16 April 1958) was an Irish opera singer. Born in Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland, she was known as ''Maggie from Mayo'' and is regarded as Ireland's second prima donna, after Catherine Hayes (1818– ...
(1889–1958); pianist Charles Lynch (1906–1984); tenor Josef Locke (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 Barry James Douglas (born 4 September 1989) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Ekstraklasa club Lech Poznań. After playing for Queen's Park and Dundee United F.C., Dundee United in Scotland, he joined Polish c ...
.Niall O'Loughlin/Richard Wigmore, 'Galway, Sir James', ''
Grove Music Online ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...
''

Retrieved 12 August 2007.
Douglas achieved fame in 1986 by claiming the International Tchaikovsky Competition 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 Drama, ...
have also had success internationally.


Choral music

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, 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 contributed significantly to raising the profile of choral music, particularly through their contributions to Riverdance 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 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. 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. The
Chamber Choir Ireland Chamber Choir Ireland, formerly known as the National Chamber Choir of Ireland, is the Republic of Ireland's national choral ensemble and national chamber choir, and the only regularly funded professional choir in the country. Primarily funded ...
, formerly National Chamber Choir of Ireland, is principally funded by the Arts Council of Ireland. 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 The Cork International Choral Festival is held annually in Cork, Ireland and features choirs from all over the world. About 5,000 choristers take part every year; they come from all over Ireland, from Britain, from the European continent, and s ...
(since 1954).


Opera

Although Ireland has never had a purpose-built opera house (the Cork Opera House 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 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. Nationally identifiable Irish operas have been written by immigrants such as Tommaso Giordani and Johann Bernhard Logier 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 and ...
and Thomas Simpson Cooke, continued in the 19th century with works by
John William Glover John William Glover (19 June 1815 – 19 December 1899) was an Irish composer, conductor, organist, violinist, and teacher. Life and music Glover was born in Dublin, where he initially became an orchestral violinist as early as 1830. In 1848, he ...
and
Paul McSwiney Paul McSwiney or Paul Mac Swiney (March 1856 – 17 November 1889) was an Irish composer and dramatist who emigrated to the United States. A talented artist with a number of pioneering performances in both Cork and New York, he unsuccessfully tr ...
. Michael William Balfe and Vincent Wallace 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, Count ...
, ''Connla of the Golden Hair'' (1903) by William Harvey Pélissier, '' Eithne'' (1909) by
Robert O'Dwyer Robert O'Dwyer (in Irish: Riobárd Ó Duibhir) (27 January 1862 – 6 January 1949) was an Irish composer mainly known for having written one of the first operas in the Irish language. Biography Robert O'Dwyer was born to Irish parents in Brist ...
, and ''The Tinker and the Fairy'' (1910) by
Michele Esposito Michele Esposito (29 September 1855 – 19 November 1929) was an Italian composer, conductor and pianist who spent most of his professional life in Dublin, Ireland. Training Esposito was born at Castellamare di Stabia, near Sorrento. As a boy ...
. ''Muirgheis'' and ''Eithne'' have librettos in Irish, as have a number of works by Geoffrey Molyneux Palmer 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, Raymond Deane, 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 told the Evening Echo that he was then working on a Gaelic opera to be titled ''Legends of the Lough''. Wexford Festival Opera 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 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 Bridget "Bridie" Gallagher (7 September 1924 – 9 January 2012) was an Irish singer, affectionately known as "The Girl from Donegal". She has been described as "Ireland's first international pop star". Gallagher shot to fame in 1956 with her re ...
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 emigrated to the US and became a regular singer on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and appeared frequently on other TV variety shows in the 1950s and '60s. The Bachelors 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 had a string of UK hits and presented his own TV show on the BBC from 1965 to 1986.


Showbands in Ireland

Irish
Showbands The Irish showband was a dance band format popular in Ireland from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. The showband was based on the internationally popular six- or seven-piece dance band. The band's basic repertoire included standard dance numbers and ...
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 dance band. The basic showband repertoire included standard dance numbers, cover versions of pop music hits, ranging from rock and roll,
country and western 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 ...
to jazz standards. Key to the showband's success was the ability to learn and perform songs currently in the record charts. 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, 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 P ...
, 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, who has garnered success in the UK, US and Australia. O'Donnell's frequent singing partner Mary Duff has also had success in this genre and most recently County Carlow native
Derek Ryan Derek Ryan may refer to: *Derek Ryan (ice hockey) (born 1986), American ice hockey player *Derek Ryan (squash player) (born 1969), Republic of Ireland squash player *Derek Ryan (singer) Derek Ryan (born 24 August 1983 in Garryhill, County Car ...
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, Van Morrison,
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 successf ...
and
Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want What ...
using traditional elements in popular songs. Enya achieved international success with New Age/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 Gaelscoil, Irish language secondary school, Coláiste Eoin, Coláiste Eóin in County Dublin. Band History Kíla began in 1987 in the secondary in Coláiste Eoin, in the first year they ...
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 ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...
is a Colombian band that fuses Irish music with Caribbean rhythms. '' Riverdance'' is a musical and dancing interval act which originally starred Michael Flatley and Jean Butler and featuring the choir Anúna. It was performed during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994 as " Riverdance". 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,
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, Skid Row, Taste, Rory Gallagher, Dr. Strangely Strange, Thin Lizzy,
Gary Moore Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 19526 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career he played in various groups and performed a range of music including blues, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and jazz ...
, Mellow Candle. In 1970 Dana put Ireland on the pop music map by winning the Eurovision Song Contest with her song All Kinds of Everything. She went to number one in the UK and all over Europe and paved the way for many Irish artists. Gilbert O'Sullivan 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 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, The Boomtown Rats, The Undertones, Aslan, Gavin Friday, and Stiff Little Fingers. Later in the 80s and into the 90s, Irish punk fractured into new styles of alternative rock, 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, B*Witched, Boyzone, Westlife 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,
Primordial Primordial may refer to: * Primordial era, an era after the Big Bang. See Chronology of the universe * Primordial sea (a.k.a. primordial ocean, ooze or soup). See Abiogenesis * Primordial nuclide, nuclides, a few radioactive, that formed before ...
, Geasa, and Waylander. Bands lik
Moxie
lead 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,
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,
Axis Of Axis Of are a three-piece alternative rock band from Portstewart, Northern Ireland. The band is composed of Niall Lawlor (guitar, vocals) and Ewen Friers (bass, vocals). History Axis Of formed in 2007, and after various line up changes they re ...
, B*Witched,
Bell X1 The Bell X-1 (Bell Model 44) is a rocket engine–powered aircraft, designated originally as the XS-1, and was a joint National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics–U.S. Army Air Forces–U.S. Air Force supersonic research project built by Bel ...
,
Frances Black Frances Black (born 25 June 1960) is an Irish singer and politician. She came to prominence in the late 1980s when she began to play with her family's band, the Black Family, performing a mix of traditional and contemporary Irish music. Bla ...
,
Mary Black Mary Black (born 23 May 1955) is an Irish folk singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both traditional folk and modern material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland. Background Mary Black was born into a m ...
, 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, Paul Brady, Chris de Burgh,
Paddy Casey Paddy Casey is an Irish singer-songwriter from Crumlin, Dublin. Biography He received his first guitar when he was 12 and left home soon after and began busking and gigging for about 12 years. At about the age of 24 he was approached by Sony ...
,
The Cast of Cheers The Cast of Cheers are a four-piece indie/math rock band from Sligo and Dublin, Ireland composed of Conor Adams (vocals, guitar), Neil Adams (guitar, vocals), John Higgins (bass, vocals) and Kevin Curran (drums). History (2009 - present) The Ca ...
,
Celtic Thunder Celtic Thunder is an Irish singing group and stage show known for its eclectic, theatrical style show. The group is backed by the Celtic Thunder Band on their concert tours, and their live shows are known for the use of dramatic set pieces (of ...
,
Celtic Woman Celtic Woman is an all-female Irish musical ensemble conceived and created by David Kavanagh, Sharon Browne and David Downes, a former musical director of the Irish stage show ''Riverdance.'' In 2004, Downes recruited five Irish female music ...
, The Chieftains, The Clancy Brothers, Clannad, Codes,
Curious Grace and Black Rabbit Curiosity (from Latin '' cūriōsitās'', from ''cūriōsus'' "careful, diligent, curious", akin to ''cura'' "care") is a quality related to inquisitive thinking such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident by observation in humans ...
, Rita Connolly,
The Coronas The Coronas are an Irish rock band that originated in Dublin. They release their music by their own independent record label, 3ú Records, and are based between Dublin and London. They have released seven studio albums, '' Heroes or Ghosts'' ...
, The Corrs, Phil Coulter, Nadine Coyle (of Girls Aloud), The Cranberries, Peter Cunnah (of 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 Hughe ...
,
Cathy Davey Catherine "Cathy" Davey (born 1979) is an Irish singer-songwriter. She has released one extended play, "Come Over" (2004), and four albums, '' Something Ilk'' (2004), ''Tales of Silversleeve'' (2007), '' The Nameless'' (2010) and ''New Forest'' ...
,
Damien Dempsey Damien Dempsey (born 9 June 1975) is an Irish singer and songwriter who mixes traditional Irish folk contemporary lyrics that deliver social and political commentaries on Irish society. Damien sings in his native, working class accent in the Eng ...
, The Divine Comedy,
Joe Dolan Joseph Francis Robert Dolan (16 October 1939 – 26 December 2007) was an Irish entertainer, recording artist, and pop singer. Chiefly known in Ireland for his association with showbands and for his innovative style and high pitched singing ...
, Val Doonican, Ronnie Drew, The Dubliners, Mary Duff,
Duke Special Duke Special (born Peter Wilson; 4 January 1971) is a songwriter and performer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A piano-based songwriter with a romantic style and a warm, distinctly accented voice, he was previously known for his distinctiv ...
,
EDEN Eden may refer to: * Garden of Eden, the "garden of God" described in the Book of Genesis Places and jurisdictions Canada * Eden, Ontario * Eden High School Middle East * Eden, Lebanon, a city and former bishopric * Camp Eden, Iraq O ...
, Enya,
Julie Feeney Julie Feeney is a singer-songwriter, composer, actress, and record producer from Galway, Ireland. She produces and orchestrates her own work, composing both instrumental and electronic music, with full orchestrations. She is a three-time nomi ...
, Fight Like Apes, Mick Flannery, The Frames,
Bridie Gallagher Bridget "Bridie" Gallagher (7 September 1924 – 9 January 2012) was an Irish singer, affectionately known as "The Girl from Donegal". She has been described as "Ireland's first international pop star". Gallagher shot to fame in 1956 with her re ...
, Rory Gallagher, Lisa Hannigan, Glen Hansard of The Frames,
Keith Harkin Keith Harkin (born on in Derry, Northern Ireland) is a singer and songwriter. He became famous when he joined Irish music group, Celtic Thunder. After nearly ten years with the group, Harkin decided to take some time off and tour on his own. H ...
,
Gemma Hayes Gemma Hayes (born 11 August 1977) is an Irish musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments, including the piano and the harmonica. She is also a m ...
, The High Kings,
Niall Horan Niall James Horan ( ; born 13 September 1993) is an Irish singer-songwriter. He rose to prominence as a member of the boy band One Direction, formed in 2010 on the singing competition ''The X Factor''. The group released five albums and went ...
(of One Direction), Horslips,
The Hothouse Flowers Hothouse Flowers are an Irish rock band that combine traditional music of Ireland, Irish music with influences from soul, Gospel music, gospel, and rock. Formed in 1985 in Dublin, they started as street performers. Their first album, ''People ...
,
Hozier Andrew John Hozier-Byrne (born 17 March 1990), known professionally as Hozier ( ), is an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. His music primarily draws from folk, soul and blues, often using religious and literary themes. He had his interna ...
,
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,
Laura Izibor Laura Elizabeth Arabosa Izibor (born 13 May 1987) is an Irish recording artist, musician and producer. She won the 2FM Song Contest while still in secondary school. She went on to win an award at the 2006 Meteor Awards, 2006 Meteor Music Awards. ...
, Gavin James, Jape,
Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club are an independent alternative band from Ireland. Jerry Fish is the alter ego of musician and record producer Gerard Whelan (who also leads the band An Emotional Fish) who founded an independent record label and the b ...
,
Siva Kaneswaran Siva Michael Kaneswaran ( ta, சிவ மைக்கல் கணேசுவரன்) (born 16 November 1988) is an Irish singer best known for being a member of the boy band The Wanted. Early life Kaneswaran grew up in Corduff Blanchar ...
(of The Wanted),
Dolores Keane Dolores Keane (born 26 September 1953) is an Irish folk singer and occasional actress. She was a founding member of the group De Dannan and has since embarked on a solo career. Background Keane was born in a small village called Sylane (near ...
, Luke Kelly, Dermot Kennedy,
Keywest Keywest are an Irish pop folk band formed in Dublin, consisting of Andrew Kavanagh (lead vocals, harmonica), Andrew Glover (acoustic guitar, piano, backing vocals), Luke Murphy (electric guitar, backing vocals), and Conor Ray (drums, percussio ...
,
Kíla Kíla is a 1987 Irish folk music/world music group from the Gaelscoil, Irish language secondary school, Coláiste Eoin, Coláiste Eóin in County Dublin. Band History Kíla began in 1987 in the secondary in Coláiste Eoin, in the first year they ...
,
James Kilbane James Kilbane (born 14 October 1970) is an Irish Christian country, gospel, and country and Irish singer. Kilbane was the runner up in the second series of RTÉ One's ''You're A Star'' in 2004. Career Kilbane finished second in the second se ...
, Kodaline,
Jack L Jack Lukeman (born Seán Loughman 11 February 1973), usually simply known as Jack L, is an Irish songwriter, musician, record producer, vocal artist and broadcaster. History A native of Athy Co. Kildare Ireland, Jack Lukeman attended a youth ...
, Johnny Logan, Dónal Lunny,
Phil Lynott Philip Parris Lynott (, ; 20 August 1949 – 4 January 1986) was an Irish singer, bassist, and songwriter. His most commercially successful group was Thin Lizzy, of which he was a founding member, the principal songwriter, lead vocalist and ba ...
and Thin Lizzy, Tommy Makem, Imelda May,
Eleanor McEvoy Eleanor McEvoy (born 22 January 1967) is an Irish singer-songwriter. She composed the song "Only a Woman's Heart", title track of '' A Woman's Heart'', the best-selling Irish album in Irish history. Early life and beginnings McEvoy's life as ...
,
Christy Moore Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore (born 7 May 1945) is an Irish folk singer, songwriter and guitarist. In addition to his significant success as an individual, he is one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts. His first album, ...
,
Gary Moore Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 19526 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career he played in various groups and performed a range of music including blues, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and jazz ...
, Van Morrison, Moving Hearts, Samantha Mumba,
Mundy Edmond Enright (born 19 May 1975), known professionally as Mundy, is an Irish singer-songwriter and founder of the independent record label Camcor Records. Biography He released his debut album ''Jelly Legs'' in 1996 on the Epic Records label ...
,
Róisín Murphy Róisín Marie Murphy ( , ; born 5 July 1973) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and record producer. She first became known in the 1990s as one half of the pop duo Moloko alongside English musician Mark Brydon. After the breakup of Moloko, she em ...
,
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 Declan Nerney (born c. 1959) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Born in Drumlish, County Longford, he started at the age of 16 in a local band, "The Hi-Lows". His big break came with his autobiographical song "''The Marquee in Drumlish''". His e ...
, Maura O'Connell,
Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want What ...
, Daniel O'Donnell,
Annmarie O'Riordan Annmarie O'Riordan (born 15 August 1990, in Duhallow in County Cork) is an Irish singer (singer-songwriter). She was born to Humphrey O'Riordan and Eileen Creedon O'Riordan, and her musical interest were early encouraged by her parents. Aged seve ...
, Declan O'Rourke, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Picturehouse, Picture This,
Pillow Queens Pillow Queens are an Irish indie rock band from Dublin, formed in 2016. The band is composed of co-lead vocalists Sarah Corcoran and Pamela Connolly, lead guitarist Cathy McGuiness and drummer Rachel Lyons. The instrumental roles of Corcoran and ...
,
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, Republic of Loose, Damien Rice,
The Riptide Movement The Riptide Movement are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin, Ireland in 2006 by songwriter and vocalist Malachy Tuohy, guitarist John Dalton, bassist and harmonica player Gerry McGarry and drummer Gar Byrne. Members * Malachy Tuohy - Songwri ...
, Dickie Rock,
Derek Ryan Derek Ryan may refer to: *Derek Ryan (ice hockey) (born 1986), American ice hockey player *Derek Ryan (squash player) (born 1969), Republic of Ireland squash player *Derek Ryan (singer) Derek Ryan (born 24 August 1983 in Garryhill, County Car ...
,
RUN iN RED Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...
, The Saw Doctors,
The Script The Script are an Irish rock band formed in 2001 in Dublin, consisting of lead vocalist and keyboardist Danny O'Donoghue, lead guitarist Mark Sheehan, and drummer Glen Power. The band moved to London after signing to Sony Label Group imprint ...
,
Sharon Shannon Sharon Shannon (born 8 June 1968) is an Irish musician, best known for her work with the button accordion and for her fiddle technique. She also plays the tin whistle and melodeon. Her 1991 debut album, ''Sharon Shannon,'' was the best-selling ...
,
Pa Sheehy Patrick "Pa" Sheehy is an Irish singer-songwriter from Dingle County Kerry. Sheehy achieved some chart success in his native Ireland and across Europe as the lead singer of Walking on Cars. Since the 2020 break up of the band, Sheehy began rele ...
(of
Walking on Cars Walking on Cars was a four-piece Irish rock band, whose 2020 line-up consisted of Pa Sheehy (singer/lyricist), Sorcha Durham (pianist), Paul Flannery (bass guitarist) and Evan Hadnett (drummer). Their debut single "Catch Me If You Can", release ...
),
Snow Patrol Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish–Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland. They consist of Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), Paul Wilson (musician), Paul Wilson (bass guitar, ...
,
Something Happens Something Happens are an Irish pop-rock band whose heyday was the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band's lineup consists of Tom Dunne (Vocals), Ray Harman (Guitar), Alan Byrne (Bass) and Eamonn Ryan (Drums). An earlier incarnation of the band ...
,
Davy Spillane Davy Spillane (born 1959 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish musician, songwriter and a player of uilleann pipes and low whistle. Biography Irish music At the age of 12, Spillane started playing the uilleann pipes. His father encouraged him an ...
, Stiff Little Fingers,
Stockton's Wing Stockton's Wing is an Irish band formed in 1977 by four All-Ireland champion musicians; Paul Roche on flute/whistle, Maurice Lennon on fiddle, Tommy Hayes on bodhran, and Kieran Hanrahan on banjo/ mandolin, along with Tony Callinan on guita ...
,
The Strypes The Strypes were a four-piece rock band from Cavan, Ireland, formed in 2010 consisting of Ross Farrelly (lead vocals/harmonica), Josh McClorey (lead guitar/vocals), Peter O'Hanlon (bass guitar/harmonica) and Evan Walsh (drums). The band played ...
, Yasha Swag, Tebi Rex, Therapy?, The Thrills, The Undertones,
Walking on Cars Walking on Cars was a four-piece Irish rock band, whose 2020 line-up consisted of Pa Sheehy (singer/lyricist), Sorcha Durham (pianist), Paul Flannery (bass guitarist) and Evan Hadnett (drummer). Their debut single "Catch Me If You Can", release ...
, The Wolfe Tones, Time Is A Thief, Two Door Cinema Club, U2,
VerseChorusVerse VerseChorusVerse is the musical moniker of the Irish musician, writer and actor Tony Wright. He is the founding member of And So I Watch You From Afar. Background Born Michael Anthony Wright, he began learning the guitar at age eight, taught ...
, Villagers, Westlife, Bill Whelan,
Finbar Wright Edward Finbar Wright (born 26 September 1957), known popularly as Finbar Wright, is a popular music singer, songwriter, and poet from County Cork, Ireland. Wright is a classically trained tenor who emerged during the 1990s in Ireland and has be ...
, 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 bands the public considered to be the 'most standout'. U2 topped the list with sixty-eight percent while Westlife, Van Morrison, Boyzone 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 Celtic music is a broad grouping of music genres that evolved out of the folk music traditions of the Celtic people of Northwestern Europe. It refers to both orally-transmitted traditional music and recorded music and the styles vary considerab ...
*
Sean-nós singing Sean-nós singing ( , ; Irish for "old style") is unaccompanied traditional Irish vocal music usually performed in the Irish language. Sean-nós singing usually involves very long melodic phrases with highly ornamented and melismatic melodic ...
*
Lilting Lilting is a form of traditional singing common in the Goidelic speaking areas of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Mann. It goes under many names, and is sometimes referred to as ''diddling'' (generally in England and Scotland), ''mouth music ...
*
Irish traditional music session Irish traditional music sessions are mostly informal gatherings at which people play Irish traditional music. The Irish language word for "session" is ''seisiún''. This article discusses tune-playing, although "session" can also refer to a singi ...
*
List of Irish ballads The following are often-sung Irish folk ballads and folk songs. The songs are arranged by theme under the categories "Politics and soldiering" and "Non-political" and are not necessarily contemporary to the events to which they relate. Songs ma ...
* Irish rebel music * List of Irish musicians * List of All-Ireland Champions * List of Irish music collectors *
List of artists who reached number one in Ireland This is an list of recording artists who have reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart. *All acts are listed alphabetically. *Solo artists are alphabetized by last name, Groups by group name excluding "A," "An" and "The.". *Each act's ...
* List of songs that reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart *
One Hit Wonders in Ireland This list covers songs which were one-hit wonders in Ireland by Irish artists only and achieved only one top 40 hit. Most of the one hit wonders in the UK and the United States were also one hit wonders in Ireland. 1960s * "If I Didn't Have a D ...


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). *Grindle, William Henry: ''Irish Cathedral Music. A History of Music at the Cathedrals of the Church of Ireland'' (Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University of Belfast, 1989). *Hast, Dorothea & Scott, Stanley: ''Music in Ireland. Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture'' (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004). *Hogan, Ita M.: ''Anglo-Irish Music, 1780–1830'' (Cork: Cork University Press, 1966). *Klein, Axel: ''Die Musik Irlands im 20. Jahrhundert'' (Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1996). *Klein, Axel: ''Irish Classical Recordings. A Discography of Irish Art Music'' (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2001). *Mangaoang, Áine; O'Flynn, John & Ó Briain, Lonán (ed.): ''Made in Ireland: Studies in Popular Music''. (Routledge, 2020). . *McAvoy, Mark: ''Cork Rock: From Rory Gallagher to the Sultans of Ping'' (Cork: Mercier Press, 2009). *McCarthy, Marie: ''Passing it on. The Transmission of Music in Irish Culture'' (Cork: Cork University Press, 1999). *Ó Canainn, Tomás: ''Traditional Music in Ireland'' (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1978; new ed. Cork: Ossian Publications, 1993). *O'Connor, Nuala: ''Bringing it all back home. The Influence of Irish Music'' (London: BBC Books, 1991; rev. ed. Dublin: Merlin Publications, 2001). * Ó Dochartaigh, Seóirse: ''Sunlight & Shadow. A Listener's Guide to Irish Classical Music'' (Leckemy, Co. Donegal: Seóirse Ó Dochartaigh, 2016). *O'Dwyer, Simon: ''Prehistoric Music of Ireland'' (Stroud, Gloucestershire: Tempus Publishing, 2004). *Pine, Richard: ''Music and Broadcasting in Ireland'' (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2005). *Pine, Richard & Acton, Charles (eds.): ''To Talent Alone. The Royal Irish Academy of Music, 1848–1998'' (Dublin: Gill & Macmillan, 1998). *Porter, James: ''The Traditional Music of Britain and Ireland: A Select Bibliography and Research Guide'' (New York: Garland Publishing, 1989). *Power, Vincent: ''Send 'Em Home Sweatin'. The Showband Story'' (Cork: Mercier Press, 1990; rev. ed. 2000). *Prendergast, Mark J.: ''Irish Rock. Roots, Personalities, Directions'' (Dublin: O’Brien Press, 1987). *Shields, Hugh: ''Narrative Singing in Ireland'' (Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1993). *Smith, Thérèse: ''Ancestral Imprints. Histories of Irish Traditional Music and Dance'' (Cork: Cork University Press, 2012). *Smyth, Gerry: ''Noisy Island. A Short History of Irish Popular Music'' (Cork: Cork University Press, 2005). *Smyth, Gerry & Campbell, Seán: ''Beautiful Day. Forty Years of Irish Rock'' (Cork: Atrium Press, 2005). *Vallely, Fintan: ''The Companion to Irish Traditional Music'' (Cork: Cork University Press 1999), . *Wallis, Geoff & Wilson, Sue: ''The Rough Guide to Irish Music'' (London: Rough Guides Ltd., 2001), . *Walsh, Basil: ''Michael W. Balfe. A Unique Victorian Composer'' (Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 2008), . *Walsh, Basil: ''Catherine Hayes, The Hibernian Prima Donna''(Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 2000), . *Walsh, T.J.: ''Opera in Dublin, 1705–1797. The Social Scene'' (Dublin: Allen Figgis, 1973). *Walsh, T.J.: ''Opera in Dublin, 1798–1820. Frederick Jones and the Crow Street Theatre'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993). * White, Harry: ''The Keeper’s Recital. Music and Cultural History in Ireland, 1770–1970'' (Cork: Cork University Press, 1998). *White, Harry & Boydell, Barra: ''The Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland'' (Dublin: UCD Press, 2013). *Zimmermann, Georges-Denis: ''Songs of Irish Rebellion. Political Street Ballads and Rebel Songs, 1780–1900'' (Dublin: Allen Figgis, 1967; 2nd ed. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2002).


External links


Audio clips: Traditional music of Ireland.
Musée d'ethnographie de Genève The ' ("Geneva Ethnography Museum") is one of the most important ethnographic museums in Switzerland. History The MEG, or Geneva Museum of Ethnography, was founded on 25 September 1901, on the initiative of Professor Eugène Pittard (1867-1962), ...
. Accessed 25 November 2010.
A History of Irish Music, by W. H. FloodContemporary Music Centre, Dublin
Ireland's national resource and archive centre for contemporary Irish classical music.
Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann
A global movement promoting Irish traditional music and culture
The Journal of Music in Ireland
Ireland's bi-monthly music magazine: reviews, interviews, in-depth articles, sessions
TheSession.org
an online tune database and discussion site for adherents of Irish Traditional Music
Fleadh Cheoil Music & dance CompetitionBreakingTunes.com
Arts Council of Ireland Website that specialises in the promotion of contemporary Irish Music.
TradTune.com
Online database of traditional Celtic tunes with many from Ireland.
Chief O'Neill Blog
Blog covering multiple aspects of the life and legacy of Francis O'Neill
Vashon Celtic Tunes
Irish (mostly) dance tunes with sheet music and chords.
TTA – The Traditional Tune Archive
The 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 culture Irish styles of music