Music of Ireland

There is a lot more to Irish music than simply the fiddle and the traditional Bodhran drum. For the purpose of this section we’ll be covering the many different types of music in Ireland and providing some detailed profiles of the more famous and not so famous fantastic Irish musicians.

Why is Irish music important to our culture?

Many of the more Irish traditional songs tell tales of historic events that occurred in Ireland over the years. These songs, that are still popular today, tell a story through song making them even more appealing to listeners. Not only do they remind us of such a hard past our ancestors must have had but they also keep alive the culture of old Ireland.

Traditional Irish & folk music.

Traditional Irish Music is what sets us apart from many other cultures and with its unique sound one can quickly tell that it’s Irish Music being played. Also with traditional instruments such as the Harp or the bodhrán being played the unique music is created. Traditional Irish music is played by a variety of instruments such as the Bodhran (Irish drum), the fiddle, the flute, The Tin Whistle and Uilleann Pipes and guitar among others.

A spin off from traditional music would be Irish folk music with singers like the brilliant Christy Moore or Irish Rovers, both of whom sing songs of life stories and even the history of the Irish. Other famous folk singers include Mary Black and Enya who both have a unique style to their own music.

The Chieftains - The Dublin Reels

The Chieftains are a great example of an Irish traditional group who are talented musicans.

Irish dancing music

Dance music in Ireland can be of two things, either for Traditional Irish dancing or nightclubbing, for the young adults, for now we will only talk about our traditional side of things. Irish dancing really shot into the mainstream with the River Dance and brought great popularity for Irish dance music probably because of the fast paced songs and the difficulty the dancers faced in doing an Irish jig.

Celtic / Irish Rock music

More and more famous Irish bands from Ireland are becoming increasingly popular across the world and possibly because of the best rock band in the world U2. Other bands that has contributed to the Irish rock scene include the likes of Thin Lizzy, Rory Gallagher, The Undertones, The Boomtown Rats and the more recent groups such as, The Cranberries or The Corrs who often mix Irish traditional music with rock.

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