The Best of Folk Music in Ireland

The Best of Folk Music in Ireland is a blog dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in Irish folk music. From up-and-coming artists to established folk legends, we’ll keep you updated on all the best folk music Ireland has to offer.

The Celtic Revival

The Celtic Revival was a huge movement in the late 1800s and early 1900s that saw a resurgence in the traditional music of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. This revival was led by a new generation of musicians who were inspired by the work of earlier folk musicians such as the Battlefield Band and planxty. The Celtic Revival also had a strong political element, as many of its proponents were fighting for the independence of their respective countries. This led to a number of iconic songs being written about topics such as colonialism and freedom. The Celtic Revival is still going strong today, with many traditional musicians working to keep the music alive.

The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem

The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were an Irish folk music group, popular in the 1950s and 1960s. They are best known for their work with the folk artist Bob Dylan.

The group was started by brothers Paddy Clancy and Tom Clancy, who were joined by their brother Liam Clancy in 1957. Tommy Makem joined the group in 1961. The group’s first album, The Rising of the Moon, was released in 1957.

The group was very popular in the United States, appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. They toured extensively, both in America and Europe.

The group disbanded in 1969, but re-formed several times over the years. In 1986, they appeared at Bob Dylan’s 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration at Madison Square Garden. They continued to tour and make records until Paddy Clancy’s death in 1998. Liam Clancy died in 2009.

The Dubliners

One of the most well-known Irish folk bands is The Dubliners. This band was founded in 1962 and was originally made up of Luke Kelly, Barney McKenna, Ronnie Drew, Ciaran Bourke, and John Sheahan. They were known for their signature ballads, as well as their lively tunes. Over the years, The Dubliners have gone through many lineup changes, but they have continued to perform and record music. Some of their most popular songs include “The Wild Rover,” “The Galway Races,” and “The Black Velvet Band.”

Planxty

Planxty is one of the most influential bands in Irish music history. Formed in Dublin in 1972, the original lineup consisted of Andy Irvine (vocals, mandolin, bouzouki, harmonica), Christy Moore (vocals, guitar), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitars), and Liam O’Flynn (uilleann pipes). The band’s innovative blend of traditional Irish music with contemporary folk and rock influences helped to redefine Irish music and bring it to a mainstream audience.

Planxty’s popularity was such that they were invited to play at the 1974 Waterville Folk Festival alongside such luminaries as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. They went on to tour extensively throughout Europe and the United States, and released eight studio albums between 1972 and 1982. The band disbanded in 1983, but reformed in 2004 for a series of reunion concerts. In 2013, they were inducted into the Irish Music Hall of Fame.

The Chieftains

The Chieftains are a six-time Grammy Award winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for their work in the field of traditional Irish music. They have toured extensively throughout Europe, North America, and Asia, and their music has been featured in many films and television series. In addition to their work as a group, several members of The Chieftains have also released solo albums.

The Pogues

The Pogues are a Celtic punk band formed in London, England in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s, with their first album, Rum, Sodomy & the Lash, receiving critical acclaim in 1985. The Pogues combine elements of traditional Irish music with punk rock energy and attitude. In 2004, the band was voted by Rolling Stone as the 80th greatest act of all time.

The band’s musical style has been variously described as Celtic rock, pub rock, alternative rock, punk rock, New Wave and British traditional rock. Their lyrical themes range from love and loss to war and politics. The Pogues were one of the most commercially successful bands of the 1980s, selling more than five million records worldwide during their career. They remain an iconic act within folk-punk circles today.

Mary Black

As a solo artist, Mary Black has released thirteen studio albums, of which three have gone platinum in Ireland, and one double-platinum. All her releases have been very well received critically. In 2003, The Dubliners was voted Best Irish Album of All Time by a panel of experts for the Sunday Independent. Folk fever was undoubtedly running high in Ireland at the time and it is fair to say that Mary’s place in the hearts of the Irish public was never more secure than it was then.

Born into a musical family in Dublin in 1955, Mary cut her teeth as a member of General Humbert, one of the most popular bands on the Irish folk scene in the 1970s. She went on to join De Dannan in 1980, with whom she recorded four albums over a period of five years. It was during this time that she began to establish herself as a singer of great stature, thanks to her impeccable phrasing and unique ability to bring emotional depth to a song.

The Corrs

The Corrs are a Celtic folk rock band who hail from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of three sisters, Andrea (lead vocals, tin whistle), Sharon (violin, vocals), and Caroline (drums, percussion, vocals) and one brother, Jim (guitar, keyboards, vocals). The Corrs have released seven studio albums and numerous singles, which have achieved platinum and multi-platinum certifications across the globe. They are known for their hit singles “All I Have to Do Is Dream”, “Forgiven Not Forgotten”, “Breathless”, and “What Can I Do”.

Damien Rice

Damien Rice is an Irish folk singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. He was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1973.
He first gained international attention with the release of his debut album O in 2002. The album was nominated for the Shortlist Music Prize and won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Album.
In 2006, Rice released his second album 9, which was nominated for the Mercury Prize. In 2010, he released his third album My Favourite Faded Fantasy to critical acclaim.
Rice has toured worldwide and has played at a number of music festivals, including Glastonbury, Lollapalooza and Coachella.

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova are an Irish folk music duo from Dublin, Ireland. Glen is the former frontman of The Frames, and Marketa is a classically trained pianist and singer. The two began collaborating in 2006 on the low-budget film Once, for which they wrote the Academy Award-winning song “Falling Slowly.” They have since released two albums together, Swell Season and Strict Joy.