Irish music is music that has been created in various genres on the island of

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. 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 ...

(or Irish folk music). It has remained vibrant through the 20th and into the 21st century, despite globalising cultural forces. In spite of emigration and mass exposure to music from

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, Ireland's traditional music has kept many of its elements and has itself influenced other forms of music, such as

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

and roots music in the United States, which in turn have had some influence on modern

rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...

. Irish folk music has occasionally been fused with

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

electronic rock Electronic rock (also known as electro rock and synth rock) is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s when rock b ...

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 main ...

s in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

choral A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

and

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has 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 orchestras or ...

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 ...

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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

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 ti ...

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. The term originally described any type of en ...

, 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 Bragan ...

tiompan :''See Rotte (lyre)'' The tiompán ( Irish), tiompan (Scottish Gaelic), or timpan ( Welsh) was a stringed musical instrument used by musicians in medieval Ireland and Britain. The word 'timpán' was of both masculine and feminine gender in class ...

ist, murdered during the Braganstown Massacre in

County Louth County Louth ( ; ) is a coastal Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of County Meath, Meath to the ...

.'' * ''1330: Mael Sechlainn Mac Carmaic, 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), w ...

, a

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

of Elphin, 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 MacCar ...

, 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

ollam An or ollamh (; anglicised as ollave or ollav), plural ollomain, in early Irish literature, was a master in a particular trade or skill. Bard Generally, ''ollam'' referred to a professional poet or bard of literature and history, and a membe ...

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

Tiompan :''See Rotte (lyre)'' The tiompán ( Irish), tiompan (Scottish Gaelic), or timpan ( Welsh) was a stringed musical instrument used by musicians in medieval Ireland and Britain. The word 'timpán' was of both masculine and feminine gender in class ...

ist to the

Síol Muireadaigh The Síol Muireadaigh or Síol Muireadhaigh (; Anglicized ''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 occu ...

, died.'' * ''1364: Bran Ó Brain, a skilful tympanist ... died.'' * ''1369: John Mac Egan, and Gilbert Ó Bardan, two accomplished young harpers of

Conmaicne The Conmaicne (; ) were a people of early Ireland, perhaps related to the Laigin, who dispersed to various parts of Ireland. They settled in Connacht and Longford, giving their name to several Conmaicne territories. T. F. O'Rahilly's assertion ...

, 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 the Irish language name for "Ireland". Like its English counterpart, the term is used for both the island of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the sovereign state that governs 85% of the island's landmass. The latter is distinc ...

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 Scots united in the ninth century as the Kingdom of Alba, until it developed into the Kingd ...

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 ...

, drowned on

Lough Gill Lough Gill () is a freshwater lough (lake) mainly situated in County Sligo, but partly in County Leitrim, in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Lough Gill provides the setting for William Butler Yeats' poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree". Location a ...

.'' * ''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 Co ...

, 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 (; ; Primitive Irish: ''Dallagnas Worgēllas''), was an early Christian Irish poet and saint known as the writer of the "'' Amra Coluim Chille''" ("Elegy of Sai ...

for example, was published in 1905 in English by Mary Elizabeth Byrne, and is widely known as ''

Be Thou My Vision "Be Thou My Vision" ( or ''Rob tú mo bhoile'') is a traditional Christian hymn of Irish origin. The words are based on a Middle Irish lorica that has sometimes been attributed to Dallán Forgaill. The best-known English version, with some min ...

''. ''The Blackbird of Belfast Lough'' (; ) has been notably translated by poets such as

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish Irish poetry, poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. Among his best-known works is ''Death of a Naturalist'' (1966), his first m ...

Ciaran Carson Ciaran Gerard Carson ( Irish: ''Ciarán Gearóid Mac Carráin''; 9 October 1948 – 6 October 2019) was a Northern Ireland-born poet and novelist. Early life and education Ciaran Carson was born on 9 October 1948 in Belfast Belfast ...

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 as ...

. Notable recordings of modern interpretations of early Irish music include

Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin is an Irish singer, songwriter, and academic writer from Ireland.Songs of the Scribe'', 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 syste ...

(died 747) lived much of his adult life in Gaelic Scotland, and composed at least one hymn.

Foillan Saint Foillan (''Faélán, Faolán, Foélán, '') 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 they had the same mother ...

, who was alive in the seventh century, travelled through much of Britain and France; around 653 at the request of Saint Gertrude of Brabant, taught

psalmody The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament. The book is an anthology of B ...

to her nuns at Nievelle.

Tuotilo Tuotilo or Tutilo Benedictines, OSB (died 915) was a Frankish monk at the Benedictine 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 (music), trope ...

(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 (died 1040) was an Irish abbot and musician. 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. Trithemiu ...

(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. Unlike other chant traditions ...

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

. His contemporary, Aaron Scotus (died 18 November 1052) was an acclaimed composer of

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 the ...

, 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. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...

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 () was the Gaelic political and social order, and associated culture, that existed in Ireland from the late Prehistory of Ireland, prehistoric era until the 17th century. It comprised the whole island before Anglo-Norman invasi ...

Turlough Carolan Turlough O'Carolan ( ; 1670 – 25 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, Carolan is considered by som ...

(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– 17 March 1843) was an Irish musician and Folk music of Ireland, folk music collector active in Belfast. Life Bunting was born in County Armagh, Ireland. At the age of seven he was sent to study music at Drogheda and ...

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 ...

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'D ...

(fl. c. 1630);

Piaras Feiritéar Piaras Feiritéar (; 1600 – 1653), or Pierce Ferriter, was an Irish clan Chief, and poet. Although best known for his many works of Bardic poetry in the Irish language, Feiritéar is also a widely revered folk hero in the Dingle Peninsula for ...

(1600?–1653);

William Connellan William Connellan (c.1630; date of death unknown) was an Irish harper and composer for the harp. Life William Connellan was born in Cloonamahon, County Sligo, the younger brother of Thomas Connellan (c.1625–1698). Like Thomas, he became a har ...

(fl. mid-17th century) and his brother,

Thomas Connellan Thomas Connellan ( – 1698) was an Irish harp player and composer. Life Connellan was born about 1625 at Cloonmahon, County Sligo. Both he and his brother William Connellan became harpers. Thomas is reputed to have composed between 700 and ...

(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 writt ...

(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 (fl. 1792); Patrick Byrne (c.1794–1863); world-renowned piper Tarlach Mac Suibhne (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 through ...

(1796–1906).

Traditional music

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 were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

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 something ...

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 piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance musi ...

includes

reels A reel is a tool used to store elongated and flexible objects (e.g. yarns/ cords, ribbons, cables, hoses, etc.) by wrapping the material around a cylindrical core known as a '' spool''. Many reels also have flanges (known as the ''rims'') arou ...

(),

hornpipe The hornpipe is any of several dance forms and their associated tunes, played and danced in Great Britain and Ireland and elsewhere from the 16th century until the present day. The earliest references to hornpipes are from England, with Hugh As ...

s and

jig The jig (, ) is a form of lively folk dance in compound metre, as well as the accompanying dance tune. It first gained popularity in 16th-century England, Ireland, Scotland, and other parts of the British Isles, and was adopted on mainland Eu ...

s (the common double jig is in time). The

polka Polka is a dance style and genre of dance music in originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though generally associated with Czech and Central European culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the ...

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: ''mazurek'') is a Polish musical form based on stylised folk dances in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, with character defined mostly by the prominent mazur's "strong accents unsystematically placed on the seco ...

and the highlands (a sort of Irished version of the Scottish strathspey). The

Irish fiddle The fiddle is one of the most important instruments in the traditional repertoire of Irish traditional music. The fiddle itself is identical to the violin, however it is played differently in widely varying regional styles. In the era of sound re ...

was said by one nationalist researcher to have been played in Ireland since the 8th century, although this has never been proved by texts or artifacts. 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, N ...

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 language, German ', from '—"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 (mou ...

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 . Though some people consider to particularly refer to singing in the Irish language, the term "traditional singing" is more universally understood to enco ...

was still found, mainly for very poetic songs in the

Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...

. From 1820 to 1920 over 4,400,000 Irish emigrated to the US, creating an Irish diaspora in Philadelphia, Chicago (see

), 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 people, Irish traditional fiddle player, bandleader and recording artist. He is regarded, along with James Morrison (fiddler), James Morrison and Michael Coleman (Irish musician), Michael Coleman, as ...

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 townland of Barnagrove (aka Barnagrow, Barnagrows or Barr na gCnó), Knappagh, County Cavan, he emigrated to Philadelphia i ...

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 ...

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 out ...

The Chieftains The Chieftains were 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 w ...

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 nouns 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 English. ''The ...

The Irish Rovers The Irish Rovers is a group of Irish musicians that formed in Toronto, Canada in 1963'Irish Rovers are Digging out those old Folk songs', By Ballymena Weekly Editor, Ballymena Weekly Telegraph, N. Ireland – 20 August 1964 and named after the ...

The Dubliners The Dubliners () were an Folk music of Ireland, 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 pers ...

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 ...

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, gu ...

The Bothy Band The Bothy Band are an Irish traditional band, originally 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 signific ...

and Clannad (musical group), Clannad in the 70s. Later came such bands as Stockton's Wing, De Dannan, Altan (band), Altan, Arcady (band), Arcady, Dervish (band), 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, Gráda, Dervish (band), Dervish, and Lúnasa (band), Lúnasa.

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 George Frideric Handel, Handel's famous oratorio ''Messiah (Handel), 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 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 Cathedral, Dublin, St Patrick's and Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Christ Church). These include immigrants in the 18th century such as Johann Sigismund Kusser, 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 (1761–1833), who is best known for his publications of ''Irish Melodies'' with poet Thomas Moore, 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 (c.1735–1804), Michael Kelly (tenor), 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 (1808–1870) and William Vincent Wallace (1812–1865). John Field (composer), John Field (1782–1837) has been credited with the creation of the Nocturne form, which influenced Frédéric Chopin. John William Glover (1815–1899), Joseph Robinson (composer), 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 and George Alexander Osborne. 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 (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 (1889–1967), Arthur Duff (1899–1956), Aloys Fleischmann (1910–1992), Frederick May (composer), Frederick May (1911–1985), Joan Trimble (1915–2000), and Brian Boydell (1917–2000). The middle decades of the 20th century were also shaped by A.J. Potter (1918–1980), Gerard Victory (1921–1995), James Wilson (composer), James Wilson (1922–2005),

(1931–1971), John Kinsella (composer), John Kinsella (1932–2021), and Seóirse Bodley (1933–2023). Prominent names among the older generation of composers in Ireland today are Frank Corcoran (b. 1944), Eric Sweeney (composer), Eric Sweeney (1948–2020), John Buckley (composer), John Buckley (b. 1951), Gerald Barry (composer), Gerald Barry (b. 1952), Raymond Deane (b. 1953), Gearóid Ó Deaghaidh (composer), Gearóid Ó Deaghaidh (b. 1954), Patrick Cassidy (composer), 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 (soprano), 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 (tenor), John McCormack (1884–1945), the most celebrated tenor of his day; opera singer Margaret Burke-Sheridan (1889–1958); pianist Charles Lynch (pianist), Charles Lynch (1906–1984); tenor Josef Locke (1917–1999) achieved global success and was the subject of the 1991 film ''Hear My Song''; the concert flautist Sir James Galway and pianist Barry Douglas (musician), Barry Douglas.Niall O'Loughlin/Richard Wigmore, 'Galway, Sir James', ''Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Grove Music Online''

Retrieved 12 August 2007. Douglas achieved fame in 1986 by claiming the International Tchaikovsky Competition gold medal. Mezzo-sopranos Bernadette Greevy and Ann Murray 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, Dublin, Christ Church Cathedral, St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, 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 in 1987,

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 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, formerly National Chamber Choir of Ireland, is principally funded by the Arts Council of Ireland. Their artistic director is Paul Hillier. 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 had no purpose-built opera house for a long time, 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 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 and Thomas Simpson Cooke, continued in the 19th century with works by John William Glover and Paul McSwiney. 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'' (1903) by Thomas O'Brien Butler, ''Connla of the Golden Hair'' (1903) by William Harvey Pélissier, ''Eithne (opera), Eithne'' (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 and several 1940s and '50s works by Éamonn Ó Gallchobhair. Most of the Irish operas written since the 1960s have a contemporary international outlook, with important works by Gerard Victory, James Wilson (composer), James Wilson, Raymond Deane, Gerald Barry (composer), 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. In 2024 musician and composer John Spillane premiered his bilingual opera ''Fíoruisce - The Legend 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 popularised Irish folk songs that she recorded for His Master's Voice (British record label), His Master's Voice in 1949; Margaret Barry 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 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 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 Irish showband, 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 dance band. The basic showband repertoire included standard dance numbers, cover versions of pop music hits, ranging from rock and roll, country and western to

standards. Key to the showband's success was the ability to learn and perform songs currently in the record charts. They sometimes played Folk music of Ireland, Irish traditional or Céilidh, Céilidh music and a few included self-composed songs.

Country and Irish

With the rise in popularity of Country music, 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 were the first major contenders in this genre, having crossed over from the showband era of the 1960s. Other major artists were Philomena Begley and Margo (singer), Margo, 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 (singer), 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, Van Morrison, Hothouse Flowers and Sinéad O'Connor using traditional elements in popular songs. Enya achieved international success with New-age music, New Age/Celtic fusions. The Afro-Celt Sound System achieved fame adding West African influences and electronic dance rhythms in the 1990s while bands such as Kíla 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'' is a musical and dancing interval act which originally starred Michael Flatley and Jean Butler and featuring the choir

. It was performed during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994 as "Riverdance (song), 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 (band), Them, Van Morrison, Emmet Spiceland, Eire Apparent, Skid Row (Irish band), Skid Row, Taste (Irish band), Taste, Rory Gallagher, Dr. Strangely Strange, Thin Lizzy, Gary Moore, Mellow Candle. Front Thin Lizzy

In 1970 Dana Rosemary Scallon, 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 "The Lady in Red (Chris de Burgh song), Lady in Red". Some groups who formed during the emergence of

in the mid-late 1970s included U2, Virgin Prunes, The Boomtown Rats, The Undertones, Aslan (rock band), 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, In Tua Nua, The Fatima Mansions, Fatima Mansions, My Bloody Valentine (band), My Bloody Valentine and Ash (band), Ash. In the 1990s, pop and rock 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 (band), Cruachan, Primordial (band), Primordial, Geasa (band), Geasa, and Waylander (band), Waylander. 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 (band), Altan, The Answer (band), The Answer, Ash (band), Ash, Aslan (band), Aslan, Aphex Twin, B*Witched, Bell X1 (band), Bell X1, Frances Black, Mary Black, The Blizzards,

, Brendan Bowyer, Boyzone, Paul Brady, Jimmy Buckley, Chris de Burgh, Paddy Casey, The Cast of Cheers, Celtic Thunder, Celtic Woman,

, The Clancy Brothers, Clannad, Codes (band), Codes, Rita Connolly, The Coronas, The Corrs, Phil Coulter, Nadine Coyle (of Girls Aloud), The Cranberries, Peter Cunnah (of D Ream, D:Ream), Dana Rosemary Scallon, Dana, De Dannan, Cathy Davey, Damien Dempsey, The Divine Comedy (band), The Divine Comedy, Joe Dolan, Val Doonican, Ronnie Drew,

, Mary Duff, Duke Special, Eden (Irish musician), EDEN, Enya, Julie Feeney, Fight Like Apes, Fontaines D.C., Mick Flannery, The Frames, The Fureys, Bridie Gallagher, Rory Gallagher, 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, 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, Seán Keane (singer), Sean Keane, Luke Kelly, Dermot Kennedy, Keywest, Kíla, James Kilbane, Kodaline, Jack L, Johnny Logan (singer), Johnny Logan, Dónal Lunny, Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy, Tommy Makem, Imelda May, Eleanor McEvoy, Christy Moore, Gary Moore, Van Morrison, Moving Hearts, Samantha Mumba, Mundy, Róisín Murphy, Ruby Murray, My Bloody Valentine (band), My Bloody Valentine, Declan Nerney, Maura O'Connell, Sinéad O'Connor, Daniel O'Donnell, Annmarie O'Riordan, Declan O'Rourke, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Picturehouse (band), Picturehouse, Picture This (band), Picture This, Pillow Queens,

, Carmel Quinn, Republic of Loose, Damien Rice, The Riptide Movement, Dickie Rock, Derek Ryan (singer), Derek Ryan, The Saw Doctors, The Script, Sharon Shannon, Pa Sheehy (of Walking on Cars), Snow Patrol, Something Happens, Davy Spillane, Stiff Little Fingers, Stockton's Wing, The Strypes, Tebi Rex, Therapy?, The Thrills, The Undertones, Walking on Cars, The Wolfe Tones, Two Door Cinema Club, U2, VerseChorusVerse, Villagers (band), Villagers, Westlife, Bill Whelan, Finbar Wright, all achieving success nationally and internationally.

Best 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, 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.

References

Bibliography

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External links

Irish Traditional Music ArchiveA History of Irish Music, by W. H. FloodContemporary Music Centre, Dublin
– national resource and archive centre for contemporary Irish classical music
Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann
– global movement promoting Irish traditional music and culture
TheSession.org
– an online tune database and discussion site for adherents of Irish Traditional Music
IRMA.ie – The Irish Recorded Music AssociationOriel Arts Project
– Arts Council-funded website on research of Oirialla, Oriel song, harp and fiddle
BreakingTunes.com
– Arts Council of Ireland Website that specialises in the promotion of contemporary Irish Music
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 Music of Ireland Culture of Ireland Irish styles of music