In Ireland when we want a taste of home or a good music session or to sing a traditional song around a campfire, we want a good "Trad Session" but for some reason, when you google the best Irish Trad Singers or Musicians it comes up all Americanised and says "folk singers/musicians".
This is not something you would ever hear Irish people say, you would never hear a phrase such as " I saw a great folk singer in the pub". It's far more likely to be said "There was a great session last night you should have heard the Trad Band playing they were unreal".
So, for the purposes of this article, I will not be referring to anyone as a "folk" singer or band, we will keep everything as authentically Irish as possible. Bring on the Trad!
The Importance of Story in Traditional Irish Music
"Irish music is guts, balls and feet music, yeah? It's frenetic dance music, yeah? Or it's impossibly sad like slow music, yeah? Yeah? And it also handles all sorts of subjects, from rebel songs to comical songs about sex, you know what I mean, yeah? Which I don't think people realize how much innuendo there is in Irish music."
- Shane MacGowan
For a moment, let's draw attention to verbal art performance that is practised in Irish traditional music. This type of storytelling exists within the ‘session’, where groups of Irish musicians gather (in pubs or houses) to perform mainly dance tunes- mostly consisting of Jigs and Reels, storytelling or songs are sometimes performed in between sets of these tunes.
The Irish love to talk, in fact, we are often described as great storytellers, but there’s a true skill in recalling a canon of stories, characters and context, capturing your audience and keeping them there for an hour or more while giving your story momentum.
And what better way to give a story momentum than add it to some music?
A Short History of Irish Trad Music
There's some familiarity in Celtic music, even if you've never heard that piece of music before.
- Nobuo Uematsu
Traditional Irish music began as an oral tradition, passed down from generation to generation by listening, learning by ear and without writing the tunes down on paper. A practice that is still encouraged to this day, students of traditional music are encouraged to pick up songs they hear from others or to learn as they listen.
The traditional music played by the Irish came to Ireland with the Celts 2,000 years ago. The music of the East influenced the Celts, and it’s believed that the traditional Irish harp may in fact have originated in Egypt.
There have been many popular Irish bands over the years. Whether pop bands or rock, like U2 and The Cranberries, made it worldwide while other Irish rock bands like Aslan never managed to make it past the UK.
The harp was the most popular instrument in ancient times with harpists employed to play for chieftains and to create music for nobles. This was until the Flight of the Earls in 1607 when native Irish chieftains fled the land under threat from invaders. With the flight of their patrons to mainland Europe, the harpists were left to travel the country and play where they could.
It's estimated that it was in the early 1760s when traditional Irish music started to be written down for the first time and collectors began to travel the country compiling music that can still be viewed today. In fact, a lot of that ancient music can be seen at events at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann!
What is the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann!?
The Fleadh Cheoil is an Irish music festival, the festival includes live music events as well as competitions. Each year a single town or city in Ireland hosts the Fleadh, sometimes for 2 years in a row, which is what happened in 2022 and will again this year in 2023, the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann will be held again in Mullingar.
This is Ireland's biggest annual celebration of Irish traditional music, singing and dance and draws massive crowds each year.
Mullingar hosted the highly successful and much accoladed Fleadh 2022," the Homecoming", welcoming the region of 500,000 visitors to the founding town of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann embracing all aspects of the Irish cultural traditions. It was dubbed 'The Homecoming' in 2022 as the first Fleadh was in Mullingar in 1951. Without a doubt, one of the most significant musical/cultural events to take place in Westmeath was the founding of Comhaltas in Mullingar in 1951.
Although the Fleadh doesn't take place until the week of August 4th 2023, tickets for popular Irish acts such as the Wolfe Tones, Nathan Carter, The Fureys and many more have been on sale since Easter.
The Best of Irish Trad
The Fureys, The Chieftains, Mary Black & Christy Moore
There is an absolute abundance of talent out there when it comes to Irish traditional musicians and bands, but what was promised at the start of this article and what we're going to have a look at now is the cream of the crop. The very best of Irish Trad!
The Fureys
The Fureys are one of Ireland's most influential traditional bands, the brothers have been entertaining audiences worldwide for 43 years.
The band was originally formed in 1974 and consisted initially of four brothers who grew up in Ballyfermot, Dublin. Brothers Eddie, Finbar, Paul and George Furey are a family of Irish Traveller heritage.
Some of the most famous songs by the Fureys include:
- Green Fields Of France
- The Lonesome Boatman
- When You Were Sweet Sixteen
The Chieftains, U2, The Cranberries, The Dubliners, The Corrs and Westlife are arguably some of the best-known Irish groups from the last 50 years.
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a traditional Irish band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. This year (2023) celebrating their 60th anniversary, the Irish folk band The Chieftains released their 2012 album Voices of Ages on vinyl for the first time.
The Chieftains are one of the Irish trad biggest success stories with Grammys, including one for Best Pop Collaboration for their version of Have I Told You Lately That I Love You recorded with Van Morrison on The Long Black Veil, and gold discs galore, the Chieftains' lofty position in Irish music has long been assured.
But that doesn't mean they feel they can rest on their laurels. Their love of music and performing remains undimmed and with Moloney's indefatigable energy pushing them ever onwards, they work hard to ensure value for money in their live television appearances as often as possible.
Mary Black
Mary Black, one of Ireland's favourite artists, is regarded as one of the most powerful Irish vocalists of her generation! What makes her unique is her diversity. Mary Black is not just a performer who is brilliant at singing traditional Irish songs, she is also phenomenal with more contemporary music like blues, Irish rock, jazz, country, and soul.
Mary Black has been a dominant presence in Irish music, both at home and abroad and is well known for her unique interpretations of songs and ballads. Some of her most recognisable songs include:
- No Frontiers
- Only a Woman's Heart
- Past The Point of Rescue
Mary Black's contribution to the Irish music industry doesn't stop there, she has also given birth to musically talented children singer Róisín O and Danny O'Reilly frontman of the Coronas.
Christy Moore
Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore is an Irish Trad singer, songwriter and guitarist, born in 1945 Christy has produced a massive thirty solo albums.
" Moore helped to bring the musical traditions of Ireland up to modern standards"
- SONY MUSIC
Christy Moore has a universal fan base and still continues to entertain, cementing him as an Irish icon. It is his deep urge to connect with the listener and to transmit the meaning of the songs he sings, it helps that some of his most iconic songs are insanely catchy which makes them loved by Irish at home and abroad.
Some of his most recognisable songs include:
- My Little Honda 50
- Lisdoonvarna
- The Voyage
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