# Traditional Irish Music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 17, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100 "2013-09-17T22:12:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100/21 "2013-09-18T16:44:10Z")
I’m a big fan of [Patrick Street](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ysq2Zmt9XLI). I love Silly Wizard but they have a lot more vocals in their tunes, although their playing is second to none. They are Scottish for the most part but the music appeals to the same crowd. ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100/22 "2013-09-18T17:08:09Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > You might also find traditional Cape Breton (in Canada) music interesting and enjoyable. It’s definitely a branch of the same tree. To a lesser extent, the same is true of Newfoundland music. If you want to sample Cape Breton music, Natalie MacMaster is _fantastic_ ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100/23 "2013-09-18T17:29:14Z")
_The Irish Rovers_ ? ---
**Author:** ![spacemandave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@spacemandave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spacemandave)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100/24 "2013-09-18T17:35:10Z")
This year I decided to dust off an old violin I and try learning traditional irish fiddling. To help me along, I creating a Pandora station of mostly instrumental irish music (plus some traditional scottish, english, american, cape breton, etc.). I’ve found some wonderful music this way. I second the recommendation for Natalie MacMaster. I’ve yet to hear anything of hers I don’t like. If I had to pick a favorite tune of hers, it might be “Cape Classico.” Some other recommendations: Old Blind Dogs (I’m trying to learn the set “The five pound flute/Donald McLellan’s Exercise/What pain have I endured since last year”). The Corrs. Liz Carroll (irish fiddler from Chicago), Lunasa, Culann’s Hounds, and many more. I’ve found Pandora to be a very effective way to find interesting new music. Here are some examples: [The Corrs: “Old Hag”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KpHVu1tkqk) [Old Blind Dogs: Five pound flute+](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbDPlGUdKUE) [Natalie MacMaster being awesome](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDKOcey5jug) ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100/25 "2013-09-18T18:48:41Z")
I’ll second Lunasa. Instrumental, very talented. Old Blind Dogs are very good too - vocals and instrumentals. Natalie is an awesome fiddle player. Solas is another great band. Where do you live? The Celtic Classic is being held in Bethlehem, Pa. the weekend of September 27th. Highland games, massed pipe bands and ALOT of Celtic music. And its free (food and drink available at additional cost). ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100/26 "2013-09-18T19:32:19Z")
The Corrs do a mix of “Celtic Rock” and more traditional stuff. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lGel9RGsZo4/hqdefault.jpg "The Corrs:Joy Of Life / Trout In The Bath") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGel9RGsZo4) ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100/27 "2013-09-18T21:37:28Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > You might want to check out [The Thistle & Shamrock](http://www.thistleradio.com/), which is the NPR music show for Celtic music. They play a very wide range of music and styles, but it’s a great way of learning about different performers, and it will give you a lot of ideas about what to listen to next. This was how I learned of Shaun Davey! (His stuff isn’t exactly traditional, but, wow, is it impressive. He writes really big-scale “festival” music – music for massed bands of bagpipes, etc. And some smaller-scale stuff too. My favorite album of his is [Granuaile](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granuaile_%28album%29), a musical telling of the life of [Grace O’Malley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_O%27Malley).) Apologies for the highjack: enthusiasm compelled me! ---
**Author:** ![kaiwik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaiwik/32/3978_2.png) [@kaiwik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaiwik)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100/28 "2013-09-18T21:53:39Z")
I am fond of Moving Hearts, mostly instumental, Planxty has some good traditional songs, but they do sing as well as play instumental. ---
**Author:** ![Noodles\_Fellicini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e36b37/32.png) [@Noodles\_Fellicini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noodles_Fellicini)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100/29 "2013-09-18T23:04:52Z")
Enter the Haggis - Lancaster Gate. Okay, maybe not traditional but definitely an instrumental bagpipe piece. An awesome rockin’ bagpipe piece. ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100/30 "2013-09-18T23:18:50Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [The Chieftans](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chieftains) are probably the most famous and most highly regarded group for traditional Irish music. In addition to their many albums of traditional music, they’ve done collaborations with artists in many other genres. > > A couple of my personal favorites among their collaboration albums are [Santiago](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_(album)), celebrating the Celtic music of Galicia in Spain, and [Down the Old Plank Road](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_the_Old_Plank_Road:_The_Nashville_Sessions), crossovers with Country music artists. Actually, lots of hardcore traditional Irish music fans think the Chieftans are rather schmaltzy. Bothy Band, Planxty, Altan–these bands tend to garner a lot more respect from the diehards. ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100/31 "2013-09-18T23:19:58Z")
Solas are fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100/32 "2013-09-20T17:43:05Z")
Here’s the schedule for the Celtic Classic. Plenty of band names to check out on Pandora etc. Check all three days. [http://www.celticfest.org/schedule1/](http://www.celticfest.org/schedule1/) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100/33 "2013-09-20T20:12:32Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > _The Irish Rovers_ ? Best known for singing but they also play instrumentals. I recommend the jigs & reels on the [Gems](http://www.amazon.com/The-Irish-Rovers-Gems/dp/B0059GYU74/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1379707863&sr=8-2&keywords=irish+rovers+gems) CD. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100/34 "2013-09-20T20:15:33Z")
[Leahy](http://www.leahymusic.com/biography.php) A multi-talented, multi-instrumental family band. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100/35 "2013-09-20T20:16:39Z")
> [@Subterraneanus](#): > > Actually, lots of hardcore traditional Irish music fans think the Chieftans are rather schmaltzy. Bothy Band, Planxty, Altan–these bands tend to garner a lot more respect from the diehards. Even their earlier stuff? I can see regarding their more recent crossover albums as less authentic, but their earlier albums seem pretty uncompromising, at least to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-irish-music/669100.md?page=1)