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Music has always been a tradition, even a religion, with the
Irish. Today's Irish musicians combine the best of traditional
sounds with modern popular music: popular traditional groups
like the Chieftans and Wolfe Tones; singers Dolores Keane,
Niamh Parsons and the Irish Tenors; long time favorites Van
Morrison and Mary Black; Irish Americans Sinead Lohan, Sue
Foley and Ceile Rain; the new wave sounds of Enya; Irish popular
groups U2, The Corrs and The Saw Doctors. The list could go
on and on. For a country of only 5 million people, Ireland
and her descendants have had an influence far beyond her own
geograpic borders.
One of the best ways to hear authentic Irish music is to visit
a local pub. Many good pubs will have music at least once a
week and others more often. A small notice in the window or
behind the bar may list upcoming entertainers. Even if there
is no music booked for a night, do not be surprised to have
an impromtu group start playing or patron a start singing! A
good way to find the best pubs is to book
a pub tour.
As a tourist publication, we're partial to many of the songs
about Ireland and her beauty. Here's a brief selection of some
of our favourites:
| Title |
Artist |
Listen |
| Donegal Breeze |
Mary Black |
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| Peace Has Broken Out Peace |
Ceile Rain |
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| Anthem for Ireland |
Dolores Keane |
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| Galway Bay |
Dolores Keane |
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| I Would Bring You Ireland |
Nanci Griffith |
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| Raglan Road |
Van Morrison |
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| Star of the County Down |
Van Morrison |
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| Green And Red Of Mayo |
Saw Doctors |
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| Clare Island |
Saw Doctors |
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| Rock on Rockall |
Wolftones |
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 The
hit shows Riverdance and Lord of the Dance have brought world
wide acclaim to Irish dancing and dancers. In fact Irish dancing
has a history, depth and international following that goes far
beyond the well earned accolades of these two shows. From feiseanna
with hundreds of dancers in the American Midwest to small schools
in the farthest reaches of Western Australia to weekly ceilis
at local Irish pubs, Irish dancing is a strong and vibrant part
of Irish culture.
There are three main types of Irish dances:
Ceili (KAY-lee) dancing - the highstepping, exuberant style
popularized by Riverdance. Strict traditional ceili dancing
requires the hands to be kept still at the sides while the dancer's
legs and feet execute rapid high kicks, jigs and reels. The
term ceili is also often used to refer to a more general event
or social gathering that involves music and people moving around.
Step dancing - highly stylized individual dancing often done
by young girls. The feet are kept closer to the ground than
in ceili dancing creating a percussion effect similar to tap
dancing. A significant Irish step dancing subculture has developed
in both the United States and Australia including schools, competitions
(feis - pronounced 'fesh') and associations.
Set dancing - four couples formed in a square, dancing a predefined
series of steps. Derived from 18th century quadrilles and in
general similar to American square dancing but with unique movements
and distinct styles in various Irish counties. |
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Ireland