#OTD in 1957 – Birth of musician and singer, Shane MacGowan.

25/12/2019.Reading time 1 minute.

Shane MacGowan was born in Pembury, Kent, to Irish parents. MacGowan spent his early childhood in Tipperary before his family moved back to England when he was six and a half. He lived in many parts of the south-east, including Brighton and London. Drawn to the punk music scene, he formed the folk-punk band the […]

‘Winter’ by Tommy Makem

22/12/2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

WINTER, a sharp bitter day the robin turns plump against the cold the sun is weak silver faded from gold he is late in his coming and short in his stay Man, beast, bird and air all purging, all cleansing, earth already purified awaits the rite of spring Her bridal gown a virgin snow and […]

#OTD in 2000 – A boating accident in Mexico claims the life of singer Kirsty MacColl.

18/12/2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

‘The full details of Kirsty’s injuries are too awful for me to describe. Apparently the paramedic threw up on arriving at the scene. But two boys have to live with those last memories of their mother for the rest of their lives.’ –Jean MacColl Kirsty MacColl, well-known female recording artist, was scuba diving in Mexico […]

#OTD in 1987 – ‘Fairytale of New York’ by the Pogues and Kirsty McColl reaches no. 2 in the UK charts.

16/12/2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

#OTD in 1939 – Bernard Noël ‘Banjo Barney’ McKenna of the Dubliners is born.

16/12/2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

Barney McKenna was the last surviving founding member of the Irish folk group the Dubliners. While Ronnie Drew’s gravelly voice gave the band its memorable vocal sound, it was McKenna’s playing of the tenor banjo, coupled with John Sheahan’s fiddle, that gave the Dubliners their original instrumental quality. In the process, McKenna redefined the role […]

#OTD in 2009 – Death of actor and folk singer, Liam Clancy, from Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary.

04/12/2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

‘The best ballad singer I ever heard in my life’ was Bob Dylan’s verdict on Liam Clancy, who died at age 74 on this date. He was the last remaining member of the best-known of all Irish folk groups, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, who made an impression that was strong enough for them […]

#OTD in 1944 – Birth of Ralph McTell in England. Best known for his song ‘Streets of London’, which has been covered by over two hundred artists around the world, and for his tale of Irish emigration, ‘From Clare to Here’.

03/12/2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

One of the great storytellers, Ralph McTell, known for his virtuoso guitar style, is primarily a prolific and gifted songwriter. With a style that invites you into a unique world, he weaves a narrative that is both significant and poignant. Ralph made his debut in 1968 with the album ‘Eight Frames a Second’ and in […]

#OTD in 1940 – Birth of singer and folk musician, Luke Kelly in Dublin. Kelly was a founding member of the band The Dubliners.

17/11/2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

Luke Kelly was a singer and folk musician from Dublin, most famous as a member of the band The Dubliners. Kelly was one of the best-known figures of the Irish folk music movement of the 1960s and 1970s. A Dubliner from the north inner city, he attended O’Connell’s Schools before emigrating to Britain in 1958. […]

#OTD in 1971 – RTÉ bans several patriotic ballads including Dublin In The Green and The Patriot Game.

12/11/2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

‘Merry Ploughboy’ / ’Off to Dublin in the Green’ (Dominic Behan) Performed by The Dubliners Oh, I am a merry ploughboy and I plough the fields all day Till a sudden thought came to my head, that I should roam away For I’m sick and tired of slavery since the day that I was born […]

#OTD in 1998 – Paddy Clancy, Irish folk musician dies.

11/11/2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

Paddy Clancy, was an Irish folk singer best known as a member of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. In addition to singing and storytelling, Clancy played the harmonica with the group, which is widely credited with popularising Irish traditional music in the United States and revitalising it in Ireland. He also started and ran […]

Stair na hÉireann | History of Ireland

Category: Irish Music

#OTD in 1957 – Birth of musician and singer, Shane MacGowan.

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‘Winter’ by Tommy Makem

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#OTD in 2000 – A boating accident in Mexico claims the life of singer Kirsty MacColl.

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#OTD in 1987 – ‘Fairytale of New York’ by the Pogues and Kirsty McColl reaches no. 2 in the UK charts.

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#OTD in 1939 – Bernard Noël ‘Banjo Barney’ McKenna of the Dubliners is born.

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#OTD in 2009 – Death of actor and folk singer, Liam Clancy, from Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary.

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#OTD in 1944 – Birth of Ralph McTell in England. Best known for his song ‘Streets of London’, which has been covered by over two hundred artists around the world, and for his tale of Irish emigration, ‘From Clare to Here’.

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#OTD in 1940 – Birth of singer and folk musician, Luke Kelly in Dublin. Kelly was a founding member of the band The Dubliners.

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#OTD in 1971 – RTÉ bans several patriotic ballads including Dublin In The Green and The Patriot Game.

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#OTD in 1998 – Paddy Clancy, Irish folk musician dies.

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