History of Irish Music

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Commodores! I hope everyone is having a lucky day and enjoying the broadcast. Irish Music has a rich history we thought we would share with all of you through a short blog post.

When the Celts arrived in Ireland, they brought many things including music. The first time Irish music was written down was 1762. The Neale brothers published these songs. Irish Music really began to catch on, though, during the Belfast harp festival in 1792.

The Great Famine in the mid 1840’s hurt the tradition as many people died and the tradition with it. The famine led to many Irish people emigrating from Ireland, though, and spread the music around the globe. The Irish music helped immigrant populations to connect with one another and with their communities. The US influence made Irish music faster and added a piano element. Irish music became popularized in the 60s and the 70s alongside the folk music revival and has been an important element of the US music landscape ever since.

Some of the most famous Irish musicians today include Niall Horan, Ed Sheeran, Hozier, and Enya. We hope you are able to celebrate St. Patty’s Day with this music.