Music of Ireland

Music Of Ireland

Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the island of Ireland.

The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music. It has remained vibrant through the 20th, and into the 21st century, despite globalizing cultural forces. In spite of emigration and a well-developed connection to music influences from Britain and the United States, Irish music has kept many of its traditional aspects and has itself influenced many forms of music, such as country and roots music in the USA, which in turn have had some influence on modern rock music. It has occasionally been fused with rock and roll, punk rock and other genres. Some of these fusion artists have attained mainstream success, at home and abroad.

In recent decades Irish music in many different genres has been very successful internationally. However, the most successful genres have been rock, popular and traditional fusion, with performers such as U2, Enya, Westlife, Boyzone, Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy, Gary Moore, Rory Gallagher, Horslips, Bob Geldof and The Boomtown Rats, Clannad, Stiff Little Fingers, Altan, Frank Patterson, The Corrs, The Dubliners, The Chieftains, Planxty, The Bothy Band, De Dannan Stockton's Wing, The Divine Comedy, Josef Locke, The Irish Tenors, Van Morrison, Therapy?, The Saw Doctors, The Wolfe Tones, Snow Patrol, The Cranberries, In Tua Nua, The Undertones, Ash, B*Witched, Nadine Coyle, The Hothouse Flowers, The Script, Two Door Cinema Club, Something Happens, The Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem, Dana, Mundy, Sinéad O'Connor, Paul Brady, Christy Moore, Dónal Lunny, Davy Spillane, Moving Hearts, Val Doonican, Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly, Ruby Murray, Peter Cunnah (of D:Ream), Daniel O'Donnell, Bridie Gallagher, Brendan Bowyer, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Rita Connolly, Mary Black, Sir James Galway, Johnny Logan, Bill Whelan (of Riverdance fame), Damien Rice, Phil Coulter, Glen Hansard, and Celtic Woman achieving success nationally and internationally.