Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the entire island of Ireland, North and South of the border. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Irish cuisine can be divided into two main categories &ndash traditional mainly simple dishes and more modern dishes as served in restaurants and hotels The culture of the people living on the island of Ireland is far from monolithic Etiquette in Europe is not uniform Even the Regions of Europe do not have common Manners Even within a single country there may be different Customs especially Public holidays are observed in the Republic of Ireland on School Holidays (Primary In Ireland the academic year in 2006 Census The 2006 census showed the following results Eurobarometer Poll 2005 According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005 Sport on the island of Ireland is popular and widespread Levels of participation and spectating are high but as in other western regions participation Telecommunications in the Republic of Ireland, including Postal services run by An Post, are regulated to a large extent by the Commission The economy of the Republic of Ireland is modern and trade-dependent with growth averaging a 7% per annum in 1995&ndash2007 The system of Taxation in Ireland is broadly similar to the system of Taxation in the United Kingdom. Most of the transport system in Ireland is in public hands either side of the Irish border. The architecture of Ireland is one of the most visible features in the Irish countryside - with remains from all eras since the Stone age abounding The geography of Ireland describes an Island in Northwest Europe in the north Atlantic Ocean. The history of Ireland begins with the first known settlement in Ireland around 8000 BC when Hunter-gatherers arrived from Great Britain and continental Óglaigh na hÉireann the Irish Defence Forces encompass the Army, Navy, air corps and reserve forces of Ireland. Rates of household recycling in Ireland have increased dramatically since the late 1990s but are still lagging behind European averages General demographics 4239848 (2006 Census 4339000 (2007 est 4442100 (2008 est The Republic of Ireland 's education system is quite similar to that of most other western countries "Health care in Ireland" redirects here For health care in Northern Ireland see Health and Care NI The public Health care system The media in Ireland include all the media and Communications outlets of any other developed nation The Government of Ireland (Rialtas na hÉireann n̪ˠə ˈheːɾʲən̪ˠ is the Cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. The Republic of Ireland has a Common law Legal system with a written constitution which provides for a parliamentary democracy based on the British parliamentary system Law enforcement on the island of Ireland is divided into two distinctive areas due to political boundaries The Republic of Ireland is a parliamentary representative democratic Republic. The foreign relations of Ireland are substantially influenced by its membership of the European Union, although bilateral relations with the United States Abortion in Ireland has had a controversial history and remains a disputed subject today Prostitution itself is not illegal in the Republic of Ireland, but the law criminalises many activities associated with it Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe.

The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music. The folk music of Ireland (also known as Irish traditional music, Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants is the generic term for music that has It has remained vibrant through the 20th into the 21st centuries, despite globalising 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. "Emigrant" redirects here For the Butterflies, see Catopsilia. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. It has occasionally been fused with rock and roll, punk rock and other genres. Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African 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 groups such as Westlife, Thin Lizzy, The Pogues, The Corrs, The Chieftains, Enya, Riverdance, Boyzone, Van Morrison and U2 achieving success nationally and internationally. Westlife is an Irish pop band that was formed on 3 July 1998 They were signed on by Simon Cowell and are currently managed by Louis Walsh. Thin Lizzy are an Irish Hard rock band who formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1969 The Pogues are a band of mixed Irish and English background playing Traditional Irish music with influences from Punk rock, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane The Corrs are a Celtic Folk rock group from Dundalk, County Louth Ireland. The Chieftains are a Grammy -winning Irish musical group founded in 1962 best known for being the first band to make Irish traditional music popular Enya (born Eithne Patricia Ní Bhraonáin on May 17 1961, Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal, Ireland, sometimes presented in Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish step dancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary Boyzone are an Irish boy band who had popular mainstream success during the 1990s George Ivan Morrison OBE (generally known as Van Morrison) (born 31 August 1945 is a Grammy Award -winning Northern Irish Singer,

Traditional music

 Music sample:

Irish harmonica tune

Recording from the Library of Congress' California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties Collection; performed by Aaron Morgan (harmonica) on July 17, 1939 in Columbia, California

Problems listening to the file? See media help. Columbia is a former California Gold Rush boom town that lives on as a state-preserved historic park and a National Historic Landmark that preserves the original

Main article: Folk music of Ireland

In the seventeenth century harp musicians were patronised by the aristocracy in Ireland. The folk music of Ireland (also known as Irish traditional music, Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants is the generic term for music that has This died out in the eighteenth century. Turlough Carolan (1670 - 1738) was the most famous,^[1][2] and over 200 of his compositions are known. Turlough Carolan ( Irish name Toirdhealbhach Ó Cearbhalláin, 1670 - March 25, 1738) was a blind Itinerant Early He wrote in a baroque style that is usually classified as classical music, but is played by many folk musicians today. Edward Bunting collected some of the last-known harp tunes at the Belfast Harp Festival in 1792. Edward Bunting (1773 &ndash 1843 was an Irish musician and folk music collector The Belfast Harp Festival in 1792 was a three day event organised by Edward Bunting, age 19 at the request of James McDonnell and his committee called the Belfast Harpers Society Other important collectors include Francis O'Neill^[3] and George Petrie. Francis O'Neill ( August 28, 1848 &ndash January 26, 1936) was an Irish -born American Police officer and collector George Petrie (1790 &ndash 1866 was an Irish painter, Musician, Antiquary and Archaeologist of the Victorian era.

Irish dance music at weddings and saint's days would have included reels (4/4), hornpipes and jigs (the common double jig is in 6/8 time). This article is about music for dancing in general You may also be looking for Electronic dance music. The reel is a Folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type. The term hornpipe refers to any of several dance forms played and danced in Britain and elsewhere from the late 17th century until the present day The jig (port is a Folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type popular in Ireland. ^[4] The polka arrived at the start of the nineteenth century, spread by itinerant dancing masters and mercenary soldiers, returning from Europe. The polka is a fast lively Central European Dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas ^[5] Set dancing may have arrived in the eighteeenth century. Set dances, sometimes called "country sets" are a popular form of folk dancing in Ireland. ^[6] Later imported dance-signatures include the mazurka and the highlands (a sort of Irished version of the Scottish strathspey). The mazurka is a stylized Polish Folk dance in Triple meter with a lively tempo that has a heavy accent on the third or second beat A strathspey is a type of Dance tune in 4/4 time It is similar to a Hornpipe but slower and more stately and contains many dot-cut 'snaps' ^[7] In the nineteenth century folk instruments would have included the flute the fiddle and the uilleann pipes. The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its

By the start of the twentieth century the button accordion and the concertina were becoming common. The accordion is a portable box-shaped Musical instrument of the hand-held Bellows -driven free-reed aerophone family sometimes referred to as a Squeezebox A concertina is a free-reed Musical instrument, like the various Accordions and the Harmonica. ^[8] Irish stepdance was performed at ceilis, organised competitions and at some country houses where local and itinerant musicians were welcome. Irish stepdance is a type of performance dance originating in Ireland from traditional Irish dance. A céilidh ( (in modern usage is a traditional Gaelic social Dance originating in Ireland and Scotland, but now common throughout the ^[9] Irish dancing was supported by the educational system and patriotic organisations. An older style of singing called sean-nós ("in the old style"), which is a form of traditional Irish singing was still found, mainly for very poetic songs in the Irish language. Sean Nós, in Irish means "old style" and refers to a style of traditional singing or dancing. ^[10] From 1850 to 1918 over one million Irish emigrated to the USA, creating a Celtic diaspora in Chicago (see Francis O'Neill), Boston, New York and other cities. Francis O'Neill ( August 28, 1848 &ndash January 26, 1936) was an Irish -born American Police officer and collector Irish musicians who were successful in the USA made recordings which found their way around the world and re-invigorated musical styles back in the homeland. ^[11]

The 1960s saw the emergence of The Dubliners and The Chieftains. The Dubliners are an Irish folk band founded in 1962. Formation and history The Dubliners formed in 1962 The Chieftains are a Grammy -winning Irish musical group founded in 1962 best known for being the first band to make Irish traditional music popular

Classical music in Ireland

Classical music in Ireland has produced a number of composers including Thomas Moore and Turlough Ó Carolan. Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 &ndash 25 February 1852 was an Irish poet singer songwriter and Entertainer, now best remembered for the lyrics of The Minstrel Turlough Carolan ( Irish name Toirdhealbhach Ó Cearbhalláin, 1670 - March 25, 1738) was a blind Itinerant Early John Field, who lived in the early Romantic era has been credited with the creation of the nocturne form, later developed by the young Frédéric Chopin. John Field (26 July 1782 &ndash 23 January 1837 was an Irish Composer and Pianist. Charles Villiers Stanford achieved great success in England in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but invariably success for composers has come mainly outside of the Irish state. Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (30 September 1852 &ndash 29 March 1924 was an Irish composer resident in England for much of his life Today, the best-known living Irish composer is Gerald Barry whose operatic works have been particularly successful in the UK and Europe. Gerald Barry (born April 28, 1952) is an Irish Composer. Born in Clarecastle County Clare, Republic of Ireland, he studied with

Performers of classical music of note include the concert flautist Sir James Galway and pianist Barry Douglas. Sir James Galway OBE (born December 8, 1939) is a Northern Ireland &ndashborn Virtuoso flautist from Belfast, nicknamed Barry Douglas (born April 23, 1960 in Belfast is an Irish classical pianist Douglas achieved fame in 1986 by claiming the International Tchaikovsky Competition gold medal. The International Tchaikovsky Competition is one of the most prestigious classical music competitions in the world Singers Bernadette Greevy and Ann Murray have also had success internationally. Bernadette Greevy (3 July 1940 &ndash 26 September 2008 was an Irish Mezzo-soprano. Not to be confused with Anne Murray, the Canadian singer WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes -->

Choral music in Ireland has produced Anúna, known for their contribution to Riverdance in the early 1990s. Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish step dancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary They have also been nominated for a Classical Brit Award in the UK and were invited to give the first ever Irish Prom at the BBC Proms series in the Royal Albert Hall in 1999. The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily Orchestral The Royal Albert Hall is an Arts venue situated in the Knightsbridge area of the City of Westminster, London, England, best known

Popular music

Main article: Irish rock

Traditional music played a part in Irish popular music later in the century, with Van Morrison, Hothouse Flowers and Sinéad O'Connor using traditional elements in popular songs. Rock and roll has been a part of the Music of Ireland since the 1960s when the British Invasion brought British blues, Psychedelic rock George Ivan Morrison OBE (generally known as Van Morrison) (born 31 August 1945 is a Grammy Award -winning Northern Irish Singer, The Hothouse Flowers are an Irish rock group that combines traditional Irish Music with influences from soul, gospel and Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor (ʃɪˈneɪd oʊˈkɒnɚ (born 8 December 1966 is a Grammy Award winning Irish singer and songwriter Enya achieved international success with New Age/Celtic fusions. Enya (born Eithne Patricia Ní Bhraonáin on May 17 1961, Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal, Ireland, sometimes presented in New Age ( New Age Movement and New Age Spirituality) is a Social Collective Phenomenon and a Spiritual Nature The Pogues, led by Shane MacGowan, helped fuse Irish folk with punk rock to some success beginning in the 1980s, while the Afro-Celt Sound System achieved fame adding West African influences and drum n bass in the 1990s. The Pogues are a band of mixed Irish and English background playing Traditional Irish music with influences from Punk rock, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan (born 25 December 1957 is a musician and singer best known as the original singer and songwriter of The Pogues. The Afro Celt Sound System is a musical group which fuses modern dance rhythms ( Trip-hop, techno, etc

In the 1980s, Irish rock bands U2, The Boomtown Rats and The Undertones. The Boomtown Rats were a new wave group led by Bob Geldof. All six members were originally from Dún Laoghaire, Republic of Ireland. The Undertones are a Northern Irish Punk rock / Power pop band formed in Derry in 1975 Punk rock entered Ireland in full in the late 1970s, and flowered in the following decade with performers like Gavin Friday, Bob Geldof, and Stiff Little Fingers. Gavin Friday (born Fionan Martin Hanvey 8 October 1959, Dublin) is an Irish Singer and Songwriter, Composer Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof, KBE, known as Bob Geldof (born 5 October 1951, is an Irish singer Stiff Little Fingers are a punk band from Belfast, Northern Ireland, formed in 1977 Later in the 80s and into the 90s, Irish punk fractured into new styles of alternative rock, which included That Petrol Emotion, My Bloody Valentine and Ash. Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of That Petrol Emotion was a Northern Irish, London -based band with an American vocalist called Steve Mack My Bloody Valentine are an Alternative rock band formed in Dublin Ireland in 1984 and predominantly based in London. Ash are an Alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992

In the 1990s, pop bands like the Corrs, B*Witched, Boyzone and The Cranberries emerged. The Corrs are a Celtic Folk rock group from Dundalk, County Louth Ireland. B*Witched was an Irish Girl group who enjoyed success in both Europe and North America between 1998 and 2000 releasing two albums and eight singles all of which Boyzone are an Irish boy band who had popular mainstream success during the 1990s The Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick in 1990 In the same decade, Ireland also contributed a subgenre of folk metal known as Celtic metal with exponents of the genre including Cruachan, Geasa and Waylander. Folk metal is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s Celtic metal is a subgenre of Folk metal that developed in the 1990s in Ireland. Cruachan is a Celtic metal band from Dublin Ireland formed in 1992 and reformed in 1999 accredited with being one of the founders of the genre - Folk Metal Waylander is a Northern Irish band influential in the realms of Celtic Folk metal. ^[12]

Top 5 biggest selling Irish acts of all time

See also

• Celtic music
• Irish rebel music
• Irish traditional music session
• Traditional Irish Singing
• List of Irish musicians
• List of All-Ireland Champions
• List of Irish Music Collectors
• List of artists who reached number one in Ireland
• List of songs that reached number one on the Irish Dance Chart
• List of songs that reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart
• One Hit Wonders in Ireland
• Top selling singles and albums in Ireland

References

• Vallely, Fintan. The Corrs are a Celtic Folk rock group from Dundalk, County Louth Ireland. Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Celtic music is a term utilised by artists record companies music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of Musical genres that evolved out of the Folk Irish rebel music is a sub genre of Irish folk music, with much the same instrumentation but with lyrics predominantly concerned with Irish nationalism, and Irish traditional music sessions are mostly-informal gatherings at which people play Irish traditional music. This is a list of famous Irish people. It covers People who were born on the island of Ireland and/or who have lived there for most of their lives This page lists those who have won the Senior title at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann since its foundation in 1951 by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. This is a list of notable Irish music collectors: Collectors Breandan Breathnach (1912-1985 - collected over 7000 tunes published from This is an incomplete list of recording artists who have reached number one on the singles and albums chart in Republic of Ireland. This is a list of number-one dance songs as recorded by IRMA &rsquos Top 10 Dance Singles chart &mdash a weekly national survey of popular dance songs in Ireland This is a list of number-one songs as recorded by IRMA ’s Top 50 Singles chart &mdash a weekly national survey of popular songs in Ireland. This list covers songs which were one-hit wonders in Ireland by Irish artists only This is a list of the top selling singles and top sellings albums in Republic of Ireland. "The Companion to Irish Traditional Music" Cork University Press, ISBN 1 85918 148 1
• Carson, Ciaran. Irish Traditional Music. Appletree Press ISBN 0-86281-168-6
• O'Connor, Nuala. "Dancing at the Virtual Crossroads". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed. ), World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, pp 170-188. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0
• Mathieson, Kenny. "Ireland". 2001. In Mathieson, Kenny (Ed. ), Celtic music, pp. 10-53. Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-623-8
• Carson, Ciaran. "Last Night's Fun", Jonathan Cape ISBN 0-224-04141-X
• Geoff Wallis and Sue Wilson "The Rough Guide to Irish Music" ISBN 1-85828-642-5
• Barra Boydell: Music and Paintings in the National Gallery of Ireland, 1985, ISBN 0-903162-22-9

Notes

External links

• A History of Irish Music, by W. H. Flood
• Contemporary Music Centre, Dublin Ireland's national resource and archive centre for contemporary Irish classical music.
• Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann A global movement promoting Irish traditional music and culture
• TheSession.org an online tune database and discussion site for adherents of Irish Traditional Music
• IRMA.ie - The Irish Recorded Music Association