Aithne a chur ar ceol gaelach*

*Get to know Irish music

Irish Music

The oldest known Irish music is harpists’ music from Gaelic clans, dating back to the IXth century. The harp has been the emblem of the country since the XIIIth century.  Harpists were often accompanied by a poet who praised the victorious acts of their chiefs.

Traditional Irish music, as we know it now, comes mainly from the XVIIIth and XIXth centuries. This music is composed of two parts: vocal music and instrumental music. 

There are:

• Sean-nós song, a form of traditional Irish singing, with Gaelic lyrics a cappela, from the Middle Ages,
•  Music to dance, purely instrumental which is played in pubs,
•  Melodic music, with “slow airs” (slow and calm instrumental melodies) and “laments”( songs telling sad stories),
• The “ballads”, activist songs composed for nationalist actions, particularly from the XIXth century.

Rocky road to Dublin, traditional music

Today we mainly encounter interpretations in English, but some bands and singers still sing in Gaelic, such as U2, Altan, La Lugh and Danu…for instance.

U2 - An Cat Dubh, with Gaelic lyrics

Since the 1970’s, a growing interest for the Irish music has been seen, particularly in the USA, where there is a big Irish community.

Even if current Irish music has not much in common with the traditional one, it has acquired an outstanding international reputation. Irish music has kept many of its traditional features and has 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.

Hugo Hahn et François-Pierre Du Cluzel, 2°4


What is the emblem of the country ?
Which well known current band sometimes sing in Gaelic ?