Page 30 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

28  INTRODUCING IRELAND

The Music of Ireland

Ireland is the only country in the world to have a musical
instrument – the harp – as its national emblem. In this
land, famous for its love of music, modern forms such as
country-and-western and rock flourish, but it is traditional
music that captures the essence of the country. Whether
you are listening to Gaelic love songs that date back to
medieval times or 17th- and 18th-century folk songs with
their English and Scottish influences, the music is Turlough O’Carolan (1670–1738)
unmistakably Irish. Dance is an equally important aspect is the most famous Irish harper.
of Irish traditional music, and some of the most popular The blind musician travelled the
country playing his songs to both
airs are derived from centuries-old reels, jigs and rich and poor. Many of O’Carolan’s
hornpipes. Nowadays these are mainly performed at melodies, such as Lament for Owen
fleadhs (festivals) and ceilís (dances). Roe O’Neill, still survive.

John F C McCormack (1884–1945) was
an Irish tenor who toured America to
great acclaim during the early part of
the 20th century. His best-loved rec-
ordings were arias by Mozart. Another
popular tenor was Derry-born Josef
Locke. A singer of popular ballads in the
1940s and 1950s, he was the subject of
the 1992 film Hear My Song.

The Current Music Scene
Ireland today is a melting pot of musical styles. Traditional Irish music has
pro duced many respected musicians, such as pipe-
players Liam Ó Floinn and Paddy Keenan from Dublin,
while groups like the Chieftains and the Fureys have
gained worldwide fame by melding old with new.
Ireland is also firmly placed on the rock’n’roll map, thanks
to singers such as Van Morrison in the 1970s and later
bands like Thin Lizzy and the Boomtown Rats. The most
famous rock band to come out of Ireland is Dublin’s U2
who, in the 1980s, became one of the world’s most
Hozier popular groups. Other international successes include
Enya, Sinéad O’Connor, Damien Rice; and bands like the
Cranberries, the Corrs, Boyzone, Westlife and Snow Patrol. Today, the Irish music
scene is dominated by acts such as Hozier and The Script. Snow Patrol

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