The Music
We have all heard traditional Irish music, be it in a pub or in the media but traditional Irish music was relatively unheard of before the late 19th century into the early 20th century, when it gained serious popularity amongst the continental European nations. The mass immigration of Irish people to North America also led to an extensive traditional Irish musical boom as it allowed those, who fled, to feel a sense of home away from home and this practice had remained strong to this day.
The main Traditional Irish musical instruments consist of The Fiddle (violin), the uilleann (pronounced ill-in) pipes, the concertina, tin whistle, the Bodhrán (pronounced Bow-rawn) and of course the harp. As the genre of music evolved, instruments such as the banjo, harmonica, guitar and mandolin were added and are now considered modern traditional Irish musical instruments. Traditional Irish music bands such as The Dubliners and The Clancy Brothers have paved the way for Irish music internationally, having toured all over the world and in the process put Ireland on the musical map. Due to the international appeal of traditional Irish music, it allowed for new Irish musicians such as U2, The Cranberries and Enya to venture into other genres of music.
In the last decade or so, there seems to have been a resurgence in popularity of traditional Irish music or Irish folk music, especially amongst Ireland’s own population but also globally. Bands such as The Mary Wallopers, The Scratch and Lankum receiving praise for their Irish-accented music. This resurgence has coincided with the current succession of the Irish in the Arts with actors such as Cillian Murphy, Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan garnering Oscar nominations or the popularity of TV shows such as Derry Girls and Normal People.
The Dance
Traditional Irish dance consists of a lot of leg- and footwork while the torso remains still and rigid with the dancer often wearing hard shoes to make the steps audible, adding to the beat. The origins of traditional Irish dance lies in Ancient Celtic Dance, it is believed that in ancient Ireland, nomadic dance instructors, known as Dance Masters, travelled through Ireland teaching the natives the way of Irish dance.
Céilí (pronounced Kay-lee) are social gatherings which consist of people getting together to Irish dance in groups. Fun fact: there are 30 Céilí dances to learn in order for someone to be deemed a teacher of traditional Irish dancing. Traditional Irish Dancing has also become competitive, with competitions held worldwide and dancers donning traditional Irish dancing costumes for the events. In 1995, Riverdance made its debut at the intermission of The Eurovision Song Contest as a theatrical show of traditional music & dance. Riverdance was lauded internationally and has been on tour for nearly 30 years now.