The History of Traditional Irish Music
Irish music is distinguished by pipes, fiddles, Celtic lyrics and the story those lyrics tell. Traditional Irish music is known all over the world and has always remained popular. Without traditional Irish music, many popular acts, like U2, out of Ireland would not have changed pop music as it is today.
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Traditional Irish Music
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Traditional Irish music is characterized mainly by the use of Celtic language. Today, these songs are still performed, but many popular artists have translated the lyrics into English. In this type of song, the melody is most important so it is kept simple. These songs date back over 200 years to composers who wrote new songs or wrote down the songs passed on from generation to generation.
Turlough O'Carolan
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Turlough O'Carolan is one of the pioneers of Irish music. O'Carolan was born in 1670 and quickly developed a talent in music. He wrote music that was not only odes, but canonical Irish music as well. Many historians view O'Carolan as an innovator because he wrote the music then the lyrics. During his career, he wrote over 200 songs. He left such an impact because he was the only national composer of his time that Dublin holds a harp festival every year in his honor.
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Rebel Songs
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As time went on, a variety of songs gained popularity. The first being rebel songs. Rebel songs were written about heroes who fought for Ireland's honor during wars against England and other countries. These songs were written in rebellion when England conquered Ireland and banished everyone from speaking their native tongue. Some of the most popular songs were written about local heroes Sean South of Garryowen and Roddy McCorley.
Street Ballads
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Street ballads were songs that showcased Ireland, but had lighter themes. "Molly Malone" is one example. This song is the unofficial song of Dublin and is about a fisherman who died and continued to haunt the local market. "Molly Malone" is so popular and historical that Dublin built a statue honoring Molly Malone to celebrate Dublin's millennium. Another popular song is "Finnegan's Wake." This song is written about a man who dies but comes back to life when someone accidentally spills whiskey on his corpse.
Drinking Song
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Drinking songs may be the most well-known Irish song because of the folk revival. These songs were tales of celebration. One of the most popular drinking songs is "Whiskey in the Jar," a song about a girl who convinces her boyfriend that, at the least, he can always believe in the "whiskey in the jar." During the 1930s, people lost interest in traditional Irish song and dance. However, popular artists like The Clancy Brothers, The Chieftains and Dubliners brought back the traditional Irish drinking song with their popularity.
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