Irish music

Most visitors break the unwritten rules of an Irish trad session without realising it. Here’s what really happens in the circle — and what you must never do.

The Tulla Céilí Band celebrates 80 years of traditional Irish music in 2026. Founded in a County Clare pub in 1946, they are still playing — and still making Ireland dance.

The uilleann pipes are Ireland’s national instrument — and they almost vanished completely. Discover the remarkable story behind the sound that defines Irish music.

The bodhrán may be the most controversial instrument in Irish traditional music. Its origins are disputed, its name is debated — and yet no session sounds right without it.

Walk into an Irish trad session and you’ll quickly discover there are unwritten rules nobody tells tourists. Here’s what the locals have always known.

The Fleadh Cheoil is Ireland’s great music feast, where 400,000 visitors descend on one town each summer for sessions that last until dawn.

Sean-nós is Ireland’s ancient unaccompanied singing tradition — performed in the Irish language, shaped by centuries of feeling. Here’s what makes it unlike anything else.

Step inside an Irish trad session and you’ll feel the magic instantly — but there are unwritten rules every first-timer needs to know before walking in.

The uilleann pipes are Ireland’s unique national bagpipe — played sitting down, inflated by elbow bellows, and capable of sounds no other instrument quite matches. Here’s the story behind them.

The bodhrán is the heartbeat of Irish trad music — but its true origins remain fiercely debated. Discover the surprising story behind this famous drum.