Traditional Music of Ireland

The Irish traditional music includes many types of songs, which are the drinking songs, ballads, and laments, sung unaccompanied or with accompaniment by a verity of instrument. The traditional dance music includes the reels (4/4), hornpipes and jigs (the common double jig is in 6/8 time). The polka came at the beginning of the 19^th century, spread by itinerant dancing masters and mercenary soldiers, returning from Europe, set dancing may have arrived in the 18^th century. Later imported dance signatures which include the mazurka and the highlands (a type of Irish’s version of the Scottish strathspey). In the 19^th century folk instruments would have include the fiddle, uilleann pipes and flutes.

source of picture: en.wikipedia.org

A renewal of Irish traditional music took place around the turn of the 20^th century; the button accordion and the concertina were becoming common. Irish stepdance was performed at ceilis, organized contests and at some country houses where local and travelling artists were welcome. The Irish dancing was supported by the educational system and patriotic organizations, an older pattern of singing known as sean-nos (in the old pattern), which is a type of traditional Irish singing was still found, primarily for every poetic songs in the Irish language.

From 1820 to 1920 over 4,400,000 Irish settlers to the United States of America, making an Irish diaspora in Chicago (Francis O’Neill), Boston, New York and other cities, the Irish artists who were successful in the United States of America made recordings that found their way around the world and re-invigorated musical patterns back in the homeland, for instance American-based fiddlers such as Michael Coleman, James Morrison and Paddy Killoran did much to promote Irish music in the 1920s and 1930s.

After the lull in the 1940s and 1950s, when (except for Ceilidh ensembles) traditional music was at a low ebb, Sean O’ Riada’s, The Chieftains, The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, The Irish Rovers, The Dubliners, Ryan’s Fancy and Swrrney’s Men were in large part responsible for a second wave of renewal of the Irish music in the 1960s. Many of these were featured in the 2010 television movies my music. When Irish Eyes are smiling, they were followed by the likes of Planxty, The Bothy band and Clannad in the 70s, later such ensembles as Stockton’s wing, De Dannan, Altan, Arcady, Dervish, and Patrick Street, along with a wealth of individual musicians.