Some of them are artists who utilized the restrictions of 2020 to their advantage. They’re the ones who are comfortable in their own skins and are highly creative. So, here are the rising music stars of Ireland:

1. Luz

There was a time when Luz Corrigan used to upload her versions of pop songs anonymously. She did this from the comfort of her bedroom. Gradually, she shifted from her incognito mode to fully revealing her talents to the world. She has now released a few covers and original songs. 

Her songs point out to the fact that she truly has a considerable depth of emotions. You’ll get a feel of this while listening to her most recent single, The Author.

2. CMAT

If you’re wondering what CMAT is, it stands for Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson. She calls herself the ‘Global Celebrity Teen Pop Sensation from Ireland’. Now, if she didn’t have quality songs to back up her claim, she’d be lost in the crowd. She describes her songs as a way of telling jokes to hide those tears. 

Along with the humor and vulnerability, she has also shown a significant amount of resilience. You can expect more releases of singles from this Irish talent in the days to come.

3. Just Wondering

It’s not just music that binds this band of three from Dublin. Adam Redmond, Jack O’Shaughnessy, and Wale Akande have been long-time friends. These rising music stars have known each other as kids and were equally into listening and making music. The early experiments of Just Wondering in pop music included Worth It and Cul. Recently, they released their tune called Drive, which they wrote together.

4. Malaki

The year of pandemic proved to be a breakout year for Malaki or Hugh Mulligan. This rapper from Dublin had a big success with his tracks and broadened his music’s reach. He works in the hip-hop genre in partnership with Matthew Harris, the producer. He only needs a live music platform now and the deal would be sealed.

5. Gemma Dunleavy

Her song Up De Flats blended an enjoyable video and 2020’s most serious songs. This song can be considered as a tribute to Sheriff Street, the area she grew up in. It says how she feels that it has been neglected over the years. 

She has worked with Lost Horizons, Murlo, and White Collar Boy for the past few years. As a result, she has been seen more as a partner in collaboration. This time, she wants the world to see her as an artist in her own right as one of Ireland’s key rising music stars.

6. Shiv

This Zimbabwean-Irish singer and songwriter recently released her debut EP, Me 2 Me. She had spent most of 2020 in a self-imposed exile. According to her, she desperately wanted to create some good music, but was afraid to do so. 

Shiv or Siobhan McClean then used her time in the most productive way possible. She started honing her skills in songwriting with the intention of shaping her sound. Her recent six-track release has an excellent hip-hop and R&B feel.

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Music in slot games include some of the most famous and influential bands and artists of modern times have lent their music to some games. CasinosJungle Canada hosts a bunch of music themed slot games to play free.

Guns N’ Roses music in slot games

In 2016, The American rock band Guns and Roses immortalised their legacy through the creation of an internet slot game. While it offers nothing more than standard gameplay it sets itself apart by adding their music in the slot game with 5 Guns N’ Roses songs. All the graphics are from the band’s discography, tours, and the band members themselves. The songs featured are Sweet Child O’ Mine, Welcome To The Jungle, Paradise City, Chinese Democracy and November Rain.

Other artists with music in slot games

Jimi Hendrix

Another rock legend with a slot game in his honour is Jimi Hendrix. This psychedelic slot game features a lot of his music and some great bonus features. The graphics are purple, hazy and perfect for a beautiful 60s themed game. Songs featured are Little Wing, Crosstown Traffic and Purple Haze.

Motörhead

NetEnt obviously love their rock-and-roll as this is their third game on the list. The slot is based on a live stage and has four of Motorhead’s greatest songs on the soundtrack. The graphics are dark and the animations are distinct and vibrant. Apart from the music, the layout is absolutely unique. The slot is in a 3-3-4-4-5 format and has 76 different paylines. Songs featured are Ace of Spades, Killed by Death, Iron Fist and Overkill.

Megadeth

The imagery around heavy metal clearly makes for a good slot game theme. All the band members feature as symbols alongside instruments, signed plectrums, and female prisoners who give you prizes if you are able to free them. Leander Games were the creators of the game but unfortunately it’s now no longer available to play. If you look on Youtube you can check out what it was like though. Songs featured: Symphony of Destruction, Hangar 18 and Head Crusher.

KISS

Notorious for their elaborate outfit and outrageous performances they are a perfect group for a slot game. KISS’s game can be found both online and in slots in Vegas and prizes rise as high as $2,500. To win this jackpot you need to land on 5 Gene Simmons symbols. Songs featured: Shout It Out Loud ,Detroit Rock City and Rock and Roll All Nite.

Michael Jackson

Just like the KISS game, this slot featuring the king of pop is accessible online and as a physical slot game. There are a lot of bonus features and a hefty jackpot prize. As you would imagine the soundtrack features some of the best pop songs ever made including Bad, Billie Jean, Beat It, Dirty Diana, and Smooth Criminal.

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton is the most famous country singer of all time has composed over 3000 songs in a career that spans more than sixty years. Not only that but she has a number of her own slot machine games. Unlike many other artists she actively promotes them rather than just lending her music and image. Titles include “Two Doors Down”, “9 to 5”, and the Dolly Parton Video Slot. This last one also contains a jukebox with a variety of Dolly tracks. Unfortunately this is no longer available online but the slots can still be found in Vegas. Songs featured: Jolene, Two Doors Down, 9 to 5, Heartbreak Express and Applejack.

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CMAT

Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson describes her songs as a way of telling jokes to mask the tears. There is humour and vulnerability but also strength and resilience. After spending some time in the electro-pop duo Bad Sea she followed some advice from Charlie XCX, and changed her approach to song writing. There are more singles expected this year so be sure to check them out.

For those I love

You may already be aware of singer David Balfe’s performance on Later with Jools Holland or Other Voices. Many already know he’s an outstanding talent. Hailing from Dublin the artist pays tribute to his late friend Paul Curran who he used to perform with as the collective Burnt Out.

Balancing deep and sensitive lyrics with ambient music, Balfe conjures up an intimate mood rarely heard in electronic music.

Shiv

This Zimbabwean-Irish singer-songwriter´s debut EP, Me 2 Me came out in December last year. It was reflective of the feelings she felt most of 2020 and was a culmination of the skills she has been developing to hone her songwriting.
She has an R&B sound that that can be filed alongside Celeste and Jorja Smith. There are also Hip Hop influences similar to fellow Irish artists like Nealo or Kojaque.

Malaki

Another urban artist is Malaki who was hyped to be big last year but due to other things going on never quite gained the recognition he deserved. His conscientious style of Hip Hop, developed alongside a partnership with his producer Matthew Harris, has attracted new followers. Hopefully live performances in 2021 should enhance his reputation even further.

Smoothboi Ezra

With over six million streams on Spotify already and new music to be released Smoothboi Ezra is definitely a name you will be seeing more of. They have been around for a while releasing material but it took 2020´s single My Own Person to get noticed.

They will resonate with fans of what some know as anti-folk. Other acts include such household names like Kimya Dawson, Kate Nash and Jack Penate. Ezra describe their music as a safe place for people.

New Atlas

Owen O’Hagan is definitely an under-the-radar Irish musician and songwriter. Now going under the moniker New Atlas he has recorded diverse music in the last five years from punk to ambient to indie-pop.

His new direction focuses on melodic synths with lyrics that sound like they could be on a 1975 album.

Trophy Wife

Trophy Wife is the alias of Ruby Smyth, the daughter of acclaimed guitarist Jimmy Smyth. Her music is firmly based in the alt-pop sphere. Her EP Art, released last year, is brimming with character and energy. Definitely an artist to look at out for this year.

Brién

If an artist is associated with ghe Soft Boy record label you can be certain they will be worth listening to. This is certainly the case with Belfast producer Brién. He has mixed and produced a number of Soft Boy singles including Kean Kavanagh’s “Emma”. His debut EP DIY Volume 1 gives us a good idea as to what to expect from him this year. Laidback, lo-fi beats and groovy synths similar to label mate buddy Kojaque are the order of the day here.

Patricia Lalor

Although only 15 years old, Patricia Lalor has already achieved over 1 million streams on Spotify for her EPs and singles. She first gained attention after her cover of Hozier’s “Summer Wine” was given a shout-out by Hozier himself on Twitter. Her lo-fi tracks make her a must-listen for fans of similar artists like Soccer Mommy and Julia Jacklin. Truly an artist to keep an eye on as her music career inevitably grows.

Denise Chaila

Despite being a difficult year for new Irish artists, without any opportunities for live gigs and promotion, Denise Chaila still managed to make a name for herself. She was catapulted into the limelight after performance on Other Voices in May 2020 and the buzz hasn´t subsided. She released her debut album Go Bravely late last year which features the irresistible single “Chaila”.

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Dublin Digital Radio started in 2016 after a visit to the Cork experimental music festival Open Ear. The co-founder Brian McNamara was blown away by what was going on in the community and the sheer amount of quality.

It initially operated out of a tiny office at the offices of since-closed publication Rabble. Running on weekends only to begin with, it quickly expanded its audience and grew rapidly. It grew to the point where they were able to host parties and host resident DJs. Almost like a record shop, it soon became a hub for the local community.

One of its most impressive achievements is the wide-ranging cross-section of different independent genres it supports. These days it’s a veritable who’s who of Irish artists pushing the boundaries within their respective areas. Their support for underground experimentalism definitely isn’t mirrored within the mainstream Irish arts scene, which prefers to support more traditional forms of homegrown music.

The lack of support for underground music in mainstream Irish media is evident in public arts funding decisions. The funding that has been awarded is never really enough. This has led to many artists moving abroad to work within a more supportive environment.

DDR serves to remind Irish musicians that they are appreciated.

Alternating Current was a festival that was organised to demonstrate this and inspire others to participate. It hopes to encourage artists to stay in Ireland rather than leaving for places like London or Berlin.

DDR has also provided its residents and the wider community with a physical presence before and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It has given artists the chance to carry on performing for an audience in a time when traditional gigs have been non existent.

Live-streamed DJ sets and live performances have become a common phenomenon of the pandemic

Resident spots on the radio have still been popular amongst the artists and audiences alike. Artists like HUSH have taken the opportunity to explore darker elements of percussive club music. These shows often have a guest DJ.

Another artist Doubt has progressed from just submitting pre-recorded mixes to streaming live shows from his home. Through doing this he is able to get feedback from people within the chatroom forum.

The station has gone from strength to strength over the last year and increased the audience by almost 400%. With a lot of people having more free time or working from home, they have been able to attract a lot more daytime listeners.

The future looks good for the station. As DDR grows so do the relationships with communities both in Ireland and abroad. Some of the DJs have also been able to play on other stations in countries such as Turkey, France or Palestine.

DDR’s organisational structure works without commercial or public funding. Funded by its Patreon members and the ticket sales of club-nights and events. Whilst the lack of greater funding will always prove tough, DDR benefits from being fully independent. This allows the station to push boundaries.

Since DDR don´t have have sponsors they are free to throw their weight behind issues like abortion access, asylum seekers’ rights, and LGBTQ+ equality without fear of losing them.

The station has worked with people with intellectual disabilities who traditionally find it hard to work in a medium such as radio. DDR started a show for people with intellectual disabilities as presenters to do shows that represent their lives. This is something that would be very unlikely to be found on mainstream Irish media.

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As well as efforts of the music industry, the public and concerned councillors have protested and campaigned; these efforts have been ignored until now.

This attitude can be traced back to the 1935 Public ballroom Act. Anti-jazz campaigners at the time successfully mobilised to regulate dance floors everywhere. After this date those wanting to host a dance in an Irish venue would require a license. These licenses were issued with permission from the police force and court.

To this day, whether or not a venue owner holds a license they must apply to the District Court. This takes the form of a Special Exemption Order (SEO) to host a late-night event. This costs the venue €410 per month. All it really gives is an extra three hours midweek and two hours at weekends.

The Gardaí, since the mid 00s, didn’t have the right resources to police the streets. As a result, nightclubs were made a simple target by the press linking dance music to crime and social disorder. Venues were under pressure to prevent hosting electronic music events.

Petitions were signed by over 20,000 people against the Gardaí’s efforts leading to efforts to protect the scene..

This early campaign managed to improve the situation and even led to talk of a modernisation of licensing laws. Unfortunately the centre-right party Fianna Fáil saw this as a threat to the pub lobby, and quashed it.

In 2008, the government. introduced The Intoxicating Liquor Act. This led to venues becoming tied to the pub system, which required a 7 days publican license and a dance license. As a result, fees doubled and Sunday closing times were cut to 1am (from 2.30am).

Between 2007 and 2013 the number of dance licenses in Ireland fell from 1,635 to 930. There are estimated to be around just 100 nightclubs operating in Ireland today.

Many venue owners today say the prices of SEOs and insurance are hampering their ability to maintain a business. However, in order for a venue to achieve this it would have to turnover more than €1 million per annum.

The future of clubbing in Ireland hangs on the decisions from the Department of Justice who are are looking to make positive changes.

Some of these changes include the streamlining of Ireland’s licensing laws. There is hope from the Department of Justice’s Justice Plan, that such reform will happen in the next couple of years. Consequently the department hopes to pilot programmes including staggered and later opening hours for venues.

In March this year, an agreement was made by Dublin council to introduce a night mayor. The town Development Plan has been put together to make sure cultural spaces are put at the forefront of Dublin’s planning development for the next five years.

As a part of this plan, it is hoped that new developments will contain multipurpose spaces. These could incorporate venues helping to ensure developers maintain a cultural infrastructure.

The pandemic has brought venue closures into the broader conversation which goes way beyond just keeping nightclubs open.

The Department of Justice announced in February 2021, that they were considering major changes to Ireland’s licensing laws. These include the extension of venues’ opening hours and staggered opening times alongside a new, annual nightclub permit that is being looked at.

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Cork has always had an interesting and innovative music scene. During the 1980s, it was the unlikely home to a vibrant reggae scene. Notable bands included the cello playing post-punk outfit Five Go Down To The Sea, and Microdisney, the Irish equivalent of Fleetwood Mac. The nightclub Sir Henry’s, founded in the 70s introduced many to club music, especially house. Sir Henry’s was ground zero for the scene. A night there called Sweat attracted many international stars like Kerri Chandler, Cajmere and Derrick May.

A local record store called Plugd has been a centre for electronic music in Cork, regularly hosting new producers upstairs in the shop’s live space, called the Roundy.

Many of the artists have a mutual respect and and are open to influences from many different sources. Superfície, a Brazilian-Irish producer now based in Berlin, introduced her contemporaries to kuduro, baile funk and batucada.

Another group, Flood’s first release was an eclectic nine-track compilation that came out in 2017, a year after they formed. They secured a studio in an industrial estate overlooking Cork’s docklands and began recording their unique material. The music they make reflects their surroundings, a mix of mechanic and organic. The docklands have a stark contrast between decaying industrial warehouses and beautiful views of the Cork harbour.

The internet and local music hubs are one of the reasons why the scene has grown but the whole story. Cork has had a love of house music for a long time and this has no doubt had a significant influence on the percussive music that has been coming out the city in recent times.

As soon as you play a record from Flood or a hypnotic Ellll track, or a heavy Lighght release you can feel the unique energy. The drums sound tribal, as though they could have been sampled from an African record. Over the top of them you can hear the local influences.

Numbertheory includes a sample of sean nós, a traditional Irish tradition of singing.

Coy by Syn includes a sample of the bodhrán, an Irish drum. Some of Lighght’s music uses a harp. Irishness is deeply embedded within this music.

Cork is also known as “the rebel county”. It’s a cliché, but the rebel aesthetic that Cork has adopted really shapes the culture there.

A lot of the artists don’t identify with Cork’s self-mythologising, however. Many in fact remember begrudging Cork from a young age due to the shortage of activities for young people. For some there was not much more to do than get up to mischief.

The members of Flood threw many of their own parties due to the way that commercialised venues prioritised money over any kind of interesting experience. Today, Syn helps run a queer night where unfashionable styles like hardgroove, gabber and donk are the music policy. The big clubs are more interested in playing more popular styles like EDM and tech house.

Producers are forced to look for for opportunities outside of clubs. Luckily much of the music being created in Cork is championed by local artists and DJs. Dublin Digital Radio is a haven for alternative music in Ireland.

Increasingly difficult challenges in the electronic music scene in Cork have meant many talented producers and creatives have had to move abroad however. Berlin and Glasogow are popular choices due to the lower rents and less prohibitive nightclub cultures.

Financial barriers haven’t halted the momentum of those artists, however. It´s a testament to the scene that there are still hugely popular nights in venues such as the Roundy.

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The promoters had hoped to run the Kino as a venue until this summer. However, now the best-case scenario is for live music in Ireland is that things may start again in June or July.

Taking about the Kino Closure, the promoters explained that isn’t feasible for them to pay rent while closed; only to open again for just a limited period.

Before the Covid pandemic, the venue had become a major addition to the city’s nightlife. It hosted gigs and comedy nights with both Irish and international acts. After a period of closure during the last lockdown, the venue had re-opened briefly in September for a series of performances with seated audiences and lower numbers.

Through the Government’s recent live performance support scheme, the Kino was able to host audience-less performances from a variety of artists. The performances were filmed and were available across their social media platforms.

Ed O’Leary, one of the promoters, was sad about the Kino’s permanent closure. He has spoken about how the venue was just finding its groove and was building a good reputation. He feels they never really got an opportunity to totally realise their vision for the Kino. If Covid hadn’t come along the future of the venue may have been very different.

Philip O’Connor, the venue’s landlord was apparently very supportive and understanding the whole time . He really wanted the venue to succeed.

The promoters are already searching for alternative venues within the city and, depending on limitations, hope to resume the Live At St Luke’s concerts within the autumn they also run.

The Kino had been an arthouse cinema from 1996 to 2009 with a capacity of 200 people. hey took over the venue from former occupants, the Pot Black snooker club. The venue has since become a popular spot and was a central location for screenings for the Cork film festival.

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The Live Venues Collective and EPIC (Event Production Industry Covid-19 group) have been lobbying for extra funding. A €180 million fund has been set aside and is hoped to ease the pressure to support the industry.

Some Cork culture and arts venues are filming or streaming productions and whilst it fills the void; a small group of artists are really looking forward to performing again in front of an audience.

Digital programming will no doubt be a feature across culture and arts that will continue into the future.

At the Everyman theatre they have a ‘Play It By Ear’ programme which consists of rehearsed readings. The venue records nine plays that are available online and on demand in a similar manner to a Spotify playlist.

Fred Zeppelins is a venue where new bands go to learn on stages. The venue doesn’t vet bands and absolutely anyone can turn up and play.

This year due to the pandemic there have been no gigs or Battle of the Bands competitions. This was how many bands gained an audience and grew a reputation. It’s also a way to test out new material in front of audiences.

Grants are supporting parts of the industry but it seems that younger bands are being overlooked. It is difficult to quantify the effect it is having on this sector of the music business.

Cork’s Culture and arts venues have had a drive towards engaging online. This engaged their customers but also enabled them to appear active and look more attractive for funding.

The culture and arts funding model is different in Ireland to England, mainly in terms of how funds are distributed. In England, fund are allocated to arts organisations who distribute and allocate money to those that need it. This frees individuals from bureaucracy. This ensures that sure those in the know are in charge of how best to deal with management. This differs to how it works in Ireland. In Ireland, there is more of a redistributive model and doesn’t work so effectively.

At the Cork Opera House there hasn’t been a performance in over a year. They too are adapting to the circumstances.

They´ve decided to look at the potential positives and opportunities the situation has presented them with. They have also filmed a lot of their concerts with a focus on giving opportunities to local artists.

Without a Covid pandemic it would have probably taken theatres longer than other venues to join the digital world. Engaging with a live audience is an indispensable part of the experience.

The owners of Cypress Avenue completed a full venue refurbishment and scheduled a full program of events across the year. This venue shares the opinion of their counterparts in that they are frustrated booking and rescheduling dates. Without clear milestones in place venues don´t know where they stand.

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In previous centuries, traditional Irish music and storytelling were the main sources of entertainment. Particularly when there was no electricity and where only a very small minority of the population was literate. On cold, dark evenings, locals met in their local pub to sit by a fire and listen to stories and music played by local musicians.

Joining a “trad sesh” is a quintessential experience for any visitor to Ireland. This is a session of traditional Irish music in a local pub. It involves the performance of old folk songs on native instruments. It starts with slow and melancholy songs before leading to the energetic, fast paced sort of music more commonly recognised around the world.

Origins of Irish music

The primary inhabitants used very primitive styles of musical instruments such as pipes and horns. They used them as signallers instead of for musical purposes. They used them to warn others of danger or as a means of communication. As the people who played them became more skilled, the instruments themselves changed and evolved.

Similar to other aspects of Irish culture and tradition, the birth of Irish music can be traced back to the arrival of the Celts. After travelling through central Europe they picked up some skills along the way, including the use of musical instruments. One such instrument was the harp. This became the foremost sound in Ireland enjoying popularity from the 10th right up until the 17th centuries. While we don´t fully understand how the Celts used music or expressed themselves through it, we do know it became a very important part of their lives. Anyone proficient with a harp could earn themselves a proper living playing. Harpists were held in similar regard to poets and other artists.

Traditional Musical Instruments

After the arrival of the harp other instruments gained in popularity including:

The Bodhrán

The Bodhrán was a simple handheld drum measuring around 35 – 45cm in diameter with goatskin stretched across it for the drumming surface. A tipper or wooden stick beats the bodhrán. Performers usually play this instrument vertically while resting it on their knee. The player´s free hand is placed on various parts on the inside of the drum to regulate the pitch and timbre.

The Fiddle

The fiddle is the most recognisable instrument of most traditional forms of Irish music. There is no real difference between a fiddle and a violin, only with the type of music it is used for.

The Tin Whistle

A pennywhistle is another simple instrument that actually needs a surprising amount of skill to master. It’s probably the most affordable Irish instrument at a price of around €10 for an entry level one. The instrument is similar to a recorder but thinner in width.

The Uilleann Pipes

The Uilleann Pipes are a well known instrument under a different name, more commonly known as the bagpipes. They are thinner and quieter than Quieter than their Scottish equivilants and have more pipes to play chords.

The Concertina

The concertina originated from England and Germany but is a common sound found in Irish music. It became popular at the start of the 20th century in Irish music thanks to its rich sound.

Harp

The harp is the official instrument of Ireland and appears on coins and government documentation. There are many varieties of the harp but all have multiple strings with a neck and resonator.

Types of Songs

Traditional Irish songs fall into two very general categories; slow ballads and faster dance songs. Both of these have many subcategories.

Sean Nós songs are always sung unaccompanied by a singer in Irish. Passed down from generation to generation they are sung with free rhythm and speed up or down. Sean nos songs are usually about death, famine and oppression, so not party songs!

Dancing songs are much more popular than Sean Nós songs and are generally accompanied by a ceilidh (group of dancers that interchanges partners and directions at various intervals). They are extremely fun to participate in. The three main subcategories being jigs, reels, and hornpipes.

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The Dubliners

The Dubliners are without doubt one of the most famous and one of the best bands of all time. They have been performing for over fifty years and played gigs all around the world. The band appeared on the Ed Sullivan show i along with numerous appearances on Top of the Pops. They also collaborated with the Pogues and were even at one time banned by the RTE. The Dubliners played a part like no other band in popularising Irish music around the world.

Clannad

Clannad are Donegal’s most famous Irish band. They are also one of the most popular Irish bands despite actually finding success more abroad than at home. Not only were they instrumental in showcasing traditional Irish music but also the language. Their trademark haunting melodies became famous via exposure to their soundtracks to Harry’s Game and Robin The Hooded Man; not to mention their huge global hit Orinoco Flow. Their success meant they achieved eight UK top ten albums.

The Corrs

Combining traditional Irish musical themes with pop-rock has been attempted with mixed success by many bands. The Corrs were no doubt one of the most successful however. This group of siblings used their style and sense of catchy melodies to strike it big.

Forming in 1990, the Corrs released seven studio albums which sold forty million copies worldwide alongside numerous singles.

Two such singles, Talk On Corners and Forgiven Not Forgotten, were simultaneously number one and two in the UK charts. This has only been achieved by a small number of groups and is a testament to their popularity.

The Boomtown Rats

Irish dance orchestra from in Dublin, The Boomtown Rats are one of the few bands, Irish or not, who can claim to have played in front of an audience of 1.9 billion people. This happened in 1985 when they played and organised Live Aid, a massive charity event for the famine in Ethiopia.

They released many albums released over the years including The Boomtown Rats, A Tonic for the Troops, Mondo Bongo, V Deep and The Fine Art of Surfacing.

The Pogues

Released in 1987, The Pogues´ single Fairytale of New York has become synonymous with the Christmas season.
It is strange to think that it actually never fot the number one spot despite its huge popularity and sales of over 1.2 million in the UK alone.
The Pogues’ lead singer Shane MacGowan is undoubtedly one of Ireland’s most talented songwriters. McGowan and the Pogues have the quintessential Irish ability for applying deep meaning and philosophical reflections to their music.

The Cranberries

The Cranberries are Limerick’s most famous Irish band and were formed back in 1989 by Niall Quinn who was subsequently replaced by Dolores O`Riordan.
Their music mixes alternative rock with post-punk and a strong Irish folk influence. The band achieved international success with the release of their first album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? which contained the hit single Linger.

U2

There is a love and hate relationship with U2 in Ireland but internationally few bands have achieved so much success and adoration. They formed in 1976 and with Bono’s expressive vocals and guitarist the Edge’s unique sound the band reached international acclaim upon release of their second album War.
They continue to release albums with fourteen studio albums so far and sales of over 170 million records worldwide.

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