County Cork, Ireland

From County Tipperary we head west to County Cork with Cork city the second largest city in Ireland.  Here we meet retired teacher and comical song writer Con O'Drisceoil, who has got himself into a bit of an argument during a music session in a pub...  This song, The Spoons Murder, is off a compilation album, The Rough Guide to Irish Music.

Born in Newmarket, Co. Cork, we meet the Jimi Hendricks of the accordion, Liam O'Connor,  He apparently holds the Guinness world record for fastest fingers on an accordion.  He mixes traditional music with modern influences.having toured some time with pseudo-Irish act Riverdance.  This track is from his 2010 album Tico Mystico and is entitled Morning Dew:

Singer Karan Casey should really have had a mention when we visited Co. Waterford as that was where she was born, but as she now lives in Cork, we make up now for that omission.  This song, The King's Shilling, can be found on her 2006 album The Winds Begin to Sing.

Harpist Máire Ní Chathasaigh was raised in a musical family in West Cork somewhere.  She frequently collaborates with English virtuoso guitarist Chris Newman.  The following lively air is from her 1997 album The Carolan Albums and is entitled Lord Inchiquin.

Finally guitarist Jim Murray has accompanied many great traditional acts, most notably Co. Clare's Sharon Shannon.  Here he plays on a set, The Cat's Miaow, from Sharon Shannon's 2005 album Tunes.

That's it from Cork, next stop Kerry.  As usual you can follow my virtual journey on Tripline.

County Tipperary, Ireland

It's a long way to Tipperary... and all that sort of thing.  Well I suppose it depends where you start off from.  It's not so far from Waterford, our last stop, but if you are walking say from Outer Mongolia, it'll take you a while.  Well, this an English army song anyway, so we'll skip this.

The Clancy Brothers, whom we have met in County Armagh with Tommy Makem, hailed from Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary.  They also thought Tipperary was so Far Away, but then they were active mostly in the USA.  This can be found on their album The Absolutely Essential Collection.

Shane MacGowan of the Pogues was born in London, but spent part of his childhood in County Tipperary.  This song is called Boys from The County Hell, which may or not be near County Tipperary...  It's from their album Red Roses For Me.  

Now for something a bit quieter.  Harpist Áine Minnogue hails from Borrisokane in County Tipperary.  This song, The Gathering, is from her album Celtic Pilgrimage:

Paddy O'Brien from Newton in County Tipperary was a great button accordion player and composer, who died in 1991.  Here are some historic recordings of him back in 1972.  I love the old photos in this clip!

Gerry O'Connor from Nenagh is considered one of the best Irish tenor banjo players, replacing Barney McKenna of the Dubliners after the latters sudden death.  Here he is in action at the Fleadh Cheoil 2017.

As usual you can follow my virtual journey on this map.  See you soon in County Cork.

Counties Wexford and Waterford

In the southeastern corner of Ireland lies County Wexford with some sweeping sandy beaches.  So let's Sleep Out on The Beach with Wexford born Declan Sinnott, who has been playing with many big names around the Irish scene and is still touring with Christy Moore.  This is from his solo album Window on the World. 

Moving swiftly onto County Waterford.  The members of traditional Irish band Danú (named after an Irish goddess) met in Waterford town in 1994 and have been churning out lively tunes ever since.  Here are a couple of tunes The PowerOut and the Dublin Reel by their flute player, Tom Doorley from their 2005 album Up in The Air:

Here's a song by them about my home county Down, that won them the BBC Folk musician of the year award in 2004 from their album The Road Less Travelled:

Robbie O'Connell of Waterford is a nephew of the Clancy Brothers.  Here is the song Flower of Kilkenny, which can be found of the compilation album Rough Guide to Irish Folk:

See you next time in Tipperary and County Cork.  As usual you can follow my virtual route on here.

Counties Laois and Kilkenny

County Laois is another of those counties where not much seems to be happening and I've been having trouble finding any recording musicians from the county.  So here just one song about County Laois by Galway born Dolores Keane, where she describes the (presumably grey) skies of Ballyroan from her 1999 album Night Owl:

So moving swiftly onto County Kilkenny, a county made famous internationally by the beer of the same name made by Guinness, although it's essentially just a slightly watered down version of what the Irish know as Smithwicks.  Here we meet the Kilkennys, who describe themselves as a contemporary Irish folk band.  They have been touring as a group since 1998, but only adopted the name The Kilkennys in 2008.  In fact there is a County Lais connection too, as guitarist Robbie Campion originates from there. Given the fact they are from Kilkenny, they have an odd lack of Kilkenny songs in their repertoire.  Here is an instrumental called the Badger Sett from their 2016 album The Colour of Freedom:

Also originally from County Kilkenny is JCB man Seamus Moore, whom we already got aquainted with in County Armagh.  He doesn't really sing about his home county either so this number talks about Kerry and the moon.  Fluthered on the Moon is from the album of the same name.

That's it for today.  As usual you can follow my virtual journey here.  Next stop is County Wexford

County Carlow, Ireland

Next we're heading to County Carlow.  Leo O'Kelly from Carlow is one half of the folk duo Tír na nÓg, the other being Sonny Condell from County Wicklow.  They've been going ever since 1969 and describe their style as progfolk.  Here is one from the archives: Time Is Like A Promise from their 1971 debut album:

This is something more recent from their latest 2015 album The Dark Dance, a track entitled You In Yellow:

Very much new on the scene is the trad band Caladh Nua (new safe haven), who describe their home, as Carlow, Waterford, Kerry and Kilkenny. They decribe their style as rooted in the southern counties of Ireland.  The song Craigie Hills can be found on their album Happy Days:

Finally a County Carlow song performed by Kildare band Planxty: Follow Me Up to Carlow is on their self-titled 2005 album:

As usual you can follow my virtual journey on this link.  Next stop County Laois.

County Wicklow, Ireland

To the south of Dublin we find ourselves in the County Wicklow, home to the Wicklow Mountains, an area of spectacular beauty and tranquillity. This is me checking if the blackberries are ripe in the Wicklow Mountains last year. 

Here we find The Maguires family band.  They are a family band consisting of the father, his 2 teenage daughters and his young son.  They've shot to fame when a video of the youngest member Seán playing the bodhrán aged 9 went viral.  Here they are playing a set, which starts with a bodhrán solo.  Check out their debut album Little Giants and Other Oxymorons.

From Knockananna hails Órla Fallon.  This is a bit more like pop with an Irish flavour, she is playing the harp and singing Mo Ghile Mear (My Land), from the album My Land.  If you like this kind of thing, you can hire her for your wedding.  Apparently she sang for presidents Clinton and Bush (at least you can't accuse her of being partisan...)

Wicklow is also famous for the monastic remains of Glendalough, where once there lived an old saint.  I can't go on a tour of Ireland without playing the legendary Dubliners.

Finally a love song as we meet the Lass of Aughrim.  This is performed by Dublin born Susan McKeown and features on her album Blackthorn: Irish Love Songs - An Draighneán Donn: Amhráin Grá. 

As usual, you can follow my virtual travels on here.  Next stop County Carlow.

County Kildare, Ireland

From Dublin we are headed inland a bit to County Kildare.  The county's most famous son is undoubtedly Christy Moore, born in Newbridge, whose career spans several decades from its beginnings with Planxty.  Here he sings about where he came from, describing the Bog of Allen covering the northern part of Co. Kildare.

Laura Quirke and Claire Kinsella met at Maynooth University in County Kildare, where they got together to form the duo Lemoncello playing on cello and guitar.  This a track from their 2018 debut EP Stuck Upon the Staircase, Morning.  Here's a pic of Maynooth Castle, just outside the university:

Here is Christy Moore again singing about a funeral in the town of Athy which has gone a bit out of hand... Lanigan's Ball

Finally, while we are in the sweet town of Athy, here's an anti-war song of a soldier returning there with horrific injuries.  This is performed by Canadian based band the Irish Rovers, whose original members were mostly from Co. Antrim: Johhny I Hardly Knew Ye.

As usual you can follow my journey on this link.  Next stop Co. Wicklow.