Céad Míle Fáilte
It is your intrepid editor, Todd. In this issue we have new episodes of our very own Irish & Celtic Music Podcast and Pub Songs & Stories. The other spotlighted podcasts are Irish Myths Storytime & Celt in a Twist. We have a list of new albums for you to enjoy as well. The articles highlighted are about the West End revival of Florian Zeller’s The Truth, a powerful choral spectacle in Villa Marina, & exploring Scotland with a four-year-old. The featured Celtic festival is the Sheman Celtic Fest & Highland Games taking place March 21st -22nd, at Pecan Grove Park – West in Sherman, TX. We hope you enjoy this issue. Until next time, Sláinte mhaith!
IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST #750: ST. PATRICK'S DAY 2026, PART 1
- Lane to the Glen, The Byrne Brothers, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Aisling Drost Byrne, Brendan McCarthy & Conal O'Kane, Tony Christie & Ranagri, Countercurrent, Ed Miller, Tartanic, Shannon Heaton, Brad Tuck, Liesel Wilson, Socks in the Frying Pan, Irish Millie, The Drowsy Lads, Liz Carroll, SeaStar, We Banjo 3, The Haar, Release the Craicen, Julien LOko Irish Band, Wild Colonial Bhoys, Will Macmorran, Wolf Loescher
- A special thanks to our new and continued Patrons of the Podcast: Tracy O'Shea, James Wolfe, Russell Kolts, Whitney Novak, Noirlapin, Donna Hawkes
CAST YOUR VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20
- Every year, I publish the Celtic Top 20. This is your pick of the best, most-popular songs of the year. But to make the show great, I need you to vote for your favorite songs in each episode.
- Just list each of the bands performing those favorite songs to quickly and easily cast your vote.
WHAT'S NEW WITH CELTIC MUSIC
& CULTURE ONLINE?
PUB SONGS & STORIES #313: ST. PATRICK'S DAY IN THE PUB
- Irish Millie is wasted. The Brobdingnagian Bards are in love… with alcohol. And the Gothard Sisters will send you down the road with a smile. Every song has a story worth telling. We've got the full spectrum from rowdy to reverent. Pull up a stool. Music from May Will Bloom, Brobdingnagian Bards, Rogue Diplomats, Irish Millie, The Gothard Sisters
NEW CELTIC ALBUMS
- Anam na Gealaí (Soul of the Moon) – by Niamh Ó Braoin
- The Story Unfolds Where You Are in the Story – by Rebecca Pederson Hessey
- Outlander: Season 8 (Original Television Soundtrack) – by Bear McCreary
- Medieval Castles and Tavern Nights – by Faelight Fiddlers
- Flower Of Rain (feat. Isa Atómica) – by Albert Feiler feat. Isa Atómica
- Atmosphera II – by Everrune
- Chasing the Sunset – by Nova
- Letters From The Train Yard – by Railcar Graffiti
Attn Bands: Go to 4celts.com to submit your band to the podcast.
IRISH MYTHS STORYTIME: ST. PATRICK’S CONTEST OF MIRACLES
- Get your fire extinguishers ready: things are about to get heated.
- Muirchú’s account of St. Patrick’s contest of miracles with the druid at Tara, as detailed in the 7th-century Vita sancti Patricii (Life of Saint Patrick)
ARDAL O’HANLON AND STEPHEN MANGAN LEAD CAST IN WEST END REVIVAL OF COMEDY HIT
- ACTORS Ardal O’Hanlon and Stephen Mangan will lead the cast in a West End revival of Florian Zeller’s The Truth this summer.
- O’Hanlon, who hails from Co. Monaghan, and Mangan, whose parents are from Co. Mayo, join Sarah Hadland and Janie Dee in the production, which will run at the Apollo Theatre from June 9.
To read more, go here!
CELT IN A TWIST: MARCH 10, 2026
- Fall back no more! Celt In A Twist celebrates permanent Daylight Saving with an hour of Celtivity you can enjoy anytime, or 9pm Tuesdays on CHKG FM 96.1 in Vancouver. More fresh tracks from The Ollam, a transatlantic supergroup featuring John McSherry, Joe Dart and other monster musicians (April 26th at The Pearl on Granville). You got yer Celt In A Twist with Patricia Fraser!
BETTER IS PEACE: POWERFUL CHORAL SPECTACLE COMING TO THE VILLA MARINA
- Music lovers across the island are being invited to experience what is being billed as one of the most powerful concerts of the year as the Isle of Man Choral Society joins forces with the Isle of Man Symphony Orchestra for their annual collaboration.
- The concert, titled ‘Better is Peace,’ will take place on Sunday, March 29 at 3pm in the Villa Marina Royal Hall.
To read more, go here!
‘CHILDREN SEE MAGIC IN THE SMALLEST ADVENTURES’: EXPLORING SCOTLAND WITH MY FOUR-YEAR-OLD
- On a tight budget, we stayed in a bothy, climbed a mountain, looked for Nessie and – best of all – made memories that money can’t buy
- ‘There! There – I can see it!” The cries of my four-year-old echoed around the ruins of 13th-century Urquhart Castle, causing a group of US tourists to come running over to the corbelled bartizans (overhanging turrets) where we stood. “It’s Nessie, I saw her,” he insisted, pointing at the ripples spinning out from the back of a sightseeing vessel on Loch Ness.
To read more, go here!
SHERMAN CELTIC FEST & HIGHLAND GAMES
- Press your kilts, buckle up your sporrans & join us at the Sherman Celtic Festival & Highland Games! Come and enjoy this family-friendly event and experience all things Celtic!
- Sherman Celtic Festival is dedicated to maintaining a family-friendly environment with activities for all ages because we are parents too! Check out all that our event has to offer!
- Some of the entertainers you will see are Mudmen, Waxie Dargles, and more.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHILE LISTENING?
You can send a comment or a picture of what you're doing. You can also send a photo from one of your trips to a Celtic nation or anywhere around the globe.
Slainte!
Todd Wiley (he/him) & Marc Gunn (he/him), The Celtfather
March 12, 2026
TELL A FRIEND
Do you have a friend who loves Celtic music? Why not share the latest episode of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. Share this newsletter or your favorite episode. Tell them why you love it.
#celticmusicmagazine
