Céad Míle Fáilte
Hello our wonderful readers, it is Todd once again with your weekly dose of Celtic news. IN this issue we a new episode of our own Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. The other podcast we showcase are Erin’s Isle & Celt in a Twist. The articles highlighted are about the island of Jersey, Maggie O’Farrell, & The island of Little Haven. Per usual there is a list of new Celtic albums. The featured festival is the Kincardine Scottish Festival & Highland Games taking place July 3 – 5, at Victoria Park and surrounding areas in Kincardine, Ontario, Canada. We hope you enjoy this issue. Until next time, Sláinte mhaith!
IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST #764: DANCING IN BELFAST
- Alexis Chartrand & Nicolas Babineau, Mary Beth Carty, Trouz Bras, Ned Bigham, The Edinburgh Quartet & Màiri Macmillan, Hildaland, Gwendolyn Snowdon & Cathinca, Dervish featuring Aoife O'Donovan, Blackwillow Starling, Darren Flynn, Donnie ‘Large' Macdonald, Celtic Cross, Bang on the Ear, Shades of Green, MacCumhaill and the Gang, Margaret Davis
- A special thanks our Celtic Legends: Alan Schindler, Brian McReynolds, Bruce, Dan mcDade, Daniel Ide, Dave and Rosie Donnelly, Emma Bartholomew, Fuzzy, Gary R Hook, Gerald F Boyle, Jeff A, Kelly Garrod, Lynda MacNeil, Margreta Silverstone, Marti Meyers, Mike Schock, Miranda Nelson, Nancie Barnett, Rick Boyce, Shawn Cali
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?
NEW CELTIC ALBUMS
- Off The Floor – by Roblo's Rock
- Sunset Magic Tales of the Gothic Medieval Castle – by Andrei Krylov
- The Return to Camelot – by Tales of Avalon
- The Iron Path – by Techcowgirl
- Bodhránaidheacht 1 – by Feirdia Ní Mhocháin
- Gweiddi Dros Ynys Môn – by Ceoltóir Doinsiún
- The Mystic Muses: Live from New Zealand 2026 – by Melissa Cox
- Celtic Healing: Whispers of the Amethyst Lake – by YUNOKIA
- Folk Songs and Dances – by Mattea Saayman
Attn Bands: Go to 4celts.com to submit your band to the podcast.
ERIN’S ISLE: SAVING DONKEYS & CHANGING LIVES IN IRELAND
- Ireland’s donkey sanctuary is not an easy place to get to. Liscarroll is 100 miles from Galway and 48 miles from Cork. But that is where the donkeys have room to run and where they they can retire in safety.
- There are about 150 donkeys living there. And these are just a part of the overall rescue effort that houses 1500 donkeys at the sanctuary’s collective properties around the country. But Liscarrol is where you can visit those fuzzy-faced donkeys.
AN ISLAND ADVENTURE IN GLORIOUS JERSEY WHICH WAS WELL WORTH THE WAIT…
- JERSEY is an island that I have always wanted to visit.
- I have friends, you see, who have been there and have fed back glorious reviews.
- One friend in particular spent a very long chunk of time living there, having visited for a holiday from Ireland and deciding to stay. That was a few years ago now, but it has always stuck in my mind.
- The fact that my friend, who likes a lot of the same things that I do in life – including, although not necessarily in this order, seafood, beaches, family time, wine and holidays, was so enamoured with this island that she chose to stay for a significant amount of time, entirely off the cuff, well I’m not ashamed to say that that left me with serious FOMO…
To read more, go here!
CELT IN A TWIST JUNE 23, 2026
- Dervish draws deep from the well of Irish tradition on their latest collection from The Great Irish Songbook Volume 2. Meanwhile The Ollam take trad someplace else entirely, featuring John McSherry and groovemonster Joe Dart. This hour features fresh track from Trouz Bras, North America's keepers of Breton music heritage and Newfoundland's Rum Ragged take us down The Road To Lushes Bight. Lard Tunderin', it must be Celt In A Twist!
MAGGIE O'FARRELL ON HOW FAMILY HISTORY INFORMED HER NEW NOVEL: ‘THESE ARE MY PEOPLE'
- On 16 March, just after 8:30am, I switched on Radio 4’s Today programme and there, live from Los Angeles, waiting for a limo to take her to the post-Oscars Vanity Fair party, was Maggie O’Farrell. I can’t say I know her very well, but I know her somewhat better than I do Jane Fonda, Nicole Kidman, Mick Jagger, Timothée Chalamet, Sam Altman, Larry David, Javier Bardem and all the rest of the A-listers she would soon be moving amongst…
To read more, go here!
THIS FISHING VILLAGE HAS A SANDY COVE, SEASIDE PUB AND SEAFOOD SANDWICHES
- Found in a scenic fold of Pembrokeshire’s craggy coastline, Little Haven isn’t trying to impress you, and that’s exactly why it does.
- This tiny fishing village has an unpolished charm, with lovely pubs, seafood sarnies, and a pretty cove that fills and empties with the tide. In the warmer months, locals and visitors spill out onto the slipway with ice creams and pints, giving the place a low-key buzz…
To read more, go here!
KINCARDINE SCOTTISH FESTIVAL & HIGHLAND GAMES
- Celebrating over 25 years, our award-winning festival has welcomed thousands of visitors from all over North America to the beautiful lakeside town of Kincardine to join us in celebrating all things Scottish.
- Proud to have received the Tourism Recognition Certificate from the Municipality of Kincardine!
- Some of the entertainers you will see are 54·40, Schiehallion, Glengarry Bhoys, & 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
June 25, 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
Céad Míle Fáilte
Hello our wonderful readers, it is Todd once again with your weekly dose of Celtic news. IN this issue we a new episode of our own Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. The other podcast we showcase are Erin’s Isle & Celt in a Twist. The articles highlighted are about the island of Jersey, Maggie O’Farrell, & The island of Little Haven. Per usual there is a list of new Celtic albums. The featured festival is the Kincardine Scottish Festival & Highland Games taking place July 3 – 5, at Victoria Park and surrounding areas in Kincardine, Ontario, Canada. We hope you enjoy this issue. Until next time, Sláinte mhaith!
IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST #764: DANCING IN BELFAST
- Alexis Chartrand & Nicolas Babineau, Mary Beth Carty, Trouz Bras, Ned Bigham, The Edinburgh Quartet & Màiri Macmillan, Hildaland, Gwendolyn Snowdon & Cathinca, Dervish featuring Aoife O'Donovan, Blackwillow Starling, Darren Flynn, Donnie ‘Large' Macdonald, Celtic Cross, Bang on the Ear, Shades of Green, MacCumhaill and the Gang, Margaret Davis
- A special thanks our Celtic Legends: Alan Schindler, Brian McReynolds, Bruce, Dan mcDade, Daniel Ide, Dave and Rosie Donnelly, Emma Bartholomew, Fuzzy, Gary R Hook, Gerald F Boyle, Jeff A, Kelly Garrod, Lynda MacNeil, Margreta Silverstone, Marti Meyers, Mike Schock, Miranda Nelson, Nancie Barnett, Rick Boyce, Shawn Cali
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?
NEW CELTIC ALBUMS
- Off The Floor – by Roblo's Rock
- Sunset Magic Tales of the Gothic Medieval Castle – by Andrei Krylov
- The Return to Camelot – by Tales of Avalon
- The Iron Path – by Techcowgirl
- Bodhránaidheacht 1 – by Feirdia Ní Mhocháin
- Gweiddi Dros Ynys Môn – by Ceoltóir Doinsiún
- The Mystic Muses: Live from New Zealand 2026 – by Melissa Cox
- Celtic Healing: Whispers of the Amethyst Lake – by YUNOKIA
- Folk Songs and Dances – by Mattea Saayman
Attn Bands: Go to 4celts.com to submit your band to the podcast.
ERIN’S ISLE: SAVING DONKEYS & CHANGING LIVES IN IRELAND
- Ireland’s donkey sanctuary is not an easy place to get to. Liscarroll is 100 miles from Galway and 48 miles from Cork. But that is where the donkeys have room to run and where they they can retire in safety.
- There are about 150 donkeys living there. And these are just a part of the overall rescue effort that houses 1500 donkeys at the sanctuary’s collective properties around the country. But Liscarrol is where you can visit those fuzzy-faced donkeys.
AN ISLAND ADVENTURE IN GLORIOUS JERSEY WHICH WAS WELL WORTH THE WAIT…
- JERSEY is an island that I have always wanted to visit.
- I have friends, you see, who have been there and have fed back glorious reviews.
- One friend in particular spent a very long chunk of time living there, having visited for a holiday from Ireland and deciding to stay. That was a few years ago now, but it has always stuck in my mind.
- The fact that my friend, who likes a lot of the same things that I do in life – including, although not necessarily in this order, seafood, beaches, family time, wine and holidays, was so enamoured with this island that she chose to stay for a significant amount of time, entirely off the cuff, well I’m not ashamed to say that that left me with serious FOMO…
To read more, go here!
CELT IN A TWIST JUNE 23, 2026
- Dervish draws deep from the well of Irish tradition on their latest collection from The Great Irish Songbook Volume 2. Meanwhile The Ollam take trad someplace else entirely, featuring John McSherry and groovemonster Joe Dart. This hour features fresh track from Trouz Bras, North America's keepers of Breton music heritage and Newfoundland's Rum Ragged take us down The Road To Lushes Bight. Lard Tunderin', it must be Celt In A Twist!
MAGGIE O'FARRELL ON HOW FAMILY HISTORY INFORMED HER NEW NOVEL: ‘THESE ARE MY PEOPLE'
- On 16 March, just after 8:30am, I switched on Radio 4’s Today programme and there, live from Los Angeles, waiting for a limo to take her to the post-Oscars Vanity Fair party, was Maggie O’Farrell. I can’t say I know her very well, but I know her somewhat better than I do Jane Fonda, Nicole Kidman, Mick Jagger, Timothée Chalamet, Sam Altman, Larry David, Javier Bardem and all the rest of the A-listers she would soon be moving amongst…
To read more, go here!
THIS FISHING VILLAGE HAS A SANDY COVE, SEASIDE PUB AND SEAFOOD SANDWICHES
- Found in a scenic fold of Pembrokeshire’s craggy coastline, Little Haven isn’t trying to impress you, and that’s exactly why it does.
- This tiny fishing village has an unpolished charm, with lovely pubs, seafood sarnies, and a pretty cove that fills and empties with the tide. In the warmer months, locals and visitors spill out onto the slipway with ice creams and pints, giving the place a low-key buzz…
To read more, go here!
KINCARDINE SCOTTISH FESTIVAL & HIGHLAND GAMES
- Celebrating over 25 years, our award-winning festival has welcomed thousands of visitors from all over North America to the beautiful lakeside town of Kincardine to join us in celebrating all things Scottish.
- Proud to have received the Tourism Recognition Certificate from the Municipality of Kincardine!
- Some of the entertainers you will see are 54·40, Schiehallion, Glengarry Bhoys, & 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
June 25, 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
