Céad Míle Fáilte
It is Todd once again. In this edition we have new episodes of our own Irish & Celtic Music Podcast as well as the Celtic Christmas Music podcast. The other podcasts featured are Ireland Family Vacations & Celt in a Twist. We have a list of new CDs as well. The featured articles include ones about a livestream of the Winter Solstice from an Irish Landmark, a new beer fest in Strathaven, & some facts about the song, The Fields of Athenry. The featured festival we highlight is the Sherwood Celtic Yuletide Festival taking place this weekend; December 13 – 14, at 1883 Old Hwy 20 in McDade, TX. We hope you enjoy this issue. Until next time, slàinte mhath!
IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST #689: CELTIC GEMS
- Old Blind Dogs, Poitín, Altan, Arise & Go, The Gothard Sisters, Across The Pond, We Banjo 3, Scythian, Fire In The Glen, Emma Langford, IIsabeau Corriveau et Les tisseurs de rêves, The Bookends, Cantrip, The Haar, Faoileán, Hanneke Cassel
- A special thanks to our Celtic Legends: Bruce, Brian McReynolds, Marti Meyers, Alan Schindler, Karen DM Harris, Emma Bartholomew, Dan mcDade, Miranda Nelson, Nancie Barnett, Kevin Long, Gary R Hook, Lynda MacNeil, Kelly Garrod, Mike Schock, Annie Lorkowski, Shawn Cali
CELTIC CHRISTMAS MUSIC #81: CELTIC CHRISTMAS TREES
- Raise your sustainable Celtic Christmas tree while listening to Celtic Christmas Music #81.
- Joseph Carmichael, Seán Heely, The Barra MacNeils, Cedar Dobson, The McDades, Irish Christmas in America, Brobdingnagian Bards, Screaming Orphans, Mary-Kate Spring Lee, Cherish the Ladies
Want to celebrate Christmas with Celtic musicians? Become a patron.
IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC: BEST OF 2024 PLAYLIST
- Every week, Patrons of the Podcast vote in the Celtic Top 20. Those votes are tabulated two weeks later. The most-popular songs are added to these playlists.
- You can vote for your favorite by following the link in this week's show.
Listen on Spotify
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 CDS
- Generations – by Red River Breeze
- Allt, Vol. 2: Cuimhne – by Julie Fowlis, Eamon Doorley & Zoe Conway and John Mc Intyre
- Traveling Souls – by The Gleasons
- Melezour – by Rozenn Talec & Yannig Noguet
- The Celtic Call – by Andrew Hawkins
Attn Bands: Go to 4celts.com to submit your band to the podcast.
LAST MINUTE IRISH GIFTS TO GIVE IN 2024 | IRELAND FAMILY VACATIONS
- If you've waited too long to do your shopping and want to give an Irish gift – or even the gift of Ireland – this year, I'm here to help!
WINTER SOLSTICE WILL BE LIVESTREAMED FROM ANCIENT IRISH LANDMARK
- THE Winter Solstice will be livestreamed from one of Ireland’s ancient landmarks this month.
- Newgrange in Co. Meath has long been associated with the shortest day and longest night of the year due to the burst of light which appears in the prehistoric monument’s passage tomb as the sun rises.
- On a clear Winter Solstice morning direct sunlight enters the monument to illuminate the chamber for 17 minutes through a small opening above its entrance called the ‘roof box’.
CELT IN A TWIST: DECEMBER 8, 2024
- Lots of homegrown talent to enjoy this hour along with global spins on Celtic traditions, from northern Brazil (Furmiga Dub), Peilmanni folk from Finland (Salamakannel) rockin' Hardanger fiddle from Norway (Gangar) even a Celtic-inspired track from Vampire Weekend! Served with a twist each week with Patricia Fraser. Celt In A Twist!
SCOTS BEER LOVERS HANDED WELCOME SUMMER BOOST WITH ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW STRATHAVEN BEER FESTIVAL
- Christmas has come early for beer lovers in Strathaven after a festival celebrating all things suds was given the go ahead.
- Residents of the town don't usually have to look too far forward in the social calendar to see when the next community celebration will take place, and now they can add the first ever Strathaven Beer Festival to next summer's listings.
LOW LIE, THE FIELDS OF ATHENRY! SEVEN FACTS ABOUT IRELAND’S ICONIC UNOFFICIAL ANTHEM
- SET during the years of Ireland’s infamous Great Famine, the iconic ballad The Fields of Athenry actually dates to the 1970s.
- The folk song is sung at virtually every Republic of Ireland football match, having taken on a life of its own in the world of both Irish – and British – sport.
- Here are seven things you might not know about The Field of Athenry…
SHERWOOD CELTIC YULETIDE FESTIVAL
- Live Music, Scottish Highland Games, Artisans, Archery, Mead, and Santa!
- Some of the acts you will see include Piper Gunn, Cleghorn, PLANTEC, Andrew McKee, Blaggards, David O’ Leary, Ed Miller, O’ Malarkey, The Yokes, & Port O’ Thority
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 & Marc Gunn, The Celtfather
December 12, 2024
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