Céad Míle Fáilte
Hello and welcome, it is Todd once again. In this issue we have new episodes of our own Irish & Celtic Music Podcast and two episodes of Folk Songs & Stories. The other featured podcasts are Celtic Source and Copperplate Time. The highlighted articles consist of ones about archaeologists finding fully intact Roman pottery in Dublin, the best family hotels in Cornwall, and the Loch Ness hydro project going before the Highland Council. The selected festival is the Taste of Scotland Celtic Festival and Highland Games taking place this weekend June 13 – 15, on Main Street in Franklin, NC on Friday, the Macon County Fairgrounds in Franklin on Saturday, and at the Franklin First Presbyterian Church Sunday morning for their “Kirkin O’ The Tartan” service. We hope you enjoy this issue. Until next time, slàinte mhath!
IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST #713: HOW GAELIC LANGUAGES CARRY CELTIC TRADITIONS
- Shannon Heaton of Irish Music Stories presents “Ancient Tongues, Modern Times: How Gaelic languages carry tradition” on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #713.
- This Irish Music Stories episode aired October 13, 2020. Find the transcript for that show here.
- Thank you, patrons of the podcast!
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 Youtube!
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?
FOLK SONGS & STORIES #301: FURAGONE'S WAKE: ZOMBIE CATS AND ONE WILD PARTY
- Can cats become zombies, outside of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary? Apparently, it happens in songs too. I’ll share the story behind “Furagone’s Wake” and another Cat Lovers Podcast episode. We’re celebrating the 20 year anniversary of Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers.
- This is Folk Songs & Stories #301
FOLK SONGS & STORIES #302: CATNIPPING GREEN
- What happens when a kitty passes from this life to the next? It’s filled with milk and catnip and all the luxuries a cat could possibly enjoy. Hear the story of “Catnipping Green” as we celebrate 20 years of Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers.
- This is Folk Songs & Stories #302
CELTIC SOURCE 77. THE PHYSICIANS OF MYDDFAI – AN INTERPRETATION
- How can a simple Welsh folktale about a shepherd who falls in love with a magical lake maiden reveal deep insights about relationships, time, nature, and the delicate balance between different worlds? How did this extraordinary union gave birth to the legendary Physicians of Myddfai? Using the ‘5 Keys of Celtic Myth' approach, we break down this fascinating story to reveal its practical wisdom about finding balance, respecting boundaries, and connecting with forces beyond our understanding.
ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER THE FIRST FULLY INTACT ROMAN POTTERY IN NORTH DUBLIN
- IRELAND'S history may not be written in stone after all.
- A team of archaeologists working at a coastal site in north County Dublin has made a discovery that is being hailed as a milestone in Irish archaeology: the first fully intact Roman pot ever uncovered on the island.
COPPERPLATE TIME 507
- Bothy Band, Patrick Street, Julia Clifford & Denis Murphy, Luke Kelly, Mick Mulvey & Shane Meehan, Nancy Costello, Kevin Burke, John McEvoy & John Wynne, Andy Irvine, Bobby Casey, Daithi Gormley, The 4 Provinces Ceili Band, Dezi Donnelly & Mike McGolldrick, Mick O’Brien & Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Ralph McTell, Bert Jansch, Brian Conway, Dylan Carlos/Cein Sweeney/John McCartin, Danu, Bothy Band
THE BEST FAMILY HOTELS IN CORNWALL FOR COASTAL KIDS’ CLUBS, BEACH ACCESS AND SPAS FOR YOUNGSTERS
- Cornwall has long been a favourite holiday destination for families – and no wonder. It’s a bucket-and-spade paradise – with more than 300 beautiful, sandy beaches – but the attraction doesn’t end there. This corner of South West England is becoming a destination in its own right for gastronomy, design and – music to any parent’s ears – accommodation that genuinely welcomes children, instead of simply tolerating them.
- Whether you’re looking for a boutique bolthole with babysitting services or a seafront pad with a full-blown children’s club, there’s no shortage of family-friendly hotels in Cornwall. From surf schools to beach bushcraft and even kid-friendly facials, hotels have been quick to find ever more creative ways to keep their younger guests entertained.
LOCH NESS HYDRO PROJECT TO GO BEFORE COUNCILLORS
- Plans for one of three large hydro power schemes that would draw water from Loch Ness to generate electricity are to go before Highland councillors next week.
- Loch Kemp Storage Ltd has proposed building a power station and tunnels near Whitebridge, about 10 miles (16km) north of Fort Augustus.
TASTE OF SCOTLAND AND CELTIC FESTIVAL AND HIGHLAND GAMES
- In the early 1990’s, Dr. Gordon Teale decided to donate his collection of Scottish artifacts to two new venues, one in Scotland, and one in the United States. The latter was first established in Highlands, North Carolina, a nearby tourist community in our county. In 1993 a museum with Scottish tartan specialization was established in Franklin, and interest in uncovering Scottish ancestry among the residents was encouraged. Those responding formed the “Friends of the Scottish Tartans Museum,” now called “The Taste of Scotland Society, Inc.” For over two decades, the Society has been producing Burn’s Night, Tartan Day, Scottish Heritage Day and participating in Winter Wonderland. Volunteers from the Society have participated in the Taste of Scotland Festival since the beginning and starting in 2012, the Taste of Scotland Society took over sole control of the Taste of Scotland Festival from the Chamber of Commerce. Over the years, members of the Society have volunteered to participate in many other activities such as learning Scottish country dancing, taking tartan search information to other Highland Games in North Carolina, and distributing Scottish information to schools and universities in the area.
- Some of the entertainment you will see include Tuatha Dea, The Jacobites by Name, & Andrew “Finn” McGill. There is also a Musician Jam Tent.
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
June 12, 2025
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