Céad Míle Fáilte
It is Todd once again. In this issue we have new episodes of our own Irish & Celtic Music Podcast & Quest & Chorus. The other podcasts we showcase are Three Castles Burning & The Celtic Indy Podcast. We have a new list of Celtic Albums. The articles featured are about Irish language creators, Cornwall’s seaside destination, & Brittany increases the frequency of a ferry to Ireland. We have to highlighted festivals in this issue the first being IrishFest Atlanta that will be taking place November 7 – 9 in Historic Roswell, GA. The second festival is the Bitteroot Celtic Games & Gathering taking place August 16 – 17 at the Daly Mansion in Hamilton, MT. We hope you enjoy this issue. Until next time, Sláinte mhaith!
IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST #722: SPARKS IN THE CABIN
- Tulsa, Carroll Sisters Trio, Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Giro, Scottish Fish, McFloosey, Melanie Gruben, Eimear Arkins & Eileen Gannon, Crikwater, DRD, Bealtaine, Jaywalkers, Andrew D. Huber + the Gecko Club, Jiggy, Willowgreen
- A special thanks to our new and continued Patrons of the Podcast: CORPER, Jeff Laszlo, Laura Simpson, Lee
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?
QUEST & CHORUS #1: DON’T BLINK AT KILMARTIN
- A reminder to be present with those who you love, while we travel through time to Kilmartin Glen in Scotland.
- This is Quest & Chorus #305
- Where legends meet lyrics, and every place sings a story. I’m your bard, Marc Gunn, also host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, and typically host of this show as Folk Songs & Stories, but today, we call it Quest & Chorus, and we begin our journey in a place where time stands still, literally.
IRISHFEST ATLANTA
- Join us at IrishFest Atlanta on Nov 7-9, 2025. You’ll enjoy exclusive concerts with Open the Door For Three with Special Guest Liz Carroll on Friday and Teada on Saturday night.
- Plus enjoy music from Kathleen Donohoe, O’Brian’s Bards, Olivia Bradley, Roundabouts, The Kinnegans, The Muckers, Irish Brothers, Celtic Brew, Station 1 2 3 and special set from Inara and Marc Gunn.
- There are music and dance workshops, Irish cooking competitions, IrishTea, Irish Films, and of course, LOTS of Irish dancing.
- Celebrate your Irish heritage at IrishFest Atlanta in November. Bring a friend!
Learn more at IrishFestAtlanta.com
NEW CDS
- Fret Don't Fret EP – by Tom Richardson
- 107tunesbook – by O’rukka
- Na Caismeachdan – by John Dew
- Ancient Magic, Vol 1 – by Elemental Magic
- EP VOL.1 – by ÉIREWAVE Project
- Joy – by JKL DUO
- My Treasured Land – by Counter's Creek
Attn Bands: Go to 4celts.com to submit your band to the podcast.
THREE CASTLES BURNING: FIGHTING THE FLAMES: CAPTAIN JAMES ROBERT INGRAM
- In 1860, a blaze in the Kildare Street Club led to the death of three workers and the destruction of an institution. Together with other fires of the era, this provided the imperative for a municipal fire service. While Captain James Robert Ingram’s name is associated with the ‘Whiskey Fire’ of 1875, there were many other significant fires, including the destruction of Dublin’s Theatre Royal. This all occurred in a time when a new scientific approach to firefighting was taking shape, thanks to the pioneering writing of James Braidwood, influenced by the Great Fire of Edinburgh. This episode explores the emergence of modern firefighting, and how Edinburgh and London paved the way for what followed in Dublin.
FROM GAELTACHT TO TIKTOK – THE RISE OF IRISH LANGUAGE CREATORS
- IN THE noisy world of today’s social media, the Irish language is finding itself a powerful new voice in an unexpected digital revival. Lifted from the confines of classrooms and small communities, Gaeilge now echoes across our phones.
- This is thanks to a new generation of digital storytellers embracing their native tongue through education, music, and humour. So, what’s the craic? What are these Irish creators doing, who’s watching them and why does it matter? This movement is reimagining how Irish is heard and who’s tuning in. Bilingual creators are incorporating everyday conversation, slang, poetry, and sean-nós music into short TikTok videos, Instagram reels, and podcasts. This content is playful, modern, and unmistakably Irish. Its result? Younger audiences are listening. With humour, music, and casual speech as entry-points, this once endangered language is suddenly cool again. Tiktok’s own newsroom highlighted the rise of the vibrant “#GaelTok” community, with over 39k posts using #Gaeilge earlier this year.
CELTIC INDY PODCAST: 2.4.12 – SEVEN DRUNKEN NIGHTS
- In this episode we feature music from Ian Gould, Cherish the Ladies, Brandon Kennedy, Bog Bodies, Bastard Bearded Irishmen, Across the Pond, The Dubliners, Red Rum, Failte, Seasons, & SlipJig. We also have a list of concerts and festivals taking place in and around the Midwest. We have also included a history of the song Seven Drunken Nights.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH: NOW, DISCOVER CORNWALL’S GROWING SEASIDE DESTINATION
- A delightful Cornish town, long eclipsed by its more renowned neighbour, has just won the honour of being named one of the finest seaside towns in the UK. This small treasure, with its calm stretches of beach, breathtaking views and the splendid seawater lido, is at last getting the praise it has quietly earned. Although Cornwall still reigns supreme for those yearning for a classic coastal retreat, this quieter spot is now in the sights of visitors seeking a gentler, yet equally stunning, version of the region’s famed settings.
BRITTANY FERRIES TO INCREASE FREQUENCY OF POPULAR FRANCE-IRELAND ROUTE
- Brittany Ferries will increase the number of services between Ireland and France after competitor Stena Line announced it is withdrawing from the Rosslare – Cherbourg route.
- Brittany Ferries will increase its number of weekly services between the two ports from five to seven from the start of October 2025, just after the Stena Line service between the ports ends in September.
BITTERROOT CELTIC GAMES & GATHERING
- We are a passionate group of volunteers, proudly dedicated to keeping the Celtic culture, heritage, and history alive in the Bitterroot Valley. We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization (#46-5321460).
- Please join us! We meet the 3rd Thursday of every month throughout the year, at 6:00 pm in the back meeting room of BJ's restaurant, located at 900 1st Street (Hwy 93), Hamilton, MT. The public, new members, and the curious are always welcome to attend! For any time changes or additional committee meeting info, please follow our Facebook page for updates.
- Some of the entertainer’s will be Celtica Nova, Blaggards, Seamus Kennedy, The Byrne Brothers, Hunter Koss, & many others
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
August 14, 2025
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