Céad Míle Fáilte
It is your intrepid editor, Todd, once again. In this issue we have a new issue of our own Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. The other showcased podcasts are Knotwork Myth & Storytelling and Celt in a Twist. We also have information on our new Kickstarter. We also have a list of new Celtic albums. The featured articles are about a new comedy drama These Sacred Vows, Truro Events Space, & Whisky Tourism in Scotland. The highlighted Celtic Festival is the 2026 Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival taking place on January 24 & 25, at the Caloosa Sound Amphitheater in Fort Myers. We hope you enjoy this issue. Until next time, Sláinte mhaith!
IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST # 742: NEW CELTIC MUSIC YOU’LL LOVE
- Aisling Drost Byrne, Brendan McCarthy & Conal O'Kane, Lane to the Glen, Tony Christie & Ranagri, Michael Joseph Ulery, Kyle Carey, The Druids Irish Folk Band, Carroll Sisters Trio, Kinnfolk, Whiskey Bay Rovers, Poitin, The Langer's Ball, Callán, The Crazy Rogues, Julien LOko Irish Band, Possibly Irish
- Special thanks to our new and continued Patrons of the Podcast: Julia Usry
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 KICKSTARTER IS NOW LIVE
- Ride the waves of Irish & Celtic music with us, support the album and podcast together with an Irish and Celtic Music Compilation!
- Get a Shirt, CD, Sticker, Album and perhaps more when you make a pledge to support the Kickstarter. The Campaign is NOW LIVE!
NEW CELTIC ALBUMS
- Irish Stompers Volume 2 – by Irish Stompers
- Faebower – by Sythiche
- Answer The Call – by The Druid's Hound Inn
- Celtic Roots – by Ankyran Awesomesouls
- New Horizons – by VΞXTOɌ PROJECT
- Fooch2 Favourite Cornish Session and Dance Tunes (Vol.2.) – by Neil Davey
- Fooch! Favourite Cornish Session and Dance Tunes (Vol.1.) – by Neil Davey
- Northern Shores – by Danny Diamond & Brian Miller — Northern Shores
- MERIDIANS – by Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas
Attn Bands: Go to 4celts.com to submit your band to the podcast.
KNOTWORK MYTH & STORYTELLING: S6 EP40|CIARÁN AND HIS WILD, HOLY KIN
- January 6 and all of its spiritual and traditional celebrations: Little Christmas, Epiphany , Nollaig Na mBan (“women’s Christmas” in the Irish)
- The human habit of trying to tame the wild and the trouble with anthropocentrism
- Connecting with the animal nature within and reconnecting to nature in a profound, elemental way
- What it means to be a liminal creature, to hold space for both worlds, for multiple traditions, like paganism and Catholicism
FIRST LOOK AT TOM VAUGHAN-LAWLOR IN NEW COMEDY DRAMA THESE SACRED VOWS
- The trailer has been released for a new comedy drama featuring Tom Vaughan-Lawlor.
- Written and directed by the award-winning Irish screenwriter John Butler, These Sacred Vows will air on RTÉ next month.
- It features recent Irish Post Award-winner Vaughan-Lawlor, who stars alongside Justine Mitchell and Jason O’Mara.
To read more, go here!
CELT IN A TWIST: JANUARY 11, 2026
- Lots of cool Celtic from Canada and its Nordic neighbor this hour. Bruce Coughlan, College Trad and The Fretless join Denmark's Jansberg and Baltic Crossing in the mix. We debut the title track from Tuesday Paper Club by Falkirk's Brogeal and commiserate with The Rumjacks “They Kick You When You're Down”. Not you. You got yer Celt In A Twist!
TRURO EVENTS SPACE REVAMP AS LOCALS WELCOME ‘COMMUNITY-FRIENDLY AREAS'
- CornwallLive readers have heard that Truro is set to get a projector for events like the World Cup and Olympics as part of the Harbour and Lemon Quay revamp, funded by the Truro Town Deal and Cornwall Council. Lemon Quay will also see green spaces, new trees, extra benches, street furniture, and additional cycle parks.
To read more, go here!
WHISKY TOURISM IS ON THE RISE IN SCOTLAND – WITH A FOCUS ON LUXURY EXPERIENCES
- hen you think of visiting a whisky distillery, you probably think of an hour-long tour that showcases the production process and maybe ends with a dram. While this is true of many distilleries in Scotland, the focus for some is to provide a completely different, luxury experience. As the industry continues to face challenges, and consumers are getting more discerning with where, and now, they spend their cash, the trend of experiential tourism – with an emphasis on unique and luxury offerings – is on the rise.
To read more, go here!
2026 CALOOSAHATCHEE CELTIC FESTIVAL
- Get ready to don your kilts for the much-anticipated 2026 Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival, presented by McGregor's Public House, on Saturday, January 24 and Sunday, January 25. This popular, family-friendly celebration of music, food and culture offers a full weekend of Celtic vibes, heritage, and Guinness, right in the heart of downtown Fort Myers.
- Some of the entertainers you will see are Clover’s Revenge, Screaming Orphans, Young Dubliners, and 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 (he/him) & Marc Gunn (he/him), The Celtfather
January 15, 2026
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