Céad Míle Fáilte
It is Todd once again. Unfortunately, there is not a new episode of our Irish & Celtic Podcast. But check out our other highlighted podcasts Erin’s Isle & Mostly Folk. Also, don’t forget to check out the list of new albums. The articles we feature include ones about author Sharon Guard, the Scottish island Prince William and Kate visited, and “House of Guinness”. The featured festival is KVMR Celtic Festival and Marketplace taking place this weekend May 2 – 4. This will take place at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, CA. We hope you enjoy this issue. Until next time, slàinte mhath!
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
- A Portal To Fairytales – by Poetica
- In The Middle Of Now – by Crock Of Bones
- Celtic Breeze – Relaxing Folk of the Isles – by The Celtic Journey
- Celtic Sounds – Relaxing Music for Inner Peace – by Paradise Sonus
- If Ye've Never Been tae Kirrie – by Joe Aitken
- Half Pint EP – by Waxie Dargles
- Brawlers & Ballads – by Hooligan's Wake
- calming chant music – by MA/motion arrey
- Gwlad y Gân – Land of Song – by VARIOUS ARTISTS
Attn Bands: Go to 4celts.com to submit your band to the podcast.
ERIN’S ISLE: GALWAY HOOKERMEN (AND WOMEN) AT WORK
- Kieran Oliver is a mainstay getting this effort going to restore the Galway Hookers. He seems to be able to make sure people are here to work on them. But Coli Hernan and his son Eydne are the driving technical forces behind the restorations.
AUTHOR SHARON GUARD REFLECTS ON FICTION, FERTILITY AND THE UNTOLD TRUTHS OF 1980S IRELAND
- SOMETIMES you write something and without knowing it you tap into a zeitgeist.
- More than once I have finished writing, say, a short story, thinking it was original, filled with my own hard-realised truths, only to open a book and be confronted with the experience of a close-to-moment already articulated on the page.
- This was the case last year. Amidst the excitement and fear of having my debut novel, Assembling Ailish, accepted for publication, I picked up three newly published books and found parallel stories to the one I had written.
Mostly Folk: Episode 724
- Nichole Wagner, Rees Shad, Eric Schmitt, Gary Kanter, Chris Walz, Blue Cactus & Kate Rhudy, Mike Berman, Rich Scher, Gary Kanter, Watchhouse, Sara Trunzo, ERIC SCHMITT, Loveseat, Kierston White, Tekla Waterfield
A GUIDE TO THE SCOTTISH ISLAND WHERE WILLIAM AND KATE CELEBRATED THEIR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
- Well known for its wildlife, whisky and waterfalls, the Isle of Mull is back on the map for UK staycations after a whistle-stop tour by the royals.
- Mull, a 45-minute ferry from Oban off the west coast of Scotland, is the second largest of the Inner Hebrides with a rocky coastline, rich history and seaside settlements teeming with their own traditions.
EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT “HOUSE OF GUINNESS” WHICH SHINES A LIGHT ON IRELAND'S MOST FAMOUS DYNASTY
- 2025 is shaping up to be the year of historical dramas with not one but two sizzling series in the works.
- The first, “Outrageous,” aims to be an accurate portrayal of the scandalous Mitford sisters, including Diana, who married Bryan Guinness before leaving him for Fascist leader Oswald Mosley.
KVMR CELTIC FESTIVAL AND MARKETPLACE
- Step into the enchanting realm of the 27th annual KVMR Celtic Festival and Marketplace, the premiere gathering of Celtic music, heritage, and tradition in Northern California at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, CA.
- Multiple curated stages feature world-class Celtic musicians, regional artists and Celtic Sessions players.
- Experience a unique cultural immersion into the Celtic diaspora through Living History encampments combined with a full-scale music festival nestled amongst the picturesque Ponderosa Pines.
- Some of the entertainers are Téada, Andrew Finn Magill Trio, Low Coals, Summer McCall, The Shanty Mountain Bards, The Dolli Mamas, & The Story Wrens
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
May 1, 2025
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