Scotland leads this hour. The Occasionals mark forty years of ceilidh dance music, a Glasgow harp and fiddle duo spins out a Gaelic river tune, and Shooglenifty bring the Acid Croft to Stamina Island. Syr adds Celtic folk rock from South Carolina, while Irish and Scottish threads weave together across the whole show. It’s the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #781. – – Subscribe now at CelticMusicPodcast.com!
Caitlin Finley & Will Woodson, Clann An Drumma, McFloosey, Téada, Enda Reilly, Donnie ‘Large' Macdonald, The Occasionals, Clay Babies, Jay Michaels, Rebecca Hill and Charlie Stewart, Shooglenifty, Cats and Crows, MacCumhaill and the Gang, Syr, Gerry Maguire
Marc Gunn, Téada, Shooglenifty, Enda Reilly, The Occasionals, Syr, Clann An Drumma, Rebecca Hill and Charlie Stewart
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VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 FOR 2026
This is our way of finding the best songs and artists each year. You can vote for as many songs and tunes that inspire you in each episode. Your vote helps me create this year's Best Celtic music episode. You have just three weeks to vote this year. Vote Now! All regular polls close on Friday, December 4, 2026 at 9 AM Eastern.
THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC
0:02 – Intro: Tiffany Kerruish of Fynoderee Distillery on the Isle of Man
4:15 – Caitlin Finley & Will Woodson “The Geese in the Bog” from Once Through the Hall
7:50 – WELCOME
9:16 – Clann An Drumma “Scots Wha Hae” from Boudica's Revenge
12:38 – McFloosey “Kiss Kill or Marry Me” from Balscadden Bay
Pronunciation: Balscadden is “bal – SCAD – en.”
17:41 – Téada with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra conducted by Karen Ní Bhroin “James Murray's / Porthole of the Kelp / The Watchmaker / The Spinning Wheel (reels)” from Orchestrating 25
Pronunciation: Téada is “TAY – duh.” Karen Ní Bhroin is roughly “KAIR – en nee VRIN”
21:30 – Enda Reilly “The Roaring Cliffs of Moher” from The Mystery
24:12 – FEEDBACK
27:40 – Donnie ‘Large' Macdonald “Gealach Bhuidhe an Abachaidh (The Harvest Moon)” from Christina
Pronunciation (approximate): “GYAL – ukh VOO – yuh un AH – puh – khee.”
31:54 – The Occasionals “The Call of The Pipes” from The Occasionals at 40
34:36 – Clay Babies “Transom Jolly” from In Other Words
38:09 – Jay Michaels “The Lark in the Clear Air” from On a Quiet Street Where Old Ghosts Meet
40:53 – Rebecca Hill and Charlie Stewart “Abhainn Hotaroil” from Glas
Pronunciation (best guess): “AH – vin HOT – uh – roil.” Glas is “glass”
43:23 – THANKS
45:08 – Shooglenifty “Stamina Island” from Stamina Island
51:36 – Cats and Crows “The Tide and the Quay” from This Time Will Pass Anyway
56:34 – MacCumhaill and the Gang “The Old Hag of Galway” from 2
Pronunciation: MacCumhaill is “muh – COOL”
1:00:46 – Syr “Coronach” from Ruin
Pronunciation: Syr is “sire.” Coronach is “COR – uh – nukh”
1:04:17 – CLOSING
1:05:05 – Gerry Maguire “An Cú Abú – Rise Up”
Pronunciation: An Cú Abú is “un KOO uh – BOO”
1:08:41 – CREDITS
Support for this program comes from John Sharkey White, II.
Support for this program comes from Cascadia Cross Border Law Group, Creating Transparent Borders for more than twenty five years, serving Alaska and the world. Find out more at www.CascadiaLawAlaska.com
Support for this program comes from Dr. Annie Lorkowski of Centennial Animal Hospital in Corona, California.
Support for this program comes from Hank Woodward.
Support for this program comes from International speaker, Joseph Dumond, teaching the ancient roots of the Gaelic people. Learn more about their origins at Sightedmoon.com
The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather and our Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to follow the show. You’ll find links to all of the artists played in this episode.
Todd Wiley is the editor of the Celtic Music Magazine. Subscribe to get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. Plus, you’ll get 7 weekly news items about what’s happening with Celtic music and culture online. Best of all, you will connect with your Celtic heritage.
Please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor.
Here's a quick note about a local win. A lot of city streetlights still run on older high – pressure sodium lamps. When towns swap those out for LEDs, the energy use of those lights has dropped by roughly half or more in Department of Energy demonstration projects. LEDs also last longer, so there are fewer repair trips. That's real money coming back into a local budget.
The good news is that this is one of the easiest upgrades a community can make. Ask your city or county public works office whether your streetlights have been switched to LED. If they haven't, a friendly email or a few minutes at a council meeting can put it on the agenda. Small local decisions add up, and brighter, cheaper streets are a great place to start.
Promote Celtic culture through music at http://celticmusicpodcast.com/.
WELCOME THE IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST
* Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. I am Marc Gunn. I’m a Celtic songwriter and musician and also host of Pub Songs & Stories, your backstage pass to Celtic songwriters and the stories they’d only tell you after a few pints.
Every artist on this show is an independent voice, sharing their music from a kitchen, a studio, or a little stage near you. When a song or a tune moves you, tell them. Send an email and say you’re listening to the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. A few kind words can fuel a musician all season long.
This is more than a radio show. It’s a gathering of people who love Celtic music and culture, and like any good gathering, it thrives when everyone brings something. Support the musicians you love. Buy a CD, an Album Pin, a shirt, or a digital download. Or join their community on Patreon.
You can find a link to all of the artists in the shownotes, along with show times, when you visit our website at celticmusicpodcast.com.
CELTIC PODFEST AND NERDY ARTS MARKET
Mark your calendar. The Second Annual Celtic PodFest and Nerdy Arts Market is coming to The Lost Druid Brewery in Avondale Estates, Georgia. It’s Sunday, February 28, from 11 am until 6 pm the morning.
Enjoy live Celtic music from Olivia Bradley, The BorderCollies, and May Will Bloom, plus a solo set from me, The Celtfather. Wander the Nerdy Arts Market, packed with independent makers. Grab a pint, meet the artists, and spend the day with your Celtic community.
Get all the details at celticmusic.org
ALBUM PINS ARE CHANGING THE WAY WE HEAR CELTIC MUSIC
Looking for a fresh way to support the music you love? Meet the Album Pin.
Album Pins are lapel pins themed to a specific album — and each one comes with a digital download. Wear your music. All of my latest pins are wood – burned and locally produced, which means a smaller footprint and a one – of – a – kind feel you won't find anywhere else.
Pick yours up at magerecords.com
THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST!
Every episode of this podcast gets made because of our patrons. Your monthly support helps me promote the show so more people find great Celtic music. It buys music from the artists we feature. It even covers the server costs that keep everything running. Thank you.
Patrons also get to be part of a friendly community of Celtic music fans, with a place to chat about the music we all love. There’s free stuff too, like Emerald Wave, our 2026 field guide to modern Celtic music.
Thanks to our Celtic Legends: Fuzzy, Dave and Rosie Donnelly, Rick Boyce, Bruce, Daniel Ide, Brian McReynolds, Marti Meyers, Alan Schindler, Margreta Silverstone, Dan mcDade, Jeff Adelsberger, Gerald F Boyle, Miranda Nelson, Round Rock Image Creators, Lynda MacNeil, Kelly Garrod, Mike Schock, Shawn Cali
HERE IS YOUR THREE STEP PLAN TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST
- Go to our Patreon page.
- Decide how much you want to pledge every month, $4, $12, $30.
- Keep listening to the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast to celebrate Celtic culture through music.
You can become a generous Patron of the Podcast on Patreon at SongHenge.com.
TRAVEL WITH CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS
Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We don't see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos.
In 2027, we're hiking the Isle of Skye. Head on over to http://celticinvasion.com/.
#celticmusic #irishmusic #celticmusicpodcast
I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK
What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? Send me a photo. If you’re in a Celtic band, send me an audio recording of you performing live. Just audio. I’ll use it in a podcast episode later this year.
Email me at follow@bestcelticmusic.
Sean Malloy of Band O'Brothers emailed: “Hi Marc,
I filled out the Google form as part of the permission process, but I felt I should give you some more info about the songs.
“Merrymeeting” is the lone instrumental on the album. The style, however, is not what I would classify as “Irish” or “Celtic.” Still, Anthony did a lovely job with this composition and we're quite proud of it.
“Elm City Ramble” is a song about our beloved nearby city of New Haven, and it names several local places and highlights the terrific New Haven St. Patrick's Day parade, so it's VERY fun and in line with your podcast BUT each chorus ends with the line “haul our asses outta here,” which might be a bit too risque for your typical repertoire. If you don't play it on the podcast, at least give it a listen – it's a fun one. There's a video for it, too
“Bygones” is very catchy, but again, NOT the most Celtic sounding thing. More of a rock/pop feel to it. But it's a banger!
“Ice Keeps” is about the incredible 1914 Antarctic expedition and survival mission of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew aboard the doomed ship Endurance.
“Tiny Hands” was written by Jeff as a surprise song for the father – daughter dance at the wedding of his daughter Meghan last fall. It's a beautiful song about a girl becoming a woman, told from the perspective of an adoring father.
“The Legend of Pat McGroin” is about Steve and Anthony's father, Pat, who occasionally plays accordion with us. The DePaolo boys took a golf trip to Ireland earlier this year, and that trip gave Anthony all the material for that song. Pat actually plays on it with us. Gotta love getting dad into the act!
Those are the most pertinent notes for now. Please let me know if you have any questions at all. We hope you can fit some of these songs on the podcast.
We're also hoping that you can play some of our songs from our Christmas EP on one of the Christmas shows this year
All this stuff can also be accessed via our website: https://www.bandobrothers.com/
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