The Cuckoo sings in May and the King of the Dogwoods reigns over an hour built from polkas, ballads, and Gaelic song. This episode moves between Ireland, Scotland, and the wider Celtic diaspora, featuring both first - time voices on the show and beloved regulars who have shaped its sound for years. It's the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #770. - - Subscribe now at CelticMusicPodcast.com!
Trí, Celtic Underground, Blackwillow Starling, Caitlin Finley & Will Woodson, Irish Millie, The Bilge Pumps, Callan, Boiled In Lead, Mairi McGillivray, Hadrian's Wall, Colin Steele, Sean Griffin, The Tan and Sober Gentlemen, John Doyle
Marc Gunn, Trí, Blackwillow Starling, Irish Millie, Mairi McGillivray, Sean Griffin, Colin Steele, John Doyle, Boiled In Lead
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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!
THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC
0:02 - Intro: Tom Field
0:10 - Trí "The Manchester / The Old Bush / The Banks of the Ilen" from The Cuckoo Sings in May
3:31 - WELCOME
5:12 - Celtic Underground "John Ryan's Polka / Hills of Connemara" from You Can Always Go Home
8:52 - Blackwillow Starling "Guardian of the Grove" from Thornaeppel
11:36 - Caitlin Finley & Will Woodson "The Peeler's Jacket / The Duke of Leinster" from Once Through the Hall
14:01 - Irish Millie "CINEMA" from Can You See Me?
17:34 - FEEDBACK
19:14 - The Bilge Pumps "Roll the Old Chariot Along" from Greatest Hits, Vols I - VII
21:58 - Callan "Amazing Grace" from Callan Song Book
25:24 - Boiled In Lead "The King of the Dogwoods" from King of the Dogwoods
28:47 - Mairi McGillivray "'S Mòr mo Chùram" from Mo Thìr
31:46 - THANKS
33:41 - Hadrian's Wall "Check in with Toronto" from Play Us a Tune
36:43 - Colin Steele "Benromach" from Stramash II
43:20 - Sean Griffin "JFK" from People Are Mad
47:51 - The Tan and Sober Gentlemen "Rabbit" from Veracity
51:05 - CLOSING
51:56 - John Doyle "An Irishman's Epistle To The People Of America" from Free by Nature: Songs of the Irish in the American Revolution
56:50 - CREDITS
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
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 Hank Woodward.
Support for this program comes from Dr. Annie Lorkowski of Centennial Animal Hospital in Corona, California.
Support for this program comes from John Sharkey White, II.
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.
Finally, remember: the sun and the wind never send you a fuel bill.
Last year, solar and wind grew fast enough to cover all of the world's new electricity demand, and they're still the cheapest new power ever built. Solar and wind are now the cheapest power sources in history, and their costs keep falling while fossil fuel prices swing with every crisis.
Choose clean energy, and ask your leaders to do the same. Clean energy means lower costs, more freedom, and a planet that can actually breathe.
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 musician and also host of Pub Songs & Stories. Every song has a story, every episode is a toast to Celtic and folk songwriters.
This podcast is for fans of all kinds of Celtic music. We are here to build a diverse Celtic community and help the incredible artists who so generously share their music with you. If you hear music you love, please email the artists to let them know you heard them on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.
Because we are more than just a radio show. We are a community. A community of Celtic music and culture lovers. We support small and local artists. We spend money on things that truly matter. The personal and heart felt.
You can do that with each of the artists on today's show OR your favorite artists. Buy a CD, Album Pin, Shirt, 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.
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!
A huge Celtic thank you to the Patrons of the Podcast. You are the reason this show comes out every single week. Your generosity keeps the music playing, pays for the audio engineering that makes each episode sound great, and puts independent Celtic artists in front of thousands of new ears.
Being a patron comes with real perks. You get early access to episodes before anyone else. You get music - only versions of the show with none of the chit chat. You get free music downloads, exclusive behind the scenes content, and a vote in the Celtic Top 20 that shapes what we all hear. Most of all, you get to be part of a warm, welcoming community of people who love this music as much as you do.
If you have been thinking about joining us, there has never been a better time. Come see what the community is all about at SongHenge.com. Sláinte!
HERE IS YOUR THREE STEP PLAN TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST
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Go to our Patreon page.
-
Decide how much you want to pledge every month, $4, $12, $30.
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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. Learn more about the Celtic Invasion of Hiking the Isle of Skye in 2027 at 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.
Gwênlyn Glusman emailed: "Hi Marc,
Since you're planning the trip to Galicia, I thought you might be interested in episode #128 of the "Gaeilge Weekly" podcast - about Galicia, of course! It came out yesterday.
Note that each episode of the podcast comes in three versions: the "gnáthleagan" (standard) fully in Irish, the "níos simplí" (simpler) version, and the "i bhfad níos simplí" (even simpler) version. The simpler versions are slower and mix Irish and English.
Slán,
- - Gwênlyn (she/her)"
