This is a sort of snapshot in time as a version of a dynamic document (that was) kept on Google Docs, which (was) shared with several friends to view and collaborate on over time. The most recent version of the page is no longer available. This is basically a list of bands to check out, to investigate, or think are worth sharing - I find new bands these days by talking to friends, listening to the local college and independent radio stations, or some of several Celtic Folk music podcasts, or internet radio stations. In the past this was done mainly over usenet.

Podcasts to check out

Podcasts are a great way to find new music by independent Celtic, Irish, and folk musicians. If you don't know how to listen to podcasts, try iTunes. If you don't want to use iTunes, sometimes these sites will provide a direct link to an mp3 file, or you can search around for another program to download them automatically like iTunes does. I've heard about iPodder, but can't tell you any more than that.

• Celtic Music News - resolves to a French ad site in 2026
• Celtic Music Podcast - the Celtic and Irish Music Podcast run by Mark Gunn is still running!
• Celtic Folk Pod - resolves to a Japanese site about language in 2026
• Cleveland Celtic Podcast - dead link in 2026
• LiveIreland - Mainly mainstream, big name Celtic bands, but some Independent musicians as well from Dublin (internet radio) non-working IPs that were listed here have been removed, but the site is still active in 2026

Bands to check out

• Bad Haggis - link dead in 2026, heard on Mark Gunn's Celtic Music podcast #47 at about the 1 hour mark, Funk / Celtic fusion

• Michael McGoldrich - Ried's Reels, 02/08/08: heard on Live Ireland, pipes, elec bass, 06/04/11: heard again on Live Ireland - awesome fusion of trad pipes and jazz (Michael McGoldrick - The Jolly Tinker/Edinburgh Rock)

• Tommy Peoples - Trad. fiddling, 02/08/08: heard on Live Ireland

• Flook - Trad band, kickin, 1/23/08: Heard on Live Ireland, 5/4/08: again on Live Ireland, Granny in the attic - awesome jazzy tune (flute)

• The Jolly Beggarmen - 10/10/07: The Jolly Beggarmen were formed in approx 1976 and lasted more than 15 years. The main members were Joe White, Tommy Jenkinson, Jonny Carrol, Paddy Quigley, Eamonn O'Rourke Snr. Also from time to time there was Kevin Molloy, Donal Nagle and a couple more that (the writer on mudcat didn't) remember. They recorded On the Dole and The Inner City Song which reached the top ten in Ireland. They also travelled extensively around europe and the UK. The Inner City song was written by Don Baker for the Jolly Beggarmen and it reached no 2 in the Irish Charts... Don Baker is also on the single playing the harmonica... you will find info on this on Don Bakers Web site. Tommy Jenkinson and Joe White are still playing music...

  • ChandelierShop - great pub song done acapella with clap line
  • Lannigan's Ball

• The Rogues - 6/28/07: Celtic pipes and drums deftly wielded to mind numbing effect. Weak fiddle, they're kinda like a renn-faire band

• Asteria - 6/27/07: medieval lute

• Liadan - site down 2026, all girl trad. band doing jigs and reels as well as song. Toured with the Chieftans this year (2007)

• Mozaik / Taylor Eigsti Trio - another group with Donal Lunny and Andy Irvine - The Rocky Road to Dublin/Indian Ate the Woodchuck

• Gavin Whelan - link updated to archive.org in 2026, Awesome whistle player!

  • The trip to Cullenstown / Jack Coughlan's / Out on the road - reels

• Donal Lunny - of Planxty, then Bothy Band fame

• BarleyJuice - Check out this band from Philly!

  • Their song 'A Bands a band for all that' is great with it's references to classic rock artists aplenty.

• Ken O'Malley and the Twilight Lords - Heard on Marc Gunn's Irish and Celtic music podcast #31, time: ~19:00, Great Live version of Mo Ghile Mear

• Kennedy's Kitchen - link bad in 2026, Victims of Irish Music, Heard on Marc Gunn's Irish and Celtic music podcast #31, first song

• Rocky Road to Dublin - link bad in 2026, Tullamore Celtic Band

• Four Leaf Peat - Follow me up to Carlow on Celtic Folk Podcast 13, time: 8:50, great version of this tune - I wanna do more traditional music! Amazon only has this as an MP3 album (or the tracks as individual downloads)

• Minstrels of Mayhem - link bad in 2026, a medieval band

• Irish Balladeers - older band, no website

• The Molly Maguires - alot like Clancys / Wolfetones type stuff

• Circled By Hounds - dead link 2026, Chasing our Tales, Irish and Celtic Music Podcast #29 minute 5:00

• Ann 'Sannat - link goes to a Japanese ad site in 2026, The Wind That Shakes the Barley (is that a Cello?) yes, from Welcome Into the Morning, Irish and Celtic Music Podcast #29 minute ~31:00, Check out this youtube clip

• Tears for Beers - Ye Jacobites by name lend an ear, on a CD called 'Cracky Bones' which I found on Amazon for $75! Irish and Celtic Music Podcast #29 minute 34:00

• Hot Ashfelt - Donal Lunny/Frank Harte, 06/11 on liveireland.com

• Martin Donohoe with Aisling McCaffrey - Mountain Road - Road To Lisdoonvarna, Accordian player with fiddler? Aisling McCaffrey, 06/11 on liveireland.com

• Barde - Canadian Celtic Folk revival band from the late 70s. Their self titled album (LP) was seen on usenet recently, http://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?b=3982

• ClandestineCeltic - 10/09 - Marc Gunn's Celtic Music podcast #69 (21:00 or so), Great toe tapping pipes, TX based band

• Mary Macs (?) - Uileen pipes, trad. from Live Ireland

• Hair of the Dog - "Raggle Taggle Gypsies" from their album Let It Flow, 5/09 - Marc Gunn's Celtic Music podcast #66 (2nd tune)

• Lunasa - updated domain in 2026, Any album (Lunasa, Otherworld, Merry Sisters of Fate...), 2/09 - Found in a newsgroup: alt.binaries.sounds.mp3.celtic

• The Barley Boys - domain for sale in 2026, Follow me up to Carlow from "The days of abundance" CD, 12/08 - Marc Gunn's Celtic Music podcast #59 at 46:00 minutes

• Merry Wives of Windsor - Mad Jenny, 11/20/08 - heard on Marc Gunn's Irish podcast #58

• Paul Brady - Arthur McBride, Superb pickin' guitar and really high (male) vocals, great story

• John Daly - Fiddle and piano

  • Briege Murphy (though also done by Gay Woods)
  • In the month of January

• Donald Lunny / Eddie Reader - Awesome and ethereal version of the Blacksmith

• The Voice Squad - The Cocks are Crowing - a cappella, from http://www.taramusic.com/biogs/vsquad.htm (link dead in 2026): "The Voice Squad represent the melding of two related but separate traditions — a British harmony-singing tradition (as exemplified by the Copper Family and the Watersons) and the unaccompanied solo singing tradition of Northern Ireland (as exemplified by such legendary artists as Paddy Tunney and Joe Heaney). By taking the traditional Irish repertoire and harmonizing it in a generally British style, the three members of the Voice Squad have created something new and absolutely wonderful.

• Cantiga - Cantiga "Cantiga at Sterling", 4/18/08 - on Marc Gunn's Renn Faire podcast #93

• Owain Phyfe - "A Health to the Company" from Poets, Bards, & Singers of Song

• Boys of the Lough - domain for sale in 2026, Trad. band - These guys have been around for a long while. I only recently heard their self titled album from 1973 with the version of Andrew Lammie on it - awesome.

• Gra´da - site down in 2026, see wikipedia - Crossover/Fusion band - Irish and New Zealanders, Recently featured on NPR, I found them on one of the usenet lists (alt.binaries.sounds.mp3.celtic I think). Check out their album Endeavour.