All Around My Hat #702

On the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #702 . Subscribe now!

Nathan Gourley, The Friel Sisters, The Langer's Ball, Austral, Hounds of Finn, Juha Rossi, Charlie O'Brien, Kilrush, Blackwillow Starling, Wicked Tinkers, Celtic Conundrum, Carbon Leaf, CaliCeltic, Jiggy, Katie Jane Band

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The Celtic Music Magazine is a quick and easy way to plug yourself into more great Celtic culture. Enjoy seven weekly news items for Celtic music and culture online.

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VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 FOR 2025

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 of 2025 episode. You have just three weeks to vote this year. Vote Now!

You can follow our playlist on YouTube to listen to those top voted tracks as they are added every 2 - 3 weeks.

THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC

0:06 - Nathan Gourley, Joey Abarta, and Owen Marshall "Gleanntán Frolics / The Ceanngulla / The Hare in the Corn" from Copley Street 2

3:46 - WELCOME

5:52 - The Friel Sisters "Born for Sport/The Fairy Jig/Kissing & Drinking (Jigs)" from Northern Sky

9:40 - The Langer's Ball "I'm a Man You Don't Meet Every Day" from Drinking Song Sing - A - Long

12:15 - Austral "Bok Choy" from Thylacine

16:46 - Hounds of Finn "Wild Mountain Thyme" from Gravity Pulls

20:25 - FEEDBACK

24:44 - Juha Rossi "Carolan's Draught" from O'Carolan Tunes on Mandolin

27:38 - Charlie O'Brien "Hibernia" from The Trackless Wild, Irish Song of the Pampa

32:37 - Kilrush "Toss the Jam" from Kilrush

36:50 - Blackwillow Starling "All Around My Hat" from Blackwillow Starling

40:57 - THANKS

43:02 - Wicked Tinkers "The Dean Set" from Rant

46:25 - Celtic Conundrum "Ballad of Ellen Berkery” from Lore

50:46 - Carbon Leaf "7 Brides For 7 Sinners" from 5 Alive!

53:33 - CaliCeltic "Aoife and Her Reefer" from Paddy Paradise

57:39 - Jiggy "Púca (Shadow Step Mix)" from Single

1:04:40 - CLOSING

1:05:38 - Katie Jane Band "Twa Corbies" from Wild One

1:09:18 - CREDITS

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—our planet’s future is in our hands. The overwhelming evidence shows that human activity is driving climate change, from record  -  breaking heat waves to rising sea levels. But the good news? We have the power to fix it. Every choice we make—reducing waste, conserving energy, supporting clean energy—moves us toward a more stable climate.

If you're skeptical, ask yourself: What if you're wrong? What if taking action means cleaner air, a stronger economy, and a safer world—no matter what? Isn’t that worth considering?

Start a conversation today. The facts are out there, and the future is ours to shape.

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 Folk Songs & Stories. This podcast is for fans 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 artists to let them know you heard them on the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast.

Musicians depend on your generosity to release new music. So please find a way to support them. 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.

Email follow@bestcelticmusic to learn how to subscribe to the podcast and you will get a free music - only episode. You’ll also learn how to get your band played on the podcast. Bands don’t need to send in music, and You will get a free eBook called Celtic Musicians Guide to Digital Music. It’s 100% free. Again email follow@bestcelticmusic

THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST!

You Make the Music Happen! I'm in awe of your generosity. You're the heartbeat of this podcast—the reason I bring you fresh Celtic tunes every week.

Your kindness fuels everything. It covers our brilliant engineer, our talented designer, and the Celtic Music Magazineeditor. It spreads this music far and wide. It even lets me buy the music you love and gives me the time to craft each episode just for you.

And as a patron, you're more than a supporter—you’re part of the music! You get exclusive, ad - free episodes, music - only episodes, free downloads, and the power to shape the Celtic Top 20.

All this for as little as $4 a month—less than a cup of coffee, yet enough to keep the music alive and thriving.

Join us today. Let’s make this music last forever.

A special thanks to our new and continued Patrons of the Podcast: Christopher Fennell, Paul Gorily, AlexanderJohn Murray, Peggy Dirks

HERE IS YOUR THREE STEP PLAN TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

1. Go to our Patreon page.
2. Decide how much you want to pledge every month.
3. 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 2026, we’re traveling to the Celtic nation of Galicia in Spain.

We’ll dive deep into the history and legends of the Galician Celts, uncovering their connections to Ireland, Scotland, and beyond. We’ll walk the same lands where Celtic warriors once roamed, hear the myths passed down through generations, and experience the magic of authentic Galician Celtic music, alive with passion and history.

This isn’t just a trip—it’s a journey into the heart of a Celtic culture unlike any other. Will you join us?

Learn more about the invasion at http://celticinvasion.com/

#celticmusic #irishmusic #celticmusicpodcast

I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? Is there a new Celtic CD or Celtic band that you heard of or saw? I’d love to see a  picture of what you're doing while listening.

Email me at follow@bestcelticmusic.

Xavier emailed: “Hi ! Thank you for your podcast. I discovered Celtic music in the 1990s in France with a french band that has since disappeared, Tonynara. I could be wrong but I don't think I've ever heard it on your podcast. This group remains a reference for me and I can only advise you to play one or two songs at the next opportunity. Thanks !”

Caleb Cotter sent a photo: "Hi Marc, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for featuring the Irish Lassies' music this year. You've introduced me to so many incredible artists, and I truly appreciate that! I've also been really enjoying your Dancing with Hobbits album—it's fantastic! You definitely nailed it with that project, and you should be incredibly proud of it.

You’ve always encouraged us to send over recommendations, so I wanted to share one with you: My friend’s band, The Mad Ferret from Edinburgh, UK. They’re amazing, and I think you’d really enjoy their music. Here’s one of my favorite tracks that I think you’ll love.

Also, the Lassies would like to send you something in the mail as a thank you. Could you please share an address where we can send it?

Wishing you a wonderful New Year and thank you again for everything you do for the Celtic music community!”

Patrick Rieger emailed photos: "Hi Marc, Some more celtic musicians from the family's renaissance festival season, this time the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival. Pittsburgh is a small faire, but the musicians are still great. We could only spend one day there, so we didn't see them all. We did get to see The Reelin' Rogues, The Craic Show, Sarah the Harpist (Sarah Marie Mullen), and just as we were leaving at the end of the day, Magnus and Maggie.

Despite the musicians and us seeing each other one or two times a year, we still get to be friends. Big smiles. Daniel from the Craic Show wanting to clink glasses at the Pirates Pub. Sarah and my wife Gayle got into a conversation about environmental issues.”