Celtic Women at the Heart of the Tradition #725

Celtic music isn’t just a heritage—it’s alive through the women who sing, play, and share it. From harps and fiddles to pipes and song, hear their strength and beauty on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #725  -  -  Subscribe now!

Olivia Barrett, Carroll Sisters Trio, Eimear Arkins & Eileen Gannon, Scottish Fish, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Niamh Dunne, Old Man Flanagan's Ghost, Chloe Matharu, Jen Midkiff, Rambling Sailors, The Bordercollies, Plunk Murray, The Friel Sisters

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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

0:09 - Olivia Barrett "The Mountain Blessing/The Secret Elsewhere" from Elsewhere

Olivia Barrett: fiddle

4:40 - WELCOME

6:35 - Carroll Sisters Trio "Liam Childs  -  Baby Dragon" from Radiance

Emilie and Nora Carrol: fiddle

10:32 - Eimear Arkins & Eileen Gannon "Lough Erne's Shore (song)" from The Belles of St. Louis

Eimear Arkinis: Vocals, fiddle, Irish dancer

Eileen Cannon: harp

15:27 - Scottish Fish "Zoe's / 3x" from Currently

Ava Montesi: fiddle

Caroline Dressler: fiddle

Giulia Haible: cello, piano

Julia Homa: fiddle, piano

Maggie MacPhail: fiddle, piano

22:14 - Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh "Blackwaterside" from Thar Toinn / Seaborne

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh: flute, whistles, vocals

26:40 - FEEDBACK

31:14 - Niamh Dunne "Ballyneety's Walls" from Portraits

Niamh Dunne: fiddle, vocals

34:34 - Old Man Flanagan's Ghost "Danny Boy Set (Devil's Dream/Uncle Henry's Reel/Angus Campbell)" from LIVE

Bexy Ashworth: fiddle, vocals

37:30 - Chloe Matharu "Butterfly" from Sailors and Rolling Stones

Chloe Matharu: Scottish Indian singer songwriter, harpist and harmonium player

43:04 - THANKS

45:18 - Jen Midkiff "Phoenix" from All in Good Time

Jed Midkiff: harp, vocals

49:05 - Rambling Sailors "Fish in the Sea" from Kenway's Favorites

Susan Csikos: vocals, guitar

50:39 - The Bordercollies "Mormund Braes" from To The Hills and Back

Carrie Thompson: vocals

Anna Darmanska: fiddle

Lisa McCann: bodhran, vocals

52:53 - Plunk Murray "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" from Another Drink

Erin “Boom Chick” Bliss: drums

58:18 - CLOSING

59:56 - The Friel Sisters "On Diarach (Song)" from Northern Sky

Anna Friel: Flute, tin whistles, vocals

Sheila Friel: Uilleann pipes, flute, tin whistles and vocals

Clare Friel: Fiddle, tin whistles and vocals

1:05:03 - 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.

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, and lobbying our political leaders—moves us toward a more stable climate.

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 of 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

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And if you’re a musician, I’ve got a full blog post with templates and tips to help you design your own album pin jacket.  WHAT IS AN ALBUM PIN?

IRISHFEST ATLANTA

Join us at IrishFest Atlanta on Nov 7 - 9, 2025. You’ll enjoy exclusive concerts with Open the Door For Three with Special Guest Liz Carroll on Friday and Teada on Saturday night.

Plus enjoy music from Kathleen Donohoe, O’Brian’s Bards, Olivia Bradley, Roundabouts, The Kinnegans, The Muckers, Irish Brothers, Celtic Brew, Station 1 2 3 and special set from Inara and Marc Gunn.

There are music and dance workshops, Irish cooking competitions, IrishTea, Irish Films, and of course, LOTS of Irish dancing.

Celebrate your Irish heritage at IrishFest Atlanta in November. Bring a friend!

Learn more at IrishFestAtlanta.com

THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST!

Because of generous patrons like you, the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast releases new episodes nearly every single week. Your support doesn't just fund the show—it fuels a movement. It helps us share the magic of Celtic music with thousands of new listeners and grow a global community of music lovers.

Your contributions pay for everything behind the scenes: audio engineering, stunning graphics, weekly issues of the Celtic Music Magazine, show promotion, and—most importantly—buying the music we feature from indie Celtic artists.

And if you're not yet a patron? You're missing out! Patrons get:

• Early access to episodes
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Join us today and help keep the music alive, vibrant, and independent. 🍀

A special thanks to our Celtic Legends: Dave and Rosie Donnelly, Rick Boyce, Bruce, Daniel Ide, Brian McReynolds, Marti Meyers, Alan Schindler, Margreta Silverstone, Emma Bartholomew, Dan mcDade, Jeff A, Gerald F Boyle, Miranda Nelson, Nancie Barnett, Kevin Long, Gary R Hook, Lynda MacNeil, John Sharkey White, II, Kelly Garrod, Mike Schock, Annie Lorkowski, Shawn Cali

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, $4, $12, $25.
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? I’d love to see a  picture of what you're doing while listening. Is there a new Celtic CD or Celtic band that you heard of or saw? Send a picture.

Email me at follow@bestcelticmusic.

Gwênlyn Glusman emailed some photos: "Haigh Marc, breithlá sona duit!

D'fhreastalamar ar an bhFéile Ghaelach i Seattle inné agus bhí Cavort (http://www.cavortceltic.com/) ag seinm ceol Gaelach. Bhí sé an - sultmhar!

Seo dhá ghrianghraf duit.

Ag tnúth le nuair a léann tú é seo ar an bpodchraoladh!

-  -  Gwênlyn (sí/léi)

1. An úsáideann tú Discord na laethanta seo?

Hi Marc, happy birthday!

We attended the Gaelic Festival in Seattle yesterday and Cavort ( http://www.cavortceltic.com/ ) was playing Gaelic music. It was very enjoyable! Here are two photos for you.

Looking forward to when you read this on the podcast!

-  -  Gwênlyn (she/him)

1. Do you use Discord these days?

Christopher emailed: "Hello Marc! It is I, Chris Toler… again. Well, you always ask people what they are doing while listening to your podcast, and that question segues neatly into a “PSA - sort” of reply from me today.

So, I was on my way to rehearsal with my Irish/Celtic music band, FitzBlarney, ( https://www.facebook.com/FitzBlarney  ) since St. Patrick's Day is rapidly approaching, and we have a few gigs coming up.

Anyways, it was on this drive that I was listening to Podcast #698, ‘Ramble Through The Valley.’ Well, early into the show, I heard Louise Bichan’s "CBC Winnipeg." A great tune on its own, but it also included an old clip of “Where Has My Highland Laddie Gone,” with such a rough, vintage quality and it immediately reminded me of the old RTÉ series called 'Come West Along The Road: Irish Traditional Music.’ And I'd like to talk about that briefly.

Now, I can't emphasize enough how awesome this program was! Videos of live performances of musicians, sean nós singing, step dancers. set dances, lilting, and vocal groups in and around Ireland from the 1960s to the mid 1980s!

I just had to buy the DVD versions of Series 1 and series 2, (and I am always on the hunt for 3 and 4!) These discs contain some 2 &1/2 hours of  live Traditional Irish Music video performances! Sometimes on stages, sometimes in pubs, sometimes on dance - floors.

I know this is something you would absolutely love, (if you aren't already familiar,) as well as many of your listeners. Some of the video performances are available YouTube, too, to just dip a toe into the waters.

I do know that as a patron of the show, the ‘music only’ option is available to me, but personally, I prefer the full 'cast. I enjoy hearing the artists’ names, listeners’ letters, (like this one!) and other informational bits. So, I figured if some listeners did not know about these videos, and, if they are fans of your podcast, they might be inclined to check them out!

Anyways, thanks again for all your, (and your team’s,) hard work, happy upcoming birthday, and Happy St. Patrick’s Day."