Just Listening... Live Recordings from IrishFest Atlanta and More #738

This week, it’s raw, real, and straight from the crowd. I’m sharing live recordings from IrishFest Atlanta, plus a couple gems listeners sent in. You’ll hear chatter, claps, and the kind of energy you only get in the moment. Hit play and come hang out at the festival with me.

Sundials, Heather Dale, Celtic Brew, Olivia Bradley, Kira Doppel, Sarah Ling, Kathleen O'Donohoe, May Will Bloom, Irish Brothers, The Muckers, Fialla

This week on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #738  -  -  Subscribe now!

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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 with what’s happening with 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 until December 4 to vote for this episode. 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

0:12 - Sundials “Star of the County Down” from Live Recording

3:52 - Heather Dale STORY OF LISTENING

6:09 - WELCOME

8:39 - Celtic Brew “Dominic’s Farewell to Cashel / Contentment is Wealth” from live recording at IrishFest Atlanta

10:25 - Olivia Bradley “My Match It Is Made” from live recording at IrishFest Atlanta

14:19 - Kira Doppel and Sarah Ling “Broken Pledge Set” from live recording at IrishFest Atlanta

18:43 - Kathleen O'Donohoe “Castle Dromore” from live recording at IrishFest Atlanta

21:39 - FEEDBACK

21:57 - HEATHER DALE ON FEEDBACK

That was part of an interview that I did with Heather Dale a while back. Suffice it to say… I want your feedback for the new year. If you have questions or comments. If you have your own story to share, I’d love to hear it and share it with our listeners. Feel free to send an audio file, if you like. Or just email me follow@bestcelticmusic

27:19 - May Will Bloom “Gypsy Rover” from live recording at IrishFest Atlanta

30:25 - Irish Brothers “Brennan on the Moor” from live recording at IrishFest Atlanta

33:03 - The Muckers “The Crash” from live recording at IrishFest Atlanta

36:40 - THANKS

38:26 - STORY OF HEROES OF OUR TIME and ONE OF US

One of my family’s favorite songs by Heather Dale is the song “One of Us”. She talks about it.

45:12 - Heather Dale “One of Us” from Imagineer

48:32 - STORY OF LEAF

53:02 - Heather Dale “Leaf” from Sphere

56:54 - CLOSING

57:48 - Fialla “Not a Doctor” from live recording

1:02:42 - CREDITS

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 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.

Finally, remember. Clean energy isn’t just good for the planet, it’s good for your wallet. Solar and wind are now the cheapest power sources in history. But too many politicians would rather protect billionaires than help working families save on their bills. Real change starts when we stop allowing the ultra - rich to write our energy policy and run our government. Let’s choose affordable, renewable power. 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. Discover the stories behind the songs from the heart of the Celtic pub scene.

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 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

I have an interesting show for you today as we wait for the results of the Celtic Top 20 and we finish our annual Celtic Christmas episode. First, I reached out to Celtic musicians on the show and asked for them to email audio recordings of live performances they did. I had only a couple responses. In fact, the first artist you heard today was…

But I also recorded a bunch of performances at IrishFest Atlanta this year. I got permission to use many of those recordings for this special episode. These are live, raw recordings that I made in the audience. So you’ll hear people chatting and weird sounds throughout. But we did our best to get you some of the best recordings from this show.

If you have a live recording you made, send it to me. Because I would like to do this again next year.

Finally, I found pieces of an interview I did with Heather Dale a couple years back. I’m slipping those recordings, along with some of her music and the stories behind the songs.

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
• Music - only editions
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• Exclusive stories and artist interviews
• A vote in the Celtic Top 20

Join us today and help keep the music alive, vibrant, and independent. 🍀

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

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.