St. Patrick's Day 2026 (Part 1) #750

Seven hundred and fifty episodes. One massive St. Patrick's Day party. This week the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast brings you over 90 minutes of Celtic music handpicked for the season. From traditional sessions to indie originals, the craic is mighty. It’s St Patrick’s Day on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #750  -  -  Subscribe now at CelticMusicPodcast.com!

Lane to the Glen, The Byrne Brothers, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Aisling Drost Byrne, Brendan McCarthy & Conal O'Kane, Tony Christie & Ranagri, Countercurrent, Ed Miller, Tartanic, Shannon Heaton, Brad Tuck, Liesel Wilson, Socks in the Frying Pan, Irish Millie, The Drowsy Lads, Liz Carroll, SeaStar, We Banjo 3, The Haar, Release the Craicen, Julien LOko Irish Band, Wild Colonial Bhoys, Will Macmorran, Wolf Loescher

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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!

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 - Lane to the Glen "The Sailor’s Farewell : The Sweat House : The Steampacket (Reels)" from Lane to the Glen

3:23 - WELCOME

5:12 - The Byrne Brothers "Poppy Leaf Hornpipe (feat. Colin Farrell) [Traditional], Stevie the 3 Legged Alligator, Banna Swing Reels [Colin Farrell/Byrne Brothers]" from Living the Dream

9:17 - Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh "An Chiúrach Bhléinfhionn" from Ar Uair Bhig An Lae  -  The Small Hours

13:25 - Aisling Drost Byrne, Brendan McCarthy & Conal O'Kane "Widow Well Married / For the Love of Music / Paddy Hiudaí's" from JUMP OUT OF IT

16:56 - Tony Christie & Ranagri "Whiskey You're the Devil" from The Great Irish Songbook Volume ll

19:53 - Countercurrent "Sweet Potato Ghost" from Flow

22:48 - Ed Miller "The Jeely Pice Song" from Live At The Cactus Cafe

26:18 - Tartanic "Maggie's Tale" from Unleashed

27:38 - FEEDBACK

32:56 - Shannon Heaton "Sweetest Blooms Suite" from Perfect Maze

38:41 - Brad Tuck "The Ploughboy (The Fox Hunt)" from On These Waters

41:30 - Liesel Wilson "Inverness Gathering / Bog an Lochan / The Nine Pint Coggie / Lexie MacAskill" from The Path

46:18 - Socks in the Frying Pan "When I'm Gone" from Return of the Giant Sock Monsters from Outer Space

50:35 - Irish Millie "Slip Reels" from GRACE

53:52 - The Drowsy Lads "Angel Band (Remastered)" from Time Flies

59:23 - Liz Carroll "Spinning Out of the Turn | Tom and Martin" from Lake Effect

1:02:20 - SeaStar "The Quiet in Repose" from The Treekeeper Awakens  -  RPM 2026

1:06:27 - THANKS

1:10:59 - We Banjo 3 "Island Orchard" from String Theory

1:15:01 - The Haar "Star of the County Down" from The Lost Day

1:18:54 - Release the Craicen "The Fause King on the Road" from Live! Songs on a Boat

1:22:38 - Julien LOko Irish Band "Cooley's Reel" from Storms

1:24:53 - Wild Colonial Bhoys "Merry Ploughboy" from Century

1:28:37 - Will Macmorran "Ejs" from Glen Echo

1:31:23 - CLOSING

1:32:45 - Wolf Loescher "At Home with the Exiles" from Immigrant Songs

1:37:33 - 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 John Sharkey White, II.

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 Executive Producer for St Patrick’s Month is 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. 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. 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 the artists to let them know you heard them on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.

These musicians are not part of some corporation. They are small indie groups that rely on people just like you to support their music so they can keep creating it. Please show your generosity. 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.

ALBUM PINS ARE CHANGING THE WAY WE HEAR CELTIC MUSIC

I got an email from Discmakers, my CD manufacturer, saying they were forced to raise their prices because of tariffs by our president. This is a tax on Americans. So if you love CDs, remember that the prices will go up. So please support those higher priced CDs.

But there is an option for those who don’t want to buy CDs and for those who want a better alternative for the environment. It’s the Album Pin.

Album Pins are lapel pins themed to a particular album. You get a digital download of the album. Then you can wear your album. All of my latest Album Pins are wood - burned and locally produced. This makes them better for the environment. And they are fun and fashionable. If you want to learn more about Album Pins, you can read more about them on my celtfather.Substack.com or just buy one at magerecords.com

THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST!

Thank you for your loyal and generous support through the good and the bad. Through the ups and the downs. Thank you for your generosity to help fund this show and the Irish and Celtic music movement.

All we have is music and art. It’s not a lot. But it is something. And it brings you new episodes of this podcast every week. It pays for our Celtic Music Magazine, our graphics and our engineer who puts up with my nonsense and makes me sound halfway decent.

Your kindness is rewarded with early access to episodes, music - only editions, free MP3s, exclusive stories and interviews, and you also get to vote in the Celtic Top 20, helping to select the best Celtic bands and songs of the year.

A special thanks to our new and continued Patrons of the Podcast: Tracy O'Shea, James Wolfe, Russell Kolts, Whitney Novak, Noirlapin, Donna Hawkes

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. 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? 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.

Tracy Lucky emailed a photo: "Standing ovation. Hi Marc, I just wanted to drop a line to give a standing ovation for your incredibly eloquent response to the critique e mail you received. I absolutely loved it. Yes, politics are sometimes unpleasant to hear about but it important, now more than ever, to stand by kindness and justice for everyone. Also, for anyone who thinks Celtic music isn't inextricably tied to politics, you haven't been listening hard enough.

You may lose some followers over your stance, but I just backed you here to help minimize whatever impact that may have.

I love to listen to your podcast while working as it makes my day pass so much faster. Beshaba (attached) seems to like the happy tunes as well while she stares at me like a wee gremlin. She especially likes your album Selcouth and always comes for a little visit when I play it."

Cristen Y posted on Patreon: "Hello there! I've been exploring my Irish and Scottish Heritage and have enjoyed supporting you here on Patreon and listening to the podcast. I was curious if you knew of any artists or albums that feature keening songs. I know keening is associated with grieving so I can imagine that there is a sacredness to it and it may not be considered to be respectful to record. I would love any insight you have.

Also, I saw your Celtfather post about standing up for the things we  love and care about. Thank you for modeling courage and using your voice and platform to speak out against the atrocities occurring because of our current administration. I also hope that you recognize the resistance of making music and elevating the voices of other artists; that in and of itself is admirable! Onward!"