Raise Another Pint for Hope #754

For Whether you're out walking for the Spring Celtic Challenge or just settling in with a pint — this week's episode has something that'll get under your skin in the best possible way on the irish & Celtic Music Podcast #754. Subscribe now at CelticMusicPodcast.com!

Arise & Go, Carroll Sisters Trio, Faoileán, Cedar Dobson, Seasons, Seán Heely, Skara Brae, W. Ed Harris, Chloe Matharu, Pressgang Mutiny, Mànran, Bluestack, Jarmila Xymena Gorna, Santos Letalone

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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!

THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC

0:06 - Arise & Go "The Drowning At Bruckless / The Miller’s Maggot" from Moments of Light

4:15 - WELCOME

7:07 - Carroll Sisters Trio "Liam Childs  -  Baby Dragon" from Radiance

11:04 - Faoileán "Brennan on the Moor" from Why Should I Not

14:35 - Cedar Dobson and Debojyoti Sanyal "Harvest Home" from From Kolkata to Dublin

17:01 - Seasons "Hope on the Tracks" from Seasons

21:35 - FEEDBACK

29:12 - Seán Heely "Return to Iona" from Dramagical

33:00 - Skara Brae "Let's Raise Another Pint" from The Mists of Time

36:52 - W. Ed Harris "Toss the Feathers" from Cares of Tomorrow Can Wait

39:24 - Chloe Matharu "Peat Fires" from single

43:43 - THANKS

45:58 - Pressgang Mutiny "Ranzo Ray" from Departure

48:50 - Mànran "Downpour" from To the Wind

52:33 - Bluestack "Give It Back/A Soldier's Song" from Last Set Of The Night

57:45 - Jarmila Xymena Gorna "Escape  -  Dihangfa" from single

1:03:22 - CLOSING

1:04:26 - Santos Letalone "Our Voice" from single

1:07:42 - 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.

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.

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.

Spring is a good time to think about what we plant — literally and figuratively. The Celtic lands we love were shaped by people who understood that the earth gives back what you put into it.

This week's tip is simple. Go native. If you're planting anything this spring — flowers, shrubs, anything — choose native plants. They support local pollinators, use less water, and need far less maintenance. One trip to a native plant nursery can do more good than you'd expect.

Walk outside. Pick up one piece of trash. Plant something that belongs.

The same spirit that carries Celtic music forward, community, resilience, love of the land, is the same spirit that keeps this planet alive. Let's carry that forward.

Promote Celtic culture through music at http://celticmusicpodcast.com/.

WELCOME TO THE IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST

* Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. I am Marc Gunn, Celtic musician and host of Pub Songs & Stories. Pull up a chair. This is your weekly hour of Celtic music from some of the most talented independent artists in the world.

This show is for every kind of Celtic music fan. Traditional or contemporary, fiddles or pipes, ballads or reels. There's something here for you. We're building a community around this music, and we're glad you're part of it.

Every artist you hear today is an indie musician. No label. No corporate backing. Just real people making music they love and sharing it with you. If a song catches your ear, reach out and tell them. Buy an album, an album pin, or a t - shirt. Join their Patreon. It goes a long way.

Links to every artist are in the show notes. You'll also find show times when you visit celticmusicpodcast.com.

Now sit back. Let's make some music happen.

Generous Patron of the Podcast. Thanks to Arcane R&D, Erick Mastick, Tracy O'Shea

SPRING CELTIC CHALLENGE — WEEK 2

One week in. How are you doing?

If you've been walking, listening, and picking up a little litter every day… I want you to know that matters. Genuinely. Seven days of small actions is not nothing. That's something real.

And if you're just hearing about this now. Welcome! You haven't missed a thing. Today is a perfect day to start.

The challenge is simple. Twenty minutes outside every day. The podcast in your ears while you walk. And one piece of trash off the ground before you head home.

That's it. Walk. Listen. Pick up one piece of trash.

There's something about doing this alongside other people — even strangers scattered across the world — that makes it feel bigger than yourself. The Celts understood that. The land matters. The community matters. Small acts of care, done daily, build something lasting.

Three weeks left. Let's finish this strong.

Tell me how it's going. Email me at follow@bestcelticmusic. I'd love to hear from you.

THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST!

This show is still going strong because of you.

Patrons of the Podcast, you are the reason new episodes land every Thursday. You fund the audio engineering, the graphics, the Celtic Music Magazine, the show promotion — and yes, buying music directly from the independent artists you hear on this show. Every month, your support does real, tangible good.

And if you've been thinking about joining — this is a great time. Patrons get early access to episodes, music - only editions, free MP3 downloads, exclusive artist interviews, and a vote in the Celtic Top 20. You even get exclusive Highlight Reels that don’t go out on the public feed. You become part of something that keeps this music alive and independent.

Three steps and you're in.

HERE IS YOUR THREE STEP PLAN TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Step one. Go to SongHenge.com to visit our Patreon page

Step two. Choose your monthly pledge. Four dollars. Twelve. Twenty - five. Whatever feels right.

Step three. Keep listening to the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast and celebrate Celtic culture through music.

That's it. Your generosity keeps this community growing. One episode, one artist, one listener at a time.

Join us today at SongHenge.com

A special thanks to our Celtic Legends: Fuzzy, 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, Gary R Hook, Lynda MacNeil, Kelly Garrod, Mike Schock, Shawn Cali

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 from your St Patrick's Day celebrations or any new audio recordings you got for the holiday.

Email me at follow@bestcelticmusic.

Tim Cannon emailed: "Marc, Thanks for doing what you do, and for doing for so long!

Please bear with me...  I'm old enough to remember the days when stereo's would hold multiple CD's and there was a setting to shuffle between the CD's.  Do you know of an App that does something like this?  I imagine that I would store my albums on my device and in the app choose which ones are available for the shuffle.  I use pandora and spotify, but would prefer something that better supports the artists."

Jeffrey Alexander messaged on Facebook: "Is the iPhone app dead?? If so what is the best way to listen now?"

I replied:

1. Patreon app. I don't know if you're a subscriber, but it works great for this app. And gets you involved with the community. It works well even if you just follow the show there.

2. Overcast. Tho I've been listening to a lot more shows on Patreon. This is my favorite Podcatcher. It's iPhone only. Has cool features if you're not listening to music apps.

3. Apple Podcasts. Still a good podcatcher.

Daniel Faigin replied to the comments in #748: "I just wanted to applaud what you said to the fellow who made the "libtard" comment in Ep 748. Folk music and celtic music has always spoken truth to power, and our current leadership needs to hear the truth.

This listener supports what you said. You might lose some listeners, but hopefully you will gain a lot more from the folkies and celtic music fans that agree with you. If there had been a one - time donation button on the site or the patreon, I would have used it. Instead, I'll just continue to support the great artists you find."

He followed up with this short email: "When I shared what you said with my wife, she said: "You've been listening long enough". So I signed up at the lowest level  -  -  less for the perks, and more to support your effort."

Thank you Daniel. Yes. I definitely lost followers for my political shows these past couple months. And you are right, there is outrage from the continued injustices by the current administration. So much so that the NO KINGS protests continue to peacefully grow.

There are three ways that we can make true change, especially with a government that is complicit in supporting the illegal actions of our president.

1. Vote them out. Make your voice heard in November.
2. Support small, local indie businesses. It's always good to support your local community. But most of these businesses not only need your support more than some giant corporation, but they also aren't supporting a government actively breaking laws and hurting people.
3. Speak up. Publicly. At rallies and protests. Online. And especially by contacting your representatives. It feels futile. But it's not. Your voice matters.

You also mentioned making a one - time donation. I don't have a regular way of sharing the URL, but if you go to https://bestcelticmusic.net/donate/ , then you make a one - off donation. But your regular support on Patreon means everything. So thank you!