Keyword Irish Music

When fate brings Belfast teacher JJ into the orbit of self-confessed 'low life scum' Naoise and Liam Og, the needle drops on a hip hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish, they lead a movement to save their mother tongue.

The story of the last Seal Child’s journey home. After their mother’s disappearance, Ben and Saoirse are sent to live with Granny in the city. When they resolve to return to their home by the sea, their journey becomes a race against time as they are drawn into a world Ben knows only from his mother’s folktales. But this is no bedtime story; these fairy folk have been in our world far too long. It soon becomes clear to Ben that Saoirse is the key to their survival.

The story of music legend Terri Hooley, a key figure in Belfast's punk rock scene. Hooley founded the Good Vibrations store from which a record label sprung, representing bands such as The Undertones, Rudi and The Outcasts.

Since the beginning of her career, Sinéad O’Connor has used her powerful voice to challenge the narratives she was surrounded by while growing up in predominantly Roman Catholic Ireland. Despite her agency, depth and perspective, O’Connor’s unflinching refusal to conform means that she has often been patronized and unfairly dismissed as an attention-seeking pop star.

A celebration of the Irish punk/poet Shane MacGowan, lead singer and songwriter of The Pogues, that combines unseen archive footage from the band and MacGowan’s family with original animations.

Story of Irish popular music from 1950 to the present day told by the artists, songwriters, producers and executives who made it all happen. It tells of the dramatic evolution from a grey, conservative culture to a vibrant, colourful music scene which has an enormous popularity and influence completely out of proportion to the size of the country.

This musical celebration charts the lives and careers of some of the biggest selling acts in Irish rock, punk and pop from Van Morrison and Thin Lizzy to The Undertones and U2. From the pioneers of the showbands touring in the late 50s through to the modern day, the film examines their lineage and connections and how the hardcore, rocking sound of Belfast merged with the more melodic, folky Dublin tradition to form what we now recognise as Irish rock and pop.

Daniel opens the "Daniel O'Donnell Wax Museum" on the site of an ancient Celtic tomb.

A modern Irish comedy western set in sleepy rural Sligo.

One Irish Rover, a documentary focusing on the words and music of Van Morrison, was broadcast in 1991 on BBC 2 Arena TV special and on A&E cable television program. It is a series of live songs with commentary by Morrison about music and poetry, it has some truly amazing performances. It includes the footage of Morrison and Dylan in Greece, Georgie Fame at Ronnie Scott’s, John Lee Hooker, The Chieftains and Danish Radio Big Band.

Introduced by Jean Butler, The Best of Riverdance, brings together the stunning highlights and classic performances from the show filmed at various international venues over the previous 10 years. This special compilation, The Best of Riverdance, features performances from the various Riverdance Troupes who have taken the show to the four corners of the world. Highlights include: Reel Around the Sun performed by Michael Flatley and the Riverdance Troupe at the Poin Theatre in Dublin, Countess Cathleen performed by Joanne Doyle and the Riverdance Troup in Geneva, Thunderstorm performed by Pat Roddy and the Riverdance Troup in Radio City Music Hall, New York, Heartland, performed by Jean Butler and Michael Flatley at the Point Theatre and a very special compilation performance of Riverdance featuring the talents of the shows lead dancers over the past ten years.

Tells a timeless story based on Irish folklore of good versus evil, & through the media of dance & music it is understood and appreciated by every culture.

Michael Flatley is the internationally acclaimed master of dance. In 2005 his unrivalled skill and artistry combined in an epic that fused the spirit and history of Ireland with dance and music. The result was a masterpiece, showcasing Irish dance as a dynamic, powerful art form. Says Michael, "Celtic Tiger portrays the oppression of a people. The tiger itself symbolizes the awakening of their spirit in the struggle for freedom. The show itself is a 90 minute spectacular. It is very fast moving, powerful and hard-hitting and I think that it is something that you have never seen before."

Absolutely Irish brings together the brightest stars of traditional Irish music for a once-in-a-lifetime concert that will leave folk music fans stunned by the virtuoso performances. Filmed live at the intimate Irish Arts Center in New York City's famed Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, Irish music impresario Mick Moloney presents three generation of brilliant musicians. They display their mastery on favorite songs and traditional tunes, and rock the hall with their passionate performances. With special guest appearances by two living legends – flute player Mike Rafferty and Irish dancer Jo McNamara – and an inspiring rendition of Leaving Liverpool performed by the entire ensemble, Absolutely Irish shocases the best talent on the Irish music scene today.

For true believers, Mike Scott will always be the man who invented and defined 1980s stadium rock, and then bailed out just as U2 and Simple Minds were hitting their stride. He immersed himself in Irish folk music, releasing the rollicking Fisherman’s Blues and Room to Roam albums to huge acclaim. Since then he has recorded and toured often, under his own name and the band’s. He also set 20 of WB Yeats’s poems to music for a theatrical presentation called An Appointment With Mr. Yeats, so expect a broad range of very different musical ideas at what has to be their seventh Glastonbury, unless you count the three performances in 2007 separately, in which case it’s their ninth appearance at Worthy Farm.

In this mock opera infused with gallows humour, Ronnie Drew and his band of bohemian merrymakers, The Dubliners, re-enact the execution ballad ‘The Night Before Larry Was Stretched’. Larry finds himself caught in a hangman’s noose as just reward for being ‘the best burglar in all Ireland’. Made in 1965, the film remained uncompleted and unseen until its restoration in 1998.

Biopic of Eurovision legend Johnny Logan who won the contest three times, twice as a singer and once as a song writer. The movie focuses on the years 1980-87, in between his two wins.

Celtic Thunder have chosen to return to their roots in order to film this musical odyssey back to the heart of the Celt. The core theme of Mythology is found in the opening number "Voices call from the old days, Voices tell from the past, Ancient laws and ancient old ways to recast." It's the story of the Celts in Ireland, their legends, their history and their stories. It's the lifeblood of modern day Ireland and it's influences from our Celtic past, which are still carried in each one of us as part of who we are and where we come from.

Celebrating the finest in Irish folk music with a compilation of performances taken from the BBC archives. Highlights include songs from The Clancy Brothers, The Chieftains, Christy Moore, The Pogues and Sharon Shannon.

Geantraí (translated: Lively Music), an evergreen traditional music series, is one of TG4’s most popular and has been a staple in the programme schedule since the channel first came on air. It conveys the unique atmosphere of a pub session and programmes feature the best of regional traditional music from around the country. The series, presented by a different musician each week, is produced in genuine traditional music pubs and many of our best known musicians are featured. It is also a platform for the young or indeed the mature musician who may be performing on television for the first time.