Galway's MUSIC Scene
Music is a way to bring us together; a way to create community. It brings people, often of many different traditions and backgrounds, together. Irish music, therefore, is present to unite, to heal, transform, tell a story, and pass on heritage and tradition. Irish music is a vital tool in preserving identity and tradition; as Nuala O’ Connor has written, “Music remained as it always was: a living, vibrant connection to centuries of tradition.” Not only traditional music (jigs, reels, airs) has the ability to connect to the Irish people; any music telling a story of a past unique to Ireland is truly Irish music.. It is this spirit, this sense of belonging to a place, this Irish identity that cannot be defined necessarily but is the most crucial element in the uniqueness of Irish music and its power to create community, more specifically an Irish community.
On the other hand, you don’t have to be Irish or be in Ireland to appreciate Irish music. Many traditional songs speak of an element of our life or history as well, therefore connecting to an “outsider.” This is also not to say that American students won’t find themselves tapping their feet or swaying their bodies to a traditional Irish reel or jig. This is why Irish music has the power to connect to people of different traditions and nationalities as well as to the Irish, bringing them all together as one. The same spirit found in this Irish music, the spirit that makes it truly Irish, can be found in other, non-traditional songs sung by Irish bands in Irish pubs or clubs, like the ones we’ve reviewed below. Who knew that AC/DC and a Uilleann pipe player could have so much in common?