9 Songs to Listen to Before you Visit Ireland
Music can be an incredible way of learning about a different country’s culture and history. Ireland has no shortage of songwriters, and many of them have written songs about their home country. Here are 9 songs that are essential listening to learn about Irish history and culture before you visit Ireland.
Famine – Sinead O’Connor
Sinéad O’Connor was an iconic Irish singer, songwriter, and activist. Even though she was very controversial, she is known as one of Ireland’s most famous and most important artists. While she has many songs about Irish culture and history, Famine is one of her most popular ones. In this song, O’Connor rewrites commonly understood Irish history in very blunt language. She compares her countrymen to a battered child who goes on to engage in self destructive tendencies, causing high rates of alcoholism and child abuse. This song lays Irish culture and history out there, and is a great place to start when it comes to Irish music.
Sunday Bloody Sunday – U2
One of the most famous Irish acts of all time, U2 is essential listening before your trip to Dublin. This song is about the separation between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, as well as “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland. The title directly references the 1972 Bloody Sunday incident, where British soldiers killed 13 unarmed peaceful protestors in Derry. The civilians were protesting the British policy of internment, which allowed the British to arrest and detain people without trial or due process. The song takes a stance against violence, asking how long people must put up with cruelty in Northern Ireland and elsewhere.
Zombie – The Cranberries
The Cranberries are an iconic Irish band currently experiencing a renaissance among Gen Z, thanks to Tik Tok. This song is also about the “The Troubles”, but was written in memory of two boys, Tim Parry and Johnathan Ball. The boys were tragically killed in an IRA bombing in Warrington, England. The zombies in this song represent many different things. For example, they represent those who have died in conflicts, they represent shell-shocked individuals who have borne witness to war and death, and they represent the perpetrators of the war, calling them mindless killing beings. In this song, The Cranberries actively separate themselves from those committing these acts of violence, saying “It’s not me, it’s not my family” participating in these conflicts.
Grace – The Dubliners
The Dubliners were a folk band founded in the 60’s. The song Grace is a very popular Irish song and has been sung by many different artists, but The Dubliners did it first. The song is about Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford, who have quite the tragic love story. Joseph Plunkett was arrested for his involvement in the Easter Rising, an insurrection against British Rule in 1916. Before Plunkett was put to death for his participation, Gifford visited him in Kilmainham Gaol, where they were married right before his execution. This song is a classic, tragic, Irish folk love song, and its historical storytelling really makes listeners empathize with the star-crossed lovers.
Butchered Tongue – Hozier
Hozier is an Irish singer-songwriter that often discusses Irish history, culture, and social issues in his songs. This song off of his latest album depicts the torture that the British would inflict upon Irish rebels in the 1798 during the Wexford Rebellion. From cutting off body parts to “pitchcapping”, a practice where a cap made of a tar-like substance called “pitch” was put on Irish rebels heads and lit on fire resulting in death or serious injury, Hozier does not hold back when describing how exactly the British abused the Irish rebels. This song is critical to understand why tensions between the British and the Irish are so high.
The Town I Love So Well – Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter is an Irish musician, songwriter, and producer from Derry. He wrote this song about his love for his hometown, and his sadness at seeing it fall apart during The Troubles. He looks back at growing up in the small town fondly, reminiscing about playing in the schoolyard and earning his first paycheck at a small gig. In the fourth verse, he starts talking about the Derry he returned to: one with “armoured cars and burned out bars”. This song shows how the Irish spirit was damaged by The Troubles and how it left Ireland almost unrecognizable.
The Foggy Dew – The Chieftains and Sinead O’Connor
The Chieftains are a traditional Irish folk band. The lyrics of this song were originally written by a priest named Charles O’Neill about the 1916 Easter Rising. The lyrics are about conflicted Irishmen being forced to fight for the British cause in World War I because Ireland was in a very similar position to many countries they were fighting against. Not only did it feel hypocritical, but these were also countries that could’ve, in theory, supported Ireland in their fight for independence. This song shows the conflicting feelings that plagued Irishmen when it comes to The Troubles and World War I.
Alternative Ulster – Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers was an Irish punk rock band from Belfast. This song was also written during The Troubles, and it rejects the division of Irishmen into “unionists” and “nationalists”. It also objects to the fact that Irish children were being affected by these conflicts and, in turn, were not getting the childhood that they were entitled to. The song does not necessarily take sides, it just begs for peace from the conflict. Overall, this song begs for changes in Ireland: the authors want less division and violence and more peace among countrymen.
Molly Malone – The Dubliners
The Dubliners are so renowned, we had to put them in this list twice. Molly Malone is a figure from Irish folklore that was a beautiful fishmonger and, potentially, a woman-of-the-night. Some believe that the character was based on a real woman, but there is no evidence to back this up. In reality, there were probably several “Molly Malone”s in the 17th century. In the song, Molly dies of cholera, but her ghost haunts the street, still trying to sell “Cockles and mussels”. This song is very significant in Irish culture, making it essential listening before your trip to Ireland. Be sure to visit the Molly Malone on Suffolk Street during your visit as well!
These 9 songs are essential listening before your trip to Ireland to learn about the culture and history of this fascinating country. Did I miss your favorite Irish song? Let me know in the comments below!
