Best Irish Traditional Music Podcasts (2026)

Radio Siamsa

16/07/2026

Best Irish Traditional Music Podcasts

Radio Siamsa gives you the music. But if you want the stories behind the music — the history of a tune, the journey of a musician, the culture of the session, the politics of a ballad — you need podcasts. The good news is that the Irish trad podcast scene has grown quietly but significantly in recent years, and there are now several genuinely excellent shows that go deep on the tradition.

This guide covers the best podcasts about Irish traditional music, from active shows releasing new episodes to archived gems that are still worth every minute of your time.

Currently Active Podcasts

Fire Draw Near — Ian Lynch

What it is: A monthly podcast by Ian Lynch of Lankum that investigates Irish traditional music and song in all its forms.
Why it’s essential: Fire Draw Near is in a class of its own. Lynch is a UCD-trained folklorist, uilleann piper, concertina player and founding member of one of Ireland’s most acclaimed contemporary bands. Each episode is part old-school music hour, part scholarly deep dive — he’ll trace a tune from a 17th-century broadsheet ballad through 19th-century emigrant ships to a modern recording, playing rare and wonderful recordings along the way. The Irish Times described it as “fascinating and often very funny,” and the New York Times name-checked it. There’s nothing else like it.
What to expect: Deep investigations into the history and origins of specific songs and tunes. Rare recordings you won’t hear anywhere else. Lynch’s knowledge is vast but his delivery is relaxed and engaging — it feels like a brilliant friend talking you through their record collection.
Where to listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or support Ian’s Patreon for bonus monthly episodes.
Best starting episode: The Wild Rover episodes, which trace how a temperance ballad became a drinking anthem. Or start at episode one and work forward — they’re all rewarding.

Music at Maddens — Lynette Fay

What it is: A weekly podcast recorded in the snug upstairs at Madden’s Bar in Belfast, widely recognised as the home of traditional music in the city.
Why it’s excellent: Lynette Fay is a BBC Radio Ulster presenter and one of Ireland’s most respected music broadcasters. She sits down with musicians from the trad scene — established names and emerging artists alike — for warm, unhurried conversations about music and life. The setting matters: Madden’s is a real session pub, and the podcast captures the atmosphere of the place.
What to expect: Musician interviews with live tunes woven in. Conversations about growing up in musical families, the Belfast trad scene, learning instruments, and the culture around the music. New episodes weekly, with guests including Beoga, Conor Caldwell and Ryan Molloy, Dónal O’Connor, and many more.
Where to listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, or watch on YouTube.
Note: Any profits from the podcast go toward Gaeltacht bursaries for young people and local music groups. A genuinely community-minded project.

In Tune with Tradition — Tara Connaghan

What it is: An award-winning podcast exploring session etiquette and the social dynamics of Irish traditional music.
Why it’s valuable: Connaghan, a professional traditional musician, launched a questionnaire on her website about the challenges and joys of attending sessions. The responses directly shaped the podcast content. Guests are asked real questions from real musicians and newcomers about how sessions work, how to join in, how to navigate the unwritten rules. Early guests included Martin Hayes and Mairead Ní Mhaonaigh — hearing them reflect on session nerves and social dynamics is eye-opening.
What to expect: Thoughtful conversations about the culture around the music, not just the music itself. If you’ve ever felt nervous about walking into a session, this podcast is for you.
Where to listen: Available on all major podcast platforms. Website: sessionetiquette.com/podcast

Irish Music Stories — Shannon Heaton

What it is: A US-based podcast that explores wild and wonderful connections between Irish music and the wider world.
Why it’s charming: Shannon Heaton is a Boston-based flute player, writer and educator. Each episode (around 30 minutes) takes a topic — the name of a tune, a piece of musical history, something happening behind the scenes in the trad world — and weaves stories, interviews and music into a lyrical, crafted piece. It’s been running for years, with over 70 episodes, and the quality is remarkably consistent.
What to expect: Short, beautifully produced episodes that feel more like audio essays than interviews. Topics range from the politics of session tunes to paintings of trad musicians to the history of Irish dance halls in Boston.
Where to listen: All major podcast platforms. Website: shannonheatonmusic.com/ims

Irish & Celtic Music Podcast — Marc Gunn

What it is: A long-running weekly podcast featuring independent Irish and Celtic music.
What to know: With over 750 episodes, this is one of the longest-running Celtic music podcasts in existence. It’s broader than pure trad — it covers Celtic music in all its forms, including indie artists, Celtic rock and contemporary folk alongside traditional material. If you’re looking for a broad Celtic music discovery engine rather than a deep trad dive, this is it.
Where to listen: All major platforms. Website: celticmusicpodcast.com

Archived but Essential

These podcasts are no longer releasing new episodes, but their back catalogues are fully available and absolutely worth exploring.

The Blarney Pilgrims — Darren and Dominic

What it was: An Australian-produced podcast featuring interviews with Irish traditional musicians about how they first came to the music and what it means to them.
Why it’s unmissable: Over 94 episodes, The Blarney Pilgrims produced some of the finest long-form interviews with trad musicians ever recorded. Each episode runs about an hour, with tunes woven between conversation. The hosts were warm, curious and genuinely knowledgeable, and their guests opened up in ways you rarely hear. The Kevin Burke episode alone is worth the subscription.
Notable guests: Kevin Burke, John Carty, Daoiri Farrell, Joanie Madden, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Catherine McEvoy, and many more.
Where to listen: The full archive is at blarneypilgrims.fireside.fm, and episodes are on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The Copperplate Podcast — Alan O’Leary

What it was: A podcast dedicated to very traditional Irish music — as one listener on TheSession.org put it, “it won’t get any more traditional than that.”
Why it matters: O’Leary’s podcast was a deep cut into the tradition, focusing on the kind of playing and tunes that session purists love. If your taste runs toward the unadorned, the historic and the deeply rooted, this is your archive.

Radio Programmes Available on Catch-Up

Several radio programmes about Irish traditional music are available to listen back to online, even if they’re not structured as traditional podcasts.

The Rolling Wave — RTÉ Radio 1

Presented by Aoife Nic Cormaic, The Rolling Wave has been one of the finest trad programmes on Irish radio for years. It features recordings, live sessions, interviews and profiles of musicians. Some episodes are excerpted as podcasts on the RTÉ Radio Player, though availability can be patchy. Check the RTÉ website for current listings.

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta Music Programmes

RnaG broadcasts several music programmes featuring traditional music, including recorded sessions and interviews, all in Irish. Programmes like Cuan an Cheoil and Ar Bhruach na Sionainne are available on the RTÉ Radio Player after broadcast. Even if your Irish is limited, the music transcends language.

Clare FM Trad Shows

Clare FM broadcasts five trad shows per week, each around two hours long. The archive is available on their website. Claire Keville’s Tuesday show is a particular favourite among listeners. If you want to hear what the trad heartland sounds like on the radio, this is it.

BBC Radio Ulster — Folk Club with Lynette Fay

Lynette Fay (the same host as Music at Maddens) presents the Folk Club on BBC Radio Ulster. It features traditional and folk music from Ireland and beyond. Episodes are usually available on BBC Sounds for a limited period after broadcast.

Podcasts and Radio: Different Jobs

Radio and podcasts serve different purposes in your listening life, and the best approach is to use both.

Radio Siamsa gives you the music itself — a continuous stream of jigs, reels, airs and songs, 24 hours a day. It’s the soundtrack. Podcasts give you the context: the history behind a tune, the story of a musician’s life, the culture of the session, the evolution of an instrument. They deepen your understanding of what you’re hearing on the radio.

A good routine: listen to Radio Siamsa during the day while you work or drive. When you have focused time — a walk, a commute, cooking dinner — put on a podcast episode and go deeper. Over time, the two feed each other. You’ll hear a tune on Radio Siamsa and recognise it from something Ian Lynch discussed on Fire Draw Near. You’ll listen to a Blarney Pilgrims interview with a fiddler and then hear that fiddler on the radio and think, “I know that player’s story.” That’s when the tradition really comes alive.

Listen to Radio Siamsa — see our guide to how to listen

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Irish traditional music podcast?

Fire Draw Near by Ian Lynch of Lankum is widely regarded as the standout. It combines rare recordings with deep historical research and Lynch’s infectious enthusiasm. For musician interviews, Music at Maddens and The Blarney Pilgrims (archived) are both excellent.

Are these podcasts free?

Yes, all of the podcasts listed here are free on standard podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.). Some, like Fire Draw Near, offer bonus content through Patreon.

I’m new to Irish trad — which podcast should I start with?

Irish Music Stories by Shannon Heaton is the most accessible starting point — the episodes are short (around 30 minutes), beautifully produced, and don’t assume prior knowledge. From there, move to Fire Draw Near for deeper dives and The Blarney Pilgrims for musician stories.

Is there a podcast specifically about session etiquette?

Yes — In Tune with Tradition by Tara Connaghan is dedicated to exactly this topic. It’s excellent and features guests like Martin Hayes and Mairead Ní Mhaonaigh discussing the social dynamics of sessions.

Can I listen to RTÉ trad programmes as podcasts?

Some RTÉ content is available as podcasts or on catch-up via the RTÉ Radio Player, but availability varies. Check the RTÉ website for current listings. Clare FM’s trad shows are more consistently archived.