{"id":4081,"date":"2022-03-17T11:32:22","date_gmt":"2022-03-17T11:32:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.alison.com\/?p=4081"},"modified":"2025-07-09T13:28:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T12:28:45","slug":"the-music-of-ireland-on-st-patricks-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alison.com\/blog\/the-music-of-ireland-on-st-patricks-day","title":{"rendered":"The Music of Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alison HQ is in Galway, Ireland, so naturally, we are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, or as it’s also known: St. Paddy\u2019s Day. Not only in our home office, but with all of you around the world. For those of you who aren’t quite sure what all the fuss and green beer are about every year. Today, we want to show you just how much there is to learn about The Emerald Isle and its rich heritage. From history to food and drink, and especially music. It’s not all Riverdance and U2, and I can’t talk about the music of Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day without mentioning The Cranberries. I digress. Today, we are exploring traditional instruments and how you can master them with Alison. Now, join us as we celebrate with good friends, a whiskey or beer in hand, and lots of good music!<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

A Quick Historical Interlude\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The origin of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations goes back more than 1,500 years to the 17th century, when the earliest known ones were held on March 17, commemorating the anniversary of the death of St. Patrick,\u00a0 the patron saint of Ireland,\u00a0 in the 5th century. Also known as the Feast of Saint Patrick, that marked the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, attending a c\u00e9il\u00ed, which is a traditional Irish gathering, special foods, folk music, dancing, drinking, particularly Irish whiskey and beer, and a LOT of green. The colour green being part of the Irish flag, the shamrock, the three-leaf clover symbol of Ireland and of course, the country\u2019s nickname: The Emerald Isle.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Have you ever felt that you have a bit of the Luck of the Irish? You like the band <\/span>Flogging Molly<\/span> way more than you feel you should? Odds are, you may have a little of the Emerald Isle in your family history. Learn how to research your Irish genealogy for free, and you may just be surprised to find out that your love of Guinness is genetic!\u00a0 With this course, you will learn how to trace your <\/span>Irish family history<\/span><\/a> and what resources you can use to find out more about it, all from an Irish perspective.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn The Music of Ireland this St. Patrick’s Day<\/h2>\n

The musician<\/span> Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 Canainn<\/span><\/a> once said: “<\/span>No aspect of Irish music can be fully understood without a deep appreciation of sean-n\u00f3s singing. It is the key which opens every lock.”\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Traditional Sean-n\u00f3s singing<\/a> is performed in Gaelic without the backing of instruments and is known for its melodic and expressive beauty. The term <\/span>sean-n\u00f3s<\/span><\/i>, translates to “in the old way” and what better way to get you started with tthe Music of Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n