List of traditional Irish singers explained

This is a list of notable traditional singers from Ireland. Some of the singers alphabetically listed below are known to have sung in both the Irish and English language and if so are listed in both sections below as well known singers of macaronic Irish songs.

Singers (by language)

Mainly English-language songs

Men

• Paddy Berry, a CCÉ singer
• Eddie Butcher of Magilligan, County Londonderry, singer, song collector and songwriter
• Robert Cinnamond of Antrim, singer and song collector
• Len Graham, married to Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin, with whom he has recorded numerous albums
• Con Greaney, from Limerick
• Frank Harte, seminal collector and singer in the English language tradition
• Joe Holmes
• Luke Kelly, from Dublin, best known for co-founding The Dubliners
• Ronnie Drew, another founding member of The Dubliners
• John Reilly
• Paddy Tunney
• Liam Weldon
• Tom Lenihan, Irish sean-nós singer
• Tommy Makem, The Bard of Armagh; sung multiple of his traditional Irish songs with the Clancy Brothers

Women

• Margaret Barry, Irish Traveller from Cork, came to prominence in London after starting as a street singer
• Karan Casey from Waterford, formerly a singer with Solas
• Elizabeth "Bess" Cronin
• Cara Dillon from Dungiven, singer and arranger of traditional songs
• Rita Connolly from County Dublin, known for her work with Irish composer, Shaun Davey
• Rosie Stewart County Fermanagh
• Sarah Makem, source singer from Armagh
• Sarah Anne O'Neill from County Tyrone, sister of Geordie Hanna
• Caitríona O'Leary
• Niamh Parsons from Dublin, formerly singer with Arcady
• Róisín White from County Down, singer from Ireland who has passed-on songs to Clannad, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, and Altan
• Rita Gallagher from County Donegal, singer with three All-Ireland senior titles and a TG4 Gradam Ceoil as Singer of the Year in 2017

Mainly Irish-language songs

Men

Name	Dialect
	Connacht Irish (An Cheathrú Rua, Galway Gaeltacht)
	Connacht Irish (Lettermore, Galway Gaeltacht)
	Connacht Irish (Carna, Galway Gaeltacht)
Seosamh Ó hÉanaí (Joe Heaney)^[1]	Connacht Irish (Carna, Galway Gaeltacht)
	Munster Irish (Muskerry, Cork Gaeltacht)
	Raised in Dublin
	Munster Irish (Ring, Waterford Gaeltacht)
Diarmuid Ó Suilleabháin	Munster Irish

Women

Name	Dialect
	Munster Irish (Kerry Gaeltacht)
	Ulster Irish (Gweedore, Donegal Gaeltacht)
Niamh de Búrca^[2]	Raised in Dublin
	Connacht Irish (Carna, Galway Gaeltacht)
	Connacht Irish (Inis Oírr, Galway Gaeltacht)
	Connacht/Ulster Irish (raised in the Meath Gaeltacht, where Connacht Irish is spoken, but her father was an Irish-speaker from Donegal)
	Connacht/Ulster Irish (raised in the Meath Gaeltacht, where Connacht Irish is spoken, but her father was an Irish-speaker from Donegal)
Róisín Elsafty^[3]	Connacht Irish (Galway Gaeltacht)
	Ulster Irish (Gweedore, Donegal Gaeltacht)
	Ulster Irish (Gweedore, Donegal Gaeltacht)
Caitlín Maude (also a poet)	Connacht Irish (Casla, Galway Gaeltacht)
	Raised in Limerick
Nan Tom Teaimín de Búrca^[4]
Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin^[5]	Raised in Louth
Nell Ní Chróinín	Munster Irish

See also

• Lilting, a traditional singing mode; sometimes called "mouth music"
• Traditional Irish singing
• Celtic music

Notes and References

1. Web site: March Top 10 . . 23 May 2012.
2. Web site: Niamh de Burca . Irishmusicreview.com . 9 August 2006 . 23 May 2012.
3. Web site: Róisín Elsafty . Irishmusicreview.com . 23 May 2012.
4. Web site: Corn Uí Riada – Buaiteoirí 1972–2007 . . 20 October 2010 . 23 May 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120913061044/http://www.rte.ie/rnag/sceala2.html . 13 September 2012 .
5. Web site: Dr Padraigin Ni Uallachain . . 23 May 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181214164038/http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SeamusHeaneyCentreforPoetry/Staff/DrPadraiginNiUallachain/ . 14 December 2018 . dead .