Sample Isometric Drawing for Piping: A Guide to Understanding Irish Folk Music

Irish showbands presented a unique blend of pop music and folk dance tunes, which eventually declined during the 1970s. The lush sentimental style of singers like Delia Murphy gave way to guitar-driven male groups such as The Dubliners. The success of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem in the US in 1959 helped revive Irish folk music's popularity.

The English Folk music scene also contributed to the resurgence, with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (an Irish traditional music association) and the Fleadh Cheoil (music festival) playing a significant role. From World War II until the late 1950s, folk music was largely disrespected.

Irish traditional music has shown remarkable resilience against the forces of cinema, radio, and mass media compared to indigenous folk music in most European countries. Solo performance is preferred in the folk tradition, but bands or small ensembles have likely been a part of Irish music since at least the mid-19th century.

Important collectors of Irish folk music include Colm Ó Lochlainn, George Petrie, Edward Bunting, Francis O'Neil, James Goodman, and many others. There are several collections of Irish folk music from the 18th century, with ballad printers emerging in Dublin during the 19th century.

The fiddle has been used in Ireland since the 8th century, alongside other instruments such as the cruit (a small rubbed strings harp), cláirseach (a bigger harp with typically 30 strings), tiompán (a small string instrument played with a bow or plectrum), feadán (a fife), buinne (an oboe or flute), guthbuinne (a bassoon-type horn), beannbhuabhal and corn (hornpipes), cuislenna (bagpipes), stoc and storgán (clarions or trumpets), and cnámha (bones). Grattan Flood noted that, in Gaelic Ireland, at least ten instruments were commonly used.

Irish traditional music is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland. Today, it continues to thrive, with many Irish music sessions taking place in pubs around the world.

Sample isometric drawing for piping