Dave McNally

Matt Molloy, the paragon of Irish traditional flute playing, makes his first solo album in 22 years. Back To The Island is everything lovers of Molloy’s playing could wish for and more.

Karan Casey talks to Folk Radio UK and provides an in-depth look into the making of Hieroglyphs That Tell the Tale – From her choice of guest singers to her drive to write songs that cover social justice issues.

Hieroglyphs That Tell the Tale is so wonderful that words really can’t do it justice. As nature writer Robert McFarlane once said “Language is always late for its subject. Sometimes …I just say ‘wow’”. Listen and be wowed. Her best album yet.

Experiencing Declan O’Rourke’s ‘Chronicles of the Great Irish Famine’ live is frankly quite unlike any other show I have ever seen. It is both completely engrossing and literally unforgettable.

A new CD with guitar and box player Tim Edey’s name on it is a safe bet to provide a joyous lift and ‘Once’, with guitarist and fiddle player J.P. Cormier, is absolutely no exception. Stunning, with absorbing, uplifting playing throughout, this will draw you in and demand repeat playing.

We talk to Declan O’Rourke about his album Chronicles of the Great Irish Famine which he spent 15 years researching and developing. It will be performed live with a full band in aid of Action Against Hunger in Manchester next month.

Dave McNally reviews the latest offering from top-flight Irish traditional band Lúnasa who are currently touring with Natalie Merchant. Along the way, band member Ed Boyd fills in some background about the album which features Natalie along with Tim O’Brien, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Eric Bibb. A fitting, celebratory, must-listen album.

On their latest release, Rura return to being an instrumental band. Penning all the tunes themselves, In Praise of Home is a fresh, coherent whole that fully utilises the band’s excellent traditionally rooted musicianship and at the same time never sounds anything less than completely contemporary.

With Orange Whip, the latest offering from Honeyfeet, fronted by flute player and singer extraordinaire Ríoghnach Connolly, you really don’t know what’s coming next but every surprise is a real delight.

ARC is a rich, varied and essential release for anyone who likes traditional music with plenty of thoroughly contemporary reference points and bright tunes that reveal more layers with repeated listening. A superlative work that sounds quite unlike anything else you’ll hear any time soon.

Michael McGoldrick releases ARC, his new solo album, next month, his fifth in 22 years. We caught up with Mike in Manchester to chat about his new album, his championing of future generations of Irish traditional music players and to find out how he manages to balance his busy time as a musician.

We talk to Irish fiddle player Martin Hayes at Celtic Connections, the day after The Martin Hayes Quartet delivered an outstanding, hugely energetic performance, about how he got from Clare to here.