The Ultimate Irish Folk Collection
Double CD distributed through RTE
Reviewed by Ian Jamieson
For those who enjoy Irish ballads at sessions in pubs, amongst Irish nationalist gatherings or just simply for the great Irish tradition of song, this double CD is worth the buy.
Thirty tracks by various artists have been collected since the '60s, when Irish music came into popularity again with the rising nationalist movement. Many of the singers have visited Australia and are widely known and acclaimed performers — Paddy Reilly, Tommy Makem, Dolores Keane and Maura O'Connell.
A good sprinkling of bands perform as well — De Dannan, the Bothy Band, Altan and Stockton's Wing.
The memorable recordings produced over the years are there — Luke Kelly's "The Town I Loved So Well" and the Furey Brothers and Davey Arthur, "The Green Fields of France". To have these ballads in one collection saves considerable effort in tracking these recordings down.
Unfortunately, there are many artists who aren't included; Christy Moore comes readily to mind. But the CDs do give a fair representation of those who revived Irish folk music and nurtured the ballad traditions of the 20th century.
As traditional Irish music is currently seeking new forms of expression, hence infusing new vitality and life into its unique structures, this is a welcome release from a former generation.