Of course, the best and true performers of Irish music are the Irish themselves. The best known performers in the world are the Chieftains , the Dubliners and the Clancy Brothers , but there are several other excellent groups and performers to be mentioned. The traditional rhythm and tunes provided inspiration even for rock musicians, (U2, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, etc) and as a result of this lively relationship the Chieftains were set up and the highly successful album Long Black Veil was produced.

Outside the homeland there is a remarkable world of Irish music in the USA , thanks to the millions of Irish people, having emigrated because of English colonization, keeping up their traditions. Some people believe these Irish communities and their musicians, having emigrated from England, preserved a more archaic state of music, which has been exploited by the musicians and researchers of the old homeland. The Scottish origin Waltzing Matilda , the song of settlers in Australia, rivals Tipperary, the world famous Irish song, for being the most popular and best known song.

Due to the close historical links traditional Irish and Scottish tunes have a lot in common. It is worth mentioning for example that the original instrument of the Scots was the harp just like of the Irish, until it was replaced by the Scottish bagpipes. The harp, which used to be much smaller than it is today, was a portable instrument with a more intense sound and it was not used for playing lullabies but fiery battle songs. As a result of the common world of tunes it is no surprise that Noel McLoughlin , for example, releases both Scottish and Irish albums and that the Scottish Corries group has one of the best arrangements of The Wild Rover.

The most popular songs are arranged, performed and published again and again. It is worth comparing the different versions to see what each group considers important, to compare arrangement, style of singing, etc.

Popular music, of course, attracts performers aiming at success and money made easily. There are more and more performances of a low standard, some of them even unbearable, which could be labelled as non authentic Irish music. These recordings are usually very cheap with a fancy sleeve but without the name of the performer. Be careful ! You should never buy a recording without listening to it, unless you know the name of the performer or the publisher.

It is important to note that the term “folk music” in English has a different meaning from “népzene” in Hungarian. In English it has a wider meaning, including modern compositions of folk style as well. The nearest equivalent of the Hungarian term is “traditional music” in English, which also includes the traditions of city folklore.