What does it mean to carry a culture in song?

From mythic bards and medieval harpers to rebellious ballads, bodhrán beats, and Beyoncé-backed fiddles, A History of Irish Music: Bardds to Bono tells the story of Irish music like never before. This sweeping, lyrical history explores how music shaped-and was shaped by-the Irish people across centuries of joy, sorrow, migration, resistance, and reinvention.

Travel from candlelit sessions in County Clare to sold-out stadiums, from sean-nós singers to TikTok trad stars. Learn how the humble fiddle survived famine, how Riverdance took the world by storm, and how today's genre-blending artists are reshaping tradition on their own terms.

Whether you're an aficionado of trad, a pub-session devotee, or someone who just gets goosebumps at the sound of a slow air, this book invites you to listen differently-to hear not just the tunes, but the truth they carry.

Includes a curated playlist to accompany your journey through the music of Ireland.