From rebel ballads to queer anthems, Irish folk and protest music are being reborn for a new generation. In this episode, we explore how artists like Lankum, Lisa O’Neill, Pillow Queens, the Mary Wallopers, Kneecap, Bambi Thug, and more are reclaiming Irish identity from right-wing ideology, rewriting what Irishness sounds and looks like. ANSEO, here, in the present tense.

We trace the roots of modern protest music, look at the immigrant and LGBTQ+ voices redefining tradition, and ask: in an age of rising fascism, who gets to call themselves Irish?

00:00 Intro

00:25 Seamus Heaney

01:16 ANSEO

02:32 Fighting the Far-Right

03:10 New Voices

04:18 Skinty Fia

05:06 All Voices

06:30 Why?

13:01 Defining Modern Ireland

14:16 The Count of Monte Playlisto’s Irish Music Picks

21:37 Outro