Celtic Christmas is here. Carols, reels, and winter warmth from Belfast to Pittsburgh. Turn it up and deck the halls...Celtic style. Do you need a soundtrack for lights, baking, or a snowy drive? This week's Irish & Celtic Music Podcast is packed with festive favorites and fresh Celtic Christmas cheer.

The Gothard Sisters, Kinnfolk, Irish Christmas in America, Ritchie Remo, The Chivalrous Crickets, Boston Blackthorne, The Shamrocks, The Rogues, Terry McDade & The McDades, Plunk Murray, Kathleen MacInnes, The Irish Rovers, Celtic Woman, Sean Griffin, Seán Heely

On the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #739 - - Subscribe now!

GET CELTIC MUSIC NEWS IN YOUR INBOX

The Celtic Music Magazine is a quick and easy way to plug yourself into more great Celtic culture. Enjoy seven weekly news items with what's happening with Celtic music and culture online.

Subscribe now and get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free.

VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 FOR 2025

This is our way of finding the best songs and artists each year. You can vote for as many songs and tunes that inspire you in each episode. Your vote helps me create this year's Best Celtic music of 2025 episode. You have until December 4 to vote for this episode. Vote Now!

You can follow our playlist on YouTube to listen to those top voted tracks as they are added every 2 - 3 weeks.

THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC

0:13 - The Gothard Sisters "Here We Come a Caroling" from A Celtic Christmas

3:27 - WELCOME

6:12 - Kinnfolk "A Wintertime Feast" from A Wintertime Feast

10:58 - Irish Christmas in America "Set Dances_Single Jig - An Suisin Ban, The Hunt, Clancy's" from A Long Way From Home

15:42 - Ritchie Remo "Christmas Family" from Home For Christmas

18:52 - The Chivalrous Crickets "Carol Set - Sussex Carol / Bring a Torch Isabella / In dulci jubilo / Ding Dong Merrily on High" from A Chivalrous Christmas

24:23 - FEEDBACK

28:41 - Boston Blackthorne "Christmas in Pittsburgh 1943" from A Celtic Christmas

33:37 - The Shamrocks "Christmas in Belfast" from Single

36:56 - The Rogues "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" from Hellbound Sleigh

38:13 - Terry McDade & The McDades "Maybe This Christmas" from Winter Rose

40:44 - THANK YOU

42:59 - Plunk Murray "I Saw Three Ships" from Christmas in the Pub

45:52 - Kathleen MacInnes "Santa Take Me Home" from Single

48:48 - The Irish Rovers "Bells Over Belfast" from An Irish Christmas

51:54 - Celtic Woman, Sean Griffin "I'm in Love for Christmas" from Nollaig – A Christmas Journey

55:34 - CLOSING

57:17 - Seán Heely "Silent Night" from So Merry as We Have Been

1:02:15 - CREDITS

Support for this program comes from Hank Woodward.

Support for this program comes from Dr. Annie Lorkowski of Centennial Animal Hospital in Corona, California.

Support for this program comes from International speaker, Joseph Dumond, teaching the ancient roots of the Gaelic people. Learn more about their origins at Sightedmoon.com

Support for this program comes from Cascadia Cross Border Law Group, Creating Transparent Borders for more than twenty five years, serving Alaska and the world. Find out more at www.CascadiaLawAlaska.com

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather and our Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to follow the show. You'll find links to all of the artists played in this episode.

Todd Wiley is the editor of the Celtic Music Magazine. Subscribe to get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. Plus, you'll get 7 weekly news items about what's happening with Celtic music and culture online. Best of all, you will connect with your Celtic heritage.

Please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor.

Finally, as we celebrate Celtic Christmas, remember this: caring for the earth is part of the old traditions. It's stewardship. It's community. Clean energy isn't just good for the planet. It's a gift to our families and our neighbors. Solar and wind are now the cheapest power sources in history, yet too many politicians would rather toast billionaires by the fire than help working families keep their homes warm and their bills low. Real change begins when we stop letting the ultra - rich write our energy policy and run our government. Choose affordable, renewable power. Clean energy means lower costs, greater freedom, and a world that can still sing for future generations.

Promote Celtic culture through music at http://celticmusicpodcast.com/.

WELCOME THE IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST

* Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic musician and also host of Pub Songs & Stories. Every song has a story, every episode is a toast to Celtic and folk songwriters. Discover the stories behind the songs from the heart of the Celtic pub scene.

This podcast is for fans of all kinds of Celtic music. We are here to build a diverse Celtic community and help the incredible artists who so generously share their music with you. If you hear music you love, please email artists to let them know you heard them on the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast.

Musicians depend on your generosity to release new music. So please find a way to support them. Buy a CD, Album Pin, Shirt, Digital Download, or join their community on Patreon.

You can find a link to all of the artists in the shownotes, along with show times, when you visit our website at celticmusicpodcast.com.

Email follow@bestcelticmusic to learn how to subscribe to the podcast and you will get a free music - only episode. You'll also learn how to get your band played on the podcast. Bands don't need to send in music, and you will get a free eBook called Celtic Musicians Guide to Digital Music. It's 100% free. Again email follow@bestcelticmusic

WANT MORE CELTIC CHRISTMAS MUSIC?

I host multiple podcasts, but the other big show of the year is Celtic Christmas Music. It's a free podcast highlighting Christmas music by Celtic musicians. The show is nearly as old as this podcast. You can enjoy 6 new episodes every year, all supported by folks like you. In fact, head on over to the Celtic Christmas Music Patreon page so you can listen to the show for free and follow it as well.

IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODFEST

Today's show is brought to you by Irish & Celtic Music PodFest. Our first ever festival will feature three Celtic bands, including yours truly, Marc Gunn. It's happening Sunday, March 8, 2026 at The Lost Druid Brewery in Avondale Estates, GA. Follow our event page on Facebook for more details. Or even better, Follow us for Free on our Patreon page.

While you're there, you'll also find out about the Kickstarter we're launching for an album of the Best Celtic Music of 2025. And you can find out how You can get involved.

ALBUM PINS ARE CHANGING THE WAY WE HEAR CELTIC MUSIC

I got an email from Discmakers, my CD manufacturer, saying they were forced to raise their prices because of tariffs by our president. This is a tax on Americans. So if you love CDs, remember that the prices will go up. So please support those higher priced CDs.

But there is an option for those who don't want to buy CDs and for those who want a better alternative for the environment. It's the Album Pin.

Album Pins are lapel pins themed to a particular album. You get a digital download of the album. Then you can wear your album. All of my latest Album Pins are wood - burned and locally produced. This makes them better for the environment. And they are fun and fashionable. If you want to learn more about Album Pins, you can read more about them on my celtfather.Substack.com or just buy one at magerecords.com

THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST!

Because of generous patrons like you, the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast releases new episodes nearly every single week. Your support doesn't just fund the show—it fuels a movement. It helps us share the magic of Celtic music with thousands of new listeners and grow a global community of music lovers.

Your contributions pay for everything behind the scenes: audio engineering, stunning graphics, weekly issues of the Celtic Music Magazine, show promotion, and—most importantly—buying the music we feature from indie Celtic artists.

And if you're not yet a patron? You're missing out! Patrons get:

• Early access to episodes
• Music - only editions
• Free MP3 downloads
• Exclusive stories and artist interviews
• A vote in the Celtic Top 20

Join us today and help keep the music alive, vibrant, and independent. 🍀

A special thanks to our new and continued Patrons of the Podcast: Amy Dale

HERE IS YOUR THREE STEP PLAN TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

1. Go to our Patreon page.
2. Decide how much you want to pledge every month, $4, $12, $25.
3. Keep listening to the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast to celebrate Celtic culture through music.

You can become a generous Patron of the Podcast on Patreon at SongHenge.com.

TRAVEL WITH CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS

Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We don't see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos.

In 2026, we're traveling to the Celtic nation of Galicia in Spain.

We'll dive deep into the history and legends of the Galician Celts, uncovering their connections to Ireland, Scotland, and beyond. We'll walk the same lands where Celtic warriors once roamed, hear the myths passed down through generations, and experience the magic of authentic Galician Celtic music, alive with passion and history.

This isn't just a trip—it's a journey into the heart of a Celtic culture unlike any other. Will you join us?

Learn more about the invasion at http://celticinvasion.com/

#celticmusic #irishmusic #celticmusicpodcast

I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? I'd love to see a picture of what you're doing while listening. Is there a new Celtic CD or Celtic band that you heard of or saw? Send a picture.

Email me at follow@bestcelticmusic.

Stan Berry emailed: "You were wondering where we listen to your podcasts. There is no radio reception in this part of the Alberta Badlands so we play your podcasts off a flash drive in the trailer."

Andrew Pratt emailed: "Hi Marc, I've really been enjoying Show #727 From Dublin to Glencoe. However, when I heard CaliCeltic's song The Man in the Boat, I realized that the title is slang for a certain part of female genitalia. While the song is hilarious when listened to from that perspective, I don't think everyone would appreciate the joke. I personally laughed my butt off but I've been told that I have a sick mind! 😁.

I just wanted to warn you in case someone got offended and decided to give you a hard time over it. Once again, thank you for your hard work and for sharing amazing music with us and Good kuck at Irish Fest Atlanta. Slainte!"

Lynda MacNeil sent a message: "Hi Marc, My duo, Celtic Moon just recorded an album of 17 songs this year. I am wondering if I can gift you a copy. Best to you and your family!"

Michael Goodman emailed: "Hi Marc, My music only podcast feed stopped downloading episodes. The latest episode that I have is May 22, 2025. I added the regular podcast feed to my podcast app and it has downloaded the more recent episodes. Are you aware of this issue? Is it perhaps only affecting me? Thanks in advance and continued success with the podcast."

Michael Cavanaugh emailed: "Hi Marc, What happened to the Irish and Celtic music podcast app? It was one of my favorites and I used it multiple times a day."