Welcome to a new episode of Music At Maddens Podcast with me, Lynette Fay.

This week in the snug, Lynette welcomes Clare Sands

A sixth-generation fiddler, bilingual singer, and fearless creative whose stories stretch from Cave Hill to the Bosphorus.

Known for her boundary-crossing artistry and deep connection to place, Claire brings a voice that blends the mythic with the modern, where folklore, language, and activism meet melody.

We talk about fearlessness as a practice, not a personality trait; about how the sea, woods, and wild places keep her compass steady; and about the quiet ritual of breaking bread before pressing record.

Claire reflects on the rare creative kinship she shared with the late Manchán Magan, the power of old words in new songs, and how macaronic songwriting, weaving Irish and English, lets her unlock the emotional double meanings hidden in both.

From Donegal cabins to Wicklow woods, from swimming the Asia-to-Europe strait to raise funds for Palestine, to crafting songs that carry community as much as melody, Claire’s world is one where music holds both grief and grace.

We also face the hard truths of being an artist today, AI voice theft, streaming struggles, and the cost of speaking up, and why, for Claire, the answer is always community over isolation.

If you care about Irish traditional music, language revival, creative courage, and songs that speak truth to power, this episode will stay with you long after it ends.

New episodes every Monday.

Maddens Bar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddensbarbelfast_home_of_trad/

Hatch Belfast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belfasthatch/?hl=en

Avalon Guitars

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avalonguitarsofficial/

Website: https://www.avalonguitars.com/

Smithwicks Irish Ale

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithwicks_ireland/

Website: https://www.smithwicksexperience.com/

Welcome to a new episode of Music At Maddens Podcast with me, Lynette Fay.

This week we welcome Cathal Ó Curráin & Síle Friel to the podcast.

This week in the snug, Lynette welcomes Cathal Ó Curráin and Síle Friel

Two musicians whose lives trace the musical bridge between Glasgow and Donegal, where ferry crossings, kitchen songs, and 1 a.m. sessions shaped everything they are.

What began as homework on the boat turned into a lifetime of reels, mentors, and friendships that keep tradition not just alive, but roaring.

Síle brings the wild, luminous world of the uilleann pipes into focus, why they misbehave, why that’s part of their charm, and how visibility for women in piping grew through quiet advocacy and fierce community.

Cathal shares how the banjo became his second name, how sessions and radio spots nudged him onto stages, and why collaboration always wins over competition.

Together, they capture the pulse of the Glasgow–Donegal diaspora, where tunes, songs, and stories travel both ways until they sound like home in stereo.

Along the way, we talk about mentors and milestones: Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh’s example of leadership that lifts others, Crannóg’s influence in shaping the Glasgow trad scene, and the magic of Scoil Gheimhridh Ghaoth Dobhair, where Christmas gives way to dancing and dawn music.

Authenticity, Gaelic song, a few broken chairs, and the kind of crack that can’t be faked, it’s all here.

If you love Irish traditional music, diaspora stories, pipes, banjo, and the unfiltered joy of a late-night session, this one’s for you.

Enjoy!

New episodes every Monday.

Maddens Bar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddensbarbelfast_home_of_trad/

Hatch Belfast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belfasthatch/?hl=en

Avalon Guitars

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avalonguitarsofficial/

Website: https://www.avalonguitars.com/

Smithwicks Irish Ale

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithwicks_ireland/

Website: https://www.smithwicksexperience.com/

Welcome to a new episode of Music At Maddens Podcast with me, Lynette Fay.

This week we welcome Trú to the podcast.

This week in the snug, Lynette sits down with Trú

A boundary-breaking vocal trio bringing new life to Ulster song through harmony, heart, and fearless storytelling.

Formed out of Anúna, their sound blends choral precision with rock texture and emotional weight, guided by one question: why should this song be sung today?

They trace their journey from learning to breathe as one voice to finding their “fresh ears” third member whose outsider perspective became their compass, less about reverence for the canon, more about making the old pulse again.

We talk about learning Irish as adults and the shock of a language that suddenly fits, cultural agency that says inheritance isn’t the only passport, and writing “The Swan,” a spare, devastating original shaped by a Basque lullaby and the ache of losing a parent.

From Newry ballads and aisling poetry to Scottish walking songs, from fundraising for Ukraine to dedicating “Rebel Song” to Palestine, Trú’s music turns heritage into something living, political, and deeply human.

If you love Irish song, harmony that hits the spine, and stories that ask hard questions of tradition, this one will stay with you.

Enjoy!

New episodes every Monday.

Maddens Bar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddensbarbelfast_home_of_trad/

Hatch Belfast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belfasthatch/?hl=en

Avalon Guitars

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avalonguitarsofficial/

Website: https://www.avalonguitars.com/

Smithwicks Irish Ale

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithwicks_ireland/

Website: https://www.smithwicksexperience.com/

Agus Oireachtas na Gaeilge i mBéal Feirste Cois Cuain an tseachtain seo don chéad uair le 30 bliain, tá ceannródaí pobail agus Gaeilge na cathrach i mbun comhrá le Lynette an tseachtain seo. Tá suim as cuimse ag Fergus O’Hare sa cheol, san amhránaíocht ach go háirithe. Is iomaí ‘folk club’ atá curtha ar bun aige sa chathair fríd na blianta. Labhraíonn sé faoi chumhacht an cheoil le daoine a thabhairt le chéile, cuimhní cinn ar laetha ollscoile agus an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an Ghaeilge a labhairt agus a chur chun cinn.

As the biggest celebration of the Irish language and indigenous arts returns to Belfast for the first time in 30 years, one of Belfast’s pioneers of language, community and music, Fergus O’Hare is our guest this week on the podcast.

With his love of traditional songs, Fergus has been at the helm of many folk clubs in the city over the years.

He talks about the power of music to bring people together, memories of music at university in Dublin and the importance and power of speaking and preserving Irish and indigenous languages.

This week’s podcast is mostly in the Irish language.

Enjoy!

New episodes every Monday.

Maddens Bar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddensbarbelfast_home_of_trad/

Hatch Belfast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belfasthatch/?hl=en

Avalon Guitars

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avalonguitarsofficial/

Website: https://www.avalonguitars.com/

Smithwicks Irish Ale

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithwicks_ireland/

Website: https://www.smithwicksexperience.com/

Welcome to a new episode of Music At Maddens Podcast with me, Lynette Fay.

This week we welcome Greta Curtin to the podcast.

This week in the snug, Lynette welcomes concertina player Greta Curtin for a lively tour of Slíabh Luachra style and the stories that shaped her music.

Growing up in Brosna on the Kerry–Limerick–Cork border, Greta went from a TV fiddle that became a concertina to big mixed classes, sessions, and festivals that turned shyness into voice and community.

She talks polkas and slides, how a tune like “Maggie in the Woods” can turn into “Mary in the Woods” a half hour up the road, choosing gigs over kitchen shifts, teaching in a music school, and watching her students become the next wave. 

In her work as a special needs assistant, music is a bridge: sometimes a hallway guitar, sometimes just the right pause, always a way to help a child feel seen.

We also dive into the Patrick O’Keeffe Festival in Castleisland: a session trail from morning into morning, album launches, archives, and a youth award that invites players from Donegal to Dublin to learn a Slíabh Luachra set with care.

With a nod to Brosna football pride, quiet All-Ireland wins, and the occasional bout of imposter syndrome, this is a warm, witty portrait of tradition that’s brilliantly alive.

Enjoy!

New episodes every Monday.

Maddens Bar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddensbarbelfast_home_of_trad/

Hatch Belfast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belfasthatch/?hl=en

Avalon Guitars

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avalonguitarsofficial/

Website: https://www.avalonguitars.com/

Smithwicks Irish Ale

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithwicks_ireland/

Website: https://www.smithwicksexperience.com/

Welcome to a new episode of Music At Maddens Podcast with me, Lynette Fay.

This week we welcome the Walls Sisters to the podcast.

This week in the snug, Lynette is joined by sisters Molly, Jane, and Cara Walls, whose shared journey through Irish traditional music stretches from Moneyglass sessions to stages at home and in Nashville.

They chat about growing up in a family where music was part of everyday life, the teachers who shaped them, and the moments that turned practice into passion. 

Cara talks about falling for the harp, Jane shares her unique path to the uilleann pipes (starting with an airbed pump hack!), and Molly reflects on teaching, fiddle playing, and finding her own sound.

Together, they explore the highs of competition, the closeness and chaos of playing as siblings, and how music has held both grief and joy in equal measure

From Crosskeys to Madden’s, country jives to late-night sessions, this is a heartwarming story of family, friendship, and the music that ties it all together.

Enjoy!

New episodes every Monday.

Maddens Bar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddensbarbelfast_home_of_trad/

Hatch Belfast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belfasthatch/?hl=en

Avalon Guitars

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avalonguitarsofficial/

Website: https://www.avalonguitars.com/

Smithwicks Irish Ale

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithwicks_ireland/

Website: https://www.smithwicksexperience.com/

Welcome to a new episode of Music At Maddens Podcast with me, Lynette Fay.

This week we welcome Séamus & Caoimhe Uí Fhlátharta to the podcast.

This week in the snug, Lynette welcomes siblings Séamus and Caoimhe for a stunning conversation about sean-nós singing, language, and the power of harmony to tell a story all its own.

From kitchen-table sessions in Connemara to international stages, they share how Irish song has shaped their lives and how tradition continues to evolve when it’s guarded with care and opened with courage.

They talk about growing up with music as second nature, how harmony gives emotion to those who don’t yet know the words, and the profound response to their performance of Anach Cuain in memory of Ashling Murphy.

From pandemic collaborations to new songs in Irish and their reimagining of Blackbird through lilting, this is a conversation about creativity, connection, and carrying the language of home forward with heart.

Enjoy!

New episodes every Monday.

Maddens Bar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddensbarbelfast_home_of_trad/

Hatch Belfast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belfasthatch/?hl=en

Avalon Guitars

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avalonguitarsofficial/

Website: https://www.avalonguitars.com/

Smithwicks Irish Ale

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithwicks_ireland/

Website: https://www.smithwicksexperience.com/

Welcome to a new episode of Music At Maddens Podcast with me, Lynette Fay.

This week we welcome Mickey Coleman and Erin Loughran to the podcast.

This week in the snug, Lynette is joined by Mickey Coleman and Erin Loughran, whose shared journey in music has taken them from Tyrone to New York and back again.

They talk about the chance meeting that brought them together, the thriving Irish music school Erin has built in New York, and the powerful pull of tradition that sees dozens of her students return to Ireland each summer for the Fleadh.

Mickey opens up about surviving a “widowmaker” heart attack, how it reshaped his life, and the joy of writing his song Sweet Tyrone with his young sons.

Together, they share a moving story of love, resilience, and the way traditional music keeps people connected across continents and generations.

Enjoy!

New episodes every Monday.

Maddens Bar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddensbarbelfast_home_of_trad/

Hatch Belfast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belfasthatch/?hl=en

Avalon Guitars

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avalonguitarsofficial/

Website: https://www.avalonguitars.com/

Smithwicks Irish Ale

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithwicks_ireland/

Website: https://www.smithwicksexperience.com/

Welcome to a new episode of Music At Maddens Podcast with me, Lynette Fay.

This week we welcome Caitlín Nic Gabhann & Ciarán Ó Maonaigh to the podcast.

This week in the snug, Lynette is joined by husband-and-wife duo Caitlín Nic Gabhann & Ciarán Ó Maonaigh, two professional musicians with deep family roots in traditional music.

From meeting 20 years ago outside Croke Park to touring America together, they share the story of how music shaped their lives, careers, and relationship.

Caitlín talks about her concertina weeks in Meath and Donegal and building a global teaching platform, while Ciarán reflects on growing up in the heart of the Donegal fiddle tradition, overcoming challenges as a young player, and marking new chapters with his latest album Lost in the Music.

Together, they open up about the highs and hard graft of life as working musicians, balancing family with creativity, and the joy of carrying forward living traditions.

A warm, funny, and inspiring chat about love, music, and making it all work.

Enjoy!

New episodes every Monday.

Maddens Bar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddensbarbelfast_home_of_trad/

Ri-Ra

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ri.ra.beer/

Website: www.ri-ra.beer

McIlroy Guitars

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcilroyguitars/

Website: https://mcilroyguitars.co.uk/

Dunville’s Irish Whiskey

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dunvillesirishwhiskey/

Website: https://dunvilleswhiskey.com/

Anzac Drinks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anzacdrinks/

Welcome to a new episode of Music At Maddens Podcast with me, Lynette Fay.

This week we welcome Piaras Ó Lorcáin & Bláithín Mhic Cana  to the podcast.

This week in the snug, Lynette is joined by South Armagh’s Bláithín Mhic Cana and her former student Piaras Ó Lorcáin to share how a few songs around a kitchen table grew into a thriving cultural revival.

Bláithín talks about turning her classroom singing into home gatherings where people of all ages learn traditional songs, creating bonds that go far beyond the music.

Piaras recalls the power of singing “Séamus Mac Murchaidh” in the very shed where the outlaw was waked 300 years ago, and how his breakthrough with “Seán Gower” brought South Armagh’s tradition to international attention.

Together they show how mentorship, community, and heritage come alive when songs are passed on with heart, a conversation full of history, connection, and inspiration.

Enjoy!

New episodes every Monday.

Maddens Bar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddensbarbelfast_home_of_trad/

Ri-Ra

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ri.ra.beer/

Website: www.ri-ra.beer

McIlroy Guitars

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcilroyguitars/

Website: https://mcilroyguitars.co.uk/

Dunville’s Irish Whiskey

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dunvillesirishwhiskey/

Website: https://dunvilleswhiskey.com/

Anzac Drinks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anzacdrinks/