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
