Creative Writing

Finding My Irish Roots Through Music: A Playlist

by: Ozzie Hall

1. The Wild Rover - The Irish Rovers

Even as a kid, this was my all-time favorite song to sing on St. Patrick's Day. I didn't understand my mother's love for the holiday since my family has been American for generations, but I loved shouting along to the extremely catchy chorus.

2. Welcome to the Rock - Come From Away Original Broadway Cast Recording

I didn't know it at the time, but my infatuation with musical theater would eventually, send me backward in time to connect with my ancestry. A musical called Come From Away captivated me with its unique sound that came straight out of Newfoundland, where the story is set. I was charmed by the unique instrumentation, especially the intricate percussion instruments.

3. Donkey Riding - Great Big Sea

The band Great Big Sea was recommended to me by a friend who shared my obsession with Come From Away, and I wasn't sold at first, but by this song? I was hooked. I fell into an obsession with sea shanties, though I would never show anyone that side of my music taste.

4. Gaol Ise Gaol I - Kathleen MacInnes

I don't remember how I found this song, if I'm being honest. But, always aware of my Irish heritage thanks to St. Patrick's Days of the past--shouting The Wild Rover, I was intrigued by the idea of a song done entirely in Gaelic Of course, this spurred a new musical obsession, this time with traditional folk from the Ireland and Scotland areas.

5. The Parting Glass - The Wellermen, Lauren Paley

One part sea shanty, one part Scottish folk; it was a match made in Heaven. I was listening to this when my mom caught a glimpse at my Spotify, and we had a brief conversation about it, during which I shared my love for the overall genre. Later on, she would convince me to try my hand at the bodhran, a traditional Irish drum heard in many of my favorite songs.

6. May the Road Rise to Meet You - Celtic Thunder

This song was originally a simple prayer or blessing by the same name, but it was made into a song. Notably, there is one version of its words hung in my living room, and another in my dining room. This is when I realized just how Irish I am. In other words, I realized just how much of my heritage had been preserved through the hardships faced by the Irish people hundreds of years ago. It may not be much, but it some way, the scraps are a miracle.

7. Nead na Lachan - Me (& Orla Fallon)

To say I performed this song is an understatement. I played the bodhrán along with it on a playback going at half the speed of the real thing But it was mine, and it was, technically, the first time I played alongside something that wasn't a practice track. Am I any good? Debatable But to me, the bodhrán is a way to connect with the past of my family. It, and all the music that led me to it, have turned my Irish heritage from something that belongs solely to my mother to something I could have real proof of, and have real pride in it being mine.