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This is a chart of my personal favorite top 40 (or so) albums of Irish traditional music, selected from the Discography. I would like to share this list in part because this way I can honestly admit and describe what sort of aesthetic biases I hold as I work on this tune database. Compare the community-wide rankings.
**** four stars = amazing pure drop
*** three stars = excellent and definitely recommended
Otherwise the albums are listed oldest first.
| Stars | Artist. Album Title. Primary musicians | Links to album contents. |
|---|---|---|
| **** | Michael Coleman. Michael Coleman 1891-1945. Michael Coleman (fiddle). | View full details. |
| **** | Joe Cooley. Cooley. Joe Cooley (accordion). | View full details. |
| **** | Planxty. Collection. Unidentified on this reissue. | View full details. |
| **** | Dolores Keane & John Faulkner. Broken Hearted I'll Wander. Dolores Keane (vocals, concertina, flute ,whistle, hurdy gurdy, bodhrán), John Faulkner (vocals, guitar, hurdy gurdy, bouzouki). | View full details. |
| **** | Noel Hill and Tony MacMahon. In Knocknagree. Noel Hill (concertina), Tony MacMahon (accordion). | View full details. |
| **** | Trian. Trian. Liz Carroll (fiddle), Billy McComiskey (accordion), Daithi Sproule (guitar, vocals). | View full details. |
| **** | Tony Mac Mahon, Noel Hill, Iarla Ó Lionáird. Music of Dreams. Tony Mac Mahon (accordion), Noel Hill (concertina), Iarla Ó Lionáird (vocals). | View full details. |
| **** | Angelina Carberry. An Traidisiún Beo. Angelina Carberry (banjo). | View full details. |
| *** | Hugh Gillespie. Classic Recordings of Irish Traditional Fiddle Music. Hugh Gillespie (fiddle). | View full details. |
| *** | Willie Clancy. The Minstrel from Clare. Willie Clancy (pipes, whistle, vocals). | View full details. |
| *** | Joe Burke with Charlie Lennon. Traditional Music of Ireland. Joe Burke (accordion), with Charlie Lennon (piano). | View full details. |
| *** | Paddy Keenan. Paddy Keenan. Paddy Keenan (pipes, whistle). | View full details. |
| *** | Seán Keane. Gusty's Frolicks. Seán Keane (fiddle). | View full details. |
| *** | Jackie Daly. Music from Sliabh Luachra. Jackie Daly (accordion, concertina). | View full details. |
| *** | The Bothy Band. Out of the Wind into the Sun. Paddy Keenan (pipes, whistle), Matt Molloy (flute, whistle), Kevin Burke (fiddle), Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (vocals, keyboards), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitar, bodhrán, synthesizer), Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (guitar). | View full details. |
| *** | Jackie Daly, Séamus Creagh. Jackie Daly. Séamus Creagh. Jackie Daly (accordion), Séamus Creagh (fiddle). | View full details. |
| *** | Kevin Burke. If the Cap Fits. Kevin Burke (fiddle). | View full details. |
| *** | Mary Bergin. Feadóga Stáin. Traditional Irish Music on the Tin Whistle. Mary Bergin (whistle). | View full details. |
| *** | Joe Burke, Andy McGann, and Felix Dolan. The Funny Reel. Traditional Music of Ireland. Joe Burke (accordion), Andy McGann (fiddle), Felix Dolan (piano). | View full details. |
| *** | Dolores Keane and John Faulkner with Eamonn Curran. Farewell to Erin (Farewell to Éirinn). Instruments not specified: Dolores Keane (vocals, etc.), John Faulkner (vocals, etc.). | View full details. |
| *** | Planxty. The Woman I Loved so Well. Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitar, synthesizer), Andy Irvine (bouzouki, mandolin, harmonica, vocals), Liam O'Flynn (pipes, whistle), Christy Moore (guitar, bodhrán, vocals). | View full details. |
| *** | Dé Danann. Mist Covered Mountain. Frankie Gavin (fiddle, viola, whistle), Jackie Daly (accordion), Charlie Piggott (banjo, mandolin, steel guitar), Alec Finn (bouzouki, mandocello, steel guitar), Johnny 'Ringo' McDonagh (bodhrán, bones). | View full details. |
| *** | Billy McComiskey. Makin' the Rounds. Irish Traditional Music. Billy McComiskey (accordion). | View full details. |
| *** | James Kelly, Paddy O'Brien, Daithi Sproule. Traditional Music of Ireland. James Kelly (fiddle), Paddy O'Brien (accordion), Daithi Sproule (vocals, guitar). | View full details. |
| *** | Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Frankie Kennedy. Ceol Aduaidh. Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh (fiddle, vocals), Frankie Kennedy (flute). | View full details. |
| *** | Matt Molloy and Sean Keane. Contentment Is Wealth. Matt Molloy (flute), Sean Keane (fiddle). | View full details. |
| *** | Frankie Gavin and Paul Brock. Ómós do Joe Cooley. A Tribute to Joe Cooley. Frankie Gavin (fiddle), Paul Brock (accordion). | View full details. |
| *** | Matt Molloy. Stony Steps. Matt Molloy (flute). | View full details. |
| *** | Ronan Browne and Peter O'Loughlin. The South West Wind. Traditional Music from County Clare. Ronan Browne (pipes), Peter O'Loughlin (fiddle). | View full details. |
| *** | Liz Carroll. Liz Carroll. Liz Carroll (fiddle). | View full details. |
| *** | Frankie Gavin. Frankie Goes to Town. Frankie Gavin (fiddle, flute). | View full details. |
| *** | various. The Boston College Irish Fiddle Festival - My Love Is in America. | View full details. |
| *** | Altan. The Red Crow. Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh (fiddle, vocals), Frankie Kennedy (flute, whistle, vocals), Paul O'Shaughnessy (fiddle), Mark Kelly (guitar, vocals), Ciaran Curran (bouzouki). | View full details. |
| *** | Gerry Harrington and Eoghan O'Sullivan. Scéal Eile. Gerry Harrington (fiddle), Eoghan O'Sullivan (accordion). | View full details. |
| *** | Dáithí Sproule. A Heart Made of Glass. Dáithí Sproule (vocals, guitar). | View full details. |
| *** | Martin Hayes. Under the Moon. Martin Hayes (fiddle). | View full details. |
| *** | John Carty and Brian McGrath. The Cat that Ate the Candle. John Carty (banjo, fiddle), Brian McGrath (piano, banjo). | View full details. |
| *** | Josephine Marsh. Josephine Marsh. Josephine Marsh (accordion, concertina). | View full details. |
| *** | Folan and Davey. Skin and Bow. Declan Folan (fiddle), Junior Davey (bodhrán). | View full details. |
| *** | Tommy Peoples. The Quiet Glen / An Gleann Ciúin. Tommy Peoples (fiddle). | View full details. |
| *** | Kieran Hanrahan. Kieran Hanrahan Plays the Irish Tenor Banjo. Kieran Hanrahan (banjo). | View full details. |
| *** | Danú. Think before You Think. Tom Doorley (flute, whistle), Eamon Doorley (bouzouki, mandola), Brendan McCarthy (accordion), Jesse Smith (fiddle, viola), Noel Ryan (guitar), Donnchadh Gough (bodhrán, pipes), Ciarán Ó Gealbháin (vocals). | View full details. |
| *** | Hammy Hamilton, Séamus Creagh, Con Ó Drisceoil. It's No Secret. Hammy Hamilton (flute, vocals), Séamus Creagh (fiddle, vocals), Con Ó Drisceoil (accordion, vocals, piano). | View full details. |
| *** | John Creaven. The Story So Far. John Creaven (flute). | View full details. |
| *** | Brian Rooney. Leitrim to London. Brian Rooney (fiddle, accordion). | View full details. |
| *** | Feenish. Rabharta. P.J. Hernon (accordion), Marcus Hernon (flute, whistle), Don Stiffe (vocals, guitar, whistle). | View full details. |
| *** | John Carty. I Will If I Can. John Carty (banjo, guitar, fiddle). | View full details. |
| *** | Oisín McAuley. Far from the Hills of Donegal. Oisín McAuley (fiddle, guitar). | View full details. |