Podcasts about chicago irish

WGN Radio's Rick Kogan is joined by the great Mike Houlihan to catch up with Rick and talk about and share parts of his latest book, “Chicago Irish Mythology”.

Judith Blackburn, director of the Chicago Irish Film Festival says the strongest films coming out of Ireland are horror stories. Though a good comedy would also go down well. Garvin and George felt in their element creating more horror and generating laughs all the way. With feral children lost in the attics down in Thomastown, with creaky floorboards, spiders webs, and strange moaning noises sending shivers down George's spine. Sorry, no that's just Garvin moving some furniture around on the third floor preparing for the newest guests to up-and-coming boot camps. Getting back to the plot, the Chicago Irish Film Festival is definitely one for every budding Irish filmmaker to submit to, especially with an impartial voting system to get your film chosen. It's really down to your to pull all the fingers out and make sure you're carving out your best film. Just a second, why has it gone dark? Another horror story looms in the corridors off Chapel Lane......

On this episode of Strung Out we interview two great Chicago Irish musicians, Jackie Moran on bodhran (the Irish drum) and Seán Cleland (fiddle) both of whom teach at The Irish Music School of Chicago (irishmusicschool.org) and were part of the legendary band The Drovers during the mid-late 1980's, when Chicago was at the forefront of a renaissance of Irish music, dance and culture.  But Chicago had an amazing role in the preservation and propagation of Irish music that predates such bands as The Drovers, Midnight Court, The Wailin' Banshees to name a few of the day.  About 80 years earlier, one Chicago policeman, Chief Francis O'Neil, took it upon himself to save all the tunes that were rapidly being dispersed and lost due to the great famine and immigration.  O'Neil went about hunting down Irish musicians and with the help of colleague James O'Neil, meticulously recorded note for note the melodies that each musician had in his or her recollection.  This became the standard "bible" of Irish melodies and it can be argued that this single action, created in the Windy City, was responsible for maintaining the rich level of Irish music we enjoy today. Fast forward to the 1980's again, and the rise of such stars as Michael Flatley, a Chicago-plumber-flautist-dancer and schools like the Trinity School of Irish Stepdancing lead another wave of Chicago infused Irish music and dance.  With amazing traditional players on the scene from the old country as well as new Windy City stars like Liz Carroll, John Williams, Jimmy Keane, Martin Hayes and many others, Chicago becomes the hotbed of Irish music.  Rising through this rich soil of Midwestern Celtic Sound comes the Big Shouldered energy of bands that delivered a driving, devil-may-care, hammer swinging energy that was uniquely Chicago. That sound thrived throughout the 80's and well into the early 2000's when that era slowly ebbed away.  What it was replaced with is up to debate.  Which is the reason for the podcast.Martin McCormack joins Jackie and Seán as they play some of the signature sounds captured by  Chief O'Neil and talk about Chicago Irish Music, where it has been and where it is heading. 

It's all about our friends at Chicago Gaelic Park this week on Windy City Irish Radio as we preview their fabulous annual festival signaling the official start of the summer. Tune in for an entire hour of music and song from the musicians of Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Fest including County Mayo's own Billow Wood, Galway favorites BackWest, Offaly celt-grass masters JigJam, Irish pop sensation Nathan Carter, long-time faves The Fenians, Celtic Thunder veteran Colm Keegan, and Chicago Irish folk troubador Joe McShane. If that's not enough, this weekend's festival (and this week's show!) features Canadian folksters Steel City Rovers, Chicago's own Paddy Homan, Southsider Liam Durkin and the pride of Ottawa Valley The Fitzgeralds. Tune in every Wednesday evening from 8PM - 9PM to WSBC 1240AM to catch the broadcast and check out this week's podcast here at www.windycityirishradio.com.

Happy Birthday U.S.A! Tonight on Windy City Irish Radio, it is a firecracker of a show as the boys celebrate Independence Day and preview this weekend's Irish American Heritage Festival. Tune in for music from the Red-Headed Cowboy himself Willie Nelson, The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem AND Rory Makem, Byrne and Kelly, JigJam, Tupelo, Chicago's own Jim Sullivan Music and String Sisters. Join Mike and Tim as they chat with Chicago Irish fiddle legend Liz Carroll before her appearance with Dáithí Sproule on the Folk Stage this Saturday evening at the Irish American Heritage Center. Oh say can we see! Tune in each and every Wednesday from 8PM - 9PM to WSBC 1240 AM and catch this week's patriotic podcast at www.windycityirishradio.com

Comedian Connor O'Malley joins the podcast to discuss the great Chicago Irish traditions of salami eating, prejudice against the polish and getting a job with the city that allows you to basically just sleep all day.

Our 230th episode, which aired on December 17, 2017, and featured part two of our exclusive look at the Chicago Irish music scene of the 1970s. Jimmy Moore & Pat Broaders – Foxhunter, Moore and Broaders Liz Carroll with Marty Fahey, Lord MacDonald’s/The Judge’s, A Friend Indeed Jimmy Keane – Horse Keane’s Hornpipe/The Rath Cairn Reel/The Charleston, A Taste of Ireland Frank Thornton – Tom Ash’s March/Irish Freedom March, Irish Traditional Music in America: Chicago Interview with Frank Thornton by Mick Moloney, May 1977, courtesy of the Library of Congress Michael Flatley – Galway Rambler, Fleadh Cheoil flute competition May 1977, courtesy of the Library of Congress Noel Rice – the Humours of Ballyloughlin, Fleadh Cheoil flute competition May 1977, courtesy of the Library of Congress Interview with Marty Fahey, part two Interview with Aileen Dillane, part three John Williams – Micho’s Jig/Mikey’s Reel, Hidden Treasures: Irish Music in Chicago Liz Carroll with Marty Fahey – The Humours of Bandon/Planxty Mary O’Neill, A Friend Indeed Jim DeWan – Wendy O’Flaherty’s/The Boona, Hidden Treasures: Irish Music in Chicago The Drovers – Thanks for the Ring, Hidden Treasures: Irish Music in Chicago Liz Carroll – John Brady’s, A Friend Indeed Liz Carroll – Drying Out/Crush Cars/Lost Indian, A Taste of Ireland Dennis Cahill – Bruach Na Carraig Báine, Hidden Treasures: Irish Music in Chicago

Our 229th episode, which aired on December 10, 2017, and featured part one of our exclusive look at the Chicago Irish music scene of the 1970s. Joe Shannon – O’Keefe’s Plough/Merry Blacksmith, Irish Traditional Music in America: Chicago Joe Shannon & John McGreevy – Scatter the Mud/Fasten the Leggin, Irish Traditional Music in America: Chicago Interview with Dr. Aileen Dillane, part one Patrick J. Touhey – The Steampacket/The Morning Star/Miss McCleod, The Wheels of the World: Early Irish American Music Patrick J. Touhey – Drowsy Maggie/The Scotch Reel/Flogging Reel, The Wheels of the World: Early Irish American Music Interview with Dr. Aileen Dillane, part two Joe Shannon & John McGreevy – The Derry Hornpipe, Classic Celtic Music from Smithsonian Folkways Liz Carroll – Johnny Harling’s/Marty Fahey’s, A Friend Indeed Interview with Marty Fahey, part one Liz Carroll & Jimmy Keane – Brendan McGlinchey’s No. 1/The New Ivy Leaf, Irish Traditional Music in America: Chicago Liz Carroll & Jimmy Keane – Catherine McEvoy’s/The Arklow Mountains, Irish Traditional Music in America: Chicago Liz Carroll – The Green Mountain/Eddie Kelly’s/Love at the Endings, Irish Traditional Music in America: Chicago Liz Carroll with Marty Fahey – Dan Sullivan’s/Teahan’s Favorite/Riding on a Load of Hay, A Friend Indeed Marty Fahey – In Memory of Coleman, Music At The House

The Christmas Spirit is alive and well on Windy City Irish Radio as Tim and Mike welcome Chicago Irish troubadour, Joe McShane, in to the studio to play songs of the season in advance of his performance as part of the St. Stephen's Day/Wren Day celebration at the Irish American Heritage Center on the 26th of December. Hear stories and songs from Joe and holiday music from The Saw Doctors, the great Tommy Makem, Cherish the Ladies from their brand new album Christmas in Ireland, Milwaukee's own The Gleasons and, of course, Donegal country music legend, Margo O'Donnell. As an added treat, in light of the worldwide premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the lads offer up this little question, May the Force Be.......Irish? Join Mike Shevlin and Tim Taylor each Wednesday night in December as they spread their particular brand of Irish holiday cheer on WSBC 1240AM Chicago from 8pm to 9pm or listen to the podcast at www.windycityirishradio.com

Tonight on Windy City Irish Radio​, Chicago Irish harpist Aislinn Gagliardi brings a much needed touch of class to the studio with classic tunes and music from her upcoming release The Thin Place. Mike, Tim and Aislinn talk about the new album and her big record release party at Chief O’Neill’s​ on October 28th. Continuing the barrage of high culture, the Queen of Knox Avenue, seanache Kathy O'Neill, regales the lads with a whimsical story of her childhood days in the Garden State. Finally, showing that we CAN have our cake and eat it too, Sean Cleland from the Irish Music School of Chicago​ joins us for tunes and updates on all that is happening at IBAMChicago 2015​ this weekend -- and featuring music from Sharon Shannon and the High Kings. All in one hours time! IBAM, do you? Join Mike Shevlin and Tim Taylor each Wednesday night on WSBC 1240AM Chicago and WCFJ 1470AM Chicago Heights from 8pm to 9pm or listen to our podcast at www.windycityirishradio.com.