Céilís. Craic. Shifting. Mashed potato. Get ready for a trip down memory lane…
Ahhh, the Gaeltacht. A rite of passage for every Irish teen. Three weeks of summer spent in sunny Connemara, having the craic, meeting new friends and maybe even learning some Irish.
Sure, you were away from mammy’s food, crammed into a room with five other sweaty teens and hopelessly inept at the language, but for the most part, it was fun.
For most, music was a huge part of the experience. There were always people with guitars, fiddles and a range of other instruments, with the ability level ranging from those with a negligible grasp of three chords to musical savants.
Whether it was the song for a competition in the coláiste, a pop favourite as Gaeilge or one that you were forced to learn by the teachers, some tunes instantly remind us of the Gaeltacht. We managed to pick our 26; did we leave any out?
1. Is Cuimin Linn (Remember When as Gaeilge) – Heathers
Fondly remembered as ‘that tune from the Discover Ireland ad’.
Clip via Eathrin
2. Amhrán na bhFiann
Performed every morning along with that old Gaeltacht stalwart, Maidin ag Gealadh
Clip via Olga D
3. Galway Girl – Mundy
Before Ed Sheeran’s horrific effort, we had the Mundy favourite that ALL OF US know by heart.
Clip via Eathrin
4. Léim Thart – Des Bishop
To some, it almost causes aural bleeding. To others, it is art.
Clip via Eathrin
5. Bunús ar Gach Uile Ní (Basis of Everything as Gaeilge) – Delorentos
A catchy tune made outrageously complicated by translating it to Irish – we sang it in English down the back of the bus anyways.
Clip via Eathrin
6. Wagon Wheel
A trained monkey could play it on the guitar, and all the culchies would know the tune for the amhrán an tí.
Clip via TG Lurgan
7. Green Day
Hard to specify a song – Holiday and Boulevard of Broken Dreams definitely got aired several thousand times after the Bean an Tí served up the daily horror for dinner.
Clip via Green Day
8. Taibhsí nó Laochra (Heroes Or Ghosts as Gaeilge)
The quintessential Gaeltacht song, to which all others aspire. From Malin to Mizen, every Irish person of a certain age knows this Coronas anthem.
Clip via Gary Shekleton
9. Stacy’s Mom
Not quite sure why this one applies, but it definitely does – another one that was roared from the back of wheezing buses around Connemara.
Clip via FountainsOfWayneVEVO
10. Chasing Cars
We thought we were so soulful and romantic playing this one for all the girls at the back of the halla. We weren’t.
Clip via SnowPatrolVEVO
11. Seven Nation Army
Few things have been disgraced by young guitar players as much as this one.
Clip via XL Recordings
12. All I Want
This one was very ambitious for the amhrán an tí – you’d have to do some serious coaxing to get that lad from Belmullet to attempt the falsetto along with the rest of you.
Clip via KodalineVEVO
13. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
There was always one chancer with a ukulele.
Clip via Mountain Apple Company Inc
14. Hey There, Delilah
Another one for the aspiring Slashes out there, almost hard to do wrong.
Clip via PlainWhiteTsVEVO
15. Teenage Dirtbag
This one was always easy to get a crowd of excitable teens to sing along to the OOooOOOOoooHHH part
Clip via WheatusVEVO
16. Ho Hey
Often, the crowd in the halla would sit in painful silence as one or two incompetent backing vocalists messed up the timing of their Hos and Heys
Clip via The Lumineers
17. The Cup Song
In the aftermath of Pitch Perfect, everyone in the Gaeltacht attempted this one. Most failed.
Clip via TG Lurgan
18. Let Her Go
The less said about Irish versions of this, the better.
Clip via TG Lurgan
19. Peigín Leitir Mór
We usually got the ‘gairim gairim’ line right, the rest was up to your proficiency at Irish.
Clip via Gaeilge Bhriste
20. A Mhúire Mháthair
This absolute belter got aired at the highlight of any Gaeltacht week – aifreann (mass). The braver ones among us attempted cheeky harmonies.
Clip via Anne Doran
21. An Dreolín
The recipe for rowdiness. Hearing the intro to An Dreolín was generally accompanied by loud screaming and followed by some severe céilí shape-throwing.
Clip via Flipyness
22. Conamara
OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH CONAAAMAARAAAAA
Clip via TG4
23. I’m Yours
The fecking ukulele again. If Irish students had to pay royalties for borrowing pop melodies, Jason Mraz would be a multi-trillionaire by now.
Clip via Jason Mraz
24. Riptide
The third song that the chancer with the ukulele knew (completing the repertoire).
Clip via LiberationMusicAus
25. Pompeii
Like Ho Hey, easily ruined by the questionable backing vocals of unwilling participants singers from your house.
Clip via BastilleVEVO
26. Wake Me Up
The song that put Lurgan on the map (and subsequently The Late Late Show) captured hearts, minds and ears across the country when it came out.
Clip via TG Lurgan
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
