[energetic music] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] - [Narrator] Welcome to "Ireland In Music."
[speaking Irish] Welcome to our granular exploration of Irish music, culture, and landscape.
In the next half an hour, we'll be traversing Ireland with some of our finest musicians, filmed in some of our most beautiful places.
Donegal, Offaly, Roscommon, and Fingal, as we celebrate the musical mastery and beauty of our proud island of Ireland.
We start in the mighty Donegal on Arranmore Island where Altan are joined by local Irish dancing champions, Emily and Thomas Colangelo, who went to school on Arranmore, and their grandfather still lives there.
[graceful music] [graceful music continues] [graceful music continues] [graceful music continues] [graceful music continues] [graceful music continues] [graceful music continues] [graceful music continues] [graceful music continues] [graceful music continues] [graceful music continues] [graceful music continues] [graceful music continue] [graceful music continue] [audience applauding] - [speaking Irish] Staying in Donal, we explore the stunning Mamore gap on the Malin Peninsula, with views from miles in every direction.
Here we filmed avid hiker, Naomi Hamilton, who records fantastic songs such as this under the name, Jealous of the Birds.
♪ The lilac haze of the hill ♪ ♪ Is married to mist and winter chill ♪ ♪ Sometimes the weight of what's unseen ♪ ♪ Reminds me of being sixteen ♪ ♪ So tell me of all your plans ♪ ♪ Ooh la roux in sun on desert land ♪ ♪ The vintrails ♪ ♪ The blackbird mourns ♪ ♪ The hopes of children yet 'til be born ♪ ♪ The myths I make in my head ♪ ♪ Are light as pollen and dark as dread ♪ ♪ I rejoice in commonplace ♪ ♪ The humble act ♪ ♪ The low case ♪ ♪ The lilac haze of the hill ♪ ♪ Is married to mist and winter chill ♪ ♪ Sometimes the weight of where I've been ♪ ♪ Compels me on to the unseen ♪ [gentle music] - I mean, I've always been kind of like an outdoorsy person, grew up like camping with my dad and he's really into hiking as well, so I've kind of been trying to get back into that so it makes sense that we're here in this beautiful landscape.
I think it's a very meditative thing.
Definitely, you get a lot of clarity out here.
Yeah, and clear your head a little bit.
So when I go hiking, it's kind of just a good chance to kind of reflect and zone out a bit, for sure.
Yeah, it's my first time in Mamore.
It's gorgeous.
I've haven't really been up to Donegal as much as I should be or I want to be, so it's a real treat to be here even if it is really a gray day to be up on here.
But yeah, it's gorgeous.
So "Haze of the Hill" is off "Peninsula," the upcoming album.
Yeah, it's kind of more about reflecting on the future and your future with your partner or your loved one and kind of the expectations that you bring to a relationship and kind of moving in parallel with another person, so there's so many things that you obviously can't anticipate, but kind of being really open about your expectations is really, really cool, so the songs, yeah, about that.
And just life in general.
It's just a kind of go with the flow and, yeah, for sure.
- [Narrator] There's been a castle on this site in Birr County, Offaly, since 1170, and it's been an astronomy site for almost two centuries.
It's still home today to the Rosse Solar Terrestrial Observatory, where we spy Wallis Bird and Caoi de Barra.
- Okay, this next song is called "The Dive."
It's about a moment, a leap of faith, into my partner's leap of faith into a relationship with me.
[gentle music] It's called "The Dive."
Yeah.
"The Dive," yeah.
[pair laughing] - Only a name.
[pair laughing] [gentle music] - It's a very serious song, queen.
Won't you take it seriously?
- Sorry.
- Seriously?
- I promise to take seriously.
- Okay.
[gentle music] ♪ Burgeoning weather, not just overhead ♪ ♪ Not just in the sky ♪ ♪ You were like jelly and leather ♪ ♪ Arms by your side, ten meters high ♪ ♪ Watching you look down ♪ ♪ So much to prove ♪ ♪ You steadied your mind ♪ ♪ You pressed your fingers ♪ ♪ Breathed a sigh ♪ ♪ Stepped into the sky ♪ ♪ If there was ever any time to fly ♪ ♪ If there was ever any time to cry ♪ ♪ If there was ever any time to dive ♪ ♪ It is now, it is now ♪ [gentle music] [gentle music continues] ♪ Look at you there ♪ ♪ Sun on your wet skin ♪ ♪ Walking towards my open arms ♪ ♪ I thought I could die looking at you ♪ ♪ If there was ever any time ♪ ♪ If there was ever any time ♪ ♪ If there was ever any time ♪ ♪ If there was ever any time ♪ ♪ If there was ever any time ♪ ♪ If there was ever any time ♪ ♪ To dive, it is now ♪ [gentle music] [gentle music continues] [gentle music continues] - [Narrator] Also in County Offaly, we return to the Boora Pyramid in the Lough Boora Discovery Park where the magical siblings that make up Clann Ui Flatharta made a detour on their way home to Connemara to record for us.
- [Musician] One, two, one, two, three, four.
[singing in Irish] [energetic music] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [singing in Irish] [singing in Irish] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] - [Narrator] Loughnaneane Park sits under the shadow of Roscommon Castle, and serves as great focus for this bustling town.
This castle was built in 1269 on lands seized from a local priory.
Thankfully, it's all back in the public domain now, where acoustic metal exponents The Scratch blasted us with their sounds.
[vigorous music] [vigorous singing] [vigorous music] ♪ I was down the back of another aul snug ♪ ♪ Just taking the time to watch the wall paint dry ♪ ♪ The sound of a bauld aul crowds dull ♪ ♪ Chattering filling the air within an inch of its life ♪ ♪ A man on either side of me, the bar to the right ♪ ♪ I'd be lucky to make it outta here with me life ♪ ♪ And isn't that your man that barred us last ♪ ♪ Time for singing 'Ra tunes on a tuesday night?
♪ [vigorous music] ♪ Crawling up the walls lookin' like a rabid hound ♪ ♪ Get up outta that, get up off the ground ♪ ♪ I'll tie ya to that chair if ya don't simmer down ♪ ♪ You're the worlds worst patron saint of stout ♪ ♪ Actually didn't I barr yous last week ♪ ♪ And what are ya doin' with a spliff in your mouth?
♪ ♪ Alright then never mind what'll it be lads?
♪ ♪ Another Round ♪ ♪ Another Round ♪ ♪ Another Round ♪ ♪ Another Round ♪ ♪ Another Round ♪ ♪ Another Round ♪ ♪ Another Round ♪ ♪ Another Round ♪ ♪ Another Round ♪ ♪ Another Round ♪ ♪ Another Round ♪ ♪ Another Round ♪ [vigorous singing] [vigorous music] [vigorous music continues] ♪ Take the 5dge off the knife ♪ ♪ Catch th5 rain before it all runs dry ♪ ♪ Cure the dog of all that ails it ♪ ♪ You'll still be that bitter man inside ♪ ♪ They are changing all the taps ♪ ♪ Switching off the lights in every room ♪ ♪ If the last call has an ending ♪ ♪ I swear to god there's nothing left for you ♪ [vigorous music] [vigorous music continues] ♪ I was down the back of another aul snug ♪ ♪ Just taking the time to watch the wall paint dry ♪ ♪ The sound of a bauld aul crowds dull chattering ♪ ♪ Filling the air within an inch of its life ♪ ♪ A man on either side of me, the bar to the right ♪ ♪ I'd be lucky to make it outta here with me life ♪ ♪ And isn't that your man that barred us last time ♪ ♪ For singing 'Ra tunes on a tuesday night ♪ ♪ I was down the back of another aul snug ♪ ♪ Just taking the time to watch the wall paint dry ♪ ♪ The sound of a bauld aul crowds dull chattering ♪ ♪ Filling the air within an inch of its life ♪ ♪ A man on either side of me, the bar to the right ♪ ♪ I'd be lucky to make it outta here with me life ♪ ♪ And isn't that your man that barred us last time ♪ ♪ For singing 'Ra tunes on a tuesday night ♪ ♪ For singing 'Ra tunes on a tuesday night ♪ ♪ For singing 'Ra tunes on a tuesday night ♪ ♪ For singing 'Ra tunes on a tuesday night ♪ ♪ For singing 'Ra tunes on a Tuesday night ♪ [vigorous music] [vigorous music continues] [vigorous music continues] [vigorous music continues] [vigorous music continues] [vigorous music continues] - [Narrator] Ardgillan Castle in Fingal has been the site of many epic concerts over the years, but few as auspicious as Kila, augmented by a brass section.
Decades after forming, they still keep pushing musical boundaries in a thrilling way, as they finish off this episode.
[energetic music] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [singing in Irish] [singing in Irish] [singing in Irish] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [singing in Irish] [singing in Irish] [singing in Irish] [energetic music continues] [singing in Irish] [singing in Irish] [singing in Irish] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] [energetic music continues] - [Narrator] Until next time, [speaking Irish].