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For me, music has a way of highlighting certain memories in
my mind. I can hear a song and instantly tie it to some moment in my life. So
many artists are like that for me, so I want to do a series where I look at how
Celtic music and musicians have influenced my life, and how they show up in
even the smallest ways.
Irish musician Enya is one of those artists who is there,
but she has a bit of a quiet yet strong presence to her. She is there in subtle ways, but she
is not trying to outdo anyone or take away from what everyone else is doing.
She is doing her own thing and rocking it.
I remember, as a child, one of my friends started singing “Only Time.” Their rendition was less than spectacular, but their voice is still in my head. As she sang, we were dancing and spinning in a circle. I did not know what the song was at the time, but I eventually heard the song elsewhere and was able to figure it out.
When I was in high school, I got to go see Riverdance on
tour in Philadelphia with my mom and grandmom. It was a great day, and I thoroughly
enjoyed the show. As we were waiting for our train back to our small suburban town,
I heard a familiar sound. It was Enya’s “Only Time!” I thought it was the
coolest thing that Enya was playing on my way home from an Irish step dancing
show.
I was always really interested in Irish and Celtic culture,
and this really picked up when I was in high school. Throughout high school,
there was a show called “Out Of Ireland” that talked all about Irish culture
and news. It was on every Saturday, and it was something I looked forward to
watching every week I was able to. The theme song of the show was Enya’s “Book
of Days.”
Celtic Thunder has been one of my favorite bands since they
began. Keith Harkin was always my favorite member (well, him and Emmet Cahill).
I entered a contest to win tickets to see him as well as a chance to meet him
and a signed CD. I made the video and had all of my friends and family on
social media vote for me and I ended up winning! I chose the show in
Stroudsburg at Siamsa Irish Pub. My mom and I went since I had two tickets. We
got to the pub early to have dinner, and whose music was playing on such a pivotal
day? Enya, of course!
In 2020, I was on a Zoom call, learning about various meditation
practices. The facilitator was showing us how to use music to meditate and to
listen closely to what the lyrics were saying. As someone who has always loved
music, I was excited. The facilitator mentioned that we would be listening to “Pilgrim”
by Enya. Years later, it remains one of my favorite songs because of how gorgeous
it is.
Related Articles:
-Riverdance: A 7-Minute Act Turned Irish Dancing Phenomenon: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2025/05/riverdance-eurovision-to-phenomenon.html
-Celtic Connections: Philadelphia's Mummers Parade: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2025/01/celtic-connections-philadelphias.html
-My First Experience as an International Spring Festival Ireland Table Host: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2025/04/my-first-experience-as-international.html