Kilted Owl: Tara Connaghan Hosts Podcast About Irish Music Session Etiquette

Tara Connaghan, host of the podcast

"In Tune with Tradition-Perspectives on Session Etiquette in Irish Traditional Music"

The world of traditional Irish music sessions can be challenging to navigate, especially for those new to the art form. Tara Connaghan, a traditional fiddler and musician from Donegal, had an idea that eventually led to her podcast, "In Tune with Tradition-Perspectives on Session Etiquette in Irish Traditional Music".

Connaghan started playing music from a young age. She began playing guitar at the age of 9. Through the years, she picked up the fiddle, piano, and flute as well. She performed in her first session at a local pub and still continues to this day.

Aside from being a musician, she teaches music, primarily to adults. She was inspired to write a book about performing music and the anxiety surrounding it. When she asked a retired doctor, who was a fiddle student of hers, to co-write the book, he said that she should write a book on the etiquette of Irish music sessions.

She was hesitant at first, and when she was applying for funding for her book, she threw in that she would make a podcast with the interviews she did. When her application was removed from selection, she decided to start to talk to people anyway.

Connaghan reached out to Leonard Barry, who was on the tenth podcast episode. She asked him what he thought of the podcast idea of the podcast about Irish music session etiquette. His interview was the tenth podcast episode.

She then reached out to Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, the lead vocalist and fiddle player for Altan, and this interview became the first episode and was released on July 4, 2025. Connaghan currently has dozens of interviews ready to be edited into podcast form.

Connaghan has a strategic path for who she interviews and when she posts the episodes. For the first few episodes, she knew she needed to get high-profile names in so people would listen to the podcast. From there, she tried to get a variety of people involved with an Irish music session, from dancers to musicians and more, to get their perspectives for the podcast.

As she goes about her interviews, Connaghan strives to ensure those who are new to Irish music sessions can understand what is being discussed. She has also encouraged listeners to send in questions, which she is trying to get through. Listeners can send in questions through the website.

In the time since the podcast’s start, it has received a lot of positive attention. There are schools in America that teach Irish music, and they are setting up podcast clubs to listen to an episode of the podcast monthly and meet on Zoom to discuss it.

“I [was] so shocked,” said Connaghan. “When they contacted me, I thought they just wanted to include my podcast along with other podcasts, and I was like, ‘This is so amazing.’ They were like ‘No, we want to listen to just yours.’”

The podcast has received 23,000 downloads. Listeners have messaged Connaghan, telling her that she has helped them learn the ways of the Irish music session quickly, often shaving years off their learning journey.

Looking into the future, Connaghan has talks that she is doing in conjunction with her podcast, including one in Dublin. She is also doing a couple of two-day workshops, as well as a retreat for participants to learn about Irish music sessions.

Connaghan does have a few guests she would love to have on her podcast. Ed Sheeran has a history of Irish music and has played with Irish musicians before. She would also like to interview actor Brendan Gleeson, who is known for his role as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody in the “Harry Potter” movies, for her podcast. He plays the fiddle, and Connaghan has played in Irish music sessions with him before.

She knows that the title of the podcast can be off-putting to some, especially the “session etiquette” part. However, her goal is to get the conversation started, as that has not been done over the past 60 years.

She says those who feel defensive tend to be the ones who may be doing something wrong and do not want to change. However, the goal of the podcast is not to judge or attack someone, but to help people learn the etiquette skills so they can be involved in a way that everyone can enjoy the Irish music experience.

“We’re a community, and let’s just talk about it,” said Connaghan. “I just want to get the conversation out in the open so everyone can feel more comfortable and so everyone can enjoy it.”

Connaghan's podcast, "In Tune with Tradition-Perspectives on Session Etiquette in Irish Traditional Music," is available wherever you listen to podcasts.