On July 24, 2026, Dutch DJ Martin Garrix and Irish band U2 released “Fireflies,” a collaboration that premiered live during Garrix's headline set at Belgium's Tomorrowland the previous weekend. This performance featured a surprise appearance from U2’s Edge.
On November 7, 2025, Welsh-Australian singer Stella Donnelly released her latest album, “Love and Fortune.” Marcel Tussie, Sophie Ozard, Julia Wallace, Timothy Harvey, Ellie Mason, and Jack Gaby all teamed up to collaborate on the album. The album consists of 11 songs.
On January 17, 2025, Scottish singer Ainsley Hamill released her latest album, “Fable.” The album was produced by Sam Kelly of 'Sam Kelly and the Lost Boys' and features the talents of Alistair Iain Paterson, Toby Shaer, Signy Jakobsdottir, and Euan Burton.
On August 1, 2025, Scottish band Mànran released their latest album, “To The Wind.” It was recorded, mixed, and produced by Ross Hamilton and mastered by Kevin Grainger at Wired Masters. There are nine tracks on the album, concluding with bonus track “Wild Mountain Thyme.” The band is made up of members Gary Innes, Mark Scobbie, Ewen Henderson, Ryan Murphy, Marcus Cordock, Kim Carnie, and Aidan Moodie.
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Irish actress Brenda Fricker died on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at the age of 81. Her death was confirmed by her agent, Phil Belfield. She died in Dublin after a period of illness.
Fricker was born on February 17, 1945, to Bina Murphy, a language teacher, and Desmond Frederick Fricker, a journalist for the Irish Times. Initially, she wanted to be a journalist, working as an assistant to the arts editor at the Irish Times.
On November 7, 2025, Scottish DJ, record producer, and songwriter
Sam Gellaitry released his debut studio album, “Anywhere Here Is Perfect.” The
album consists of 12 songs, none of which are labeled as explicit.
From the first note, listeners are drawn into the music. The opening song invites listeners to break free and have some fun while listening to the album. In a world that is dark, this escape is more than welcome.
On June 23, 2026, Irish tenor Emmet Cahill made his solo debut at
54 Below in New York City, New York. This show was entitled “From Dublin to
Broadway” and featured an eclectic range of music, from traditional Celtic songs
to Broadway showtunes.
The setlist was packed with a variety of music. Throughout
the concert, Cahill sang a variety of songs, from Celtic to Broadway. While it would
have been nice to hear more Celtic songs, it made sense that the show was more
Broadway-heavy since it was in New York City. Emmet did, however, make
connections between the Celtic world and Broadway.
Between songs, Cahill talked a lot about the song that was
coming up next. These transitions allowed people to get to know Emmet better as
he told the stories behind what the songs mean to him. Hearing his stories and
connections made the songs much more impactful.
My seats were in the
front right near the stage. This made the show even more intimate in a venue
where there are no bad seats. I was aware of the fact that the show was being
livestreamed, which made me conscious of how much noise I was making and the
things I was doing.
Cahill talked a bit about his time with Celtic Thunder so
far, and he even sang “Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears,” which was a song he
performed with Celtic Thunder. Emmett O’Hanlon, who was also in Celtic Thunder,
was Cahill’s special guest. It was cool to see how much O’Hanlon has grown as a
musician in his time since Celtic Thunder.
One of the coolest parts of the concert was the lighting. I
saw Cahill perform at a church in 2023, so seeing him at a venue that has
lighting that can be changed was a different and special experience. Both
venues were special in their own ways.
Another aspect I loved about the table seating was meeting
new friends (shout out to Cassie and Seth). I loved hearing about how they came
to be fans of Cahill and learning about them as people. We had amazing
conversations over dinner and after the show.
Overall, the concert was a memorable night. I am glad I got
to talk to him afterward as well. Cahill was in excellent voice as usual, and
his banter between songs allowed us to get to know him even better.
-Concert Review: Celtica Nova: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2026/03/concert-review-celtica-nova.html
Just Mustard is a 5-piece band from Dundalk, Ireland. “We Were Just Here” is the band’s third studio album and was released via Partisan Records. The elements of the band that listeners have come to expect are present on the album, but their sound on this album is warmer than their previous music.
“Classic Irish Short Stories: Volume 1” is a collection of short stories that were either written by Irish writers or inspired by Irish life. It was narrated by T.P. McKenna. The Irish are known for their rich storytelling, and this collection focuses on authors who are particularly skilled at crafting short stories.
“Skye Boat Song” is one of the most beloved Scottish songs out there. It was first published in 1884. The air was collected in the 1870s by Anne Campbell MacLeod, and the lyrics were written by Sir Harold Edwin Boulton, who was an English baronet.
“Guess How Much I Love You” is a book written by Sam McBratney with illustrations by Anita Jeram. It was first published in 1994 and became a modern classic, selling more than a million copies in its first year. It was given as gifts to new parents, newlyweds, and many others. It is one of the most popular and best-selling children's books of all time.
On August 1, 2025, Scottish band Sian released their latest album, “Araon.” The album features Ceitlin Lilidh, Eilidh Cormack, Ellen MacDonald, and Innes White. The album was produced by Innes Strachan and Innes White, engineered and mixed by Iain Hutchison at GloWorm Recording, and mastered by Peter Beckmann at Technologyworks.
“Love & Luck” was written by Jenna Evans Welch. It tells the story of Addie, who visits Ireland for her aunt’s wedding. She struggles to enjoy herself as she wrestles with the guilt of something she did that her brother will not let her forget. She finds a guidebook called “Ireland for the Heartbroken,” which allows her to escape while she waits to meet her friend in Italy. However, her travel plans change and she is swept away on an unexpected adventure.
The album consists of 12 songs, 10 of which were written or co-written by Tim Wheeler. “Hallion” was co-written by Wheeler and Ilan Eshkeri. "Zarathustra" was written by Richard Strauss. “Jump The Line” was written by Lord Kitchener.
“You’re My Little Lucky Charm” is a children’s book written by Nicola Edwards and illustrated by Natalie Marshall. The book is all about reminding the little ones in your life how much they are loved by the adults in their lives, whether it is a parent, family member, or other trusted adult figure.
On September 19, 2025, Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro released their latest album, “Futique.” The album consists of 11 songs, three of which are labeled as explicit. It was produced by Jonathan Gilmore. This is the band’s 10th studio album.
