Transcript from my recordings 

Introduction

The ten tunes in this short playlist form an arc between a lost Ireland a rejuvenated Ireland. The songs are bookended with loss, one is for a soulmate, the other is for a jumper. In between we have songs that run the full gamut of the Irish condition. From having the hots to having the craic, the common thread is that of the haves and the have nots, not financially but in disposition.

These are the tunes that sustained Generation X with each one having a unique place in Irish hearts.  Virginia Woolf once said that a good book is never finished – it goes on whispering to you from the wall. I believe good songs, like these ten bangers, go further – they have absorbed themselves into our souls and are an integral part our DNA. One tune is the final entry into the prestigious Penguin Anthology of Irish Poetry, while another tune triumphantly heralds the arrival of a new-found confidence on the island.  

Ten tunes was the cap here and are set deliberately between late 60s to early 90s. Over that generation, Ireland went through a profound sea change in attitude, confidence and possibility. From being the Albania of the Atlantic when the first song came out, we turned ourselves into an island that started to see and do things with aplomb, culturally, socially and economically by Song Ten. These anthems formed the backdrop to those heady days of transformation and turmoil.

At their core is gratitude; an appreciation, occasionally rueful, occasionally irreverent, of what it is to be human, or better still, to be Irish.

If you come on a tour with me, you will no doubt catch a few of them on the road. With any luck, they will thrill you as much as they have the generations of Irish who took great succour from them, who belted them out at singsongs, at gigs, who heard them whilst making love or making scones, who have played them at funerals and who danced like dervishes at weddings to them. Welcome to Jack’s Essential Irish.

1 Raglan Road – Luke Kelly HAVING REGRET

Although the lyrics originated as a poem by Patrick Kavanagh, “Raglan Road” became inseparably associated with Luke Kelly of The Dubliners. Kelly’s powerful, emotional rendition is widely regarded as one of the greatest performances in Irish music and has helped elevate the song to near-national-treasure status. Watch out for the YouTube video from 1979 where Luke explains how he bumped into Kavanagh in The Bailey pub and Kavanagh decreed that Luke must sing the song with the rest being history.

Set to the traditional air “The Dawning of the Day,” it tells the story of Kavanagh’s unrequited love for a young woman he met in Dublin. Poor Kavanagh had fallen for a woman called Hilda Moriarty, said to be the best looking woman to ever come out of Kerry. The problem was so had a much more debonair fella by the name of Donagh O’Malley. He was a talented sportsman with a rising political career in the Irish cabinet. Indeed his surprise decision as Minister for Education to give free secondary school education is now believed to have been one of the key factors for Ireland’s remarkable economic development years later.

Irascible, with halitosis and snot permanently hanging from his nose, bachelor boy Kavanagh could not compete with a man who would become an important part of Ireland’s history. However, when it came to words, few could equal him. It’s truly heart-breaking, but that’s what adds to its greatness. Hilda got the politician, but we all got a song that can stop us in our tracks from the first pluck of that rueful banjo.

2 Into the Mystic – Van Morrison (1970) HAVING GRACE

Appearing on the classic album Moondance, “Into the Mystic” is often considered one of Van Morrison’s greatest achievements. Blending soul, folk, jazz, and Celtic influences, the song uses maritime imagery and spiritual themes to evoke a journey toward transcendence and belonging. Its warm, timeless atmosphere has given it an almost hymn-like quality, and many listeners regard it as one of the finest songs ever written by an Irish artist.

Liam Neeson famously said that Van was the only person he knew who could walk through a meadow and have enough material for an album by the exit gate. Here, Van starts slow, but with evocative imagery of the sea and the elements. Unlike Kavanagh and his doomed dirge of lost love, Van is ramping it up with gusto before delivering his epic mission statement to rock your gypsy soul. As we all magnificently float into the mystic, we have briefly entered another realm of wonder before gently dropping back to the more temporal world of fog horns blowing.

I usually play a few tunes by Van coming out of his hometown of Belfast, including I’ll tell me Ma with the Chieftains, but this is the show-stopper delivering sublime lyrics with a soaring melody. To show such spiritual depth and musical craftsmanship aged just 25 is staggering. You’d nearly forgive him for being such a consummate curmudgeon – well, nearly!

3 Teenage Kicks – The Undertones (1978) HAVING THE HOTS

Emerging from Derry during the Troubles, The Undertones created a song that was refreshingly free of politics. Indeed when asked why they didn’t sing about the events in 1970s Northern Ireland, they asked the rhetorical question ‘why would people coming out to switch off and be entertained want us to do that?’  “Teenage Kicks” is a joyous celebration of youthful infatuation, driven by an irresistible melody and punk energy. Although not having the rawness of fellow northern rockers, Stiff Little Fingers, the tune started off as a more licentious ode to time alone in the bedroom shall we say. The updated lyrics consequently moved on to holding her tight and so on!

It became legendary after BBC DJ John Peel famously pulled over into a lay-by when he first heard it, so moved was he at hearing this most perfect of pop paeans.  When he got around to playing it on his much-celebrated radio show, it remains the only tune he played twice in row. The Fall may have been Peel’s favourite band, but this was his favourite record, even requesting that the line “Teenage dreams, so hard to beat” be engraved on his tombstone.

Coming in at a nippy 2 minutes 28 seconds, this is a smash and grab sort of tune, but this sort of larceny kinda feels good. A quick drumbeat and off it hurtles – its snarling throaty guitar taking no prisoners. It’s visceral, it’s fast and it is just dripping with sexual desire. If you’ve never heard it before, brace yourself for a rock rollercoaster!

4 Summer in Dublin – Bagatelle (1980) HAVING HOPE

Perhaps the signature song of Bagatelle, “Summer in Dublin” is a nostalgic evocation of Dublin city in warmer, simpler times. Referencing landmarks such as Grafton Street and the city’s nightlife, the song captures the spirit of Dublin at the turn of the 1970s. It remains a staple of Irish radio and singalongs, particularly among Dubliners who cherish its affectionate portrait of the city.

But even the ‘boggers’, as folk beyond the Pale ie Dublin are called, have an attachment to this song. It’s a song of its time and though it should seem a bit worn around the edges by now, it has instead grown better in time like a fine wine.

It’s an elegy not just to a capital city, but to that time in our lives. It’s refreshingly honest talking about the smell of the Liffey and the unsavoury characters you might meet – all quite accurate. Its singer and writer, Liam Reilly, delivers it with authenticity and style.

What seems destined as a simple piece with just vocals and piano, bursts into life at the two minute mark before laying on the full nine yards for an uplifting ending of hope and appreciation. It is masterful in its composed execution.

It’s a song about memory and loss and gratitude for having things just the way they were, even if they were far from perfect. Ireland was quite broken in 1980. We had a prime minister telling us to tighten our belts the very week his own bank asked him to pay back his £1m overdraft. Music once again made things just that little bit better.

We have a series called ‘Reelin in the Years’, on RTE the national broadcaster. It shows events from a particular year to the backdrop of pop music of the year in question. It’s a simple idea, but its powerful TV. Time and again we will get swept away by a tune from a year that make us a bit dewy-eyed. We look at events unfolding and scream at the TV when we know they will do the wrong thing or see a national catastrophe unfold.

Invariably every episode ends with a sucker punch tune that accurately portrays how bad things were as we watched another generation emigrate due to lack of prospects here. We felt powerless at watching these gloomy events, but tunes of a certain time, like this gem, gave us some crumb of comfort and made the weird mix of pain and longing just that wee bit more palatable.

5 Lisdoonvarna – Christy Moore (1981) HAVING THE CRAIC

The Penguin Book of Irish Poetry is the definitive textbook on all of the great words to come out of the island of Ireland. It starts with words written at the coming of Christianity and is bookended with some Christie insanity you could say! The editor describes it as a privilege to end the book with ‘Lisdoonvarna’, Christy Moore’s burlesque on 1980s Irish public life. It is one hell of a feather in the man’s cap that neither Bono nor Van achieved!

This affectionate and humorous song celebrates the annual matchmaking festival in the village of Lisdoonvarna in County Clare, sadly defunct but with rumours of a return. It captures a uniquely Irish blend of romance, music, drink, and social gathering. Moore’s vivid storytelling evokes rural Ireland in a way that is both nostalgic and lively, making it one of his most beloved songs. It’s stream of consciousness delivery lists a whole host of the great and the not so good. Sure, it helps if you know a few of them but it is not essential, just go with the energy and merriment of the song. If you’re going to listen to Christy in concert, ensure you get him on a good night and all going well, there is no one to beat him on stage as you’ll hear.

6 The Whole of the Moon – The Waterboys (1985) HAVING REVELATION

Ireland has a long history of embracing upcoming British bands before the rest of the world cottoned on – Oasis, The Stone Roses, The Jam, Chris Rea and David Gray to name a few. Mike Scott is needless to say Scottish, but the band’s long association with Ireland has made them a fixture of Irish musical culture and are now firmly considered  ‘one of our own’. I wouldn’t ever think of completing a tour of Ireland without introducing folk to this band. Fisherman’s Blues is just the song you want to hear when you hit the west coast.

However, 1985’s seminal “The Whole of the Moon” is the defining song of The Waterboys. Written by Mike Scott its soaring arrangement, brass fanfares, and poetic lyrics contrast the limited perspective of “I saw the crescent” with the visionary outlook of “you saw the whole of the moon.”

Considering how early it was in their career, this is an extraordinarily accomplished tune; a full throttled celebration of imagination, ambition, and artistic vision. It’s a song of admiration for someone who clearly gets the full picture before everyone else. It’s reported that Scott even inscribed one early copy of the single ‘For Prince, U saw the whole of the moon’. And when the great man covered it on two documented occasions in 2014 and 2015, he changed the lyrics to sing ‘I saw the whole of the moon’. Well if anyone is entitled to do so, it is Prince.

For Generation X, it is a coming of age anthem, one that shines bright as our hormones raged and we grew up in an uncertain Ireland. Much like a Kate Bush or Bowie record, this tune was an automatic mood lifter,  a song that deftly said that everything was going to be alright. I’ve recently seen it appear on the national broadcaster RTE for the “Play It Forward” campaign from the Gaelic Athletic Association or GAA. This campaign highlights the dedication of GAA mentors and the intergenerational connection in Gaelic games. It’s the perfect anthem for it.

7 Fairytale of New York – The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl (1987) HAVING EACH ANOTHER

Long before we could access anything at the command of AI, I found myself in Buenos Aires one Christmas. Like J.R. Hartley and his lost fishing book from the Yellow Pages ad, I had gone from record store to record store looking for a record that was essential listening to any functioning Irishman coming up to Christmas, namely hearing Fairytale of New York I was out of luck and contented myself with singing it badly to my hosts on Christmas Eve. It is a tune that can make even the most steadfast lip wobble just from the opening bar. It is a song that makes the soul swoon and allows us to collectively enjoy a group hug – all grudges are gone for those 4 minutes 32 seconds of seasonal magic. Well now, all grudges bar the existing one with The Pet Shop Boys who kept this tune off the top of the UK Christmas charts with their less than Christmassy cover of ‘Always on my mind’. Ugh.

Written by members of The Pogues, particularly Shane MacGowan and Jem Finer, this song tells the bittersweet story of an Irish immigrant couple reflecting on lost dreams in New York. Combining tenderness, humour, disappointment, and enduring love, it transcends the Christmas-song category to become one of the most acclaimed popular songs ever written. Its annual return to the charts each December has made it a cultural institution in both Ireland and Britain, and who knows maybe even Argentina at this stage.

8 Zoo Station – U2 (1991) WE HAVE ARRIVED!

The opening track on U2’s landmark album Achtung Baby, “Zoo Station” announced a dramatic reinvention of the band. Inspired by the atmosphere of a reunified Berlin, it replaced U2’s traditional earnest rock sound with distorted guitars, industrial textures, and electronic influences. The title refers to Berlin’s famous transport hub, Berlin Zoologischer Garten station. The song serves as a manifesto for the band’s new artistic direction in the 1990s, but for me it is a clarion call for the Irish.

The live version you’re about to hear is from the Summer of 1993 when U2 returned to their hometown with the juggernaut that was the Zoo TV tour. It was the culmination of all of their hard work and was a tremendous achievement as well as one of the best concerts I’ve ever been at, certainly the most original. It was a relatively short time from their support act to The Police in Leixlip in 1980, but here they were, the undisputed biggest band in the world. It tied in with a new-found confidence in the Irish. By our nature, the Irish frown on people with notions, but we’re damn proud of these guys. This band dreamt big and truly caught the zeitgeist of 90s innovation and artistic boldness. They showed the rest of us we could be the main act and not just the support and we could do it in a completely new way.

We had as a nation grown in confidence since U2’s The Joshua Tree in 1987, with the success of the Irish football team, with movies such as The Field and The Commitments, events such as the Eurovision wins including Riverdance success, peace up north was brewing and finally a decorated woman becoming our head of state. The old order was finally going and U2 lead the way as the champions of anything goes. The opening lines reflect that new-found determination: I’m ready for what’s next I’m ready to duck I’m ready to dive I’m ready to say I’m glad to be alive, I’m ready for the push’. This was our time and truly it was as good as it got. If future historians ever want to know the moment a nation finally deshackled itself of a troubled past and gave a confident roar to the future, they’d be hard pressed to beat 1 minute 6 seconds into this anthem as artist and audience dovetail sweetly.

9 Dreams – The Cranberries (1992) HAVING JOY

The breakthrough single from The Cranberries, “Dreams” introduced the world to the distinctive voice of the late great Dolores O’Riordan. Or should we say voices as she sings the song with twinning vocal harmonies that give the song greater resonance. Unlike the band’s later, darker material, the song radiates optimism and exhilaration, expressing the excitement of falling in love and discovering new possibilities. Its jangling guitars and uplifting melody helped establish The Cranberries as one of the most successful Irish bands of the 1990s, and it remains one of their most enduring and frequently used songs in film and television.

Zombie has become the unofficial anthem for Munster rugby and indeed any sporting occasion involving an Irish team, but the lyrics do not seem to fit the occasion! While |Zombie was recently voted by TodayFM listeners as their top Irish tune, for me Dreams is actually their true classic and is always requested on any tour of Ireland. We even get to go by her big house when on tours of the Dingle peninsula in Kerry!

And it is always a pleasure to play it loud and proud as belt through the countryside with not a care in the world. With its atavistic warbles and whoops, its indefatigable upbeat tone, two Dolores for the price of one and a melody that doesn’t let up for its 4.15 duration, this may feature the only woman on the playlist, but what a woman and what a voice.

10. Where’s Me Jumper? – Sultans of Ping FC (1991) HAVING NO JUMPER

Although The Frank and Waters dreary ‘After All’ is regarded as the anthem for the rebel county of Cork, those in the know go for a band with a bit more vim and vigour. One of the most gloriously absurd songs ever to emerge from Ireland, “Where’s Me Jumper?” by Sultans of Ping FC turns the mundane loss of a sweater into a comic punk-rock epic. The lyrics are absolute genius and we’d strongly encourage you to find them at the bottom of Spotify’s details for this song and hey, sing along with the car windows open.

Hailing from Cork, the band combined humour, indie rock, and irreverence in a way that perfectly captured the spirit of the early 1990s alternative scene. The song became a cult classic and remains a favourite at Irish student nights and retro music events. Just watch how anyone from 8 to 80 years of age will get on a wedding dance floor to this belter and give it absolute socks.

The lead singer, Niall O’Flaherty comes with just the right amount of piss and vinegar a punk band should have. Although they split up in the last century, they have reunited occasionally, most notably for the 30th anniversary of their memorably titled album ‘Casual Sex in the Cineplex’. However, these days he is far removed from his enfant terrible badge of the 90s giving out about crusties and the likes and instead is one of the foremost experts on 18th century British political thought at King’s College London. He nonchalantly told his incredulous students that he was off to Cork on November 2023 for a reunion with his punk band, the Sultans of Ping F.C. With the class’s extra-curricular Spotify homework done, he walked back in on the Monday with a lot more street cred in place!