The Watchman's Morning Light #772

From the Muskerry Gaeltacht to Glengarry County, this show gathers fiddle tunes, folk punk, and pub songs into a single hour. We meet the elder lass, chase a squirrel and a flogging reel, and raise a parting glass on the way home. It's the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #772. - - Subscribe now at CelticMusicPodcast.com!

Hildaland, The McDades, Margaret Davis, Alexis Chartrand & Nicolas Babineau, Gwendolyn Snowdon & Cathinca, Donnie 'Large' Macdonald, Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer, Cedar Dobson and Debojyoti Sanyal, Blackwillow Starling, Leevy, Bang on the Ear, Sean Griffin, Release the Craicen

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VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 FOR 2026

This is our way of finding the best songs and artists each year. You can vote for as many songs and tunes that inspire you in each episode. Your vote helps me create this year's Best Celtic music episode. You have just three weeks to vote this year. Vote Now!

THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC

0:02 - Intro: Na Geocaigh

0:10 - Hildaland "The Watchman's Polka (feat. Ethan Setiawan & Louise Bichan)" from Fiddle Tunes (feat. Ethan Setiawan & Louise Bichan) - EP

3:32 - WELCOME

4:58 - Cedar Dobson and Debojyoti Sanyal "The Flogging Reel" from From Kolkata to Dublin

7:24 - Margaret Davis "Jock Stewart" from The Elder Lass

10:19 - Alexis Chartrand & Nicolas Babineau "La grondeuse" from Écoutez tous

13:14 - Gwendolyn Snowdon & Cathinca "Onder de Linde (Unter den Linden)" from Fabula Feminae - EP

18:01 - FEEDBACK

22:23 - Donnie 'Large' Macdonald "An Ceann Caorach (The Sheep's Head)" from Christina

"An Ceann Caorach (The Sheep's Head)" (Donnie 'Large' Macdonald) - un KYOWN KOO - ruch, with the "ch" soft like the ch in "loch." Audio for "ceann": forvo.com/word/ceann/

25:24 - Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer "The Squirrel" from Come Bring With A Noise

30:03 - Blackwillow Starling "Lughnassadh Morning" from Thornaeppel

35:19 - THANKS

37:37 - Leevy "Where Have You Been" from Baile Mhúirne or the Soldiers March the Paps of Anú Baile Mhúirne (roughly BAL - yuh VOOR - nyuh, anglicized as Ballyvourney) and the Paps of Anú (Anú = uh - NOO).

44:33 - The McDades "Dance Around the Spinning Wheel" from Thread The Light

48:47 - Bang on the Ear "My Bonnie Lassie" from Highland Road

51:48 - Sean Griffin "Gypsy Girl" from People Are Mad

56:04 - CLOSING

56:32 - Release the Craicen "The Parting Glass" from Live! Songs on a Boat

1:00:35 - CREDITS

Support for this program comes from Hank Woodward.

Support for this program comes from Dr. Annie Lorkowski of Centennial Animal Hospital in Corona, California.

Support for this program comes from John Sharkey White, II.

Support for this program comes from International speaker, Joseph Dumond, teaching the ancient roots of the Gaelic people. Learn more about their origins at Sightedmoon.com

Support for this program comes from Cascadia Cross Border Law Group, Creating Transparent Borders for more than twenty five years, serving Alaska and the world. Find out more at www.CascadiaLawAlaska.com

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather and our Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to follow the show. You'll find links to all of the artists played in this episode.

Todd Wiley is the editor of the Celtic Music Magazine. Subscribe to get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. Plus, you'll get 7 weekly news items about what's happening with Celtic music and culture online. Best of all, you will connect with your Celtic heritage.

Please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor.

Finally, remember: clean energy is good news.

Solar and wind are now the cheapest power sources in history.

That means lower bills for families like yours.

It means cleaner air in the towns we love.

You can be part of it. Ask your energy provider about renewable options today.

Every small step counts. A brighter future is ours to build, together.

Promote Celtic culture through music at http://celticmusicpodcast.com/.

WELCOME THE IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST

* Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic musician and also host of Pub Songs & Stories. Every song has a story, every episode is a toast to Celtic and folk songwriters.

This podcast is for fans of all kinds of Celtic music. We are here to build a diverse Celtic community and help the incredible artists who so generously share their music with you. If you hear music you love, please email the artists to let them know you heard them on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.

Because we are more than just a radio show. We are a community. A community of Celtic music and culture lovers. We support small and local artists. We spend money on things that truly matter. The personal and heart felt.

You can do that with each of the artists on today's show OR your favorite artists. Buy a CD, Album Pin, Shirt, Digital Download, or join their community on Patreon.

You can find a link to all of the artists in the shownotes, along with show times, when you visit our website at celticmusicpodcast.com.

ALBUM PINS ARE CHANGING THE WAY WE HEAR CELTIC MUSIC

Looking for a fresh way to support the music you love? Meet the Album Pin.

Album Pins are lapel pins themed to a specific album — and each one comes with a digital download. Wear your music. All of my latest pins are wood - burned and locally produced, which means a smaller footprint and a one - of - a - kind feel you won't find anywhere else.

Pick yours up at magerecords.com

THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST!

A big Celtic thank you to the Patrons of the Podcast. Your support is what actually keeps this show alive. It pays our graphic designer and our audio engineer. It buys music from the artists you hear every week. And it covers the server costs that carry the show around the world. You make all of it possible.

This week I want to shine a light on one perk in particular: your vote. Patrons help choose the Celtic Top 20 and shape the Best Celtic Music of 2026. You can also get every episode early, plus music - only editions for when you want the tunes and none of my chatter.

If that sounds like your kind of community, come find us at SongHenge.com. There's a seat at the table with your name on it.

Here's a special thanks to our Celtic Legends: Alan Schindler, Brian McReynolds, Bruce, Dan mcDade, Daniel Ide, Dave and Rosie Donnelly, Fuzzy, Gerald F Boyle, Jeff A, Kelly Garrod, Lynda MacNeil, Margreta Silverstone, Marti Meyers, Mike Schock, Miranda Nelson, Rick Boyce, Round Rock Image Creators, Shawn Cali

HERE IS YOUR THREE STEP PLAN TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

1. Go to our Patreon page.
2. Decide how much you want to pledge every month, $4, $12, $30.
3. Keep listening to the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast to celebrate Celtic culture through music.

You can become a generous Patron of the Podcast on Patreon at SongHenge.com.

TRAVEL WITH CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS

Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We don't see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos.

I am now accepting applications for people to join the Celtic Invasion of Isle of Skye hiking trip in 2027 at http://celticinvasion.com/

#celticmusic #irishmusic #celticmusicpodcast

I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? Send me a photo. If you're in a Celtic band, send me an audio recording of you performing live. Just audio. I'll use it in a podcast episode later this year.

Email me at follow@bestcelticmusic.

Jeff Suggs emailed about how to shuffle music on Android: "Mark, I use the free version of Shuttle. It allows shuffling by album or by song. Keep up the good work on the Podcast"

Alexander Randall 5th emailed: "Good morning in balmy Great Britain. Ah ha! The music only is Thursday. Thank you for that. I'll ignore what arrives early and capture the tunes on Thursday.

I work with words and the talk version interrupts my train of thought. I usually edit the show in my audio editor and take out the songs with singers. I like that music but i cant work with singing… Over time I mash up a dozen of your shows, (instrumental music only and then let that run for hours.

The music only version is just that much less editing to get to my goal.

Keep it up.

I love the show

I do listen to the word version sometimes just to hear if I made the comments section."

Jim emailed back in February: "Dear Marc Gunn

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast first landed in my feed when I was still carrying an iPod. I'd listen to the current episode and catch up the previous installments on the drive to and from work. Learning about various Celtic bands from all over the planet expanded my world view and allowed me to support those independent artists.

I applaud your response to last week's challenging criticism and offer my financial support (finally) for the podcast.

You will not be getting a photo showing what I'm doing while listening to the podcast because it's my companion during house work.

As they say on Firefly, "See you in the verse".

PS The Wicked Tinker's "Aiken Drum" (Big Bottle of Bad Ideas) is not a contemporary rebel song, but may help illustrate your point."