Irish trad music with a twist hits the right notes with young fans

"Shining trad music in a pop light gives it a cooler look to younger people - and it's the younger people that are going to keep these things alive."

So says Oisin McManus - a piano player with The Tumbling Paddies, which is a six-piece band from County Fermanagh that fuses Irish traditional music and pop music.

The band formed nine years ago and Oisin said the demand for the group's style of music has really taken off.

"It's trad with a bit of a twist - pop trad," he said.

"We have an interest in modern types of music and combine that with the Irish traditional type of music that we play instrumentally - and we feel people respond really well to that combination.

"The other lads have grown up with trad; I myself grew up with a kind of classical background and learnt pops songs in my own time as well.

"So, we all kind of bring our own wee influences together and I think that is what makes our sound today."

However, The Tumbling Paddies is not the only band giving Irish traditional music a twist.

All Folk'd Up is a contemporary Irish folk rock group based in County Tyrone.

Their manager Matthew Jordan said that since Covid-19, the band's genre of music has become really popular.

"Trad has always been there - it may not have always been this cool thing before - but I think since these bands have come along it's certainly added a new dimension to the songs and the music," he added.

"It's got people interested again in traditional Irish music."

Matthew said social media plays a big part in the band reaching younger audiences - with one of their performances receiving two million views on Tik Tok.

"These guys are acting as role models for the youth of today and I suppose that's evident in the people coming to the gigs. I think a lot of that is to do with the social media following and the videos that they are putting out," he said.

"The likes of TikTok - the youth of today are active on there and they are seeing the videos of All Folk'd Up and other bands, and they are looking up to these guys and trying to emulate what they are doing."

Ray Morgan is the chair of Glengormley School of Music and Belfast TradFest. He said he feels more young people in general are taking an interest in traditional Irish music.

"The success of these groups - a lot of that would come down to the fact that traditional Irish music itself is so much more popular.

"Groups like All Folk'd up and The Tumbling Paddies are influencing kids to play traditional music, but the bigger number of young people more interested in traditional music in general is also helping the success of these groups."

The Department of Education says all schools are required by law to teach music as it is a statutory part of the curriculum from Foundation Stage to Key Stage 3, but it says the curriculum does not specify any particular style or tradition of music which must be taught.

Mr Morgan said he feels the education sector could be doing more in relation to teaching traditional music in schools.

"Music is on the curriculum but it depends on the school about the level of music provision.

"I feel there is very little if any input from the education authority in relation to traditional music," he said.

"The more integrated music is, and the more integrated traditional music is the higher profile it will have - and the more attractive it will be to people from all communities".

Oisin from The Tumbling Paddies said that young people may feel it is uncool to play an instrument but it's important that they keep learning.

"Young people will find out later on that playing an instrument is the thing that separates them from the group," he said.

That sentiment is something that his band member Gareth Maguire - singer and tin whistle player with the Tumbling Paddies - agreed with.

He advised young musicians who are watching the band to practise, practise, practise.

"Listen to as much music as you can. It's the best thing you will ever do really.

"You can play football until you get injured, but you can play music until you are in your nineties," he said.

"It is something you have with you for life."