by Phoebe Maxwell
The Elders — 2015 
Michael Londra’s Celtic Fire — 2016 
Socks in the Frying Pan — 2018 
Gaelic Storm — 2020
Have you ever heard the upbeat tune of an Irish jig and felt the irresistible compulsion to tap your foot along to the beat, or the sad lament of an Irish ballad and felt the urge to hug a loved one? Celtic music has long been integral to the musical culture of the United States. While Irish immigrants arrived in the Colonial Era along with other European settlers, the first major wave of Irish immigrants arrived in the 1840s due to the Irish Potato Famine. As newcomers, these recent Irish immigrants faced discrimination regarding job opportunities and other quality-of-life factors, but this waned over time. When they left Ireland, Irish immigrants brought their traditional music, which they then passed down to their children, and as the prejudice against the Irish diminished, American culture became more aware and appreciative of traditional Irish music. The popularity of Irish music dramatically increased in the 1890’s, although it waned during the Great Depression. Popularity boomed again in the late 20th century, however, when many Irish-inspired rock bands formed and became popular, such as the Cranberries, Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys, and the Pogues, to name a few.
This affinity for Irish music persists to this day, and is evident in the numerous Irish or Irish-inspired bands that have performed at SUNY Geneseo over the last decade. In April of 2015, a six-person band called The Elders performed in the Wadsworth Auditorium as part of the campus’s Limelight performing arts series. Though the band was formed in Kansas in 1998, the frontman was born in County Wicklow in Ireland. Current members include frontman Ian Byrne, guitarist Steve Phillips, bassist Norm Dahlor, violinist & keyboardist Brent Hoad, drummer Kian Byrne (Ian Byrne’s son), and fiddler Colin Farrell. The band ceased live performances in 2018, and in 2020 guitarist Phillips passed away from complications due to COVID-19. The Elders performed traditional Irish music and were booked for festivals across the US, including in Philadelphia, New York City, Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee, Denver, and Dublin, Ohio. Not to be confused with Dublin, Ireland, though they have played there as well, in addition to other cities in Ireland and across Europe.
In early October of 2016, Emmy®-nominated Irish singer-producer Michael Londra performed his traditional tunes for Geneseo students, and was accompanied on the stage by the Celtic Fire dance group. Born in Wexford, Ireland, Londra moved to the United States as an adult after his musical career took off, where he was offered lead singer roles at venues such as Radio City Music Hall and Broadway. Londa’s big break in the U.S. was when he obtained the lead role in Broadway’s Riverdance. Londra currently resides in Ames, Iowa, though his most recent project is developing a PBS show Ireland with Michael, in which he leads viewers on tours across Ireland. The dance group Celtic Fire is composed of many world-class Irish dancers, performing for audiences jigs and reels choreographed by teacher and performer Claire Worley.
A little over a year later, in early February of 2018, Socks in the Frying Pan performed as another part of the Limelight series in Wadsworth Auditorium. Socks in the Frying Pan are a musical trio from County Clare on the West Coast of Ireland. The band is composed of Aodán Coyne on guitar and vocals, Shane Hayes on accordion, and Hayes’s brother Fiachra Hayes on fiddle and banjo. The trio performs traditional Irish music, mixed with their own personal flair, and have won multiple awards over the years. In the US, they’ve been booked to perform at every major Irish festival.
Finally, in late February of 2020, Gaelic Storm came to Geneseo to perform, again for the Limelight series in Wadsworth Auditorium. Gaelic Storm was formed in 1966 when band members Patrick Murphy, Steve Wehmeyer, Steve Twigger, Shep Lonsdale, Brian Walsh, and Samantha Hunt performed at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Restaurant in Santa Monica, California, where Murphy was the manager. This led to a number of pub performances for the next year. In 1997, the band appeared in the film Titanic. This served to boost their popularity, leading to performances outside the US, including in places such as Japan, the UK, and France.
The performances held at Geneseo by these Irish-inspired groups have enriched the campus’s culture and shared the passion of Ireland with the students. Special thanks to Geneseo’s Campus Activities Board (GCAB) for organising these events, to Tom Matthews for his hand in advising GCAB during his time here, and to everyone else who made these shows possible.