MNÁSOME - A PLAYLIST OF IRISH WOMEN

17th March is traditionally the most Irish of days.  And so it feels appropriate to take a moment to highlight the depth and breadth of Irish female musical talent with a new collaborative Spotify playlist, suitably titled 'Mnásome'.  Click here to go straight there...

I enlisted some help from Irish family and friends at "home" and abroad to put this together and a massive thanks to all who contributed (roll call below).

So, who was the most nominated Irish woman for inclusion, you might ask?  Well, it was none other than Róisín Murphy.  Justifiably so, if you ask me.  And Sinéad O'Connor and Orla Gartland were not far behind in my unscientifically quantified findings.  But you couldn't fail to be mightily impressed by the volume of great music by Irish women - new, new-ish and not so new at all - gathered in this playlist; over a hundred songs in all.

Eagle eyes amongst you will spot a few inclusions that don't immediately look Irish.  After a bit of chat on the cousins WhatsApp group, it was felt appropriate to apply the "granny rule" that applies when selecting players for the Irish national football team.  And so Dusty Springfield qualifies on the grounds of her mother's family being from Tralee, and Kate Bush on the basis of her mother being a Casey from Waterford (the Caseys from Waterford are cousins of cousins of mine so I'm delighted to now be claiming to be a relative of Kate Bush).  Ah the craic, in fairness...

Beannachtaí na Fhéile Pádraig oraibh go léir and hope you enjoy a bit of cool for the soul.

Thanks to: Aislinn Casey, Alison Bradshaw, Aoife Corbett, Aviv Corrigan, Ben Clifford, Bob Clifford, Ciara O'Halloran, Clare Lissek, Dan Power, Fallon (& Anna) Moore, Iarla O'Halloran, Iseult Hearne, Jane Clarke, Kev Quinn, Mike Moore, Jess Jennings, Julie Sheridan, Kathryn Russell, Laura Wilkin, Maggi Clifford, Marcus Clifford, Mary E. Power, Mary F. Power, Pat Byrden, Paul Clifford, Rebecca Kelly, Saileog O'Halloron, Sinead Kidd, Sue Armstrong, Vicky Clifford.