Folk music has always carried echoes of mythology—a weaving of personal and collective memory that transforms ordinary lives into extraordinary narratives. In Ireland, this mythology has played a vital role in forging national identity, especially during times of social or political upheaval.

Today, as folk music experiences a striking revival in Ireland, it’s worth exploring how this resurgence speaks to the enduring interplay between myth, culture, and nation-building.This recent article in The New York Times highlight how contemporary acts like Lankum, Ye Vagabonds, and The Mary Wallopers are reshaping Irish folk for a new generation.

But this modern movement is not without precedent. The early 20th-century Irish folk revival also emerged as an assertion of cultural independence, intertwining art and politics to craft a distinctly Irish identity. Through grassroots traditions like the “session”—a communal gathering of musicians—and later through global successes like The Dubliners and The Pogues, folk music has always been more than entertainment in Ireland. It is a vessel for storytelling, cultural memory, and a profound sense of place.

As explored in the New York Times article linked below, the 21st-century folk revival carries forward this tradition while responding to new realities. Artists like Lankum redefine the genre with their “doom-folk” sound, bridging Ireland’s ancient musical heritage with a contemporary sense of urgency. Others, like Dundalk’s The Mary Wallopers, reclaim folk’s populist roots, stripping away the commercialised veneer of tourist-oriented “trad” to present an unvarnished, irreverent Irishness. Even younger artists, such as Muireann Bradley, demonstrate the genre’s intergenerational resilience, proving that folk’s mythology continues to evolve.The folk revival is more than nostalgia—it is myth-making in real-time.

By drawing on a collective past, Irish folk music today reconstructs a sense of authenticity while forging a forward-looking cultural identity. Whether through the haunting laments of Lankum or the raw energy of The Mary Wallopers, this movement reminds us that mythology remains a cornerstone of nation-building, providing both a mirror to our history and a compass for our future.