Max HeyraudWith Irish Heritage Week kicking off this Saturday, we turn our attention to the DJs, producers and collectives folding language, folklore and tradition into their craft—acts who channel Ireland’s past into the heartbeat of contemporary dancefloors.
Shampain
Few DJs have embraced Irish culture and heritage quite like Shampain. From mixing Irish records into his trademark juggernaut techno and breaks to running the TG4 TV series ÉIRE EILE, which highlights Irish subcultures, the Galway native has been a bastion of the Irish language and distinctly Irish club nights for years. His dedication has done more for Irish-steeped club culture than most.
Fuinneamh
In recent years, Fuinneamh has been a front-runner among Irish festivals in championing heritage through its Celtic influences. Drawing inspiration from the land and its ties to the autumnal equinox—a distinctly Irish event symbolising change and balance—the festival carries the mantra Grá, Rithim agus Athrú (Love, Rhythm, and Change).
Uaimh na gCat
Berlin-based duo Uaimh na gCat—Ciarán Mac an Bháird and Rónán Ó Deaghaidh—set out to create distinctly Irish-influenced techno. Their work fuses the fabric of traditional Irish music with pagan rhythms, overdriven 909 bass drums, and eerie soundscapes. The result is a sonic exploration deeply rooted in home and ancestry, yet fearlessly tossing every preconception about Irish music into the bosca bruscair.
Aoife Nic Canna
A key figure in Irish dance music since the early ’90s, Aoife Ní Canna has witnessed and shaped countless chapters of club culture. Alongside her DJing career, she’s been a pivotal voice in Irish radio, proudly a Gaeilgeoir, and host of shows like Club Cheol and Folklore from the Dance Floor, the latter a documentary series exploring the history of Irish clubbing.
Kneecap
The Belfast trio Kneecap have reshaped the relationship many have with the Irish language and national identity. Performing almost entirely in Irish—both in their music and their self-titled feature film—they’ve challenged perceptions while highlighting colonialism’s ongoing impact on Irish culture.
Éalú Le Grá
Set deep in the west of Ireland, Éalú Le Grá celebrates Irish culture and heritage through a contemporary festival lens. From “Seomra Ranga” Irish-language classes to foraging workshops, cacao ceremonies, and handcrafted art installations, the festival is steeped in tradition, with Irish culture woven into its very fabric.
Ailbhe Ní Riain
At the helm of Seisiún na mBan, a female-led platform as Gaeilge broadcast via Raidió na Life and Raidió Fáilte, Ailbhe Ní Riain showcases Ireland’s next generation of artists, telling the stories of women rising in Irish club culture. Her work extends to cultural events like Síle na Gig, supporting the Rape Crisis Centre Dublin, Women’s Aid, and the National Women’s Council of Ireland, as part of Seachtain na Gaeilge and International Women’s Day. She also participates in An Stiúideo Rúnda, which similarly champions female DJs.
Lucas Ogma
Founder of Fuinneamh, Lucas Ogma weaves heritage into his work as a techno producer and curator. His label Ogma Records pays tribute to Ogham, the Early Medieval alphabet used to write early and Old Irish. His debut album, Native Wildflower, nods to native Irish flora, which also adorns the label’s releases. Beyond music, he creates custom Irish-themed installations for festivals and hand-carved Ogham stones.
Mercorn
Dublin’s Mercorn has been an essential community builder, contributing to hubs like Skin & Blister and Tender. As a designer and founder of Megan Nolan Walsh Design (MNWS), she creates comfortable, dance-ready clothing for club spaces—pieces that are unmistakably Irish-inspired, from Claddagh symbols and harps to vivid green fabrics—a modern fashion love letter to Ireland.
Macalla
Macalla is born from the ethos of conscious, positive music and low-decibel frequencies. Inspired by the reverberations of every action and sound, the project blends local Irish musicians, knowledge-sharing talks, and healing workshops, all while encouraging festivalgoers to use their cúpla focail.
Faoi Thalamh Records
Faoi Thalamh Records is an Irish label dedicated to nurturing and releasing music that channels the depth of Irish heritage through contemporary electronic sounds. Rooted in a DIY ethos, the label champions experimental and boundary-pushing artists who blend traditional Irish elements with modern electronic production. Their logo fuses 3D graphic design with deep undercurrents of Irish mythology and folklore.
Nocturnal Dublin
The multidisciplinary platform Nocturnal Dublin puts a distinctly Irish stamp on everything they do. Their long-running mix series uses imagery from culturally significant Irish locations, while their festival art installations draw inspiration from Celtic traditions and Ogham, placing heritage at the heart of contemporary club culture.
Cian Ó Cíobháin
Cian Ó Cíobháin is a true Irish music figurehead, working as a journalist and radio presenter, best known for curating the alternative programme An Taobh Tuathail on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta since 1999. As host of TG4’s Ceol ar an Imeall and curator of events like Disco Dána, he has championed the Irish language within electronic and underground music for over two decades.
Daithí
Combining high-octane electronic sounds with Celtic-inspired melodies, Daithí has become a poster boy for the marriage of traditional and contemporary. His music and performances highlight the potential of Irish sounds within electronic frameworks, championing the Irish language and culture in a space where it’s rarely heard. Bridging past and present, Daithí continues to push Irish music into new territory.
An Trinse
An Trinse is an experimental Irish electronic project that melds traditional music with modern production techniques. Drawing inspiration from ancestral stories and native landscapes, the project creates sonic journeys that challenge and redefine what Irish music can be, using innovation as a tool to explore heritage.
Remote Town Records
Since launching in 2020, Remote Town Records has been threading Irish identity, landscape, and language through contemporary electronic music. In Irish folklore, stray sods are said to be enchanted patches of ground—gateways to the Otherworld—that can leave even the most familiar traveller lost and disoriented. The label draws a parallel between Ireland’s deep, dark, droning forests and music that mirrors their mystery and atmosphere.
Gemma Dunleavy
Hailing from Dublin’s North Inner City, Gemma Dunleavy fuses UK garage, R&B, and house with narratives rooted in her community and Irish identity. Her breakout EP Up De Flats is both a love letter to Sheriff Street and a statement on heritage, place, and resilience. Across her music and aesthetic, Dunleavy weaves in nods to Ireland’s Celtic traditions—whether it’s using harps as melodies in UKG-infused tracks or making Irish heritage central to her merchandise.
Le Boom
Navan’s Le Boom are part of a new generation of Irish artists using dance music to address issues such as emigration, the housing crisis, and financial pressures. They weave the Irish language into their work, from tracks on their Hot Gael Summer project to live performances at events like the Gael Rave. Songs like their Gaelic version of Australia highlight their commitment to language and culture, while the hashtag #gaeilge underscores their ongoing celebration of Irish heritage online.
