50 Best Irish Music Acts Right Now

Four music journalists from the Irish Times ‘Ticket’ have picked out their top 50 Irish music acts now.

Three rules were:

1. Solo acts had to have been born on the island of Ireland or to hold an Irish passport.
2. In the case of bands, half or more of the members had to have been born on the island of Ireland or to hold an Irish passport.
3. Bands had to have recorded or released music since January 2008, or to have played a gig since January 2008.

50: MICHAEL KNIGHT
49: DAVID TURPIN
48: SAVILLE
47: ANN SCOTT
46: MICK FLANNERY
45: EVIL HARRISONS
44: THE BLIZZARDS
43: IAIN ARCHER
42: HEATHERS
41: THE SCRIPT
40: DARK ROOM NOTES
39: ASH
38: THE JIMMY CAKE
37: REPUBLIC OF LOOSE
36: IARLA Ó LIONÁIRD
35: DUKE SPECIAL
34: DAMIEN RICE
33: SI SCHROEDER
32: MARTIN HAYES & DENNIS CAHILL
31: THE SPOOK OF THE THIRTEENTH LOCK
30: GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT
29: JULIE FEENEY
28: COLM MAC CON IOMAIRE
27: CATHAL COUGHLAN
26: KATIE KIM
25: DAVID KITT
24: MY BLOODY VALENTINE
23: MESSIAH J THE EXPERT
22: SNOW PATROL
21: IMELDA MAY
20: OPPENHEIMER
19: CHEQUERBOARD
18: U2
17: CAP PAS CAP
16: DELORENTOS
15: JINX LENNON
14: FIONN REGAN
13: RSAG
12: THE DIVINE COMEDY
11: THE FRAMES/SWELL SEASON/GLEN HANSARD
10: HALFSET
9: BELL X1
8: ADRIAN CROWLEY
7: RÓISÍN MURPHY
6: VILLAGERS
5: LISA HANNIGAN
4: FIGHT LIKE APES
3: CATHY DAVEY
2: JAPE
1: DAVID HOLMES

Nialler 9 has his own list of ‘50 Best Irish Music Acts Right Now’ which you can check out here.