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‘The soul of Irish traditional music’: a musical journey through County Clare

Ireland’s west coast is home to a flourishing live music scene, with the pubs and music festivals attracting world-class players

Inside, Bríd O’Gorman plays the fluttering melody of The Cliffs of Moher on her flute, accompanied by Michael Landers on guitar – a quiet moment before the small crowd erupt into applause as Cian Lally pulls our pints. The music is sometimes frenzied, hypnotic, even mesmerising: complex arrangements often delivered by some of the country’s finest players, including Martin Hayes, Liam O’Flynn, Matt Molloy, Sharon Shannon and Kevin Crawford. Even the Honk Bar – hidden away on a bramble-filled lane near Shannon airport, not far from where Johnny Fean, one of the founding members of Celtic rock band Horslips, grew up – is known to host the occasional session.

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