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The Song That Started It All
I was eleven years old when I first saw Riverdance on TV. My mom had the tape playing—no streaming, no playlists, just a fuzzy recording from a live show in Dublin. Within thirty seconds, I was standing in front of the screen, copying whatever those feet were doing. I had no idea what a "reel" even was. I just knew something in that music grabbed me by the chest and wouldn't let go.
That's the thing about Irish dance music. It doesn't wait for you to understand it. It just pulls you in.
Twenty years later, I still come back to these tracks. Some when I'm warming up before a comp. Some when I need to remember why I started. Each one has earned its place on my playlist.
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The Jig That Finally Made Things Click
For years, I struggled with the light jig. My teacher kept saying "lighter, lighter," and I just couldn't feel what she meant. Then someone put on "The Irish Washerwoman" during a practice session and told me to really listen to the bounce in the melody.
Something just... clicked.
There's a reason this tune has survived for centuries. The rhythm is so perfectly suited to the step that your body almost teaches itself when you stop fighting it. I've watched beginners go from stumbling to flowing in a single practice when they stop thinking and start listening.
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Pub Nights That Changed Everything
There's a track that changed how I think about Irish dance, and it comes from the most unexpected place: "An Irish Pub Song" by The Chieftains. It sounds silly—lyrics about drinking and dancing on tables—but that's the entire point.
Irish dance isn't just for theatres and competitions. It's meant to be lived. The first time I danced at a proper sessions in County Clare, with the craic rolling and everyone joining in, I understood what I'd been missing. Technique matters, but joy matters more.
This track reminds me of that every time.
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When You Need to Feel It Deep
Not every practice is high-energy. Sometimes you need to slow down and feel the weight of the step.
"The Voice" by Celtic Woman is the song I turn to when I'm working on expression—the soft moments between steps, the breath that connects a set. It's haunting in a way that demands you bring something real to your dancing. Otherwise, it just sounds like you're going through the motions.
I've left competitions feeling hollow when I danced to this song without bringing enough of myself to it. And I've had moments where everything aligned and it felt like flying.
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For When You Want to Push
There's a time for gentle practice, and there's a time to go full throttle.
"Drunken Lullaby" by Flogging Molly is pure Irish punk energy—the kind of track that makes you want to hit every note with everything you've got. I use it for stamina work, for those brutal practice sessions where you're building endurance and want to test your limits.
It's not traditional. It's not what your granny would dance to. But when you need to reminded that Irish dance can be loud and wild and absolutely unafraid, this is where I go.
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The Traditional Foundation
Then there's "The Star of the County Down" by The High Kings. This is one of those songs that reminds you where everything started.
I learned my first set from a teacher who'd been dancing since the 1970s. She didn't pull up YouTube videos—she'd sing the melody and we'd move through the steps from memory. This song is part of that muscle memory for me. Whenever I hear it, I feel connected to every dancer who's come before.
There's something about singing along while you dance that changes the whole feeling. Your steps stop being choreography and start being part of a living tradition.
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The One That Teaches You to Listen
"The Kesh Jig" by Lúnasa is the track I use when I'm teaching beginners how to find their timing.
It's complex—really complex. The melody goes in directions you don't expect, which forces you to listen rather than just counting. I've watched students who were struggling to find their beat suddenly light up when we put this on and told them to just follow what they heard.
Learning to dance is learning to listen. This song teaches that better than any tutorial.
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When You Want Modern
"The Corrs" took Irish music into the mainstream, and "Breathless" is the proof. It's pop, it's polished, but there's still something undeniably Irish in the energy.
I performed to this at a corporate event once—full production, lights, the whole thing. Half the audience had never seen Irish dance before. By the end, they were on their feet. That's the power of a good pop bridge. It meets people where they are.
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The Gentle Finish
"The Butterfly" by Tallymoore is the song I end practice with, when my feet are tired and I want to remember why I do this.
It's gentle. It's beautiful. It asks you to be soft when everything else has been hard and fast. Some of my best dancing has been to this song—just moving, no pressure, no performance. Just moving because it feels good.
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The One That Brings It Full Circle
I still have that original Riverdance tape somewhere. The VHS is long gone, but the music is forever.
When I hear those opening notes, I'm eleven again, standing in front of a TV, trying to figure out how those feet were moving so fast. Everything since then—the competitions, the teaching, the late nights in studios, the injuries and comebacks—all of it traces back to that moment.
That's the thing about Irish dance music. It doesn't just accompany your dancing. It becomes the memory of why you dance.
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Now put on your dancing shoes and find out which songs become yours. There's a reason these tracks have been passed down for generations—it's because they work. But don't just take my word for it. Press play. Feel it in your feet. And see where the music takes you.
