Stepping a Bit Further

As I have gotten deeper into my project, I have decided to walk through some of the major events of modern Irish history through song. A semester of reading and studying about Irish history has given me a greater understanding of the lyrics in many of my favorite Celtic songs. I have discovered that many of Ireland's best-loved songs recount stories of the nation's painful past.

Most Irish music prior to the eighteenth century was either lost or destroyed for political purposes, so little is known of the songs that were popular before that time. While the paper I will be writing will address the role that we now understand music to have played in Ireland's history throughout the island's habitation, study of specific songs is limited to the time for which a record remains.

Thus far, my study can be estimated at about twelve hours for reading history and exploring Irish music, though my time spent listening to Celtic music has been much greater.