100 Best Irish Songs

[tonto1888]

Steve Earle's wouldn't be Irish though, given he's American.

There's quite a few covers of non-Irish songs in the list, including obviously Nothing Compares 2 U at #2.

Would it be unfair to suggest that once the Pogues are included, then the definition of "Irish" is watered down enough that any song about Ireland or includes a bodhran or pipes, should also be eligible?

depends on your definition of Irish I suppose.
Chevron and Woods at least are Irish by birth

[tonto1888]

I haven't listened to the rest of it yet.   Also while we're talking about Sinead O'Connor, how is her version of The Foggy Dew with The Chieftains not in the top 100.  Like, by anybody's reckoning or even objectively.  Maybe it was just forgotten about....  As somebody said the list is just nonsense.   Although definitely worth a discussion.

its hands down the best version of that song

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Rte Gold doing their version of the top 100 tomorrow 😆

Lets compare and contrast and get this thread to 100 pages babyyyyy 🤓

Or not. Don't really care

[Main Street]

I have views.........................but...............feck the lot of ye.

Was there no Horslips in there apart from a 'version' done by a group of lads who couldn't sing?
Van the Man has at least a 100 self penned/orchestrated songs which are better than most of that 100.
Was Rory Gallagher completely ghosted?

And whatabout Big Tom´s, "you're gonna go out the same way you came in" could get a concert hall full of geriatrics to the feet and stompin' the floor
 

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Hugo Duncan Joe Dolan now I think on it. Music royalty

[Ronnie]

If Zombie has achieved its position by virtue of it being 'the rugby song" & Put 'em under Pressure is 'the soccer song' then where on earth is The 2 Johnnies' When I Play for the County?

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Rte Gold doing their version of the top 100 tomorrow 😆

Lets compare and contrast and get this thread to 100 pages babyyyyy 🤓

Or not. Don't really care

Arclight makes this one. Happy st Patrick's day one and all

Zombie didn't make top 50 btw

[seafoid]

https://www.rte.ie/radio/gold/stories/1563718-top-100-irish-songs-of-the-20th-century/

Top 100 Irish Songs of the 20th Century
Published • 19:03 • Tuesday, 17 Mar 2026
   

100. Maura O'Connell - Feet of a Dancer

99. Cactus World News - The Bridge

98. Devlins - Waiting

97. Liam Clancy - The Dutchman

96. A House - Call Me Blue

95. Van Morrison - Days Like This

94. Joe Dolan - House With The White Washed Gable

93. Pogues - Dirty Old Town

92. Mickey Harte - We've Got the World

91. Brendan Keeley - I'll Always Be Lonely

90. The Commitments - Try a Little Tenderness

89. Makem and Clancy - Place in the Choir

88. Sultans of Ping - Where's Me Jumper?

87. No Sweat - Heart and Soul

86. Paul Brady - Crazy Dreams

85. The Frames - Revelate

84. Paul Ashford - One In Every Town

83. Shane McGowan and Sinead O'Connor - Haunted

82. Brian Kennedy - Better Man

81. Gilbert O'Sullivan - Clair

80. Horslips - Trouble With A Capital T

79. Mamas Boys - Needle In The Groove

78. The Nolans - I'm In The Mood For Dancing

77. D:Ream - Things Can Only Get Better

76. Moving Hearts - Hiroshima Nagasaki

75. Westlife - Swear It Again

74. Saw Doctors - N17

73. The Blades - Ghost of a Chance

72. The Waterboys - Fishermans Blues

71. Luke Kelly - The Town I Loved So Well

70. Mic Christopher - Heyday

69. Aslan - This Is

68. Enya - Orinoco Flow

67. Johnny Logan - Hold Me Now

66. Those Nervous Animals - The Business Enterprise (My Friend John)

65. Gilbert O'Sullivan - Alone Again (Naturally)

64. Thin Lizzy - Sarah

63. The Cranberries - Zombie

62. Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan - Rock n Roll Kids

61. Something Happens - Parachute

60. The Frank and Walters - After All

59. The Stunning - Heads Are Gonna Roll

58. Stocktons Wing - Beautiful Affair

57. Cry Before Dawn - Gone Forever

56. The Pogues and The Dubliners - The Irish Rover

55. Picturehouse - Sunburst

54. U2- Bad (Live)

53. Bachelors - Diane

52. Fergal Sharkey - A Good Heart

51. Bill Whelan - Riverdance

50. Aslan - Crazy World

49. Clannad - In a Lifetime

48. Fureys - When You Were Sweet Sixteen

47. The Fat Lady Sings - Arclight

46. The Republic of Ireland Squad - Put 'Em Under Pressure

45. Them - Gloria

44. Divine Comedy - National Express

43. Johnny Logan - What's Another Year

42. An Emotional Fish - Celebrate

41. Thin Lizzy - Whiskey In The Jar

40. Sinead O'Connor - Mandinka

39. Brendan Bowyer - Hucklebuck

38. Westlife - Flying Without Wings

37. The Waterboys - Whole Of The Moon

36. Saw Doctors - Joyce Country Ceili Band

35. Chris De Burgh - Lady In Red

34. U2 - One

33. A House - Here Come The Good Times

32. The Cranberries - Dreams

31. Mark McCabe - Maniac 2000

30. Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like The Mondays

29. Bagatelle - Summer in Dublin

28. Christy Moore - Ride On

27. Ash - Oh Yeah

26. Mary Black - No Frontiers

25. Joe Dolan - Good Looking Woman

24. Rory Gallagher - Follow Me

23. U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

22. B*Witched - C'est La Vie

21. Van Morrison - Moondance

20. Saw Doctors - I Useta Love Her

19. Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town

18. Eleanor McEvoy & Mary Black - Only a Womans Heart

17. The Pogues & Kirsty McColl - Fairytale of New York

16. Golden Horde - Friends in Time

15. Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl

14. Hothouse Flowers - Don't Go

13. The Stunning - Brewing Up a Storm

12. Paul Brady - The Island

11. U2 – All I Want Is You

10. The Cranberries - Linger

9. Phil Lynott - Old Town

8. Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak

7. Boomtown Rats - Rat Trap

6. Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U

5. The 4 of Us - Mary

4. Christy Moore - The Voyage

3. Horslips - Dearg Doom

2. U2 - With or Without You

1. The Undertones - Teenage Kicks

[AustinPowers]

D:ream didn't make  the original list, strangely

Nor  did  Feargal Sharkey

That's very Derryist.


Boomtown rats no 7, you're  having a laugh 

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Right who's gona put the two side by side😘😁, compare and contrast.

Someone will do a thesis on this in the years to come

[Tony Baloney]

Right who's gona put the two side by side😘😁, compare and contrast.

Someone will do a thesis on this in the years to come

Stronger top 10 imo in that Rte list.

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Right who's gona put the two side by side😘😁, compare and contrast.

Someone will do a thesis on this in the years to come

Stronger top 10 imo in that Rte list.

Would agree
Some difference in the treatment of Mary/4 of us in the two lists for starters

[brokencrossbar1]

Right who's gona put the two side by side😘😁, compare and contrast.

Someone will do a thesis on this in the years to come

Stronger top 10 imo in that Rte list.

Would agree
Some difference in the treatment of Mary/4 of us in the two lists for starters

Totally agree,  look the 4 of Us and Mary is t even their best song!

Also The Waterboys are a Scottish band,  no matter what anyone says,  Mike Scott is the only constant and he's a proud Scot

[Ronnie]

That's right.  The Pogues are British too, like St Patrick.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Right who's gona put the two side by side😘😁, compare and contrast.

Someone will do a thesis on this in the years to come

Stronger top 10 imo in that Rte list.

It's an older list.

Different stations. Different listeners.