What tradtional dances and songs are popular in Ireland?

Question

What tradtional dances and songs are popular in Ireland?

Answer 1

Jigs are very popular, they go along great with different folk songs

Answer 2

I don't know what you mean by popular...most people aren't going to ceilis every weekend =)

Traditional Irish music comes in lots of forms, but the most common are reels (4/4), jigs (6/8), slip jigs (9/8) and maybe hornpipes. There are lots of others... marches, mazurkas, scottisches, flings (more scottish...), polkas, slides, watlzes, etc.

Some common dances are the faerie reel (6 hand), the Walls of Limerick, the bonfire dance, an rhince mhor (not sure if there are 'h's in there or not), shoe the donkey, the haymaker - I don't know - anything they can call at a ceili and people can do without having a whole lot of experience.

I think all of the above dances are 'ceili' dances. There are also 'set' dances - these are generally more complex and really need to be learned. And then of course there's the 'riverdance' type stuff - and solo step dancing. There's also sean nos dancing (means 'old style') which is much more traditional and lower to the ground (kind of the polar opposite of Riverdance...)

Answer 3

We don't usually dance or listen to trad. but there would be a lot of people who can irish dance,mostly girls

These are the types of dances:

Jig

Reel

Hornpipe

Polka

Popular dances at Ceili's etc.. would be:

The walls of Limerick

Siege of Ennis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuiM8GQ_N...

Popular traditional songs:

She moved through the fair

Whiskey in the jar

Will ye go lassie go

The Wild Rover

The Fields of Athenry

Danny Boy

I hope that helps!