Chuck Lipsig wrote this review.
Here’s a neat little book. Gearóid Ó h Allmhuráin manages to compress a history of Irish music into just over 150 pages and does it clearly and cleanly.
I have an aficionado’s knowledge, not a expert’s, of Irish music, so I can’t say for certain if absolutely everyone who should be included was. But the major figures – Turlough O’Carolan, Rory Dall, Francis O’Neill, Michael Coleman, and even Riverdance – all get suitable notice. Furthermore, Ó h Allmhuráin does an excellent job of describing the origins of the various aspects of the Irish tradition, as well as, placing the more recent performers within that tradition.
With Irish music tied so closely to Irish history, one also gets a decent outline of that nation’s history. However, the author does not limit himself to Ireland, dealing with the Irish diaspora, from Alaska to France to Australia.
It’s clear that the author has his opinions and every so often one sneaks through. However, for the most part the information is presented with a minimum of editorializing and a maximum of information. The only flaw of the book is that with dozens of references to people, groups, songs, and places on each page, an index is desperately needed.
For anyone who wants to know more about the history of Irish music, Pocket History of Irish Traditional Music provides a good general background, as well as dozens of jumping-off points for anyone who wants more in-depth knowledge.