[upbeat traditional music] [upbeat traditional music continues] ♪ Whoo ♪ - [Narrator] Failte to "Ireland in Music".

[narrator speaking in Irish language] Welcome to our granular exploration of Irish music, culture and landscape.

We'll be zipping around Ireland in the company of some of our finest musicians, filmed in some of our most beautiful places, starting in County Meath, before heading to Roscommon, Temple Bar, Donegal, and Fingal, as we celebrate the musical mastery and beauty of our proud island of Ireland.

First to the beguiling Spire of Lloyd, in Kells, County Meath.

An inland lighthouse built as a folly in 1791 that serves as the perfect place to luxuriate in the understated genius of Whenyoung.

[pensive music] [pensive music continues] ♪ I sat myself down to watch the screen ♪ ♪ What had been saved ♪ ♪ Reeling in my years ♪ ♪ And as my home movie played the scenes ♪ ♪ The blinding light ♪ ♪ Wouldn't hide a thing ♪ ♪ In the bed I made, I'm lying awake ♪ ♪ My disheveled mess ♪ ♪ My own Tracey Emin ♪ ♪ How can the made be unmade once again ♪ ♪ Bring the medicine ♪ ♪ Serve absolution ♪ ♪ I will not sleep here now ♪ ♪ I've traded in fear for self-respect ♪ ♪ I will not sleep here now ♪ ♪ I've traded in fear for self-love ♪ ♪ Tor5 up the portrait that I had shot ♪ ♪ To ease the pain ♪ ♪ I'd quashed character ♪ ♪ I put my comfort blanket on the curb ♪ ♪ Took off my jewels ♪ ♪ I am in my rags ♪ ♪ In the bed I made, I'm lying awake ♪ ♪ My disheveled mess ♪ ♪ My own Tracey Emin ♪ ♪ How can the made be unmade once again ♪ ♪ Bring the medicine ♪ ♪ Serve absolution ♪ ♪ I will not sleep here now ♪ ♪ I've traded in fear for self-respect ♪ ♪ I will not sleep here now ♪ ♪ I've traded in fear for self-love ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ But reputation comes to knock on my door ♪ ♪ I've chosen bravery, honesty ♪ ♪ I'm wide awake now, I'm so awake ♪ ♪ This is day number one ♪ ♪ I will not sleep here now ♪ ♪ I've traded in fear for self-respect ♪ ♪ I will not sleep here now ♪ ♪ I've traded in fear for self-love ♪ ♪ I will not sleep here now ♪ ♪ I've traded in fear for self-respect ♪ ♪ I will not sleep here now ♪ ♪ I've traded in fear for self-love ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ [pensive music continues] [birds singing] - [Narrator] Now to the magical Lough Key Forest & Activity Park, in Boyle, County Roscommon, inspiration for WB Yeats' poetry, and now a continues site of wisdom, as the fabulous Winnie Ama shares her knowledge about beating anxiety.

- This is your reminder that you've got options and you can do whatever you want.

So there's a voice inside you, which sometimes it says you can, sometimes it says you can't.

And there's no reason to listen to the voice that says you can't versus the one that says you can't.

I used to be really shy and awkward, and I wouldn't be able to speak in front of lots of people, even three people would make me really anxious and nervous, until I realized that there's no reason for it to be.

The voice that says I can't is just as good as a voice that says I can, so I choose I can, and this song is about that.

[drumsticks knocking] [upbeat music] [upbeat music continues] ♪ I was used to hiding what I want ♪ ♪ And panicking when my name was called, I'd bolt ♪ ♪ And anything sure to draw an eye ♪ ♪ Would make me feel shy and small ♪ ♪ Oh, you did everything that you could ♪ ♪ To drown out all the whispers that I was no good ♪ ♪ Your words were little seedlings under me ♪ ♪ That grew into a mighty wood ♪ ♪ Here I go ♪ ♪ Now I'm fading up ♪ ♪ And the game is on ♪ ♪ I'm rising 'cause I'm ready to take it on ♪ ♪ Here I go ♪ ♪ Now I'm fading up ♪ ♪ And the game is on ♪ ♪ I'm rising 'cause I'm ready to take it on ♪ ♪ Here I go ♪ ♪ Here I go ♪ ♪ I've got lightening underneath my feet ♪ ♪ A synergy moving my anatomy in harmony ♪ ♪ Higher than I've been ♪ ♪ And stronger than I once believed ♪ ♪ Oh, I'll turn everything burnt to bloom ♪ ♪ You can feel me walking in and I steal the room ♪ ♪ Found out what I need ♪ ♪ And now I'm finally free ♪ ♪ Here I go ♪ ♪ Now I'm fading up ♪ ♪ And the game is on ♪ ♪ I'm rising 'cause I'm ready to take it on ♪ ♪ Here I go ♪ ♪ Now I'm fading up ♪ ♪ And the game is on ♪ ♪ I'm rising 'cause I'm ready to take it on ♪ ♪ Here I go ♪ ♪ Here I go ♪ ♪ Day by day, I started to see ♪ ♪ That seeds were planted inside of me ♪ ♪ And growing so quickly ♪ ♪ A forest had lifted me, lifted me ♪ ♪ Day by day, you waited for me ♪ ♪ And every dawn was brighter to see ♪ ♪ I stood at the top of the trees ♪ ♪ And lived in my dreams ♪ ♪ My dreams ♪ ♪ Here I go ♪ ♪ Now I'm fading up ♪ ♪ And the game is on ♪ ♪ Yeah, the game is on ♪ ♪ Here I go ♪ ♪ Here I go ♪ ♪ Here I go ♪ [upbeat music continues] [upbeat music continues] [wind blowing] - [Narrator] Now to Drumboe Woods on the banks of the River Finn, in beautiful Ballybofey, County Donegal, where we find a super group called No Crows, featuring amongst its members, local hero, Martin Tourish, on accordion.

- One, two, a-one, two, three, four.

[upbeat traditional music] [upbeat traditional music continues] [upbeat traditional music continues] [upbeat traditional music continues] [upbeat traditional music continues] [upbeat traditional music continues] [upbeat traditional music continues] [upbeat traditional music continues] [upbeat traditional music continues] [upbeat traditional music continues] [upbeat traditional music continues] [upbeat traditional music continues] [upbeat traditional music continues] [waves crashing] - [Narrator] Believe it or not, this stretch of coast is 15 minutes from Dublin Airport, Portrane Beach, where we find Ailbhe Reddy musing on what it means to be Irish.

- I think, well, I would mostly think about being Irish as something to do with my music, which I think Irish people have a natural storytelling folk thing.

So that'd be what Irishness means to me, is kind of like to have a great ability to tell stories and to want to tell stories and to pass things down, and that'd be what Irishness means to me, I think.

We're known around the world for having great arts, like, we have so many famous writers and musicians from such a small island, with such a small population over the years.

So I think that people kind of expect great art to come out of Ireland, and there seems to be a massive focus again in the last few years on Irish music, in particular, and Irish books and literature and everything.

So I think that people expect a high quality of art to come out of Ireland.

I like that when you meet another Irish person abroad, that we all have the same kind of sense of sarcastic humor that you might not get in other countries.

And it's always you kinda get in and you have a good laugh with somebody when you first meet them, you know?

Like, I've come to set today even and you kind of immediately click with people and have a laugh.

No matter what kinda walk of life they come from, you immediately have this, like, connection straight away.

What I found is, you're really nervous to play that very sensitive, intimate song that feels very much connected to you as a person.

The first few times you play, it's really nerveracking, but then you realize that other people hear that song and they think of themselves and they think of a loved one that they have and they think of an experience they had, and they project all those ideas onto it, which is amazing.

And I do that with other musicians' music, I don't just think about their experiences, I think about my own and other people's.

And so it becomes less and less mine the more I play it and it becomes more everybody else's.

That's so nice, it's so nice to be understood.

I think that that's why a lot of people write music, it's to be understood.

And it's a lot easier to put that to a tune than it is to just say it, [laughing] I suppose.

So yeah, that would be my thing, to be understood and kind of wondering, "Does anyone else feel the same way?"

And then when someone gets it, you realize they do.

[birds singing] - [Narrator] Into Temple Bar in Dublin City Center now, the heart of much of our music and culture, where we find Ailbhe Reddy in special collaboration with producer Elaine Mai.

[upbeat music] [upbeat music continues] [upbeat music continues] ♪ Lying on the bed ♪ ♪ The window hangs half open ♪ ♪ Summer heat and your song keeps playing ♪ ♪ I let the words sink ♪ ♪ I let them sting ♪ ♪ All to think of you ♪ ♪ I still listen to ♪ ♪ The traffic at night ♪ ♪ Stare at the ceiling ♪ ♪ Your voice keeps singing and I feel ♪ ♪ Still feel you sometimes ♪ ♪ Still feel you sometimes ♪ ♪ Stare at the ceiling ♪ ♪ Your voice keeps singing and I feel, feel ♪ ♪ I still see the light ♪ ♪ I still hear your voice ♪ ♪ If I close my eyes ♪ ♪ You're still here, here, here ♪ ♪ I still see the light ♪ ♪ I still hear your voice ♪ ♪ If I close my eyes ♪ ♪ You're still here, here, here ♪ ♪ I remember our ♪ ♪ Arms were touching ♪ ♪ On that train out ♪ ♪ By the ocean ♪ ♪ I let the words swim ♪ ♪ I let them sting ♪ ♪ All to think of you ♪ ♪ I still listen to ♪ ♪ The traffic at night ♪ ♪ Stare at the ceiling ♪ ♪ Your voice keeps singing and I feel ♪ ♪ Still feel you sometimes ♪ ♪ Still feel you sometimes ♪ ♪ Stare at the ceiling ♪ ♪ Your voice keeps singing and I feel, feel ♪ ♪ I still see the light ♪ ♪ See the light ♪ ♪ I still hear your voice ♪ ♪ Hear your voice ♪ ♪ If I close my eyes ♪ ♪ You're still here, here, here ♪ ♪ I still see the light ♪ ♪ See the light ♪ ♪ I still hear your voice ♪ ♪ Hear your voice ♪ ♪ If I close my eyes ♪ ♪ You're still here, here, here ♪ ♪ Talk to me, forgive me ♪ ♪ Talk to me, forgive me ♪ ♪ Talk to me, forgive me ♪ ♪ I'm ready, I'm ready ♪ [birds singing] - [Narrator] We now move further up the Fingal coast to the splendor of our Ardgillan Castle, Fingal, built in 1738, and now open for all, at the center of a gorgeous park, where we finish off this show with Kila.

[upbeat traditional music] [upbeat traditional music continues] [Ronan singing in Irish language] [Ronan singing in Irish language continues] [Ronan singing in Irish language continues] [Ronan singing in Irish language continues] ♪ Hey ♪ [upbeat traditional music continues] [Ronan singing in Irish language] [Ronan singing in Irish language continues] [Ronan singing in Irish language continues] [upbeat traditional music continues] [upbeat traditional music continues] [Ronan singing in Irish language] [Ronan singing in Irish language continues] [Ronan singing in Irish language continues] [Ronan singing in Irish language continues] [upbeat traditional music continues] [waves crashing] - [Narrator] Until next time.

[speaking in Irish language] [upbeat traditional music] [upbeat traditional music continues] [upbeat traditional music continues] [birds singing]