For all those of you who missed out on the big day, worry not. St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday for all of Ireland and the Irish diasporas around the globe. It is a celebration of their culture, an expression of their heritage and, when far away from home, an homage to the Irish identity. It is also, of course, a show-off of their music. And it is never too late to celebrate.

I, an Irish patriot without an ounce of Irish blood, celebrate it daily with some of the best music there is. It is through and because of all the beautiful musicians representing Ireland that I got so invested and appreciative of the culture in the first place. I mean, the original One Direction is one-fifth Irish: Ireland is just that influential to world music! You are still skeptical? Read on and be convinced.

Where do I even begin? My humble beginnings in the world of music was the band U2. One could say that toddler me was consuming my first fruit purees for toothless babies and U2 albums at the same time, with the same vigor and hunger. My parents made the mistake of teaching me how to operate the CD stereo as a kindergartener and thus were subjected to their own collection of U2 records on repeat. For months. Maybe years.

Occasionally I would be benevolent enough to change the CD to The Cranberries’s Everybody Else is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?. Also an Irish band. If you are chronically online, you actually know them from some aesthetic TikToks: they are responsible for the songs “Linger”, “Dreams”, and “Zombie” among so many other indie hits.

When I think about my favorite artists, I start to believe that music originates from Ireland: somehow even my favorite artists’ favorite artists are Irish. If you are into indie, alternative or rock, you will know that Van Morrison, Rory Gallagher and Thin Lizzy are some of the most influential bands of the early rock scene. Considered as trailblazers of hard rock, their music is the roots of every genre that followed.

The thing about the Irish I admire most is their fierce civic engagement. Politics is not separated from life and politicians do not separate themselves from the people to the extent they do in a fair amount of democratic countries. This translates onto the music scene as well, and there is no better example of it than the brave Sinead O’Connor. Not only is her music a statement in terms of lyrics, it is also political in its melodies, blending Irish folk with Catholic influences and indie pop. Her voice is spectacular and she uses it to advocate for worthy causes, which led to her downfall after her historic appearance on SNL in which she criticized the Catholic church’s treatment of children.

The greatness of Irish music should not be written about in past tense. There are many up and coming, some already established, artists that are carrying out the legacy of The Greats and also changing the rules of the game. There is just no way you have not cried, laughed, danced, cried again to Hozier, one of the current music superstars. I also recommend listening to his performances of traditional Irish songs, he truly shows off his incredible vocals in those. Some other names you may have encountered include Imelda May and Orla Gartland. In case you have not heard of them or their music, a late St. Patrick’s Day celebration is the perfect occasion to play their latest releases.

A definite game changer is the trio Kneecap, who rap in English and Gaelic simultaneously. Their craft was even the focus of the award winning film Kneecap, starring the band themselves. Their history is as fascinating as their music, so support their movie if you do not have any particular plans for the upcoming long weekend.

Fontaines D.C. have recently been the talk of town among alternative and rock fans with their two 2025 Grammy nominations. Unfortunately, no wins from the Academy for the Irish this year, but Romance is an album that deserves all the hype. So does any other record of Fontaines D.C. Do not be shy, go blast it on the Highline during your next study session with international friends on a patch of grass (that will absolutely grace the next admissions brochure front page).

Coming to the crux of this article, perhaps the main reason for its existence. It is as if I celebrated St. Paddy’s a week early with the incredible band Inhaler. I was one of the lucky ticket holders to their show in The Fillmore Philadelphia, but I had seen them one and a half times before, so I thought I knew what to expect. Inhaler have grown so much over the last two years since I saw them live last though. It is rare that a band this young has a repertoire of 17 songs which are such hits for their fans that they matched them lyric for lyric and beat for beat. It was one of the most simplistic shows in terms of stage design and crowd interaction that I have seen, yet the audience was so engaged, so energized, so present. And when the lights switched to the Irish flag for their performance of “Dublin in Ecstasy”, that Dubliner ecstasy overcame The Fillmore Philly. I wish for every reader of the Music Column to have such a concert experience. But for now, you can at least replicate it in the privacy of your NYUAD dorm room as you celebrate Irish culture. And maybe study a tiny cute little bit.