Paul McDermott

Educator – Broadcaster – Documentary Producer – Writer

Latest Documentary:

An Draíocht
the music of Sliabh Luachra

A Learn & Sing production for RTÉ Lyric fm.

“An Draíocht is an evocative reminder of the magical role music can play in our lives.” Mick Heaney – The Irish Times

“An Draíocht is a powerful piece on the music of Sliabh Luachra.” Declan Lynch – Sunday Independent

Podcast & Further Information

Documentaries Playlist:

Latest Podcast Episode:

Latest Articles:

Ireland in 50 Albums, No 32: Kissing the Roof of Heaven


by Hinterland

by Paul McDermott
Irish Examiner - 15 January 2025

Ireland in 50 Albums, No 31: Comforter


by Compulsion

by Paul McDermott
Irish Examiner - 13 November 2024

Featured Blog Posts:

The Go-Betweens, Leonard Cohen, U2 and Boston Celtics’ Reggie Lewis

“A few words on The Go-Betweens, Leonard Cohen, U2 and Boston Celtics’ Reggie Lewis” taking in: Leeside Music on Cork’s MacCurtain Street, price stickers, The Go-Betweens’ boxsets, J-1 visas, ‘Streets of Your Town’, Grant McLennan and my greatest vinyl find.

Top 10 Vinyl Finds of 2024

“Top 10 Vinyl Finds of 2024”. These were picked up in record shops in Manchester, Sydney, Tarragona, Dublin and Cork. There are a couple rare collectables here but mostly it’s just a bunch of records I couldn’t leave behind.

The Chariot Race

“The Chariot Race by Alexander von Wagner” taking in: Ben-Hur, Gladiator, MacMillan’s Class Pictures from 1932, Victorian-era paintings, The Lady of Shallot, the Empire Marketing Board, Margaret Clarke, how memory plays tricks on us and why “the pig is the great friend of the Irish peasant.”

Peel Sessions

On the 20th anniversary of Peel’s passing, a few words on John Peel Sessions taking in: Irish bands recording Peel Sessions, Irish Trad and Folk, Punk and beyond, Strange Fruit Records, The Smiths, The Go-Betweens, New Order, Joy Division, Microdisney, Jubilee Allstars, Billy Bragg, Stump, The Would Be’s, Finbar & Eddie Furey, LMNO Pelican, Na Filí, The Fall, Five Go Down to the Sea? and more.

The Chills’ Martin Phillipps - An Appreciation

“Martin Phillipps: An Appreciation” taking in: The Chills, ‘I Love My Leather Jacket’, ‘Heavenly Pop Hit’, music videos, American tourists, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Kelly’s of Portrush and Mount Errigal.

Top 10 Irish Songs*

“Top 10 Irish songs” taking in: “best of” lists, subjectivity, lost 80s classics, cover versions, The Royal Showband, an orange and cream 1970s Fidelity turntable and keeping music evil. Last week the Irish Independent published a “best of” list titled “The best Irish songs of all time”. Their list was subtitled “ranked: the definitive top 50”. Let’s agree on one thing straight away, “best of” lists are ridiculous, they’re also simultaneously highly entertaining and incredibly frustrating.

*Today

Steve Albini - An Appreciation

“Steve Albini - An Appreciation” taking in: Big Black, Shellac, The Wedding Present, Pixies, Nirvana, Palace, Slint, Low, Connolly’s of Leap, Nancy Spains, Sir Henry’s, Bandicoot Promotions, Zeitgeist magazine, Adrian Crowley, Nina Nastasia, Palace Music, Magnolia Electric Co, Bikini Kill, Dirty Three and The Auteurs.

Julian Cope’s Postcards

“Julian Cope’s Postcards” taking in: Krautrocksampler, Cope’s Notes, Julian Cope and Donald Ross Skinner’s Rite, Faith magazine, 1993’s The Acoustic Tour, bootleg tapes, John Cooper Clarke, The Modern Antiquarian, Royal Kilmainham Hospital, Vinyl Dublin, stone circles, Gaulstown Dolmen and The Heavy Camel Corps of the Sudan campaign of 1885.

Werner Herzog in Ireland

“Werner Herzog in Ireland” taking in: Skellig Michael and Skellig Bheag; Ballinskelligs, Co. Kerry; Reek Sunday; Croagh Patrick; Popol Vuh; Joy Division; Ian Curtis; Factory Records; dead wax inscriptions; Fitzcarraldo; Aguirre; the Wrath of God; Heart of Glass; The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser; cinema lobby cards and secondhand records.

Blog Archive

Instagram

View fullsize My thanks to Gerry Leonard, Chris O'Brien and Wayne Sheehy for chatting to me for the story of Hinterland, Gerry's band with the late Donal Coughlan, and their incredible album Kissing the Roof of Heaven for the Irish Examiner. My copy was a £3
View fullsize Tonight's listening pleasure is determined by 10 random pulls. #nowspinning #nowplaying #nowlistening #vinylcollection #vinylrecords #vinyl
View fullsize He's not appreciated. #thefall ##nowplaying #nowlistening
View fullsize Songs To Learn And Sing EP 994 11pm Wednesday, 08 January 2025 Mekons – Mudcrawlers Rattling Ark – Top of a Mountain Róis – Caoine The Three Johns – Do the Square Thing Pebbledash – Slowly Slowly The Chills &ndas
View fullsize Black River Fall Motel Cheese State Reformation #thefall #todayslook
View fullsize The Go-Betweens, Leonard Cohen, U2 and Boston Celtics’ Reggie Lewis. New blog post. Link in bio.
View fullsize The third and final Top 10 of 2024. This one is a countdown of my favourite reissues from 2024, including three collections of previously unreleased songs. Three of these releases featured on episodes of my podcast To Here Knows When - Great Irish Al
View fullsize Above the fog.
View fullsize Lisa O'Neill The Wren, The Wren 2019, River Lea 7" #nowspinning
View fullsize Dream, dream harder. Fingers crossed 🤞 for only the 43th year. Come on, Santa! Happy Christmas 🎄 one and all!
View fullsize Review of 2024 in @thegoodublin Another amazing year for music.
View fullsize Found a stash of old flyers for a forthcoming feature in @flotsammag on old Cork venues. This was 1997 in Reardons on Washington St, two years after @whippingboyofficial released Heartworm. An insanely intense performance. The Shanks rocked as always