Paul McDermott

Educator – Broadcaster – Documentary Producer – Writer

Latest Blog Post:

Top 10 Vinyl Finds of 2025

The first of three posts cataloguing vinyl purchases in 2025. A Top 10 of secondhand vinyl finds in 2025. These were picked up in record shops in London, Puglia, Arles, Dublin and Cork.

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:

Documentaries: Further Information

Latest Podcast Episode:

Episode Notes, Further Details and Past Episodes

Latest Articles:

U2 surprise at the Lark by the Lee

by Paul McDermott
Irish Examiner - 27 August 2025

Archived Articles

Featured Blog Posts:

Van Morrison at 80

A few words on Van Morrison taking in: Millstreet Music Fair 1996, Stump’s Mick lynch, Cork Jazz Festival 1996, Humpers Inc and Rathmines College 2003

Factory Records: Top 10 Comps

“Factory Records - Top 10 Comps” taking in: Cian Ó Cíobháin’s An Taobh Tuathail Factory special, New Order, Joy Division, Section 25, Happy Mondays, A Certain Radio, Anthony H. Wilson, Ian Curtis, Martin Hannett and a whole lot more.

The Fall at Sir Henry’s

“A few words on The Fall” taking in: The Fall at the Arcadia in 1980, The Fall at Sir Henry’s in 1997. Mark E. Smith, Dave Simpson’s The Fallen, Freakscene and Gigantic at Sir Henry’s, The Beatles, Freakscene flyers, Uaneen Fitzsimons and No Disco, The Fall at The Pavilion in 2012, and Rob Anthony’s Number One Fan comic strip.

Record Store Day: A Top 10

“A Top 10 of Record Store Day releases” taking in: New Order, Joy Division, The Wicker Man, Alfred Hitchcock, Fontaines DC, Low, The The, Nick Cave, Pulp, Clint Mansell, and Chris Bell.

Blog Archive

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View fullsize New blog. Top 10 secondhand Vinyl Finds of 2025. The first of three posts of vinyl purchases in 2025. Reissues of the year and Irish Albums of the year to follow. Notes on all in blog. https://www.paulmcdermott.ie/blog/top-10-vinylfinds-of-2025
View fullsize New blog. Top 10 secondhand Vinyl Finds of 2025. The first of three posts of vinyl purchases in 2025. Reissues of the year and Irish Albums of the year to follow. Notes on all in blog. Link in bio. #vinylcollection #vinylrecords #vinyl
View fullsize #onthisday 40 years ago. Microdisney knocked Depeche Mode off the No. 1 spot in the UK Indie Albums chart. (Highest Pos №1, Date №1 Achieved: 23/11/1985, No. of Weeks on Chart: 20)
View fullsize "MBV invented it, we listened in ecstatic awe." A few words about last night's gig for the Examiner. Link in bio. #mybloodyvalentine #loveless
View fullsize Mani😢
View fullsize Psychocandy LP released 40 years ago today. Poster bought 36 years ago. Poster in better condition than LP. 🤷‍♂️ #Psychocandy #thejesusandmarychain #justlikehoney
View fullsize With Shane Fitzsimons, poring over copies of his 1990s Evening Echo column for a forthcoming audio documentary. Shane gave me a gig DJing in The Village in the early 90s and my first time DJing in Sir Henrys was for a Mekons gig that Shane promoted i
View fullsize To Here Knows When - Great Irish Albums Revisited. New Episode. Music journalist and author Stuart Bailie presents 40 years of music stories, his favourite Irish albums and a whole lot more. Photographs of Stuart by Jonah Gardner. Link in bio. #toh
View fullsize
View fullsize The last gigs I saw by both bands were only massive: BBF at Kaught at the Karpark and The Prongs at the Project. Looking forward to the forthcoming showdown. Sat 15th Grand Social.
View fullsize Just spent a few hours in the company of the great @stu_bailie A long podcast just might have been recorded!
View fullsize 10 7" singles from the trunk #sundaysounds 1. Big Black - The Model She's a model... 2. Sack - Unmade Bed of a Man At the end of the evening when the lights are down... 3. The Primitives - Really Stupid Stuff you're saying is really stupid... 4