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 31: Comforter


by Compulsion

by Paul McDermott
Irish Examiner - 13 November 2024

Ireland in 50 Albums, No 30: Butterfly Effect


by Sack

by Paul McDermott
Irish Examiner - 02 October 2024

Featured Blog Posts:

Top 10 Vinyl Finds of 2024

A Top 10 of secondhand #VinylFinds I purchased in 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

A few words on 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 Lovely to finally pick up a copy of Issue 29 of @thegoodublin Nine Wassies From Bainne feature in my To Here Knows When - Great Irish Albums Revisited column and some crowd called @sack_the_band are on the cover! Issue 30 of The Goo is due any day wi
View fullsize New episode. I’m joined by John Hegarty for a deep dive about Twilight, his debut album from 2000. It’s a long episode that mentions all of the following: Gram Parsons, My Bloody Valentine, Female Hercules, The Harvest Ministers, The S
View fullsize A Top 10 of secondhand Vinyl Finds in 2024. There are a couple of rare collectables here, but mostly it’s just a bunch of records I couldn’t leave behind. Notes on all ten records are in the latest blog, and all are featured on the latest
View fullsize Albert Twomey has been running some great "listen back" sessions in Cork City Library. It's my great pleasure to introduce the next one in February - a "listen back" to Michael O'Shea's stunning self-titled album. It's very apt to
View fullsize
View fullsize Los Lunaticos #vinyldigging #vinylfinds #vinylcollection #vinylrecords #vinyl
View fullsize Last night's #songstolearnandsing #playlist on @dublincityfm Songs To Learn And Sing EP 988 11pm Wednesday, 20 November 2024 Fohn – MacDara David Murphy – Bridget Cruise Róis – What Do You Say Adrian Crowley – Tangle
View fullsize This weekend's listening pleasures #nowplaying #nowlistening #vinylcollection #sundaysounds #nowspinning #vinylrecords
View fullsize A few words on 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 u
View fullsize To Here Knows When - Great Irish Albums Revisited The latest column for The Goo focuses on Giordai Ua Laoghaire's Nine Wassies From Bainne
View fullsize This is the end of every song we sing ❤️ I think it just gets better and better #thecure
View fullsize How do you want your rock n' Roll stars? I want mine reading Ulysses to their babies. Fontaines have me sorted! Latest Under the Radar magazine has just arrived, and it's essential as always.