This episode looks at the ballad Blackwater Side aka Blackwaterside aka Down by Blackwaterside and the journey that it took from a Traveller site outside Belfast in 1952 to the first Led Zeppelin LP. A winding river of a song, this episode looks at its multiple obscure sources as well as its many meandering tributaries.

Tracklist

Led Zeppelin – Black Mountain Side
Bert Jansch – Blackwaterside
Anne Briggs – Blackwaterside
Isla Cameron – Blackwaterside
Mary Doran – Down by Blackwaterside
Paddy Tunney – Blackwaterside
Harry Upton – In Wayward Town
Wash Nelson – Last May Morn
Spriguns – Blackwaterside
Landless – Blackwaterside

https://campsite.bio/firedrawnear

Blackwater Side

“Bitter Island” is a folk-punk protest anthem that calls out the hypocrisy of unity in a land still haunted by sectarian ghosts. Driven by snarling guitars, stomping rhythms, and gang-vocal fury, the song pulls no punches — confronting the inherited bile, flags-as-weapons, and the bitter truth that as long as old hatreds lead our parades, no paper peace will ever hold. It’s loud, it’s raw, and it’s bloody fed up.

Bitter Island

Episode LXI is a lengthy heady blast through all of the amazing music that has come my way over the last month. There's so much really quality interesting stuff coming out in the wider traditional - folk - weirdo music scenes these days and this is just a taster. The draft is full and rich. Drink deep and be let contentment be your wealth. Artwork by Louis le Brocquy for the Thomas Kinsella translation of the Táin Bó Cuailnge.

Tracklist

Cormac Begley & Liam O Connor – Ryan’s Rant
Sweet William – Keep your Garden Clean
David Murphy – The March of The King of Laois
Duck Baker and Molly Andrews – Bad Girl
Current 93 (feat. Shirley Collins) – Idumæa
Gout – Newcastle
Mother's Favourite Tongue - Oidhche na mo Chadal Dhomh
Bridget and Kitty - The Cruel Mother
Ottilie Paterson – The Bitterness of Death
The Standing Stones feat. Alasdair Roberts – Twa Brothers
Ultan O’Brien – The Boyne Hunt
Tom & Ben Paley – Follow The Band
Junior Brother – Welcome To My Mountain
Milkweed – Exile of the Sons of Uisliu
Milkweed – The Milk-Fed Calf
Poor Creature – We’ve Run Out Of Tomorrows

https://campsite.bio/firedrawnear

FDN LXI

Scottish Mouth Music/Waulking Song followed by two fantastic jigs, Up and About in the Morning and The House in the Glen

Mouth Music/Up and About in the Morning/The House in the Glen

Bit of Craic with  a genre-blurring DJ mix - showcasing the cutting edge of Ireland’s electronic, rap, trad , and experimental scenes. Some hypnotic & euphoric rhythms, raw, bi-lingual lyricism, and immersive textures. Éire go brach !



Mo Blacks, Mo Dogs, Mo Irish, Mo Chara

This composition is a symphonic jig inspired by the legendary Irish pirate queen, Gráinne Mhaol (Grace O’Malley). I first heard her story years ago from an independent experimental film, The Cry Of Granuaille (Foreman, 2022)  and it has stayed with me ever since. Though I did not grow up playing traditional Irish music I have become fascinated by it in the past year – playing Lankum songs in a tribute gig, and learning the fiddle. With this project, my goal was to use my film score composition style to create a piece influence by Traditional Irish jigs. 
	Gráinne Mhaol, also known as Granuaille (anglicised)  was said to have been “born around 1530, the only daughter of Owen Dubhdara O'Malley, chieftain of a territory in Co. Mayo.”  After the death of her husband, “she returned to Clare Island to command her family’s fleet, launching pirate raids along the west coast and as far afield as Scotland.”  This earned her the title, “Pirate Queen” . This composition is supposed to evoke a sense of her daring raids, and represent the character sonically in the form of a traditional Irish jig-inspired piece played by symphony orchestra and trad band. 


The Pirate Queen - Audio Mock Up

I have just recently gotten my vinyl and CD collections back from where they were stored for 6 months (thanks Crispo!!), an event that definitely makes itself felt in this episode. If there is a theme then it's something to do with pipers, fighters, outlaws, thieves and revolutionaries. Art by Lawrence Alma-Tadema. X

Tracklist;

Seán McKeon – The Salamanca / Trim the Velvet
Tealeaf – Bone Lace Weaver
Jason Rouse – Snug in the Blanket / The Fisherman’s 
Johnny Horton – The Battle of New Orleans
Liam Weldon – James Connolly
Seán McKeon – James Connolly
Francy Devine – Sam Hall / Le Ramoneur / Skarzhour Chiminalieu
Luke Cheevers –  Abe Carman
Daoirí Farrell – Valentine O' Hara
John Faulkner and Dolores Keane – Allan Tyne Of Harrow
Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick – Sovay
The Kipper Family – The Male Female Highwayman
A.L. Lloyd –  Jim Jones at Botany Bay
Jerry O'Reilly –  The Carmagnoles
Ruth Hazleton – Tri-Coloured House
Beau James Wilding – The Lowlands of Holland
RL O'Mealy – Donegal Reel
Jason Rouse – The Maid at Mourneshore

https://campsite.bio/firedrawnear

FDN LXII

Music created specifically for the Echoes of 1916 exhibition at Strokestown Park House September 10th 2025. The music was recorded on solo fiddle, edited and produced by the artist who is also a traditional Irish trained musician and teacher. 
The music is a reflection on the seven signatories of the Irish proclamation. A reflection on their lives and huge contribution to Ireland’s freedom.

Echoes of 1916

Performed by Séamus Ó Flatharta (voice, bodhrán), Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta (voice, fiddle) and Ryan Molloy (piano)
Recorded at Belltable, Limerick, Co Limerick
Recorded, edited & mixed by Donncha Moynihan (The Rise Studio | Cork)
Recorded on 13 September 2025

Molly na gCuach Ni Chuilleanain

Now He’s Comin’ For Me” is a cinematic, folk-ballad confession set by creek and chapel — a story of longing, loss, and the restless dead. Imagery of moonlight, a black steed, and burial stones threads through the lyrics, while the arrangement leans on acoustic and period textures to keep the sound both intimate and eerie. If the song moved you, please comment, repost, and follow for more songs from the road.

You're Coming For Me (Phat Dragon Soundtrack)

Emerging in 2024, Dornán are an exciting new trio from Belfast, weaving a raw, authentic and refined Irish Traditional sound through songs and tunes. With three of the finest, well-seasoned Irish traditional musicians, their sound is solid and unyielding. Individually they have toured Europe, America and Asia, now collectively as Dornán, they want to actively establish themselves on the international Irish music scene by performing a thrilling and foot-stomping mix of tunes and songs like you've never heard before.
Dornán, m. (gs. & npl. -áin, gpl. ~).1. Fistful, handful; small collective
Combining Flutes, Whistles, Uilleann Pipes, Guitar and Vocal Harmonies,
Dornán are a trio from Béal Feirste specialising in Traditional Song and Music from Ireland & other Celtic nations.
With Maria Rafferty: Flute, Whistles, Vocals
Stephen Porter: Pipes, Whistles, Vocals
Cláir McGreevy: Guitar, Whistles, Vocals

GTV Mansfeld is a lyricist, singer-songwriter, Sharing his life experiences through lyrical writing and music production of all genres. From Atlanta to Dallas, his lyrics rich songs tell his stories in relatable ways by living his my best life experiences. #gtvmansfeld

Wolf of Borg – AI Music Without Limits

Alas its a sad day for me. Due to continued issues with soundcloud, I am moving to United Masters for all of my releases. Soundcloud have already warned me that they will be deleting all my music, but It will have been released before that happens. Honestly, if you are intending to release music, I'd look elsewhere, Soundcloud are prescriptive and stifle creativity. Their Customer service is virtually inaccessible, unhelpful, and unable to resolve issues. They actively hinder creators instead of supporting them.

Wolf of Borg... Still Creating... Still releasing, just not through SoundCloud... I'll just take my 200,000 streams elsewhere ;)

Irish Visual Artist, Musician and Teacher

Fire Draw Near is a monthly podcast and radio show which investigates Irish traditional music and song in all of its myriad forms.

https://campsite.bio/firedrawnear

New tracks tagged #TRADITIONAL IRISH