Beautiful landscapes. Ancient culture. Great ale. Could cover many places. But mention “Celtic music” and the first place that most people think of is Ireland, world-famous for its thousands of jigs, reels, hornpipes, airs, and slides that make up some of the world’s richest and most varied music.  The musicians of Eire have developed an amazing variety of unique and individual styles on the fiddle, the uillean bagpipes (an instrument that was invented in Ireland), the flute, the concertina, and in vocal music (unaccompanied ballad singing is a fine art in the west of Ireland).  Traditional harp music has been played in Ireland for well over 1000 years. With Goodspeed, experience a private session with Dublin piper and pipemaker Joe McKenna and his wife Antionette, an expert harper and traditional singer. Visit the Francis McPeake School of Music in Belfast, established in 1977 to restore and unify Belfast through the love of music.  Travel through some of the wildest and least-traveled parts of Ireland, particularly in northern Armagh and Donegal.

Ireland: far beyond what you’d expect.