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

To Here Knows When -
Great Irish Albums Revisited:
Room to Roam
by The Waterboys

by Paul McDermott
The Goo - Issue 28 (October 2024)

Featured Blog Posts:

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.

Songs to Learn and Sing:
20th Anniversary

A few words on 20 years of Songs to Learn and Sing taking in: Dublin City FM, community radio, commercial radio, Irish music quotas, Little Steven and Bruce Springsteen, and John Porter producing ‘How Soon is Now?’.

Spadgietown

A few words on: Nine Wassies From Bainne’s The Knock Bonya Express and “Spadgietown” - Cathal Coughlan’s short story about Five Go Down to the Sea’s Finbarr Donnelly.

Another Spark

A few words on Another Spark taking in: The Go-Betweens, Microdisney, Five Go Down to the Sea?, The Moodists, Billy Bragg, Andy White, The Jazz Butcher, Eyeless in Gaza, The Box and Roger Quail’s My Life in the Mosh of Ghosts.

SKiN and BONE

A few words on Skin and Bone taking in: John Robb’s Death to Trad Rock, the post-punk mid-80s fanzine scene, Five Go Down to the Sea?, The Mekons, The Membranes, The Fall’s Brix Smith and Craig Scanlon, A Witness, Big Flame, 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

Peter Watkins’ Privilege

“Peter Watkins’ Privilege” taking in: Paul Jones, Manfred Mann, Jean Shrimpton, Terence Stamp, Tom Jones, Patti Smith, Mike Leander, Eureka Entertainment’s Masters of Cinema series, Punishment Park and The War Game. “A film so bizarre, so controversial, it shall crucify your mind to the tree of conscience.” They don’t write taglines like that anymore.

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 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.
View fullsize Last night's #songstolearnandsing #playlist on @dublincityfm #playback in bio Songs To Learn And Sing EP 987 11pm Wednesday, 13 November 2024 Mineral – When You Sleep Spoon Speaker Man – Drove Me Sane Fohn – Boreen David Murphy &
View fullsize Comforter by Compulsion It was my great pleasure to talk to Joey, Jan, Sid, and Jacknife for the Irish Examiner's Ireland in 50 Albums series. Link in bio.
View fullsize Last night's #songstolearnandsing #playlist on @dublincityfm Songs To Learn And Sing EP 986 11pm Wednesday, 06 November 2024 My Bloody Valentine – To Here Knows When Róis – Caoine Pebbledash – Soak Fohn – Trá
View fullsize They invented it, all you have to do is listen to it. 33 years ago today! #onthisday #mybloodyvalentine #loveless #mbv Who else used to cut out reviews and stick them to the inner sleeve? Or, was that just me?
View fullsize
View fullsize This weekend's listening pleasures. #sundaysounds #weekendsounds #weekendsoundtrack #vinylcollection #vinylrecords
View fullsize It was great to see Phil King's beautiful Lush film last night in IFI. Very poignant. Stuart Bailie moderated a lovely chat with Lush's Emma Anderson, Phil King, and Steve Rippon. Lush: A Far From Home Movie is a weave of Super 8 footage shot by Kin