The Best Irish Songs for the Wedding Ceremony or Reception

What are the best Irish songs for your wedding?

You do not have to be Irish to add Irish flair to you wedding. Irish traditions are very easy to incorporate into a wedding ceremony and reception--and no, we are not talking about green colored beer.

One of the most recognizable and romantic symbols of Ireland is the Claddagh. According to legend, an Irishman was on his way to the West Indies when he was kidnapped and forced into slavery as a goldsmith. He was eventually released, and his former captor offered him his daughter and half his fortune if he would stay and work for him. The Irishman declined and returned home to marry the woman he had left behind (and promised to marry. When he returned, he presented her a ring he had designed himself, the Claddagh. The claddagh ring has a crown-topped heart held by two hands. Today the claddagh symbol can be found on most wedding acecssories and is a subtle way to add Irish flavor to your wedding.

There are two ways that you can add Irish music to your wedding ceremony and wedding reception. The first is to choose traditional Irish songs for your wedding. The second is to play traditional songs, but have them played on Irish instruments or sung by an Irish singer. We will discuss both of these options below.

Irish and Celtic Songs

Quite a few Irish songs that are appropriate for a wedding are available and listed below. We searched high and low for authentic Irish and celtic songs before listing them. One word of caution, we would advise you to stay away from commerical cds that are labeled "Irish wedding music" or "Celtic wedding music." Most of them either contained music that was in poor quality or contained a selection that was not completely Irish. A prime example of this is Celtic Wedding by the Chieftans.

A second word of warning when choosing Irish songs for a Catholic wedding, not all songs listed will be allowed in a Catholic ceremony. Catholic churches have rules about using secular music. We have labeled a few songs that would be appropriate, but you should check with your local diocese before selecting any music. For more information on this issue, go to our page on Best Catholic Wedding Songs.

Irish and Celtic Instruments and Bands

Although some might consider this cheating, using Irish instruments can be a way to include non-Irish music while keeping with the theme. Bagpipes, more specifically uilleann pipes, are often used at Irish weddings. The uilleann pipes bag is inflated by means of a small set of bellows strapped around the waist and the right arm. The celtic harp is also a favorite for weddings. Other Irish instruments include the fiddle, the Accordion, the flute, the banjo and the guitar.

When looking for Irish musicians, you have a wide range to choose from such as The Irish Tenors, High Kings, Aine Minogue, the Chieftans, Clannah, Celtic Women, or Aine Minogue. Of course, we can not forget modern singers such as Enya, Dolores O'Riordan (from the Cranberries), and Sinead O'Connor. Of course, if you are looking for live music, you can find singers that specialize in Irish music in most larger cities.

As we searched for Irish music, we decided to list a few of our favorite albums along with our list of the best songs. The albums we would like to recommend are:

1. Ancient Realms: Solo Celtic Harp performed by Jennifer Pratt-Walter
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
2. Celtic Harp: Fiona performed by Patrick Ball
    Find it on:      Rhapsody
3. Celtic Uilleann Pipes performed by Various
    Find it on:      Rhapsody
4. Celtic Woman (Soundtrack) performed by Celtic Woman
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
5. Champions Of Ireland - Uilleann Pipes performed by Con Durham
    Find it on:      Rhapsody
6. So Strong by The Celtic Tenors
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
7. The High Kings performed by The High Kings
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
8. The Impossible Dream performed by Ronan Tynan
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
9. The Very Best of The Irish Tenors
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
10. The Music Of Turlough O'Carolan
     Find it on:        Rhapsody

Some of the best Irish songs for weddings are listed below. For your convenience, we have included links to the sheet music on Sheetmusicplus.com as well as the CD on Amazon.com whenever available. If you are looking to purchase the mp3 or would like to listen to a sample, then click on either the Amazon, Rhapsody, or iTunes links.

Rhapsody provides both music subscriptions as well as individual mp3s for sale in WMA format and iTunes only provides MPEG-4 audio files for sale. However, Amazon does offer mp3s that are compatible with both Windows Media Player and iTunes. For more information about where to purchase music online, we provide it on our Music Downloads page or our Music Subscriptions page.

Here are some of the best songs for Irish Weddings.

1. "An Chuilfhionn" performed by Druidstone
    Find it on:   
2. "Barry Lyndon, Love Theme" performed by The Chieftans
    Find it on:     
3. "Be Thou My Vision" by John Rutter
    Find it on:      Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
4. "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms" performed by Frank Patterson & John McCormack
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
5. "Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms" performed on Bagpipes and Celtic Harp
    Find it on:      Sheetmusicplus
6. "Bí, A Íosa, im Cróise" performed by William Coulter & Friends
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
7. "The Blessing" performed by Celtic Woman
   Not a traditional Irish song, but great for weddings.
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
8. "Bridget Cruise" performed by Alistaire Anderson
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
9. "Bunch of Thyme" performed by Foster & Allen
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
10. "Carolan's Concerto"
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
11. "Carolan's Ramble to Cashel" performed by Northern Lights
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
12. "Carrickfergus" performed by Celtic Woman
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
13. "Céad milé fáilte" performed by St. James's Choir & Niamh Murray
     Find it on:      Rhapsody
14. "Celtic Alleluia" performed by Lois Colin
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
15. "Celtic Melody" performed by Druidstone
     Find it on:      Sheetmusicplus
16. "Celtic Prayer" performed by Méav Ní Mhaolchatha
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
17. "The Coolin (Fair Maiden)" performed by Lois Colin
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
18. "Danny Boy" also known as "Londonderry Air" performed by James Wallace
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
19. "Dante's Prayer" performed by Méav Ní Mhaolchatha
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
20. "Donal Agus Morag" performed by Altan
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
21. "Down by The Sally Garden" performed by Méav Ní Mhaolchatha
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
22. "Easy and Slow" performed by Ronnie Drew
     Find it on:      Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
23. "Fig For A Kiss / Sergeant Cahill's Favorite" performed by William Coulter & Friends
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
24. "A Gaelic Blessing" by John Rutter
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
25. "Give Me Your Hand" (Tamhair dom do lamb) performed by Joemy Wilson
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
26. "Haste to the Wedding" performed by The Corrs
     Find it on:      Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
27. "Haste to the Wedding" performed by Lois Colin
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
28. "Haven Green" performed by Lois Colin
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
29. "Here's to the Dreamers" performed by Marc Gunn
     Find it on:     
30. "I Know My Love" performed by The Chieftans
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
31. "Irish Wedding Song" performed by Lois Colin
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
32. "King of Love My Shepherd Is" performed by Saint Clement's Choir
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
33. "Maids When You're Young (Never Wed an Old Man)" performed by King Laoghaire
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
34. "March Of The King Of Laois" performed by William Coulter & Friends
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
35. "Marie's Wedding" performed by The High Kings
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
36. "Mairi's Wedding" (The Lewis Bridal Song) performed by Lois Colin
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
37. "Mary From Dungloe" performed by Derrick Mehaffey
     Find it on:      Rhapsody
38. "May The Road Rise To Meet You" performed by Jackopierce
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
39. "Mountains of Mourne" performed by Various Artists
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
40. "My Lovely Rose of Clare" performed by Foster & Allen
     Find it on:      Rhapsody
41. "My Heart Will Go On" performed by Celtic Uilleann Pipes (from Titanic)
    Not quite an Irish song, but this version sounds Irish.
     Find it on:      Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
42. "My Wild Irish Rose" performed by Morton Downey
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
43. "Neansaí Mhíle Grá" performed by Clannad
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
44. "O Sacrament Most Holy" performed by Thomas Jones
     Find it on:     
45. "Old Maid in the Garret" performed by
     Find it on:     
46. "Over The Rainbow" performed by Celtic Woman
    Not a traditional Irish song, but great for weddings.
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
47. "The Prayer" performed by Celtic Woman
    Not a traditional Irish song, but great for weddings.
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
48. "Raglan Road" performed by Luke Kelly
     Find it on:      Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
49. "The Rose Of Allendale" performed by Mary Black
     Find it on:      Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
50. "The Rose of Tralee" performed by Christopher Lynch
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
51. "Rosen Dubh" (Little Dark Rose) performed by Lois Colin
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
52. "Sally Gardens" performed by Lois Colin
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
53. "Salve Regina" by Paul Schwartz
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
54. "She Moved Through the Fair" performed by Méav Ní Mhaolchatha
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
55. "Sí Bheag, Sí Mhór" performed by Lois Colin
    Instrumental
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
56. "Silver Threads Among The Gold" performed by Foster & Allen
     Find it on:      Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
57. "Slane (Be Thou My Vision)" performed by Lois Colin
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
58. "Sliabh Na Mban" performed by Johnny McEvoy
     Find it on:      Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
59. "Snowy-Breasted Pearl" performed by John and Karol Diehnel or Paddy Reilly
     Find it on:      Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
60. "Spancil hill" performed by Pat McKernan
     Find it on:      Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
61. "Skye Boat Song" performed by Lois Colin
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
62. "Spinning Wheel Song" performed by Idlewild
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
63. "St. Patrick's Breastplate" performed by Dennis and Paula Doyle
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
64. "Star of County Down" performed by The King's Singers
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
65. "The Star of County Down" performed by Lois Colin
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
66. "Sweet Sacrament Divine" performed by Various Artists
     Find it on:      Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
67. "When She Held Me In Her Arms" performed by Marc Gunn
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
68. "Wild Rover" performed by The High Kings
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
69. "Will Ye Go Lassie Go?" performed by The High Kings
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
70. "Woman As Salvation" performed by Jackopierce
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus

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