At the end of last week, I returned from a lovely trip, which included visiting the Irish Rock & Roll Museum in Dublin, Ireland, in mid-August. It was a guided tour. I learned quite a bit about Irish Rock & Roll and the Irish music scene.
It started with a tour of the studios and seeing a collection of records and guitars. There was even a room devoted to the Irish Rock band U2. That room was impressive. It included a jacket from one of the members that gave to a fan who was freezing. I discovered so much about the phenomenal group. Their work is transgenerational and timeless. What a joy to learn more extensively about the band’s history and origin story.
Then, the guide played a 10-minute video about Irish artists spanning many decades- it included mentions of Westlife, The Cranberries, etc. The clips showing Westlife brought back memories from when I listened to them back in the late 90s and again since 2019. The tour continued – we went to an impressive concert venue. Then we go another room, and the guide asked someone to play the drums, and he started stomping his feet and clapping, which was an indication of Queen’s We Will Rock You. As a Queen fan, it was an exciting moment.
After that, we went to another building with studios and an area for another famous Rock band Thin Lizzy led by the late Phil Lynott. There was studio equipment. Before that, our guide Alan asked a question about Christmas songs. He said that number three was Fairytale in New York by the Pogues. Someone answered what was in the first place: Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You. Then he asked which Christmas song was in second place, to which I replied Last Christmas. It was a proud moment. It ended with a display of musical memorabilia, including stuff related to The Beatles, to which there’s an Irish connection (Paul McCartney and George Harrison). One of the visitors was skeptical but seemed convinced afterwards. The tour ended on a lovely note and at a charming boutique to buy souvenirs.
I want to return to Irish Rock & Roll Museum again. The storytelling throughout the tour made it memorable and added to this remarkable experience.
Thank you, Alan and the Irish Rock & Roll Museum, for the memorable tour.
