A Shangrila St. Patrick's Day, Part 3 - The Thistle & Shamrock

St. Patrick's Day is both a religious holiday and a celebration of all things Irish. This year, I'd like to do a three-part post (yes, like a shamrock) about a haunting song I heard on the radio one day...


NPR has taken a shellacking of late (and deservedly so), but, despite the slant in their news reporting, I still enjoy listening to a lot of NPR music programs. One of my favorites is "The Thistle & Shamrock," a long-running weekly radio show hosted by Fiona Ritchie.

The show is named for the national emblems of Scotland (thistle) and Ireland (shamrock), and, unsurprisingly, that's where most of the featured musicians hail from. Ritchie doesn't just play Celtic music, she narrates and curates the proceedings in a warm Scottish accent. Her obvious love of the material shines through the most when she conducts interviews with the musicians, perfect for taking a break from the constant jigs and fiddles.

If "Thistle" sounds like something you'd enjoy, check out Thistlepod, a short 5-10 minute podcast sampler of each week's show.