a bit about
the lads

Ispíní na hÉireann is a rock trad collective of Irish musicians started in 2018 and led by frontman Tomás Mulligan. He is often joined by by cellist and fiddle player Aongus MacAmhlaigh, saxophone, flute, and Uilleann Pipes player Pádraig Óg Mac Aodhagáin, banjo player Paahto Cummins, and bodhran player Declan Gillen as well as a whole host of other talented and well-known Irish musicians.

The lads create and play music that is a combination of original songs and reimagined covers and tunes, all influenced by the Irish musical tradition. Their unmatched musical talent is the bedrock to a creative, fun, and unexpected sound.

In late Autumn 2023 the lads released their EP “Worse Things than Dying”, a complilation of softer and more sentimental songs meant to tug at the heart strings and evoke deeper emotions. Apparently it worked as their star has been on the rise ever since - opening for such legends at the Drop Kick Murphy’s and The Wolfe Tones.

They are releasing their second full length album, “Poxtail Soup” in spring 2025. It will inspire and move you.

Meet a few of the Sausages

Some questions with the lads

  • Tomás:

    Rum Sodomy, and The Lash. The Pogues got me back into Irish music when I was rebelling against it.

    O’ Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack. It was the only CD in my parents car when we were younger that wasn't Irish music, and this was before the M1 Motorway, so every trip to my granda's in Armagh was over 2 hours. A lot of listening to that really sparked an interest in Americana for me.

    Look Over The Wall See The Sky - John Francis Flynn. I like this because he is my friend and it’s an exceptional album

    Aongus:

    Our Love - Caribou

    Fibs - Anna Meredith

    Comb Your Hair and Cut It- Catherine McEvoy, Micheal O’Raghaillagh, Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh

    Pádraig Óg:

    Seize the Day- Damien Dempsey

    Gusty’s Frolics- Seán Keane

    Skinty Fia go Deo- Fontaine’s D.C.

  • Tomás:

    Spancil Hill. It was the first time we reimagined a song and it worked out. We had tried it with other songs and they sounded OK, or now with the gift of hindsight, quite awful. But this one worked and gained traction and I'm proud of what we did with it.

    Aongus:

    Talk to Joe. The lyrics are hilarious. They really capture the laziness of the show’s creators - the caller’s impassioned gripes used as material to make money for them and RTE.

    Pádraig Óg:

    A Health to the Company. In comparison to the rest of the tracks on this album, this song completely alters the mood. After the madness and lunacy of the first 6 tracks, the listener is brought back to reality with this lovely duet between Tomás and special guest Méabh Mulligan.

  • Tomás: The Scratch calling me up on stage at the Point was an absolute trip

    Aongus: Playing the 3 stage at Electric Picnic. Place was going mad - it was a bit surreal.

    Pádraig Óg: The whole band performing as special guests for The Scratch’s encore set at their two sold out gigs in Vicar Street. The atmosphere in the room was off the charts.

  • Tomás: Sneaking into the Red Hot Chilli Peppers in the Phoenix Park when I was 14 is a stand-out anti-establishment moment for young me.

    Aongus: Telling my Dad I thought I had heard every piece of music when I was 3. He didn’t even look up from the paper.

    Pádraig Óg: My earliest musical memory is being dragged to my older brother’s tin whistle class as a toddler being made to sit in the room for the duration of the class. In hindsight, this tin whistle class definitely doubled as a baby sitting service for me. I have vague memories of tunes being played over and over while I sat in the corner playing with toys.

  • Uilleann Pipes, Saxophone, Whistle, & Flute

  • Bodhrán & Dancing

  • Guitar & Vocals

  • Cello, Fiddle, & Vocals

  • Banjo & Vocals