Celtfather Music & Travel

The Celtic Invasion of Cornwall begins as I explore the Chalice Well, Glastonbury and how it all fits in with my life and my old band, Brobdingnagian Bards. Subscribe to the podcast at www.celtfather.com.

In 2015, I took a small group of 8 people on a Celtic Invasion of County Donegal. One of the highlights was Slieve League. These are the highest ocean cliffs in Ireland, 3 times higher than the more famous Cliffs of Moher.    The cliffs were stunning, but was just as fascinating was Patrick Maloney, a young man selling walking sticks and Dulse, which is basically Irish seaweed that I developed an tasty appreciation for, first in Belfast, and then again up on top of Slieve League.    You can find out more about this Celtic Invasion of Donegal along with picturs and a video of Slieve League in the shownotes.   --   If you enjoy this episode, then please post a review on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Subscribe to the show at www.celtfather.com where you can join my mailing list to download a free album of Celtic and comedy music. Special thanks to my Patrons. You can support my craft for as little as $1 per month. Become a Patron at www.marcgunn.com/patron. Then post feedback in the shownotes, use the hash

When my first daughter was born, I had a flood of comments from Gunn Runners asking me when I would release a kids CD. It was bound to happen. I theme most of my albums from Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers to Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion, Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits to Sci Fi Drinking Songs. Nearly all of my albums have some unifying theme. I prefer recording themed CDs. It makes it easier for me when someone asks, "What's your best CD?" I can respond by asking them what theme they love best. So of course, I made a children's CD called St. Patrick's Day Songs for Kids. I released it in 2015 with some good reviews on iTunes and Amazon. I even podcasted the entire kids album on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. It continues to be a tremendous success. Today, I talk about some of the songs on that album and other fun Celtic kids songs. See the complete list and listen to the songs in the shownotes. --- If you enjoy this episode, then please post a review on iTunes or your favorite podcat

With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner and a show tomorrow, this is a good time to compile a list of funny Irish drinking songs that perhaps I might play this year. See my complete show schedule here. I also do a lot of shows online. You can check out the shownotes and listen to the songs mentioned right on the website. What are your favorite funny Irish drinking songs? -- If you enjoy this episode, then please post a review on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Subscribe to the show at www.celtfather.com where you can join my mailing list to download a free album of my Celtic and comedy music. Special thanks to my Patrons. You can support my craft for as little as $1 per month. Become a Patron at www.marcgunn.com/patron   Post feedback in the shownotes, use the hashtag #celtfather on social media, or email me marc@marcgunn.com

In county Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland is the giants causeway. What one Radio Times poll named the fourth greatest wonder of the United Kingdom. 40,000 interlocking basalt columns line the coast, the result of a volcanic eruption millions of years ago. Now it's one of the most popular tourist attractions in Northern Ireland. Find the complete Giant's Causeway shownotes here. The wind was pretty fierce as bus drove us the 1/2 mile from the visitors center to the Giants Causeway. We were excited. At first glance after exiting the bus, it was beautiful but disappointing. There were a bunch of people milling about on the rocks in a very small area. A big sign and guard halted people from climbing up further on this national wonder. Then I found a passage through the rocks that was overlooked by many of the visitors. On the other side, like crossing through the thin veil, we saw the true majesty of these rocks. Plus a long path along the coast where you could get a better view. When we got ba

I didn't actually pick these amazing bands this week. It was a lot more organic than that. This list features the Celtic bands I played most-often on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I love all of these bands, but there were a few surprises that I didn't anticipate. You can see the complete list in the shownotes. Or visit the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast and see the original article "Top-Played Celtic Music Bands of 2015". --- If you enjoy this episode, then please post a review on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Subscribe to the show at www.celtfather.com where you can join my mailing list to download a free album of my Celtic and comedy music. Special thanks to my Patrons. You can support my craft for as little as $1 per month. Become a Patron at www.marcgunn.com/patron     Post feedback in the shownotes, use the hashtag #celtfather on social media, or email me marc@marcgunn.com

With Christmas just around the corner, I thought I'd share my views on What is Celtic Christmas music as I wrote last year. I confess I'm kinda picky about it. However, my views have defined what kind of music is played in my Celtic Christmas Podcast too. I hope to help you find better Celtic Christmas music this holiday season. Make sure you check out my two Celtic Christmas albums: A Celtic Christmas is a compilation of Christmas music by Celtic musicians featured in the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I believe this album beautifully captures the true spirit of Celtic Christmas. Celtic Christmas Greetings is my solo album of Celtic Christmas music featuring some new and original Christmas songs with a truly Celtic music feel. Let me albums sweep you away.  --- You can subscribe to the show at www.celtfather.com where you can join my mailing list to download a free album of my Celtic geek music. Special thanks to all of my Patrons. For as little as $1 per month, you can become a patron and show your suppo

Kat is considering joining me on a Celtic Invasion Vacation. But she had a few questions. She writes: "I know this is probably basic for you but I have never been able to traveling a lot, so I really don't know what Europe is like. So I need a closer budget to see if it is even in the vague realm of possibility. Just curious for estimates on the flight closer to the date. Best I could find right now was $900 I know it will change closer just give me a guess. Lunch probably in the $10-15 a meal higher, lowerish? Are drinks comparable? Are prices in general comparable? I'm not really asking for specifics. Anything I might be missing?" I do my best to provide as much information as possible, including: cheapest airline travel to Ireland, expected currency exchange rate, cost of meals and drinks, plus how it all works with my Celtic Invasion Vacations. You can find details at celticinvasion.com --- I make this show for free thanks to the generosity of my Patrons. You can support my music, podcasts, and creative e

Traveling will fill your life with joy and satisfaction. You experience life more fully when you hit the road and leave your comfort zone. I've felt its rewards more fully through my years on the road. I've grown and learned a lot, much like Mark Twain. Twain wrote: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” This week, I share some of my reasoning behind why I love to travel and also how you can kickstart your travel experience. Plus, I share a Celtic Music Spotlight on Abby Green and offer you a free copy of my album Not Every Day Is St. Patrick's Day. Join me for the as we delve into WHY you should travel too. Find the shownotes at http://marcgunn.com/celtfather045  

It's funny how when I start planning this podcast, I frequently have NO news to share. Then I start searching to see what I did the past week, or what I have planned to come. Everything comes together. I end up with a longer show. I start the show off as usual with my Celtic Music Spotlight of the Scottish band Breabach. I also made an update to my Gunn Runners page to earn more patrons on Patreon. I talk about how I created this week's Irish & Celtic Music Podcast which features three hours of awesome Celtic music picked from my past ten years producing this podcast. I also share about some of my plans for GenCon this weekend. Finally, I finished the "itinerary" of next year's Celtic Invasion of Cornwall. I picked Cornwall because of its Arthurian history more than it's Celtic. But both are super important. I give you a day-by-day glimpse of what is completed thus far for next year's vacation. It's gonna be fun and exciting. Will you join me? Find shownotes at http://marcgunn.com/celtfather037 Find out m

Well, we’ve reached Donegal, and are currently enjoying our stay in a cottage by Mt.Charles! Though I’d initially intended to put out more podcasts during the trip, but because I’m enjoying putting more production into each one, several of them will probably be posted after the trip. There are only so many hours in the day, and when on vacation, they should be spent having fun! This idea was reflected by all of us, as we enjoyed a lazy morning (resting up from so much vacation!) at the cottage. While there are a lot of merits to bus tours and CID trips, there are also a lot of cons that come along with those. Primarily, you don’t have any say in the itinerary, and you’re rushing about to see as many things as possible. That works for some folks, but our group is very happy to take it a little easier, and to enjoy the sites. This morning, I cooked up breakfast for the crew – potentially one of my favourite parts of Celtic Invasion Vacations, giving us a nice, quiet start to the day, along with some fun! This a

Exploring the Titanic by Marc Gunn

Ireland Air Travel Tips: Celtic Invasion Vacation 2015 by Marc Gunn

Inara Claire Gunn was born yesterday at 7:08 pm. She's a happy, healthy girl of 7lbs. 11 oz and 20.5 inches long. Come meet her this Sunday on Concert Window. Find out more at http://marcgunn.com/celtfather027

There's still no news on the baby front. And we're less than one week away from the birth of Inara. Today, I share a little catch up news as well as do a short highlight of my Celtic Invasion of Donegal, Ireland in a few weeks. Find shownotes at http://marcgunn.com/celtfather025 To subscribe, go to iTunes, or go to Celtfather.com where you can also join my mailing list. This show is sponsored by my Patrons at marcgunn.net. Your generous monthly donation feeds a human family of three and half plus three cats. Post feedback in the shownotes, use the hashtag #celtfather on social media, or email me marc@marcgunn.com

St. Patrick's Week starts tomorrow. So it's time to start philosophizing about Celtic music, awesome songs and fulfilling my promises through your generous patronage, including some thoughts I learned from Amanda Palmer. You'll find a link to the full shownotes at http://marcgunn.com/celtfather013 To subscribe, go to iTunes, or go to Celtfather.com where you can also join my mailing list. This show is sponsored by my Patrons at marcgunn.net. Your generous monthly donation feeds a human family of three and half plus three cats. Post feedback in the shownotes, use the hashtag #celtfather on social media, or email me marc@marcgunn.com

I've been sharing the stage with the Dublin Harpers, a family of Celtic musicians from Dublin, Ohio. As the name says, they play harp music, but it's not like harp music you've heard before. There are at least two harpers, a bodhran player, and occasional other instruments mixed in by the whole family. The music is also upbeat, with reels and jigs that sound like reels and jigs. If you usually think of harp music as slow and pretty, then give this a listen and find out how wrong you are. Find out more about the band at http://www.facebook.com/dublinharpers 

The Whiskey Bay Rovers came by to chat with me at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival after a show. We talked origin stories of these pirates from Lafayette.

The Bilge Pumps sent me their newest CD, Bail Money, last month. I had the pleasure of seeing them at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival where I dug deeper into their murky history. Subscribe to the podcast at http://celtfather.com  You can become a patron of the podcast at http://marcgunn.net/ 

ALEP was wonderful. Now it's another ALEP Year until the next one. You'll have to listen to find out how an ALEP Year is. In this week's episode, I talk about my favorite moments at ALEP. Plus, I announce a bunch of shows that are coming up. The show is brought to you by ALEP. Go to http://www.alep-ky.us to find out more.