Festive Celtic Christmas Songs and Tunes to Enjoy

Get set to improve your holidays with some great Celtic Christmas tunes. We want to show you some top tracks from famous groups and musicians to ensure your list of music is ready for your parties.

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Our post looks at Celtic holiday music such as "Christmas in Killarney" by the Irish Rovers for an old school vibe plus "Carol of the Bagpipers" by Craig Duncan for an instrumental style. We also include "Drunken Christmas" by Finnegan's Hell for a fast tune. These tracks will bring a nice Celtic feel to your winter break.

Do you want more ways to give your holidays a Celtic sound? This post shares many festive tracks and customs for you to enjoy. Read on for more tunes that will make your parties even better.

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Christmas in Killarney by the Irish Rovers

The Irish Rovers started as a group in Toronto Canada back in 1963. They took their name from the old tune "The Irish Rover" and got famous for their TV show that helped spread Irish music in North America. One of their big tunes is "Christmas in Killarney" from the record "Songs of Christmas." It gives a happy look at holidays in Ireland so it is great for your list.

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Carol of the Bagpipers by Craig Duncan

Craig Duncan is a skilled player with more than 100 albums under his name. He makes music in many styles and belongs to the North American Fiddler's Hall of Fame. Duncan is also known around the world for his many books and arrangements sold by Mel Bay Publications. A big track from his work is "Carol of the Bagpipers" from the album "Irish Christmas." This music uses bagpipes along with the fiddle and harp so it fits well with parties that value Celtic styles.

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Christmas Eve Reel by Tommy Coen

Tommy Coen was an Irish player born in Urrachree East Co Galway in 1910 and people recall his great fiddle playing. He played the accordion at first but later switched to the fiddle which became his main tool. Coen moved to Salthill just west of Galway City with his family in the late 1920s. One of his main works is the reel "Christmas Eve" which is a fast tune that shows what he added to Irish music history.

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Celtic Christmas (I Saw Three Ships and Good Christian Men Rejoice) by Ryan Thomas

Ryan Thomas owns Aural Axiom Productions and comes from the Virginia mountains where he is known for his skill with woodwinds like the sax and tin whistle. He used to be a session player but moved into writing music for movies and games with a focus on Celtic styles. His piece "Celtic Christmas" shows his talent and background while using old Celtic parts. This tune is a great choice for anyone wanting to add Celtic sounds to their Christmas list.

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The Yule Fiddler by Patricia Büchler

Patricia Büchler goes by the name Patty Gurdy and is a German hurdy gurdy player and singer born in 1997. Patty started playing the piano and other tools for years before she chose the hurdy gurdy in 2014. She finished school in Düsseldorf and got her degree in 2019. One of her big tunes "The Yule Fiddler" from the record "Frost & Faeries" shows her skill with the instrument. The tune has an old feeling so it fits well in winter and holiday music lists.

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Drunken Christmas by Finnegan's Hell

Finnegan's Hell is a Celtic punk band from Sweden that people see as a big part of "The New Wave of Swedish Celtic Punk." The band got a lot of press when they put out the tune "Drunken Christmas" in 2013. Readers of the Swedish magazine Gaffa voted this track as "Christmas song of the year." A rock writer named Håkan Engström liked the video for the tune and called it "Celtic social realism." Also the American band Highland Reign played "Drunken Christmas" on their 2015 record which made it even more famous.

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Final Thoughts

This post lists a group of Celtic Christmas tunes that add a festive feel to your holiday music list with both famous and new artists. Tracks like "Christmas in Killarney" by The Irish Rovers and "Drunken Christmas" by Finnegan's Hell offer a mix of old and new cheer. The Irish Rovers give a classic look at holidays in Ireland while Finnegan's Hell adds a fast spin with Swedish Celtic punk.

Music without words like Craig Duncan's "Carol of the Bagpipers" and Patricia Büchler's "The Yule Fiddler" show off different skills and tools from bagpipes to the hurdy gurdy. This helps the Christmas mood. Tommy Coen's "Christmas Eve Reel" is a great example of old Irish music while Ryan Thomas's "Celtic Christmas" shows Celtic sounds in a new way.

In the end this group of tunes offers many festive choices for any holiday party. With both new and old music this list will improve your parties and bring the sounds of Celtic music to your holidays.

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