When Brendan Balfe presented the first series of his acclaimed The Irish Voice, no-one could have foreseen the public reaction. Balfe’s extraordinary compendium of sound – the history of the last 50 years as heard on the wireless – captured the imagination of thousands of listeners. The second series was just as rewarding, as clip after clip reeled in the passing years. Now RTÉ Radio 1 is proud to present The Irish Voice, a beautiful new CD set compiled from the original radio programmes.

Sourced in the Radio archive and music library of the national broadcaster, the performances and speeches heard on these CDs bring alive the social and cultural life of Ireland as it was shaped by events over the years. The CDs feature some of the nation’s greatest musicians, playwrights, authors, politicians, composers, performers, poets and pop stars, as well as recordings of international personalities and celebrities with Irish connections. The result is an energetic mix of music and speech encapsulating the sounds and the soul of Ireland.

Brendan Balfe is one of the best known voices on Irish radio over the last half century.  Over his broadcasting career, Brendan has presented many programmes based on social and cultural history, including A History of Pop, Sounds of the Century and The Spice of Life, as well as numerous documentaries and features, not least his 24-hour marathon celebrating the Millennium. Brendan says: ‘The Irish contribution to the culture of the world has been immense and I hope this compilation from The Irish Voice will reflect that in an exciting way’.

Originally broadcast as an eleven part series, Brendan Balfe’s The Irish Voice became one of the great radio successes of 2010, reaching a large audience on RTÉ Radio 1’s weekend schedule. It was repeated during summer 2011 in response to popular demand.

CD1                       

1. The Brian Ború Harp/ Ode, Arthur O’Shaughnessy/Carolan’s Concerto / The Chieftains   Mary Rowland/Brendan Balfe/The Chieftana

2. Irish Accents/ Jimmy Mo Mhíle Stór, Niall Toibín/Dolores Keane

3. Cill Cais/ The Wearing of the Green Neasa Ní Annracháin/Peggy Lee

4. Robert Emmett Speech/ A Nation Once Again    Val Vousden/Our Lady’s Choral Society with Harold Gray

5. Dawn on the Irish Coast/ I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls             Ciarán Mac Mathúna/Veronica Dunne

6. Extract: The Importance of Being Earnest/ Oscar Wilde speech in San Francisco  John Gielgud & Edith Evans/ Micheál Mac Liammóir

7. Mountains of Mourne/ The Lake Isle of Innisfree             Brendan O’Dowda/William Butler Yeats 

8.  Victor Herbert: March of the Toys/ Give My Regards to Broadway            RTÉ Concert Orchestra/ James Cagney

9. Bram Stoker: Dracula/ WB Yeats: Down By The Sally Gardens/ WB Yeats: He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven/ Believe me if All Those Endearing Young Charms               Barry McGovern/Bernadette Greevy/T P McKenna/Dermot Troy

10. Two Titanic survivors/ Danny Boy             Margaret Burke Sheridan

11. Thomas Kettle: The Gift of Love/ 1916 Proclamation/ James Stephens: The Insurrection in Dublin/ WB Yeats: Easter 1916/ Pádraig Colum: She Moved through the Fair           Brendan Balfe/Ray McAnally/Donal Broughan/Micheál Mac Liammóir/The Guinness Choir

12. A Race that Never Ceased to strive/ Moonlight in Mayo/              Éamon De Valera/John Feeney 

13. Thoughts on Ulysses/ Love’s Old Sweet Song     Anthony Burgess/John McCormack

14. The Greatest Country/ Seán O’Casey: Extract: Juno and the Paycock/ My Irish Molly       Seán O’Casey/Radio Éireann Players/The Flanagan Brothers

CD2                       

1. Al Smith Campaign Song/ 1932 Eucharistic Congress         Billy Murray/RTE Presenter

2. Patrick Kavanagh: Spraying the Potatoes/ Spinning Wheel            Eamon Keane/Delia Murphy

3. The Gate Theatre            Micheál Mac Liammóir/Hilton Edwards/Orson Welles

4. Red Sails in the Sunset/ Crosby Meets McCormack/ Shannon River          Bing Crosby/John McCormack 

5. Flann O’Brien: A Pint of Plain/ I had to Come down for Nails/ Campile     Eamon Morrissey/Harry Bailey/Harry Bailey  

6. The Ireland We Desire/ Ireland Mother Ireland  Éamon De Valera/Our Lady’s Choral Society

7. Army Ghost Story/ On The Sunny Side of the Street        John Skehan/Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

8. Éamon De Valera replies to Churchill/ George Bernard Shaw celebrates his 90th Birthday/ Hear My Song Violetta                Eamon De Valera/GB Shaw/Josef Locke

9. Kate O’Brien talks to Eamonn Andrews/ Taoiseach John A Costello declares Ireland a Republic/ Pandit Nehru: Ireland’s influence on India         Kate O'Brien/Eamonn Andrews/John A Costello/Pandit Nehru

10. Rural Electrification in Bansha Co Tipperary/ Hal Roach & Cyril Cusack recall the Touring Theatre Companies          Hal Roche/Cyril Cusack

11. Barry Fitzgerald & Isle of Innisfree/ John Wayne remembers filming ‘The Quiet Man       Bing Crosby/John Wayne

12. Favourite Sponsored Radio programmes/  American Patrol          /Chris Lambe Band

13. Rock’n’Roll comes to Dublin/ When Mexico Gave Up the Rhumba/ Eamonn Andrews meets Brendan Behan                Kevin O’Kelly/Joe Lynch/Eamonn Andrews- Brendan Behan

14. The Boys from the Co Armagh/ Sounds of Dublin in the Fifties    Bridie Gallagher

15. Ardmore Studios open/  Seán Ó Riada writes music for a new film/ Mise Éire       /Seán Ó Riada/RTÉ Symphony Orchestra

CD 3                       

1. Telefís Éireann opens     RTÉ Presenters

2. Cecil Sheridan on the closing of the Theatre Royal/ Try to Remember      Cecil Sheridan/Noel Purcell & Cecil Sheridan/Maureen Potter

3. President Kennedy in Ireland/ The Mason’s Apron/Seán Maguire

4. Nelson’s Pillar blown up/ The Hucklebuck/Denis Meehan recalls his work as a continuity announcer /The Royal Showband/Denis Meehan 

5.  The Auld Triangle/ Extract from ‘Borstal Boy/ Nothing Rhymed   Ronnie Drew/Niall Toibín/Gilbert O’Sullivan

6.  Mid Term Break/ Ben Keily on Patrick Kavanagh/ On Raglan Road              Seamus Heaney/Ben Keily/Luke Kelly

7.  RTÉ Radio 2 opens/ Like Clockwork/ Chronica Maher       /The Boomtown Rats/Rosaleen Linehan

8.  Dawn Run wins at Cheltenham/ Fields of Athenry            Des Scahill/Paddy Reilly

9.  Paul Muldoon: Anseo/ Enniskillen Bombing/ No Frontiers             Donal Broughan/Gordon Wilson/Mary Black

10. Northern Ireland Peace Agreement/ The Cure at Troy/ Riverdance          /Seamus Heaney/Bill Whelan

11. The English/ The Mary Ellen Carter           Tommy Tiernan/Liam Clancy

12.  Queen Elizabeth II and President Obama in Ireland/ Beautiful Day            /U2

13.  John O'Donohue: Beannacht, / An Draighneán Donn       Kathleen Watkins/RTÉ Concert Orchestra