I’ve just recently opened the door to traditional Irish music. I’d like some recommendations from you folks out there as to what groups/bands/songwriters I should check out. Preferably those that include mandolins, banjos, tin whistles, fiddles. I’m open to all the other instruments as well; I just want to get a good collection started! 
…Thank you!
You have named some instruments, but haven’t made it clear whether you prefer older “pure drop” styles or the more contemporary stuff. Perhaps if you named some of the performers/groups that you like, or who turned you on to ITM, someone could give you some recommendations to suit your tastes, otherwise the field is far too large and diverse.
djm
Check out the recordings of the late great Canadian folk artist Stan Rogers. Not only is his songwriting top notch, but his music over all is very heavily celtic flavored and features his brother Garnet on flute and fiddle. There’s a variety of instrumentation on his albums…fiddle, mandolin, flute, guitar, Northumbrian Small pipes and whistles to name a few. You can’t go wrong with Stan.
I also highly recommend PLANXTY if you want to begin your journey into Irish Traditional Music. The band consists of some of the very best in Irish music today: Christy Moore, Liam O’Flynn, Donal Lunny, Andy Irvine and Paul Brady every now and then. Their music ranges from traditional tunes and ancient ballads to more contemporary folk songs and settings. Great schtuff!!
You could do worse than getting the 2 “Wooden Flute Obsession” CDs:
http://www.worldtrad.org/
At least you would be set for flute, for a long time.
For fiddle, get John Carty: “Last Night’s Fun” and “At It Again”.
And one of my favourite Irish Trad Music CDs: “Tribute to Joe Coleman” should be in any afficionado’s CD rack.
Start with the classics, I’d say: Planxty (first three albums) and the Bothy Band. Also, there was a thread here called “Beyond the Bothy Band” that would give you some good ideas, too. The best stuff tends to be with little or no accompanyment.
The Chieftains #7 was the recording that did it to me but good.
Here’s a good representation of trad Irish recordings:
Hi lone…,
All of the previous postings contain great advice and I would like to add; " The Bothy Band-live in concert" it’s available on Strange Fruit #sfrscd 063. It contains two live concerts played two years apart and is beyond description.
Another great disc is “Promenade” featuring Kevin Burke and Micheall O’Domhnaill . This one is on Mulligan and is #LUNCD028. Donal Lunny,Declan Sinnott and Triona Ni Domhnaill also appear and this is where Clannad “borrowed” their arrangement of “Coinleach Ghlas An Fhomhair” from.
Another jewel in the crown of ITM is " Paddy Keenan" on Gael Linn #CEFCD 045. This features members of his family and Paddy Glackin. It also has lovely comments on all of the tunes by Seamus Ennis and is a “Must Have” for the serious lover of ITM.
Finally, there is always the usual suspects like Altan,Mary Bergin,De Dannann,Sean Mcguire and suchlike. The list is ever expanding so keep your ears and heart open.
Happy huntin’
Slan,
D.
Kitty Lie Over with Mick O’Brien and Caomhín Ó Raghallaigh.
Branch Line: flute and concertina with the Coen brothers.
…thank you SO much for taking the time to give me some recommendations!!! Music is my love and passion…I play guitar (write all of my own material), and I’ve just picked up the tin whistle. I’m always seeking-out new kinds of music with real depth, emotion, talent, etc. So far, the only CD’s that I have within the trad Irish realm are some CD’s with various artists that my Dad made for me, Jonnie Madden, Altan, Gaelic Storm (which I don’t particularly care for), and I think that’s about it. So, you can see why I really appreciate your recommendations 
.
Thanks again!!!
Tribute to Joe Coleman?
…I think he meant “Tribute to MICHAEL Coleman”…
Anything by Planxty (early albums especially), Bothy Band, Patrick Street (esp. their first album of same name and “Irish Times”), Altan, Danu, Ron Kavana/Alias Ron Kavana/The Bucks, De Danaan, Jackie Daly…Also “Barking Mad” by Four Men And a Dog, “Paul Brady and Andy Irvine” (or is it the other way round?). Chieftains if you must, but early albums only. The later the album, the more the little man on the pipes knows how good he is. “The Fire Aflame,” with Keane/O’Flynn/Molloy - a cracker. “Music at Matt Molloy’s.” Anything with Tommy Peoples on it. Hardly any pure drop here, but fans of said will just have to suffer from their asceticism!
Cheers!
Steve
I got it right in the link!
I wanted to see if anybody really reads these posts.