Music at Madden’s #48 | Belfast Trad — Building Community Through Music

This week on Music at Madden’s, Lynette Fay is joined in the Snug by Christine Darling and Katherine O’Neill from Belfast Trad, an organisation that has been nurturing traditional music, dance and community in Belfast since 1991.Ahead of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann coming to Belfast in August 2026, Christine and Katherine reflect on the foundations that have helped the city’s trad scene flourish — from set dancing and adult music classes to workshops, student sessions, outreach, and the welcoming spaces that bring people into the music.They share personal stories of finding Irish traditional music as adults, the friendships and confidence it has built, and why Belfast Trad continues to focus on inclusion, connection and the simple joy of playing music together.Recorded upstairs in Madden’s Bar, the home of trad in Belfast City.