So yeah, Ireland was an amazing adventure. My only regret is that I didn’t have time to meet my UK-based online friends while I was there. Maybe next time?

And speaking of the UK, England really gets most of the international love for musical exports but Ireland has brought a lot of legendary performers to the world stage. Here are a few of them:

“Gloria,” Them. This is where it starts, at least in terms of international awareness of Irish rock bands. Van Morrison’s first big band laid down the template for so many garage bands.

“Walkin’ Blues,” Rory Gallagher. A guitarist’s guitarist, the man is a legend among players.

“Jailbreak,” Thin Lizzy. The greatest Irish band ever? Yep. Get up, Bono, that ain’t your chair.

“Party Girl,” U2. Yeah, yeah. I know I have to include them. Honestly, I like them up through The Unforgettable Fire.  I liked Achtung Baby, too.

“Alternative Ulster,” Stiff Little Fingers. One of my favorites.

“I Feel So Different,” Sinead O’Connor. Devastating and beautiful.

“Diamond Smiles,” Boomtown Rats. A brilliant band overshadowed by the philanthropy of their lead singer.

“Zombie,” The Cranberries. I really didn’t want to do this. This song is so fucked out that even thinking about it makes me want to stick a pencil in my eye. But if the topic is Irish bands that went international, The Cranberries cannot be denied.

Thanks again, Ireland, it was fun. Next time let’s do it at my place.

—photo Sean MacEntee /Flickr Creative Commons