A PODCAST promoting traditional music in Ireland has recently surpassed 50 episodes since its launch last July.
Music at Maddens podcast comes from the snug upstairs in Belfast’s home of trad music, Maddens Bar in Berry Street.
It features yarns, pints and laughs with well known faces from the trad music scene, hosted by broadcaster Lynette Fay.
The first episode featured Irish folk band Beoga and has since featured names such as Ryan McMullan, Michael McGoldrick, Brian Finnegan to name but a few.
As the podcast passes 50 episodes, host Lynette Fay said it has been a "huge success" so far.
"We launched in July last year and have been going every week since. When Madden's bar owner Bamber approached me, it was the perfect opportunity for me. Maddens has that reputation and me, being a big part of that world," she explained.
"The idea was just to come into the snug, have a chat and get to know the people behind the music. There are a lot of times you listen to someone play in a bar and you don't get a chance to chat to them.
"Unless you have a new album out or a gig coming up, artists might get some airtime but this podcast is a conversation. The great thing about it for me is you don't know where the conversation is going to go.
"We have a huge list to go through in getting on to the podcast and others have approached us looking to get on. It is a real platform for musicians.
Ryan McMullan featured in an episode of the podcast
"We have a monthly audience of around 13,000 between Spotify and YouTube which is very good. During the Fleadh, our impressions on social media hit the millions.
"In a world where there is so much bad news, this is wholesome content. We are about to hit 60 episodes. We find people come across one artist who was on and then discover so many others."
Brian 'Bamber' McMullan, owner of Maddens Bar, added: "We set it up because we wanted people to hear the stories behind traditional music and more so to keep people abroad updated.
"People have been telling me how much they have been enjoying it.
"For the listeners, we want people to know there is plenty going on in Belfast in terms of traditional music.
"We want people from anywhere in the world to be able to tune in to the podcast and it will be the go-to for all things traditional music in Ireland."
The 'Music at Maddens' podcast is available to listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. A new episode is available every Monday.
Any profits go towards Gaeltacht bursaries for young people. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please contact 'Music at Maddens' on Instagram.
