Meet Brògeal: The Band Blending Scottish and Irish Celtic Roots
Words: Rachel Hannon
The connection between Ireland and Scotland runs deep. Ancient Irish settlers spread to Scotland, bringing Gaelic culture and language with them. The two regions have remained linked ever since through geography, politics, trade, and overall Celtic identity. It’s also a connection that continues to echo through music. The band Brògeal is a prime example of this ancient fusion brought into the modern day.
On 16 December, the Guinness Storehouse is seeing out its 25th anniversary and Other Voices is welcoming in its 25th year. A mix of homegrown and international acts will come under the roof of the Storehouse for one night only, and Brògeal are one of those acts. Others include Rachel Chinouriri, Lisa Hannigan, SPRINTS, The Theodora Byrne Trio, Paula Meehan will be hosted by MayKay in the sixth edition of Other Voices: Home.
Scottish band Brògeal are a rising five-piece from Falkirk, known for fusing these traditional Celtic roots with indie rock. They’ve recently gained recognition from touring with acts like The Mary Wallopers, The Wolfe Tones, The Lathums, and more.
Their unique sound is derived from a shared love of Scottish and Irish folk, punk and garage rock, using instruments like the banjo and accordion, reminiscent of a young Pogues sound. It’s rustic, energetic, and playfully blends light and shade. There’s a little bit of cheekiness in there too for good measure.
The five Falkirk lads came to know each other on buses to and from Celtic games. Musically, they began as a band called Shiva with Aidan on banjo / vocal, Daniel on guitar / vocals, and later Sam on accordion. But when Euan on bass and Luke on drums were added to the mix, Brògeal was born.
With the current resurgence of celebrating Celtic roots in music and beyond, it’s always a delight seeing such effortless marriages of the new and the old, especially the deep linkage between Ireland and Scotland specifically. This is clear on Brògeal’s album released in October called Tuesday Paper Club, with tracks like ‘Vicar Street Days’.
The boundary pushing album focuses on themes of defiance, romance, and mischief. The lyrics draw from their experiences of their Scottish identity and every day life. The title track of the album was written by frontman Daniel Harkins when he worked behind a local bar.
“I wrote ‘Tuesday Paper Club’ initially as a poem when I worked behind the bar at an old man’s boozer in Falkirk called the Wheatsheaf. It was a Tuesday and there was about 3 punters in, all sitting in silence reading the papers. So out of boredom this little poem came about and ended up being more about older people’s views on the young and how they can be so bitter about us as if they weren’t doing the same, if not worse when they were younger. I added some chords to it later and took it to the lads and it instantly became an absolute foot stomper and it’s one of our favourite songs to play live now.”
Having been consistently gigging sold out shows for most of 2025, we’re lucky to have them in Ireland to end the year. They’re ready to take tracks from their album to the stage next Tuesday with five other international voices; Rachel Chinouriri, Lisa Hannigan, The Theodora Byrne Trio, SPRINTS, and Paula Meehan. This year’s Other Voices: Home event carries special significance as they mark the dovetailing of their shared 25th anniversaries.
In many ways, Brògeal remind us of the deep connection of Irish and Scottish culture and our intertwined Celtic roots, but with a Gen Z sensibility.
Check out their music here.
