When thousands of listeners finished casting votes in the today fm greatest irish songs poll, one chorus rose above the rest: ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries. The newly announced top 10 also makes space for ‘Killeagh’ by Kingfishr, a recent arrival that has traveled quickly from a hometown ode to national favorite. Together they frame a list shaped by memory, momentum, and more than 80, 000 votes.
Zombie and The Cranberries take top spot in listener vote
At No. 1, The Cranberries secured a second spotlight within the same countdown: their song ‘Dreams’ also landed in fourth place. Right behind ‘Zombie, ‘ Sinead O’Connor’s ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ holds the No. 2 spot, and The Pogues’ ‘A Rainy Night in Soho’ sits at No. 3. Hozier’s debut single ‘Take Me to Church’ completes the top five. In the today fm greatest irish songs tally, the mix of eras is unmistakable, with familiar anthems sharing space with tracks that found their audience more recently.
One of those enduring anthems, ‘A Rainy Night in Soho, ‘ resurfaced in another way earlier this week when Bruce Springsteen released a cover. That recording will appear on ’20th Century Paddy: The Songs of Shane MacGowan, ‘ a tribute album set for November with an all-star lineup. Hozier will be among the guests on that collection, a reminder that the canon behind this list continues to inspire new interpretations even as listeners revisit the originals.
Today Fm Greatest Irish Songs list places ‘Killeagh’ in the top 10
Less than two years after its release, ‘Killeagh’ by Kingfishr claimed No. 8. The song is an ode to the home village and GAA club of guitarist Eoin Fitzgibbon, and it has moved quickly since first reaching No. 1 in the Irish charts last May. It returned to the summit at Christmas and finished as Ireland’s most-streamed song of last year on Spotify. That path, from local roots to national resonance, echoes how listeners used this vote to mark both where they come from and what they want to carry forward.
Just ahead of ‘Killeagh’ sits ‘Brewing Up a Storm’ by The Stunning at No. 7, with Aslan’s ‘Crazy World’ at No. 6. The Pogues appear again at No. 9 with ‘Fairytale of New York, ‘ and U2 round out the top 10 with ‘With or Without You. ‘ U2 also released a six-track EP last month titled ‘Days of Ash, ‘ which includes a song about the war in Ukraine and another about the fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis. It is a reminder that songs in this list live beside newer work by the same artists, connecting past and present for the listeners who voted.
Grace at 11 links Mullingar and Castlepollard to the countdown
Just outside the top 10, ‘Grace’ by The Wolfe Tones was named No. 11. The song carries strong Mullingar and Castlepollard ties: it was written by Sean and Frank O’Meara, and the publishing rights are owned by Donie Cassidy and his son Peter. Folk singer Jim McCann’s original 1986 recording spent more than six months in the Irish charts. Since then, ‘Grace’ has been recorded by more than 100 artists, including Rod Stewart, The Dubliners, Foster and Allen, and The Wolfe Tones. The song’s creators and stewards received national recognition with awards in 2023 at a ceremony on the steps of the Cathedral of Christ the King, a nod to a piece of music that continues to find new audiences.
Back at the top of the list, the pairing of ‘Zombie’ and ‘Killeagh’ tells a quiet story about listeners today: a pull toward the songs that shaped them, and an openness to a newer chorus that already feels shared. As the tribute album to Shane MacGowan approaches in November, the choices that defined the today fm greatest irish songs vote now have a different kind of afterlife: sung in living rooms, replayed in cars, and, for some, encountered for the first time.
