Waltons on North Frederick Street is perhaps Ireland's best known music store. Founded in the 1920's by Martin Walton it soon became a mecca for music lovers. In 1951 Waltons started to sponsor a weekly programme on Radio Eireann and the programme and it's presenter Leo Maguire soon became a broadcasting institution. Generations of Irish people became familiar with the Saturday afternoon fifteen minute broadcast with it's catchphrase, once the most famous sentence in Irish music - 'if you feel like singing, do sing an Irish song'. Through the radio programme Waltons branched into vinyl record sales and launched their own successful label, Glenside.
In 1981 Radio Eireann, by now rebranded as RTE ended all the sponsored programmes - much to the dismay of listeners with whom they were hugely popular. (Have you ever heard the saying 'if it's not broke don't fix it' ?)
But Waltons survived this setback and continue to thrive, including online, and they now have another store in SouthGreat George's Street on Dublin's Southside, which was featured in the short Irish film 'Once' winner of an Oscar in Hollywood for *Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song in 2008.
* 'Falling Slowly' by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová
( 'Once' happens to be one of my favourite movies)
In 1981 Radio Eireann, by now rebranded as RTE ended all the sponsored programmes - much to the dismay of listeners with whom they were hugely popular. (Have you ever heard the saying 'if it's not broke don't fix it' ?)
But Waltons survived this setback and continue to thrive, including online, and they now have another store in SouthGreat George's Street on Dublin's Southside, which was featured in the short Irish film 'Once' winner of an Oscar in Hollywood for *Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song in 2008.
* 'Falling Slowly' by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová
( 'Once' happens to be one of my favourite movies)
2 comments:
Yes, I have seen Once, as at that time it felt very familiar to me.;) It was a lovely movie with great music.
Have a great weekend,
xo
It's good that they beat the power game. I like Irish music.
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