Killeagh most-streamed song this decade as homegrown artists propel domestic music market
Eddie Keogh (vocals, guitar), Eoghan 'McGoo' McGrath (banjo), and Eoin 'Fitz' Fitzgibbon (bass) with Kingfisher on stage at the Marquee, Cork. . Picture Dan Linehan
A surge in homegrown talent has propelled Ireland's recorded music market into another year of growth, with a record-breaking 13.2bn audio streams in 2025.
New figures released by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) found that the number of audio streams was up by 6% compared to 2024, and has skyrocketed by 60% in the last five years.
Of the most-streamed songs of 2025, Irish artists made up just over a fifth, with 22 individual tracks by or featuring Irish artists in the top 100. This is three times as many as 2024 and more than any other year this decade, the IRMA noted.
The domestic market has been supported by several Irish artists including Irish-speaking rap-trio Kneecap, Dublin's Fontaines DC, folk and soul legend Hozier, and pop-dance singer Jazzy, as well as emerging folk bands Amble and Kingfishr.
Limerick's Kingfishr led the charge last year with their song 'Killeagh' being the most-listened-to track in Ireland for 2025, as well as the most-streamed song in any single year this decade.
With nearly 27m streams, it surpassed hits including Noah Kahan’s 'Stick Season,' which amassed 26.5m streams in 2024, The Weeknd’s 'Blinding Lights' which gained 20m streams in 2020, and Miley Cyrus’ Flowers, which had 19m streams in 2023.
Kingfishr - Killeagh
Alex Warren - Ordinary
Chappell Roan - Pink Pony Club
Gracie Abrams - That's So True
Lola Young - Messy
Ravyn Lenae - Love Me Not
Sombr - Undressed
Sombr - Back To Friends
Gigi Perez - Sailor Song
Billie Eilish - Birds of a Feather
Released at the tail-end of 2024, 'Killeagh' also managed to land the Christmas no.1 spot for 2025 following a surprise Toy Show appearance.
Kingfishr have a total of seven tracks in the top 100 most-streamed songs this year, tied with country-superstar Zach Bryan for the most of any artist. Other Irish artists appearing in the top 100 include Amble, Hozier, Fontaines DC, Jazzy, and Kneecap. In total, sales from Irish artists made up 21.5% of the top 100.
For the second year running, Taylor Swift had the biggest album of the year in Ireland, with 'The Life of a Showgirl' being an even bigger hit than last year’s 'The Tortured Poet’s Department,' amassing over 42,700 album equivalent sales (AES).
Oasis saw a notable return to the Irish charts with three albums re-entering the top 30, including their compilation Time Flies at no 7.
'Reverie', the debut album by Amble, was the biggest Irish album of the year with over 38,900 AES. The album also produced four of the most streamed tracks this year, with 'Lonely Island', 'Schoolyard Days', 'Tonnta', and 'Mary’s Pub' all making the top 50.
These figures make it the biggest Irish album since Dermot Kennedy’s 'Without Fear' in 2020, and surpassing that album’s streaming performance in a single year.
Meanwhile, vinyl sales also saw another surge in 2025, with 478,000 sold, a massive 20% increase on 2024 which the IRMA says was helped by strong performances from Irish artists and enormous sales for Taylor Swift.
Releases by Fontaines DC, CMAT, Kingfishr, Amble, and Kneecap all appear in the top 10 vinyl albums sold this year, reflecting a marked improvement on 2024, which saw just two Irish artists in the top 50, those being Fontaines DC and Hozier.
Physical sales of CDs and even cassette tapes also saw a healthy increase of 4.5% and 64% respectively. Taylor Swift again topped the list for total physical albums sold by a large margin.
On the home front, Fontaines DC’s 'Romance' was the best-selling physical album by an Irish act for the second year running, and second-biggest overall, with over 7,795 sales across all formats. Releases by Kingfishr, Amble, and CMAT also appear in the top 10 for total physical sales.
“2025 marks a particularly exciting year for Irish music," said IRMA chairman Willie Kavanagh.
“As Ireland takes up the Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2026, the vibrancy of Irish music serves as a reminder of our responsibility to support and nurture human creativity.
"With discussions on the digital single market and AI, we hope that the Irish Presidency will lead the way in ensuring the full implementation and retention of copyright protections.
"As a country with flourishing culture and tech sectors, Ireland is uniquely placed to shepherd these discussions towards a solution that ensures a vibrant licensing market where our homegrown artists can reach new heights.”
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