Is Irish radio beginning to reflect the Ireland we actually live in?

Finally, the many talented female and black Irish musicians are beginning to get the recognition they deserve on Ireland's radio stations

Florence Road on stage supporting Two Door Cinema Club at the Marquee. Picture: Noel Sweeney

When I first heard Florence Road played consistently on Irish radio, I was sure I was listening to a British or American act. It was so unexpected to hear a female-fronted Irish band on mainstream airwaves. For the last 30-odd years, The Cranberries were practically the only female-fronted Irish band in regular rotation, despite the presence of acts like Pillow Queens, NewDad, and Sprints.

That moment of confusion says everything about what Irish radio sounded like over the past few decades: hearing women’s voices front and centre was the exception, not the norm.