How many Irish traditional tunes are there in total?

There are thousands of Irish tunes in circulation. In the beginning of the 20th century, Francis O'Neill published a collection of over 1000 tunes, which are part of today's standard repertoire.

Add to these the numerous compositions, borrowings and tunes changed or duplicated in transmission, over the course of a century, and the list lengthens. Today there are perhaps 5000-7000 tunes, perhaps more. It is difficult to measure exactly the total number.

FAQ - Irish traditional music