All good things come to an end, sadly. My favorite radio show, Thistle and Shamrock, hosted by the incredible Fiona Ritchie, is going to bid farewell to us in September. After 41 years on air, the show is going to end.
I don’t even remember when I discovered the program, but it was sometime when I was working at the university in Penang after my Masters degree. I loved the fiddles, and I wanted more of it, and I looked for a Celtic music show online and there it was. Fiona Ritchie had such an eclectic mix of music on the show, and while there were plenty of fiddles, it wasn’t just that. I also got introduced to many musicians from Ireland, Scotland, England, and the Americas. It was on her show I discovered Eleanor McEvoy, Laura Cortese, Nightnoise (The White Horse Sessions remains a favorite album of mine), Kate Rusby, and more. I’ve even managed to catch some of them live, and through them I discovered many more musicians. If you looked at all the music I love, 99% of it can be traced back to Thistle and Shamrock in some capacity.
It’s sad to see the show end, and I wish Fiona Ritchie the best of luck in whatever future endeavors she undertakes.