Irish Punk Rock Bands
Shortly after the Sex Pistols lit the punk fuse in 1976, the punk explosion hit Ireland and a plothora of punk bands were spawned.
One of the first among these was The Radiators From Space (later shortened to The Radiators) who had their first hit with 'Television Screen' in 1977.
Up north, The Undertones from Derry and Rudi from Belfast had already been formed before punk hit, but by the end of '76 had joined the punk revolution.
Belfast record store owner, Terri Hooley formed the Good Vibrations record label which released records for many punk bands in Northern Ireland, the first being Rudi's single 'Big Time' in April '78. The most famous Good Vibrations release was 'Teenage Kicks' which took the Undertones from the verge of calling it a day to a big label deal and a series of best selling singles and albums. Other punk bands that had material relased by Good Vibrations includes The Outcasts, Protex, Victim, Ruefrex from Belfast and The Moondogs from Derry.
The Boomtown Rats were another band formed pre-punk but they were heavily influenced by the punk scene. They moved to London and released their first single 'Looking After Number One' in 1977. It was the first of many hits for the Rats who were one of the first Irish bands to make it big worldwide.
Stiff Little Fingers released their first single 'Suspect Device' in March '78 which was a hit and landed them a deal with Rough Trade records on which they released their classic 'Alternative Ulster' and one of the all time punk classic albums 'Inflammable Material'.
Shane McGowan got involved in the punk scene in London in the late 70's with his band The Nipple Erectors and then in the early 80s had the genius idea of punking up Irish folk music and along with a few other like minded musicians formed Pogue Mahone which became The Pogues. The Pogues were later joined Phil Chevron from The Radiators.
Post-punk group Fontaines D.C., formed in 2014, shot to fame following the release of their 2019 album Dogrel and have become Ireland's top band of the modern era.
List of Irish Punk Rock Bands/Artists
| Band/Artist | Notes |
|---|---|
| 20 Bulls Each | Hardcore Irish punk/metal band from Dublin/Kilkenny. |
| Berlin | Late 70s Dublin punk/new wave band |
| Big Self | Belfast band from early-to-mid eighties |
| Blaze X | Late 70s/early 80s powerpop/punk band from Tuam |
| Blood or Whiskey | Celtic/Punk from Kildare. In a similar vein as The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly |
| Cheap Freaks | Dublin Garage Rock band fronted by Robbie Brady (The Things) |
| Cherym | 3 piece female pop-punk outfit from Derry |
| Compulsion | 90s punk band formed as Thee Amazing Colossal Men |
| Crocodile Tears | Mid-Late 80's post-punk band from Omagh |
| David Virgin | Dublin born David Virgin is a vetran of the Australlian underground punk scene, now based in Dublin |
| DC Nein | Late 70s punk/new wave band which later evolved into Tokyo Olympics |
| Dirty Epics | Spiky punk pop four piece fronted by female voclaist; formed in 2006 |
| Dropkick Murphys | Formed in Boston in 1996, Dropkick Murphys are one of the more well known of the plethora of Irish music/punk crossover bands to come out of The States. |
| Etc. Etc. | New wave band that split off from the Tearjerkers, active 1980-82 |
| Fighting With Wire | Alternative rock and punk band from Derry, Northern Ireland |
| Five Go Down To The Sea? | Early 80s Post-punk band from Cork, started in late 70s under the name Nun Attax |
| Flogging Molly | Pogues influenced L.A. based band formed by Dubliner Dave King mix revved up irish folk music with punk |
| Fontaines D.C. | Edgy, punky rock sung in a heavy Dublin accent. Ireland's top band of the 2020s. |
| Gurriers | Dublin based post-punk band formed in 2020 |
| Hassle Merchants | Punk band gigging on the Dublin music scene between 2005 and 2014 |
| Joyrider | Ninties power punk band from Portadown |
| Loko Parentis | Dublin based band blending turbo-charged pop-punk ditties, screaming feedback, twisted funk and mangled dark groove |
| Los Langeros | Crazy punk psychobilly outfit based in Cork |
| Nerves | Trio from West of Ireland blends punk, hardcore and industrial sounds |
| ONOFF | Three piece rock band from Dublin/Dundalk |
| Paranoid Visions | Punk band formed in 1981 and split in 1992, reformed in 1996 |
| Protex | Belfast punk band formed in 1978 |
| Rudi | Punk band formed in Belfast in 1975 |
| Ruefrex | Ruefrex, originally called Roofwrecks, were a punk rock band from Belfast formed in 1977 |
| Runnin' Riot | Belfast Oi punk band formed in 1996 |
| Sacre Bleu | Five piece late 70s Dublin RnB/New Wave group who released two singles in their three year career |
| Sons of Southern Ulster | Post-punk band from Cavan |
| Speed | Short lived punk band from Portadown, released the very first Northern Irish punk record in 1977 |
| Stalag 17 | Punk band from Belfast, Northern Ireland that existed from 1980 to 1987. |
| Starjets | Late 1970s power pop/punk group from Belfast |
| Stiff Little Fingers | One of the best bands out of the late 70's punk scene (much rawer, grittier and punkier than the Clash who they are often compared with). Many of their songs such as the classics 'Alternative Ulster', and 'Suspect Device' were about life during the 'troubles' in Northern Ireland. |
| Strangers With Guns | Alternative rock band from Dublin - an energetic blend of metal, grunge and hardcore punk |
| The Altered Hours | Post-punk / noise rock / alternative group based in Cork City |
| The Atrix | Dublin based new wave band active between 1978 and 1983 |
| The Blades | 3 piece formed in 1977 in Dublin around the vocals/songwriting of Paul Cleary |
| The Boomtown Rats | Very successful punk/new wave band led by Bob Geldof formed in Dun Laoghaire in 1975 |
| The Dangerfields | Three-piece punk/hard rock band formed in 2000, evolving out of the Belfast DIY punk scene |
| The Defects | Oi/street punk band from Belfast active between 1978 and 1984 |
| The Demise | Power Punk group from Limerick formed in 2004 |
| The Golden Horde | Punk band from Dublin, formed in 1982, disbanded in 1994 |
| The Gorehounds | Garage punky rock 84 - 89; one cd semtex; dublin 5 piece |
| The Moondogs | Pop-Punk band from Derry, formed in 1978, split in 1982, re-formed in 2002 |
| The Murder Capital | Rock/post-punk band that formed in Dublin in 2018 |
| The Outcasts | Punk band formed in 1977 in Belfast by the three Cowan brothers |
| The Pogues | Even most people with no interest in Irish folk and traditional music could not resist the Pogues infectious brand of it. Shane McGowan wrote some brilliant songs and spat them out with venom. |
| The Radiators | Late 70s punk band from Dublin. Guitarist Philip Chevron went on to join the Pogues. Reformed in 2003 under the name 'The Radiators Plan 9' and reverted back to the original name on 2006. |
| The Slowest Clock | 80s punk/new wave group from Dublin |
| The Tearjerkers | Punk/power pop band formed in Portadown in 1978 |
| The Undertones | 'Teenage Kicks' is one of the most exhilarating two and a half minutes ever put on record and most of the rest of their stuff is not half bad either. Their fast paced hook-laden brand of pop-punk gave them appeal beyond the punk scene. |
| The Vipers | Late 70s Dublin post punk act |
| THUMPER | Dublin post-punk band formed in 2019 |
| Toxic Waste | Anarcho-punk band formed in 1982 in Newtownards, Co. Down |
| Victim | Belfast punk band-1977-1989 |
| Virgin Prunes | Pals of U2 from the early days, The Virgin Prunes took a less commercial musical route |
| Wormhole | 90s 3 piece noise-rock outfit from Ringsend, later known as The Wormholes |
| Xdreamysts | Late 70's new wave/punk band from Northern Ireland |
Do you know of a noteworthy Irish punk rock act that is missing from this list? If so, you can add them: Add Artist To List
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