Irish punk bands: a field guide

The Pogues

Founded in: 1982

Hometown: London, England

Claim to fame: The original Irish punk band. The Pogues’ mix of traditional Irish instruments like accordion, tin whistle and banjo with the political lyrics and ramped-up tempos of the Clash provided the template for all future bands that mixed Irish/Celtic and punk influences. Also, lead singer Shane MacGowan’s famously superhuman consumption of whiskey and Guinness became model behavior for most Irish punk rockers and their fans. Miraculously, MacGowan and his Keith Richards–like liver are still going strong, and the band still occasionally plays U.S. shows.

Did you know? The band was originally called Pogue Mahone, an Anglicized Gaelic expression meaning “kiss my ass.”