Music

In relation to music, Ireland has been remarkably influential internationally in recent decades; in 2001 popular Irish musicians sold over 56 million albums and traditional Irish music was reinterpreted and updated to much acclaim; in this regard, the Riverdance phenomenon demonstrated how Irishness could be marketed culturally in an era of globalisation. The more general marketing of Irishness became a remarkable business involving the exploitation of Irish imagery, as well asthe Irish pub, though trading on the Irish propensity for excessive drinking has not been without its critics. Irish language broadcasting, through the Irish-language station TG4 launched in 1996, has also been regarded as a valuable cultural asset.