The Irish music industry is celebrating a landmark year as domestic talent reclaimed the charts in 2025. According to the latest figures from the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA), the market share for Irish artists in the top 100 sales tripled over the last twelve months, soaring to a massive 21.5%.
A Historic Year for Local Talent
The surge was fueled by an "exceptional" roster of homegrown acts, including Fontaines D.C., CMAT, Hozier, and Jazzy. However, the year’s true breakout stars were the folk-trio Kingfishr and the band Amble.
Limerick-based Kingfishr ended 2025 on a historic high. Their single "Killeagh" became the biggest song of the decade so far, amassing nearly 27 million streams and surpassing global hits by Miley Cyrus and The Weeknd. The track even secured the coveted Christmas Number 1 following a viral Toy Show appearance. Meanwhile, Amble’s debut album Reverie became the most-streamed homegrown record since 2020, outperforming major international releases in the Irish market.
Streaming and Physical Sales Soar
Irish consumers listened to a staggering 13.2 billion audio streams in 2025—a 60% increase since 2020. While Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl dominated overall album sales, local acts proved their staying power in physical formats. Vinyl sales jumped by 20%, with Fontaines D.C., CMAT, and Kingfishr all landing in the top 10 for physical copies sold.
A Call for Protection
IRMA Chairman Willie Kavanagh praised the "vibrancy" of the domestic scene but used the annual report to issue a warning. With Ireland set to take up the Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2026, Kavanagh urged the government to lead on AI and copyright legislation. He emphasized that the survival of this "human creativity" depends on robust digital protections to ensure a fair licensing market for the next generation of Irish "world beaters."
