The Irish Singles Chart (Irish: Cairt Singil na hÉireann) is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically each day from retailers' EPOS systems. Currently all major record stores and over forty independents submit data for the charts, accounting for over 80% of the market, according to Chart-Track. A new chart is compiled and officially released to the public by the Irish Recorded Music Association on Friday at noon. Each chart is dated with the "week-ending" date of the previous Thursday (i.e. the day before issue). The singles chart was first published on 1 October 1962, and covered the top ten singles of the previous week by record label shipments.

Prior to 1992, the Irish singles chart was compiled from trade shipments from the labels to record stores, rather than on consumer sales, and were first broadcast on RTÉ on 1 October 1962. Before this charts had been printed in the Evening Herald newspaper, but are under debate as to whether they are official or not. Currently Pop4 on the Irish speaking channel TG4 lists the charts.

A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40.

There are lots of different criteria used in different charts used to reflect popularity, commonly: sales of records, cassettes and compact discs; the amount of radio airplay; and (recently) the number of downloads.

Some charts are specific to a particular musical genre and most to a particular geographical location (although download charts are not easily pinned down in this way). The most common period of time covered by a chart is one week with the chart being printed or broadcast at the end of this time. Summary charts for years and decades are then calculated from their component weekly charts. Component charts have become an increasingly important way to measure the commercial success of individual songs.

A chart hit is an extremely popular recording, identified by its inclusion in a chart that uses sales or other criteria to rank popular releases. Chart-topper and related terms (like No. 1 hit, top of the charts, chart hit, and so forth) are widely used in common conversation and in marketing, and are loosely defined. In North America, the weekly charts from Billboard magazine are most often referenced (quite often internationally, as well), particularly the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and Billboard 200 album chart, although there are many other charts and sources. Because of its value in promoting recording artists and releases, both directly to the consumer, and by encouraging exposure on radio, TV other media, chart positioning has long been a subject of scrutiny and controversy. Chart compilation methodology and data sources vary, ranging from buzz charts based on opinions of various experts and tastemakers, to charts that reflect empirical data such as retail sales. Therefore, a chart-topper may be anything from an "insiders' pick" to a runaway seller.

Christopher (Chris) Doran, (born 22 November 1979) from Waterford, Ireland was the winner of Ireland's You're A Star 2003-2004 talent search competition to find Ireland's Eurovision Song Contest entry. The competition held auditions throughout Ireland, and the winners went through to the final stages, with one act eventually decided on. The show was aired on RTÉ.

Chris Doran won the competition but there was controversy after Star Sunday revealed his song, "If My World Stopped Turning" written by Westlife's Brian McFadden, had been recorded by senior industry figures in the same studio used by Westlife and The Corrs. This was a contrast to the runner-up James Kilbane, whose track had been done "in house" by You're A Star's own arranger. This led to a marked difference in the sound of both tracks.

Doran represented Ireland in the 49th Eurovision Song Contest, in Istanbul, Turkey in May 2004, finishing 23rd out of 24 . He released two singles "If My World Stopped Turning" and "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You" over the following two years and continues to make special public and endorsement appearances (such as the opening of WLR FM and Beat 102-103's Broadcast Centre in Ardkeen, Waterford.)

The Pogues are an Irish rock band from London, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before breaking up in 1996. The band reformed in 2001, and has been playing regularly ever since, most notably on the US East Coast around St Patrick's Day and across the UK and Ireland every December. The group has yet to record any new music and, according to Spider Stacy on Pogues.com, has no inclination to do so.

Their politically tinged music was informed by MacGowan and Stacy's punk backgrounds, yet used traditional Irish instruments such as the tin whistle, cittern, mandolin and accordion.

The Pogues were founded in Kings Cross, a district of North London, in 1982 as Pogue Mahone—pogue mahone being the Anglicisation of the Irish póg mo thóin, meaning "kiss my arse".

The roots of The Pogues were formed when MacGowan (vocals), Peter "Spider" Stacy (tin whistle), and Jem Finer (banjo) were together in an occasional band called The Millwall Chainsaws in the late 1970s after MacGowan and Stacy met in the toilets at a Ramones gig at The Roundhouse in 1977. MacGowan was already with The Nips, though when they broke up in 1980 he concentrated a bit more on Stacy's Millwall Chainsaws who changed their name to The New Republicans. During this period MacGowan and Finer auditioned unsuccessfully for a licence to busk at Covent Garden. In 1982 James Fearnley (accordion) joined MacGowan, Stacy, and Finer, calling the band Pogue Mahone. The new group played their first gig at The Pindar of Wakefield on 4 October 1982.

Davey Arthur (born in Donegal) is an Irish folk singer.

Arthur moved to Scotland at the age of two. He started to play music at the age of eight, and at 18 he returned to Ireland, where he started to compose his own music. He became world famous after he joined The Fureys, when they had their most successful hits. After leaving the Fureys in 1992, he went on to continue with his own solo career, and is involved in various projects, including his own tours. He plays the banjo, mandolin and guitar.

In all he has written over 40 compositions, that feature on 28 albums.

Solo albums

The Buskers ( with Paul Furey and Brendan Leeson)

The Fureys & Davey Arthur