Music has been apart of Irelands history for thousands of years. Originally performed in the Irish language, the music has crossed into the English language due to English rule. Most notably, Elizabeth I enforced strict laws to prevent rebellious behavior. Irish folk is probably the most popular folk of all of European folk music due to the fact that there was no battle on Ireland during both of the world wars. The music typically goes along with dances such as jigs and reels. However, the genre of Irish (Celtic) folk music we familiarize ourselves with today didnt take form until the 1800s. Also, there are several different types of instruments used that have in Irish folk music. Some of these instruments become popular for use of playing Irish traditional music after a revival of the genre in the 1960s. The clrsach, or Irish harp, is the oldest of Irish folk instruments. According to Irish mythology, the harp is said to have the power to make a person laugh or cry uncontrollably, and even induce sleep. Favored by Irish kings and chiefs, they were often played at coronations and poetic recitals. During most of the Middle Ages, harpers were considered the most prestigious of performers in Ireland. The harp would begin to die out in Ireland in the 1500s after Elizabeth I saw the harp as a rebellious instrument. In the 19th century, John Egan reinvented the Irish harp, giving it gut strings and semitone mechanisms. Today, nylon or carbon-fiber have replaced the gut strings. If the harp is the most prestigious instrument of Irish folk, then the fiddle is the important. Though the fiddle is the same as a violin, the fiddle is played with little use of vibrato except for slow airs. Irish fiddlers also slur into beat, producing a certain lilt. The styles of Irish fiddling are divided into 5 major regions: Donegal, Sligo, Galway, Clare, and Sliabh Luachra. Donegal uses a Scottish feel, giving fiddling a fast-paced and heavy bowing technique. Sligo is fast as well, but has a bouncy feel to the bowing. Galway is slower than Sligo and Donegal, with a heavier emphasis on ornamentation; played to match tonality of pipes. Clare is played slow with more focus on melody, rather than ornamentation. Finally, Sliabh Luachra involves mostly with polkas and slides. Another preferred instrument for playing traditional Irish music is the Irish flute. Though it is not an actual native instrument of Ireland, the Irish flute is in fact an English version of the transverse wooden flute. The flute relies on