The O’Reillys and the Paddyhats are a seven-piece Irish folk punk force out of Gevelsberg, Germany, blending the raw stomp of pub anthems with the speed and snarl of modern punk. Since 2011, they’ve been turning beer-soaked nights into communal celebrations, driven by tin whistles, fiddles, roaring guitars, and choruses built for shouting at the top of your lungs. They’ve evolved from local gigs to international stages, launching their own festival, climbing the German charts, and releasing a steady run of albums that push their sound from traditional Celtic roots into gritty rock territory. Whether they’re belting out sea shanties, anthems of rebellion, or a tongue-in-cheek pub banger, their live shows carry an almost unhinged joy—part concert, part cultural hurricane and all Irish Folk Punk!
SNQLX: Take us back—how did The O’Reillys and the Paddyhats first come together, and what sparked the idea to play Irish folk-punk in the first place?
Dwight O’Reilly: We started out as a duo and played traditional Irish folk music in pubs and at small festivals for several years. We wanted to play on the big stages, so we found some friends and formed the “big” band Paddyhats. Before we started as a duo, we were in Ireland and fell in love with the Irish mentality and Irish music.
