Irish traditional music and American Country music have been linked since the Famine when Irish emigrants flooded the southern states of America bringing with them Irish traditions and influencing the musical style of the region. Ireland's connection with the Country sound continues and is wonderfully represented on The Chieftains album, Another Country, which features collaborations with such luminaries as Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson. American Country music acts such as Garth Brooks are hugely popular in Ireland as was clearly illustrated in 1994, when he played eight sold-out shows at the Point Depot, bringing in crowds of over 60,000. The nineties has seen the development of alt.country which appeals to a younger audience. International acts such as The Palace Brothers and Wilco are fine examples of this new sound while the Fleadh Cowboys and The Great Western Squares lead the alt.country scene in Dublin.
Country music is well represented on Irish radio.
East Coast Radio's Bill McLaughlin, a veteran of the scene, presents his show from Sunday to Thursday every week. The show serves as an alternative to talk radio and the pop stations on the drive home. Other shows worth a listen are 'Rhythm of the Night' on 2FM on Sundays and 'The American Music Show' on Anna Livia on Friday nights. Many venues picked up on the popularity of line-dancing during its peak in the nineties and, predictably enough, most have come and gone. The Point Depot attracts the world's top country acts.