There appears to be a new-found fascination with hard drinking and hard living. A good example is the re-emergence of the pintman, an informal term for someone who habitually downs endless pints of stout and is revered and venerated for doing so. This phenomenon is best exemplified musically by The Mary Wallopers, a young and raucous Dundalk traditional group that sound like auld fellas.

This loveable bunch of rogues are bringing good, old-fashioned pure divilment back into traditional Irish music, continuing and perpetuating all the finest blackguarding traditions of The Dubliners. Brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy and their pal, Sean McKenna, have clearly been listening to The Pogues and Lankum and taking notes. Indeed, the inimitable voice of Lankum’s Radie Peat has been known to join the party.

This self-titled debut is raucous, fun and captivating, while featuring fantastic musicianship. The Wallopers are a finely tuned outfit. benefiting from playing online gigs from their homemade lockdown bar and mobile craic unit that drove around taking their music to the people during desolate times for live music. They are one of the greatest examples of transforming a setback into an opportunity that you’ll find in contemporary Irish music.

Tracks like their version of The Butcher Boy by The Clancy Brothers slow things down to a gentle ballad pace, but overall, this is an album of uptempo feelgood trad bangers to warm the cockles of your heart this winter.