Falling Slowly is a charming Irish love song written by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová for the movie Once. It won an Oscar for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture in 2007. Parts of the movie Once were filmed in our very own Temple Lane Studios.

Hozier’s break-through single “Take me to Church” deals with the Catholic Church’s problematic view of homosexuality, which adds an important dimension to our playlist by making us aware that there are different types of love and they are all equal.

Northern Ireland’s darlings Snow Patrol’s biggest selling single and the most widely played song of the last decade in the UK brings a dash of innocence to our list. The band’s front man Gary Lightbody describes it as “the purest love song that I’ve ever written.”

Even though we may have heard it few too many times, it is still an inevitable part of any love song list especially if it’s an Irish one). Originally written and composed by Prince, it became a world-wide hit in 1990 when a young Sinéad O’Connor released her version accompanied by the iconic video.

There were many U2 songs that could have made it to this list, such as “With or Without You” or “All I Want Is You“, in fact you could probably make a “Top 10 U2 Love Songs” list. But this song written in honour of Nelson Mandela and released just a few days before his death reminds us of the importance of universal love towards mankind in general.

Probably Thin Lizzy’s ultimate romantic release this song shows us the softer side of one of Ireland’s most prominent artists. This ballad showcases serious emotion both in Phil’s vocals and some excellent guitar solos. An Irish love song for the hardcore rockers out there!

Van Morrison’s signature song makes a bright and youthful addition to our playlist and remains one of the most precious jewels of Irish music. For Van the Man however, it’s not one of his favourites. In his own words: “I mean I’ve got about 300 songs that I think are better.”

Taken from Damien’s first album “O”, “The Blower’s Daughter” is a beautifully constructed love song. The song received worldwide recognition after being featured in Mike Nichol’s film “Closer”. Did you know, the majority of the album was recorded in Damien’s apartment?

Rainy Night in Soho features on “Poguetry in Motion” which was produced by the great Elvis Costello. It also features members Phil Chevron and Terry Woods for the first time. You can see one of Phil Chevron’s stage outfits at the museum, which was donated to us by his family.

Another one for the hardcore rockers. Rory shows his soft side on this track with its jazzy feeling, powerful bass line and sudden climaxes. Rory Gallagher’s place in history as one of the best guitar players shines through in the emotion he delivers through his playing on this song.