Thesis advisor: Michael Keith / This paper examines global media’s construction of Irish musical identity beginning with Irish radio in the 1920s and focusing on the Irish traditional music organization Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, which was founded in 1951. Central to the arguments in this paper is the claim that media outlets in Ireland and abroad package a simplified version of Irish culture for the purpose of cultural tourism. Through the analysis of both Irish and American media productions, as well as existing research on the topic, this paper argues that: Global media’s presentation of Irish music fails to accurately portray the reality of Irish musical identity. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Communication Honors Program. / Discipline: Communication.