IRISH music comes second only to the country’s iconic stout brand as far as St Patrick’s Day essentials go, and there are few bands more qualified to talk fist-in-the-air theatrics than Irish- American punk stalwarts Dropkick Murphys.

Every year the Bostonians play a week of hometown shows in the run-up to St Patrick’s Day, and their brand of rabble-rousing folk-rock draws crowds all year round. Fresh from recording new album Signed And Sealed In Blood, we shared some pints of the black stuff with guitarist James Lynch and vocalist/bassist Ken Casey to pick this set of St Paddy-worthy bangers. It ain’t all ‘fiddley-dee’...