BBC Radio Wales
Celtic Heartbeat
Every Sunday evening from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM, hosted by Frank Hennessy — the best folk, roots and acoustic music from the Celtic nations.
Available on AM, FM, digital, Freesat and online
The Show
Folk, roots & acoustic from the Celtic nations
Celtic Heartbeat is hosted by Frank Hennessy and airs on BBC Radio Wales every Sunday evening, running from seven o’clock until nine. The programme is devoted to folk, roots and acoustic music drawn from the Celtic nations — the songs, stories and instruments that carry these traditions across Wales, Scotland, Ireland and beyond.
Whether you are tuning in on a traditional set, a contemporary singer-songwriter, or a session from a back room in Cardiff, the two-hour Sunday slot is built for listeners who want roots music heard with care and knowledge of the culture behind it.
On air
Broadcast details
| Programme | Celtic Heartbeat, hosted by Frank Hennessy |
|---|---|
| Station | BBC Radio Wales |
| Broadcast | Every Sunday evening, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM |
| Available on | AM, FM, digital, Freesat and online |
| Music | Folk, roots and acoustic music from the Celtic nations |
Listen
Catch the show
The best folk, roots and acoustic music from the Celtic nations, every Sunday evening from seven o’clock until nine.Frank Hennessy, host of Celtic Heartbeat
Celtic Heartbeat has its own web page on the BBC, where you can find the programme and tune in online. For anything else — bookings, or a simple hello — Frank can be reached directly.
Frank Hennessy's home page is a placeholder for a site still under construction, but the subject matter is already clear: folk, roots and acoustic music from the Celtic nations, broadcast on BBC Radio Wales as Celtic Heartbeat. The programme airs on Sunday evenings, and the schedule details, station information and programme web page are collected together so listeners can find their way to the show quickly. Alongside the radio presence, the site points toward performances, guest appearances and speaking work, all of which share the same grounding in traditional Welsh and Celtic musical culture.
Celtic Heartbeat is a two-hour Sunday evening slot hosted by Frank Hennessy, dedicated to the songs, stories and instruments of Wales, Scotland, Brittany, Ireland, Cornwall and the Isle of Man. The emphasis falls on acoustic material — the fiddle, the guitar, the bodhrán, theharp and the voice — and on the community of players and singers who keep these traditions alive. Listeners are encouraged to tune in, to listen properly rather than in passing, and to hear each track with the attention it deserves.
The broadcast is carried on analogue and digital platforms, including AM, FM, Freesat and online streaming, which makes it reachable whether you are in the car, the kitchen or the garden. The name Celtic Heartbeat captures the pulse of the show: a steady, unhurried rhythm that echoes the pulse of the nations it celebrates. For anyone who grew up with Welsh-language songs, ballads and storytelling, or who simply loves raw acoustic performance, the programme offers a weekly gathering point and a window onto a rich and living musical heritage.