Lesson Plan: Dúlamán (Celtic Woman Style)

by Silken Bruder

March is almost upon us, and with it, the end of winter seems increasingly plausible. The energy that this revelation can bring with it comes in handy when looking to Irish music selections for March 17^th (St. Paddy’s Day) that will get your students’ feet stomping! 

See below for quick lesson plan to introduce upper elementary (or junior high) students to the song “Dúlamán”- a wonderful and upbeat piece all about seaweed. My own grade 5 and 6 students along with my DIV 2 choir students love this piece and have never been so passionate about Irish pronunciation-enjoy! 

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Grade Level: 5–6

Subject: General Music

Duration: 45–60 minutes 

I. Learning Objectives 

Cultural: Students understand the Irish tradition of seaweed harvesting and how Dúlamán functioned as a working song.

Rhythmic: Students perform and maintain a fast 6/8 compound meter.

Linguistic: Students sing the refrain with accurate Irish Gaelic pronunciation using phonetic guides. 

II. Materials & Resources 

• Video excerpt:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDTLJmyUkJquU&v=TLJmyUkJquU

• Hand drums, tambourines, egg shakers 

• Phonetic lyric sheet 

• Metronome 

  
  

III. Lesson Procedure 

1. Hook: “The Seaweed Battle” (5 min) 

• Introduce meaning of Dúlamán and the humorous “battle of the suitors.” 

• Watch first 90 seconds of the Celtic Woman performance; observe energy, diction, and tempo. 

  
  

2. “Speed‑Gaelic” Pronunciation (10 min) 

Teach the refrain using phonetic scaffolding: 

• Dool‑uh‑mawn nuh bin‑yeh bwee 

• Dool‑uh‑mawn Gay‑lohk 

• Dool‑uh‑mawn nuh far‑ih‑guh

• Use a metronome to increase tempo from 80 BPM → ~130 BPM. 

  
  

3. Rhythmic Foundation: 6/8 Meter (15 min) 

• Pat knees: strong beats on 1 and 4. 

• Drums: beats 1 and 4 (“heartbeat”). 

• Shakers: steady eighth notes (1‑2‑3‑4‑5‑6). 

• Combine rhythm + chant to feel the Celtic drive. 

  
  

4. Performance & Movement (15 min) 

• Stand in a V‑formation; practice the “Irish sway” (step on beats 1 and 4). 

• Divide into two “Seaweed Clans”: 

• Clan A sings verse questions 

• Clan B sings answers 

• All join on the refrain 

• Run through with movement, percussion, and diction. 

  
  

IV. Assessment 

• Rhythmic Accuracy: Students maintain 6/8 pulse at fast tempo. 

• Diction: Crisp Gaelic consonants (B, G, L). 

• Performance Skills: Confident posture, ensemble awareness, energy.