Here are the videos that you need to see

There are some people who argue that music videos don't hold the same relevance or importance as they once did, in MTV's heyday - when one of the only ways to visually connect with your favourite bands and artists pre-internet was via their promos.

Then there are others who claim that videos are more important than ever before - a way for artists to express themselves in a clear manner amid the constant clamour and nonsense of social media.

Either way - and for the day that's in it - here are ten of the finest music videos by Irish artists in recent memory.

HOZIER - 'Take Me to Church'

A video that will always turn up on these lists, for good reason. Hozier's debut single shares a powerful message about bigotry, but the video hammered the point home in stark black-and-white detail.

THE AMBIENCE AFFAIR – 'Devil in the Detail'

This superbly atmospheric video takes its cue from the likes of Radiohead's 'There There' video, creating an otherworldly narrative that sees the protagonist follow a red-cloaked damsel deep into the Wicklow forest. The juddering, off-kilter vibe is down to the remarkable fact that this was 15,000 still photographs pieced together.

PHIL LYNOTT – 'Old Town'

A video that we will never tire of watching (it helps that the song is a stone-cold classic), watching the Thin Lizzy man walk through the streets of 1980s Dublin evokes a nostalgic sense of romance every time. It'll also really make you miss The Long Hall.

A HOUSE – 'Endless Art'

In the 1980s, everyone might have been marvelling at Peter Gabriel's 'Sledgehammer' video, but we had our own equivalent in Ireland. This brilliant promo, made using a stop-motion technique, still stands up.

SHIT ROBOT – 'Take 'Em Up'

We still get huge joy we get from this video (and the song, which remains a banger), 11 years after it was first released. The colours, the concept, the sheer coolness of it all – amazing.

U2 – 'Where the Streets Have No Name'

Surely one of the most iconic Irish videos of all time? Bono and the lads had their own 'Beatles on top of the Apple building' moment when they caused a street in downtown Los Angeles to be closed off by playing an unannounced gig on top of a liquor store in 1987. Just brilliant.

ENYA – 'Orinoco Flow'

The genius that is Enya does not get her dues, often dismissed as music for your mam or something naff and dated. In reality, she is one of the most forward-thinking Irish musicians ever – and that bled into her music videos, too. This watercolour-enhanced promo would still be amazing if it was released in 2021, never mind in 1988.

APHEX TWIN – 'Come to Daddy'

There could have been any number of Aphex Twin videos on this list, but we're going with the most disturbing. The Limerick-born musician and producer's music is often the soundtrack to your nightmares, but this genuinely terrifying video will remain etched on your brain.

GIRL BAND – 'Paul'

By now, Girl Band have established that they don't make music quite like anyone else. Matching their offbeat sound to a visual is no mean feat, but their video for 'Paul' – which sees a children's entertainer going through a breakdown in magnificent OTT fashion – is incredible. You'll never look at Peppa Pig the same way.

THE DIVINE COMEDY – 'Bad Ambassador'

Are you looking for 'Beauty and the Beast' on rollerskates? You've come to the right place. That makes the video for The Divine Comedy's 2001 single sound frivolous, but it's actually a really beautiful piece of work. Gorgeously shot and not without a sense of humour, it's seriously underrated and sweet without being sentimental.