Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore (born 7 May 1945) is an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

folk singer, songwriter and guitarist. In addition to his significant success as an individual, he is one of the founding members of

Planxty Planxty were an Irish folk music band formed in January 1972, consisting initially of Christy Moore (vocals, acoustic guitar, bodhrán), Andy Irvine (vocals, mandolin, mandola, bouzouki, hurdy-gurdy, harmonica), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitars ...

and

Moving Hearts Moving Hearts is an Irish Celtic rock band formed in 1981. They followed in the footsteps of Horslips in combining Irish traditional music with rock and roll, and also added elements of jazz to their sound.Harris, Craig''Moving Hearts'' AllMusic ...

. His first album, ''Paddy'' ''on the Road'' was recorded with

Dominic Behan Dominic Behan ( ; ga, Doiminic Ó Beacháin; 22 October 1928 – 3 August 1989) was an Irish songwriter, singer, short story writer, novelist and playwright who wrote in Irish and English. He was also a socialist and an Irish republican. Born i ...

in 1969. In 2007, he was named as Ireland's greatest living musician in RTÉ's

People of the Year Awards The People of the Year Awards was an annual award show in Ireland. Organised by the Rehab Group, it was televised by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). The Awards provided a unique opportunity for the Irish public to honour outstanding contrib ...

Early life

Moore was born in

Newbridge, County Kildare Newbridge, officially known by its Irish name Droichead Nua (), is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. While the nearby Great Connell Priory was founded in the 13th century, the town itself formed from the 18th century onwards, and grew rapidly ...

, Ireland and attended

Newbridge College , latin_name = , logo = Newbridge College crest.gif , logo_size = 140px , seal_image = , image = Newbridge College.jpg , image_size = 270px , alt = Newbridge College and the R ...

. His mother Nancy Moore was a Fine Gael election candidate. He was originally a bank employee who wanted to express himself using traditional music. During a bank strike in 1966, which lasted twelve weeks, he went to England, as many striking officials did, but didn't return when the strike was settled. "I had a wild and wonderful time in England, with no bank manager looking over my shoulder," he said. Doing general labouring work, he frequented the folk clubs and the Irish music pubs where he met

Seamus Ennis Seamus may refer to: * Séamus, a male first name of Gaelic origin Film and television * Seamus (''Family Guy''), a character on the television series ''Family Guy'' * Seamus, a pigeon in '' Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore'' * Seamus Mc ...

Margaret Barry Margaret Barry (1917–1989) was an Irish Traveller, traditional singer and banjo player. Biography Born Margaret Cleary in Cork into a family of Travellers and street singers, she taught herself how to play the zither banjo and the fiddle ...

Luke Kelly Luke Kelly (17 November 1940 – 30 January 1984) was an Irish singer, folk musician and actor from Dublin, Ireland. Born into a working-class household in Dublin city, Kelly moved to England in his late teens and by his early 20s had become i ...

, Martin Byrnes and many other traditional musicians. When Irish singing trio

The Grehan Sisters The Grehan Sisters were an Irish folk music act of the mid to late 1960s who achieved popularity in Britain after moving to Manchester, England in 1967 from their native Boyle in County Roscommon, via a spell performing in Dublin. They disban ...

, with whom Moore was previously acquainted, moved to the north of England from Dublin in 1967, they assisted Moore to get a higher profile by giving him contacts and support slots on their concerts.

Musical career

1973 brought his first major release, '' Prosperous'', which brought together the four musicians who shortly thereafter formed

Liam O'Flynn Liam Óg O'Flynn ( ga, Liam Ó Floinn, 15 September 1945 – 14 March 2018) was an Irish uilleann piper and Irish traditional musician. In addition to a solo career and as a member of Planxty, O'Flynn recorded with: Christy Moore, Dónal Lun ...

, Andy Irvine and

Dónal Lunny Dónal Lunny (born 10 March 1947) is an Irish folk musician and producer. He plays left-handed guitar and bouzouki, as well as keyboards and bodhrán. As a founding member of popular bands Planxty, The Bothy Band, Moving Hearts, Coolfin, Mozai ...

. For a time they called themselves "CLAD", an acronym of their names, but soon decided on

. After leaving Planxty in 1975, Moore continued on his solo career, reforming his old band on occasion (which he has been doing ever since). He also formed the band

with Lunny and five other musicians in 1980. In 1987 he appeared on Gay Byrne's '' The Late Late Show'' performing with

The Dubliners The Dubliners were an Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named after its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves The Dubliners. The line-up saw many changes in personnel over their fifty-ye ...

for their 25th anniversary. In 2000, he published his autobiography, ''One Voice''. Moore's earlier lifestyle resulted in a decline in health and several operations. Moore's battle with alcohol, and subsequent heart operations, have taken their toll. At the end of the 1990s, Moore reduced his workload for medical reasons. Some of Moore's songs are heavily influenced by drink and the effects of drink, his song "Delirium Tremens" being a good example. Listening to Johnny Mulhern's song "Hard Cases" caused Moore to recall the Galway drinking scene with local musicians Mickey Finn, Pete Galligan, Corky and Terry Smith. On 17 April 2009, Moore released his first new studio album in four years, entitled ''Listen'', and promoted it through a series of live gigs. In December 2011, Moore released the album ''Folk Tale''. His next album ''Where I Come From'' was released in November 2013 and features a new protest song called "Arthur's Day". The album peaked at number three in the Irish album charts. ''On the road'' was released in November 2017, while his most recent album ''Magic Nights'' was released in November 2019.

Political and social commentary

Moore is best known for his political and social commentary which reflects a left-wing, Irish republican perspective, despite the fact that his mother was a

Fine Gael Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil � ...

county councillor and parliamentary candidate in Kildare. He supported the republican

H-Block Her Majesty's Prison Maze (previously Long Kesh Detention Centre, and known colloquially as The Maze or H-Blocks) was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house alleged paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from August 1971 to Sept ...

protestors with the albums ''

'' in 1978, the launch of which was raided by the police, and ''

The Spirit of Freedom ''The Spirit of Freedom'' is an Irish folk music album by Christy Moore. The album is notable for featuring two songs penned by Irish hunger striker Bobby Sands. The songs "Back Home in Derry" and "McIlhatton" where written by Sands while in pri ...

''. He has also recorded songs by the hunger striker

Bobby Sands Robert Gerard Sands ( ga, Roibeárd Gearóid Ó Seachnasaigh; 9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981) was a member (and leader in the Maze prison) of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who died on hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison M ...

, including "Back Home in Derry" which is based on

Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1960 ...

's song " The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". He ceased supporting the military activities of the

IRA Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...

in 1987 as a result of the

Enniskillen bombing The Remembrance Day bombing (also known as the Enniskillen bombing or Poppy Day massacre) took place on 8 November 1987 in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. A Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb exploded near the town's ...

. Political songs he has performed throughout his career include

Mick Hanly Mick Hanly (born 3 July 1949) is an Irish singer and composer from Limerick. In the 1970s, he formed several folk music duos, first with Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, then with Andy Irvine and, more recently, with Dónal Lunny. From 1982 until 1985, ...

's "On the Blanket" about the protests of republican prisoners, "Viva la Quinta Brigada", about the Irishmen who fought in the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

against

Franco Franco may refer to: Name * Franco (name) * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 * Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître" Prefix * Franco, a prefix used when ref ...

, and "Minds Locked Shut" about

Bloody Sunday Bloody Sunday may refer to: Historical events Canada * Bloody Sunday (1923), a day of police violence during a steelworkers' strike for union recognition in Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia * Bloody Sunday (1938), police violence aga ...

in Derry. Moore has endorsed a long list of leftist support causes, ranging from El Salvador to

Mary Robinson Mary Therese Winifred Robinson ( ga, Máire Mhic Róibín; ; born 21 May 1944) is an Irish politician who was the 7th president of Ireland, serving from December 1990 to September 1997, the first woman to hold this office. Prior to her electi ...

in the 1990 presidential election. He has incorporated songs about

Salvador Allende Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens (, , ; 26 June 1908 – 11 September 1973) was a Chilean physician and socialist politician who served as the 28th president of Chile from 3 November 1970 until his death on 11 September 1973. He was the fir ...

('Allende') and

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

('Ronnie Reagon') into his repertoire. At the Glastonbury Festival in 2005, he sang about the Palestinian solidarity activist Rachel Corrie. He supported the

anti-nuclear movement The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that opposes various nuclear technologies. Some direct action groups, environmental movements, and professional organisations have identified themselves with the movement at the local, natio ...

in Ireland playing in many concerts and at festivals in Carnsore Point for the cause.

Banned song

"They Never Came Home" is a song about the

Stardust fire The Stardust fire was a fatal fire which took place at the Stardust nightclub in Artane, Dublin, Ireland, in the early hours of 14 February (Valentine's Day) 1981. Some 800 people had attended a disco there, of whom 48 died and 214 were injure ...

of 1981 where 48 people died. The song was recorded on the '' Ordinary Man'' album and was released on the B-side of a single in 1985. The song achieved notoriety when Moore was taken to court over claims in the song prejudical to an ongoing court case determining compensation. For instance, the song claimed, "hundreds of children are injured and maimed, and all just because the fire exits were chained". Mr Justice Murphy ordered the ''Ordinary Man'' album to be withdrawn from the shops, and costs were awarded against Moore. "Another Song is Born" was recorded for the album's re-release. "They Never Came Home" later appeared on his box set and on the album ''Where I come from''.

Musical style

His solo style includes driving rhythms on guitar and

bodhrán The bodhrán (, ; plural ''bodhráin'' or ''bodhráns'') is a frame drum used in Irish music ranging from in diameter, with most drums measuring . The sides of the drum are deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side (synthetic heads or oth ...

as well as slower ballads.

Family

Moore's brother Barry, whose stage name is

Luka Bloom Luka Bloom (born Kevin Barry Moore; 23 May 1955) is an Irish folk singer-songwriter. He is the younger brother of folk singer Christy Moore. Early life Kevin Barry Moore was born on 23 May 1955 in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. His par ...

, is also a singer-songwriter. His nephew, Conor Byrne, is also a traditional flautist and tin whistle player, with Christy appearing on his ''Wind Dancer'' album.

Memorable events

Detention incident, 2004

In October 2004, Moore was stopped and detained by Special Branch officers at the Welsh port of Holyhead, taken into an office and questioned about the lyrics of his songs. The following day, he released a statement saying: "My driver and I were stopped and held for two hours at Holyhead last Monday, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2002. My driver and I were held separately in two interrogation rooms. I found the whole experience threatening. I was questioned about the contents of my briefcase." Despite initial reports to the contrary, the singer's van, which was full of musical equipment, was not searched. "I was questioned about lyrics of songs and I was asked a lot of personal questions about members of my family and my children and about my home. At no time was I given any explanation as to why I was being held and interrogated in this manner", he added. He said the fact that Irish people are still being treated this way on their way to Britain is very "saddening". "I had hoped to deal with this matter out of the public domain. But seeing as it has become a news item, I feel the need to offer my side of the story. I found the whole affair quite frightening."

''Desert Island Discs''

In June 2007, Moore was a guest on the BBC radio programme ''

Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a "castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (usua ...

''. He selected mainly Irish folk music that had inspired him and spoke of personal and political issues that had shaped his life, choosing a set of

Uilleann pipes The uilleann pipes ( or , ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland. Earlier known in English as "union pipes", their current name is a partial translation of the Irish language terms (literally, "pipes of the elbow"), from thei ...

as his luxury item and

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads The Child Ballads are 305 traditional ballads from England and Scotland, and their American variants, anthologized by Francis James Child during the second half of the 19th century. Their lyrics and Child's studies of them were published as ''T ...

as his choice book.

Penguin book of Irish poetry

In 2010 Christy Moore's song "Lisdoonvarna" which he wrote gained entry in ''The Penguin Book of Irish Poetry''.

Oxegen

On Sunday 10 July 2011 Moore joined

Coldplay Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University Col ...

on stage at the 2011 Oxegen Festival performing the song " Ride On".

Discography

Solo Albums

* ''

Paddy on the Road ''Paddy on the Road'' is the debut album by Irish folk music, folk musician Christy Moore, released in 1969. The album was produced and co-written by Dominic Behan. Steve Benbow organised the backing musicians and was responsible for the arrange ...

'' (1969) * '' Prosperous'' (1972) * ''

Whatever Tickles Your Fancy ''Whatever Tickles Your Fancy'' is the third solo album by Irish folk musician Christy Moore, released in 1975. Since his last album ''Prosperous'' in 1972, Christy had recorded three albums with Planxty. He left Planxty soon after, only to rea ...

'' (1975) * ''

Christy Moore Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore (born 7 May 1945) is an Irish folk singer, songwriter and guitarist. In addition to his significant success as an individual, he is one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts. His first album, ...

'' (1976) * ''

The Iron Behind the Velvet ''The Iron Behind the Velvet'' is an album recorded by Christy Moore in 1978, after the first breakup of Planxty. It was produced jointly by Brian Masterson and Moore, and recorded and mixed at Lombard and Keystone Studios, Dublin.Sleeve notes f ...

'' (1978) * '' Live in Dublin'' (1978) * ''

H Block ''H Block'' is an album recorded by various Irish folk artists, and produced by Christy Moore in 1978. The album's title refers to the "H blocks" at Maze Prison (also known as "Long Kesh") in Northern Ireland, where Irish republican prisoners we ...

'' (1980) * '' Christy Moore and Friends'' (1981) * '' The Time Has Come'' (1983) * '' Ride On'' (1984) * '' Ordinary Man'' (1985) * ''

'' (1986) * '' Unfinished Revolution'' (1987) * ''

Voyage Voyage(s) or The Voyage may refer to: Literature *''Voyage : A Novel of 1896'', Sterling Hayden * ''Voyage'' (novel), a 1996 science fiction novel by Stephen Baxter *''The Voyage'', Murray Bail * "The Voyage" (short story), a 1921 story by ...

'' (1989) * '' Smoke & Strong Whiskey'' (1991) * ''

King Puck King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

'' (1993) No. 2 * '' Live at the Point'' (1994) No. 1 * '' Graffiti Tongue'' (1996) No. 2 * '' Traveller'' (1999) No. 1 * '' This is the Day'' (2001) No. 1 * '' Live at Vicar Street'' (2002) No. 1 * '' Burning Times'' (2005) No. 3 * '' Live at the Point 2006'' (2006) No. 1 * ''

Listen Listen may refer to: * The action of listening * Auditory system#Central auditory system, Central auditory system listening is how the brain processes what you hear * Listening behaviour types in human communication Computing * LISTEN, a Transm ...

'' (2009) No. 1 * '' Folk Tale'' (2011) * '' Where I Come From'' (2013) * ''

Lily ''Lilium'' () is a genus of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in mu ...

'' (2016) No. 3 * ''On the Road'' (2017) No. 1 * ''Magic Nights'' (2019) No. 2 * ''Magic Nights on the Road'' (2019) No. 9 * ''Flying Into Mystery'' (2021)

With Planxty

* ''

'' (1972) * ''

The Well Below the Valley "The Maid and the Palmer" (alternate versions are known as "The Maid of Coldingham" and "The Well Below The Valley"; original title in Percy "Lillumwham") (Roud 2335, Child ballad 21) is an English language medieval murder ballad with supernatural ...

'' (1973) * '' Cold Blow and the Rainy Night'' (1974) * '' After The Break'' (1979) * ''

The Woman I Loved So Well ''The Woman I Loved So Well'' is the fifth studio album by Planxty. Like their previous album, '' After The Break'', the album was recorded at Windmill Lane Studios and released by Tara Records. Co-produced by band member Dónal Lunny and engin ...

'' (1980) * '' Words and Music'' (1983) * '' Live 2004'' CD/DVD (2004) * '' Between the Jigs and the Reels: A Retrospective'' CD/DVD (2016)

With Moving Hearts

* ''

'' (1981) * ''

Dark End of the Street "The Dark End of the Street" is a 1967 soul song, written by songwriters Dan Penn and Chips Moman and first recorded by James Carr. History and original recording The song was co-written by Penn, a professional songwriter and producer, and Mo ...

'' (1982)

Compilation albums

* ''

High Kings of Tara ''High Kings of Tara'' is a compilation album from Tara Music, showcasing tracks previously released by some of its artists: Shaun Davey, Oisín, Jolyon Jackson, Paddy Glackin, Paddy Keenan, Stockton's Wing and Christy Moore.Sleeve notes from '' ...

'' (1980) lanxty & Various artists* '' Nice 'n Easy'' (1984) * ''

Aris Aris or ARIS may refer to: People * Aris (surname) Given name * Aris Alexandrou, Greek writer * Aris Brimanis, ice hockey player * Aris Christofellis, Greek male soprano * Aris Gavelas, Greek sprinter * Aris Howard, Former President of the Jama ...

'' (1984) * ''

'' (1988) * ''

The Christy Moore Collection 1981–1991 ''The Christy Moore Collection 1981–1991'' is a compilation album by Christy Moore. Track listing All tracks composed and arranged by Christy Moore; except where indicated # "Ordinary Man" (Peter Hames) # "Mystic Lipstick" (Jimmy McCarthy) # ...

'' (1991) * '' Christy Moore Collection Part 2'' (1997) No. 4 * ''

The Box Set 1964–2004 ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (2004) No. 2 * '' The Early Years 1969-81'' (2020)

Filmography

Video

* ''Christy'' (1995) 54 mins – Christy reflects on life and career.

DVDs

* ''Christy Moore Uncovered'' (2001) 104 mins – features collaborations with

Jimmy MacCarthy James MacCarthy (born 1953) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Early life and career (1953–1979) MacCarthy was born in Macroom, County Cork, Ireland to Ted MacCarthy (died 1998) and Betty MacCarthy (died 2009). He has 11 siblings. The family ha ...

, Wally Page,

Shane MacGowan Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan (born 25 December 1957) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead singer and songwriter of Celtic punk band the Pogues. He was also a member of the Nipple Erectors and Shane MacGow ...

, Sinéad O'Connor and

John Spillane John Spillane (born 1961) is a singer-songwriter from Cork, Ireland. Background Spillane grew up in the Cork suburb of Wilton, in a family of five boys. He was educated in Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh, Bishopstown. Raised by his mother, she ...

. * ''Live 2004'' (Planxty DVD) The reunion of the hugely popular and influential group after a 20-year hiatus. * ''Christy Moore Live in Dublin 2006'' (2006) 143 mins – First time a live solo concert has been recorded and released outside CD format. Filmed over 4 nights in December 2005 and January 2006. * ''Christy Moore's Come All You Dreamers – Live at Barrowland'' (2009) – Filmed in

Barrowland The Barrowland Ballroom (also known as Barrowlands) is a dance hall and music venue in Glasgow, Scotland. History The original building opened in 1934 in a mercantile area east of Glasgow's city centre, built by Maggie McIver, the "Barras Quee ...

in Glasgow featuring

Declan Sinnott Declan Sinnott (born 29 July 1950) is an Irish musician and record producer. Originally from Wexford town, where his father was an optician and jeweller on Main Street, he came to Dublin in the late 1960s. Around 1970 he was a member of the poe ...

References

External links

Christy Moore's home page

Review of a Christy Moore concert in Nottingham November 2007

4711ers.org
'4711' is a term Christy coined which refers to his online fanbase. {{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Christy 1945 births Living people 20th-century Irish male singers 21st-century Irish male singers Bodhrán players Claddagh Records artists Irish folk singers Irish guitarists Irish songwriters Musicians from County Kildare People educated at Newbridge College People from County Kildare People from Newbridge, County Kildare Planxty members Moving Hearts members