Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in

Gweedore Gweedore ( ; officially known by its Irish language name, ) is an Irish-speaking district and parish located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of County Donegal in the north-west of Ireland. Gweedore stretches some from Glasserchoo in the ...

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconne ...

by siblings Ciarán,

Pól Pól is a masculine given name in both the Irish and Faroese languages. Persons with the name *Pól Brennan, (born 1956), Irish, musician. *Pól Callaghan, Northern Irish, politician. * Pól Ó Foighil, (1928–2005), Irish, politician and activis ...

, and

Moya Brennan Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin on 4 August 1952), also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She is the sister of the musical artist known as Enya. She began performing pr ...

and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...

, traditional Irish,

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...

and

new-age music New-age is a genre of music intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation technique, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management to bring about a state of ecs ...

, often incorporating elements of

smooth jazz Smooth jazz is a genre of commercially-oriented crossover jazz and easy listening music that became dominant in the mid 1970s to the early 1990s. History Smooth jazz is a commercially oriented, crossover jazz which came to prominence in the 19 ...

and

Gregorian chant Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed mainly in western and central Europe durin ...

. Initially known as ''Clann as Dobhar'', they shortened their name to Clannad in 1973 after winning the Letterkenny Folk Festival with the song "Liza". By 1979, they had released three albums and completed a successful US tour. From 1980 to 1982, they operated as a six-piece with their sister/niece

Enya Brennan Enya Patricia Brennan (; ga, Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin; born 17 May 1961), known professionally by the mononym Enya, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician known for modern Celtic music. She is the best-selling Irish solo artis ...

on additional keyboards and vocals, before she left the group to pursue a solo career. Later in 1982, Clannad gained international attention with their single "

Theme from Harry's Game "Theme from ''Harry's Game''" is a 1982 song by Clannad commissioned as the theme for ''Harry's Game'', a Yorkshire Television miniseries adapted from a 1975 novel set in The Troubles in Northern Ireland. It was released as a single in October 1 ...

" which became a top-five hit in Ireland and the UK. The song was featured on ''

Magical Ring A magic ring is a mythical, folkloric or fictional piece of jewelry, usually a Ring (jewellery), finger ring, that is purported to have Magic (supernatural), supernatural properties or powers. It appears frequently in fantasy and fairy tales. M ...

'' (1983), which was met with much acclaim. They experimented with more new-age and pop-influenced sounds in the 1980s and 1990s, as evident on ''

Macalla ''Macalla'' is a 1985 musical album by Irish folk group Clannad. It is their ninth album and became prominent with a collaboration between Clannad's singer Moya Brennan and U2 vocalist Bono on the duet "In a Lifetime". Furthermore, it feature ...

'' (1985), and '' Anam'' (1990). This transition would ultimately go on to define their sound as almost purely '

', making them innovators of that genre. After ''

Landmarks A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

'' (1997), the band went on a hiatus in order to pursue solo projects. They regrouped in 2007 as a four piece again, with Moya, Ciarán, Noel, and Pádraig completing a world tour in 2008. In 2013, Pól rejoined and they released ''

Nádúr ''Nádúr'' (Irish for "nature") is a studio album by Irish folk group Clannad, and was released digitally worldwide on 20 September 2013 and physically within the following week or two, depending on the country. It was the first new studio albu ...

'', their first studio album in fifteen years. Pádraig Duggan died in 2016, leaving the group to embark on their 2020 farewell tour as a quartet. Clannad have won numerous awards throughout their career, including a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

, a BAFTA, an

Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...

, and a

Billboard Music Award The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by '' Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of ...

. They have recorded in six different languages and scored eight UK top 10 albums. They are widely regarded as a band that have brought Irish music and the Irish language to a wider audience, often experiencing more popularity abroad than in their native Ireland.

History

Formation

Clannad was formed in 1970 by siblings Ciarán Brennan,

, and

Máire Brennan Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin on 4 August 1952), also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She is the sister of the musical artist known as Enya. She began performing pr ...

and their twin uncles Noel and

Pádraig Duggan The Duggans ( ga, Na Dúgáiní) were an Irish musical duo from Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland. The twin brothers Noel Duggan and Pádraig Duggan ( ga, Ó Dúgáin) came to prominence in the 1970s with the folk group Clannad, and took a ten ...

. The five grew up in Dore, an area of

, a remote parish in

in the northwest corner of Ireland. It is a

Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially recog ...

region where

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 ...

is the main spoken language. Raised as a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

family of musicians, the Brennans' mother, Máire "Baba" Brennan (née Duggan), was a music teacher while their father, Leo Brennan, was a member of the Slieve Foy Band, an

Irish showband The Irish showband was a dance band format popular in Ireland from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. The showband was based on the internationally popular six- or seven-piece dance band. The band's basic repertoire included standard dance numbers and ...

. Later in their careers the two bought and ran

Leo's Tavern Leo's Tavern ( ga, Tábhairne Leo) is a restaurant and pub in the Donegal Gaeltacht, known as the home of music artists Clannad, Enya and Moya Brennan.the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

, the

Beach Boys A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...

, and

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

. The band adopted the name Clann as Dobhar, Irish for 'Family from Dore', when they entered a local music competition, and they used that name until 1973. The Brennans' and Duggans' interest in traditional Irish music reached beyond their native Gweedore, and they performed elsewhere including

Tory Island Tory Island, or simply Tory (officially known by its Irish name ''Toraigh''),Toraigh/Tory Island

Letterkenny Letterkenny ( ga, Leitir Ceanainn , meaning 'hillside of the O'Cannons'), nicknamed 'the Cathedral Town', is the largest and most populous town in County Donegal, a county in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. Letterkenny lies on the R ...

, County Donegal which led to a deal with Philips Records. Having now secured a label the group prepared material for their debut album and recorded at

Eamonn Andrews Studios Eamonn Andrews Studios was founded by broadcaster Eamonn Andrews, famous for being the presenter with the big red book of '' This Is Your Life,'' a British television programme. In the 1960s, the launch of television in Ireland led him to become the ...

in Dublin, choosing Gaelic and English songs and a cover of "

Morning Dew "Morning Dew," also known as "(Walk Me Out in the) Morning Dew," is a contemporary folk song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bonnie Dobson. The lyrics relate a fictional conversation in a post-nuclear holocaust world. Originally recorded live as a ...

" by

Bonnie Dobson Bonnie Dobson (born November 13, 1940, Toronto, Ontario, Canada)"Bonnie Dobson"< ...

. Released in 1973, ''

Clannad Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including f ...

'' was met with initial resistance from the label due to the Gaelic songs and the group soon found themselves more popular outside Ireland, particularly Germany. Later in 1973, Clannad competed for Ireland in the heat stages of the

1973 Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest 1973 was the 18th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, following the country's victory at the with the song " Après toi" by Vicky Leandros. Organised by the E ...

for Ireland with "An Pháirc" from ''Clannad'' as their entry. The band followed their debut with ''

Clannad 2 ''Clannad 2'' is the second studio album by Irish folk group Clannad, released in 1974 on Gael Linn Records. Track listing # "An Gabhar Bán (The White Goat)" – 3:15 # "Eleanor Plunkett" (Turlough O'Carolan) – 2:49 # "Coinleach Ghlas an F ...

'' in 1974, released by

Gael Linn Records Gael Linn (, "Gael-with-us") is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation focused on the promotion of the Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Ce ...

and produced by

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 ...

, founder 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

The Bothy Band The Bothy Band were an Irish traditional band active during the mid 1970s. They quickly gained a reputation as one of the most influential bands playing Irish traditional music. Their enthusiasm and musical virtuosity had a significant influen ...

. Like their first, ''Clannad 2'' features a mixture of English and Gaelic songs, this time with Lunny and Bothy Band members on additional instruments. ''

Dúlamán "Dúlamán" (Irish for " channel wrack", a type of edible seaweed) is an Irish folk song. The lyrics of the song relate to the Irish practice of gathering seaweed, which has been done for various purposes, including as fertilizer, bathing, and ...

'' was released in 1976 and named after the Irish folk song "

" which became a stage favourite at Clannad concerts. It was recorded at

Rockfield Studios Rockfield Studios is a residential recording studio located in the Wye Valley just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales. It was originally founded in 1963 by brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward. Facilities Rockfield is a two- ...

in Wales and is their first album produced by

Nicky Ryan Nicholas Dominick Ryan (born 14 July 1946) is an Irish music producer, recording engineer, and manager. He is best known as the longtime business and recording partner for the singer, songwriter and musician Enya alongside his wife, poet and lyri ...

. At the time of its release, Clannad capitalised on their growing popularity in Europe with their debut tour across the continent. At one show, the standing ovation they received after an extended rendition of "Níl Sé Ina Lá (Níl Sé'n Lá)" from their debut album convinced the group to continue full-time. Recordings from a tour of Switzerland in 1978 were released in the following year as part of their first live album, ''

Clannad in Concert Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including f ...

''. Also in 1979, Clannad underwent a 36-date tour of North America, the most extensive by an Irish band at the time. In 1980, Clannad became a six-piece band following the addition of

on keyboards and additional vocals. Ryan wished to expand the group's sound with vocals and electronic instruments and invited her to join. Enya's first recordings with the group were made as a guest musician for their ''

Crann Úll ''Crann Úll'' is the fifth album by Irish folk group Clannad released in 1980. It is also the first Clannad album to feature younger sister Eithne Ní Bhraonáin (later known as Enya). She appears as supporting vocalist on the track "Gathering ...

'' (Irish for ''Apple Tree''), their fifth studio album recorded in

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

, Germany and released in 1980 on

Tara Music Tara Music (formerly known as Tara Records) has been regarded for many years as one of the leading traditional Irish music recording companies. The label was set up by Jack Fitzgerald and John Cook in the early 1970s. Their first release was the ...

. "

Ar a Ghabháil 'n a 'Chuain Domh "Ar a Ghabháil Chun a Chuain Damh" (''As I Went to the Harbour'') is an Irish folk song. It is also known as "Béal Átha hAmhnais", which is the Irish name for the town of Ballyhaunis in County Mayo, Ireland. The song has six verses and roughl ...

" featured a particularly full band arrangement reflective of their live jams at the time. "Lá Cuimhthíoch Fán dTuath" showed the first hints of the more atmospheric side of the band's arrangements. By the time Clannad entered

Windmill Lane Studios Windmill Lane Recording Studios (earlier Windmill Lane Studios) is a recording studio in Dublin, Ireland. It was originally opened in 1978 by Brian Masterson and James Morris in premises at 22 Windmill Lane, and it subsequently relocated to its cu ...

in Dublin to record ''

Fuaim ''Fuaim'' (Irish for "sound") is the sixth album by Irish folk group Clannad. It was released in 1982. It was produced by Nicky Ryan and was the last Clannad album to feature younger sister Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, later known as Enya. It is also ...

'' (Irish for ''Sound''), Enya had become a full-time member. The album displays the group's further experimentation with electronic instruments, and Enya is featured on lead vocals on "An tÚll" and "Buaireadh an Phósta".

Neil Buckley Neil Buckley (born 25 September 1968) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender. He began his career with Hull City, where he spent six seasons in the first team. During the 1989–90 season he had a spell on loan wit ...

plays the clarinet and saxophone with Noel Bridgeman on percussion and Pat Farrell on electric guitar. ''Fuaim'' was released by Tara Music in 1982. After a further European tour, their managers

and

Roma Ryan Roma Shane Ryan (born 20 January 1954 in Belfast) is an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist, currently living in Killiney, Ireland, with her husband Nicky Ryan. Ryan is the primary lyricist for the singer Enya, who has stated that the importance of ...

left the group. Nicky had brought Enya into the group to expand their sound, yet the group soon settled into their "boring" musical formula once more and called a meeting during the tour. After a group vote, the Ryans split. Enya followed suit, feeling increasingly restricted in a band setting and pursued a solo career with the Ryans as collaborators, causing a rift between the two groups for a short time.

1982–1988: "Theme from Harry's Game", ''Magical Ring'', and commercial success

In 1982, the now five-piece Clannad signed to

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

. They then accepted an invitation to record a song for ''

Harry's Game ''Harry's Game'' is a British television drama mini-series made by ITV Yorkshire, Yorkshire Television for ITV (TV network), ITV in 1982, closely based on the 1975 novel ''Harry's Game'' by Gerald Seymour, a former journalist. Apart from brief sc ...

'', a three-part television drama depicting

The Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "i ...

in Northern Ireland. Ciarán, Pól, and Máire got together and wrote "

". The song became a commercial success upon its release as a single in October 1982, peaking at number 2 in Ireland and number 5 in the UK. It remains the only UK hit single to be sung entirely in Irish. From 1983 to 1987, rock band U2 used the song at the end of every concert.
Following their newfound success with "Theme from Harry's Game", Clannad included the song on their seventh studio album, ''

'', released in 1983. The single and album marked the start of their international career, and ''Magical Ring'' became their first to be certified gold by the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...

(BPI). After ''Magical Ring'', Clannad were commissioned to score the 26-episode drama series ''

Robin of Sherwood ''Robin of Sherwood'' is a British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. Created by Richard Carpenter, it was produced by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 28 April 1984 to 28 June 1986 on the ITV network. In the ...

'', aired from 1984 to 1986. They once again began to stretch themselves, creating music for a range of characters and events. For the first time in the career, the album was recorded in its entirety in English. The soundtrack was released in 1984 as ''

Legend A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...

'' and won the band a BAFTA award for Best Original Television Music, the first Irish band to win it. In 2003, Clannad revealed that there were other pieces recorded for the third series of ''Robin of Sherwood'' that were not included on ''Legend'', yet the master recordings have yet to be found. In 1985, Clannad released ''

'' (Irish for ''Echo'') which was recorded in Switzerland, England, and Ireland. It contained all original material except one traditional song and yielded the group a hit single " In a Lifetime", a duet with U2 singer

Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Born and raised in Dublin, he attended M ...

which begins with Máire being heard teaching Gaelic to Bono during the introduction. The album features numerous backing musicians who have continued to tour with them, including ex-

King Crimson King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...

saxophonist

Mel Collins Melvyn Desmond Collins (born 5 September 1947, Isle of Man) is a British saxophonist, flautist and session musician. Collins has played in several progressive rock groups, having been a member of King Crimson on two occasions (the first from ...

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 ...

' guitarist

Anthony Drennan Anthony "Anto" Drennan (born on 1 November 1958) is an English-born Irish guitarist noted for his involvement with the Corrs, Genesis and Mike + the Mechanics among others. Drennan is from a musical Irish family and was born in Luton, England ...

, and drummer Paul Moran. Also on board was producer

Steve Nye Steve Nye is an English music producer for several artists. Career Nye started out as a tape op at AIR Studios in London in 1971, where producer Rupert Hine discovered him. There he got into engineering (and later producing) many well-known a ...

, who oversaw the pop-flavoured " Closer to Your Heart" and the ballad "

Almost Seems (Too Late to Turn) "Almost Seems (Too Late to Turn)" is a 1985 single by Irish group Clannad. It is the second single from their album ''Macalla''. The song was used as the official Children in Need charity single for 1985. The song stalled at number 80 in the U ...

" and became hit singles, the latter serving as the Children in Need charity single in 1985.

1988–1990: ''Sirius'', ''Atlantic Realm'', and ''The Angel and the Soldier Boy''

''Sirius'' was released by

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

in 1988 and was recorded in Los Angeles with rock producers

Greg Ladanyi Greg Ladanyi (July 6, 1952 – September 29, 2009) was an American record producer and recording engineer of Hungarian descent, known for his work with many musicians, including Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, The Church, Caifanes, Anna Vis ...

and

Russ Kunkel Russell Kunkel (born September 27, 1948) is an American drummer who has worked as a session musician with many popular artists, including Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Buffett, Harry Chapin, Rita Coolidge, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Da ...

, the drummer for

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

's band. The album included a duet with

Bruce Hornsby Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. His music draws from folk rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Southern rock, country rock, jam band, rock, heartland rock, and blues rock musical traditions ...

and guest appearances by

Steve Perry Stephen Ray Perry (born January 22, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the rock band Journey during their most commercially successful periods from 1977 to 1987, and again from 1995 to 1998. He also wrote/co ...

and

J.D. Souther John David "J. D." Souther (born November 2, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He has written and co-written songs recorded by Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles (band), Eagles. Souther is probably best known for his songwriting ab ...

. The title track was Pól's encouraging call to the

environmental movement The environmental movement (sometimes referred to as the ecology movement), also including conservation and green politics, is a diverse philosophical, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues. Environmentalists a ...

, and to the

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...

ship of the same name. " Something to Believe In" features Hornsby on vocals and keyboards. Completed with the help of some of the biggest names on the Californian rock scene, ''Sirius'' was another different creation, just like their previous three albums. Between 1988 and 1991, Clannad were involved in side projects including ''

Atlantic Realm ''Atlantic Realm'' is the eleventh album by Irish folk group Clannad, released in 1989. It is the soundtrack to the BBC television series ''The Natural World: Atlantic Realm'', a documentary about the Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is ...

'' (1989) and ''

The Angel and the Soldier Boy ''The Angel and the Soldier Boy'' is the 13th album by Irish folk group Clannad, released in 1989. It is the soundtrack to the animated movie of the same name and contains both the music to the movie and the narration of the story by Tom Conti. ...

'' (1990). ''Atlantic Realm'' was a small album made for a

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

documentary about the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. The recording was mainly instrumental as their voices as instruments. ''The Angel and the Soldier Boy'' was a half – hour animation without voice overs, with the music telling the story. Both albums proved to be a minor success, and also demonstrated once again that Clannad were one of the most acclaimed soundtrack artists in the music industry. Two greatest hits albums were released at around this time: ''Past Present'' and ''The Collection''. In 1990, Pól initially left the group to pursue a solo career and work with the

WOMAD WOMAD ( ; World of Music, Arts and Dance) is an international arts festival. The central aim of WOMAD is to celebrate the world's many forms of music, arts and dance. History WOMAD was founded in 1980 by English rock musician Peter Gabriel, ...

(World of Music, Arts and Dance) organisation in Britain. Pól rejoined the band in January 2011, when Clannad performed at

Temple Bar TradFest TradFest Temple Bar is an annual music and culture festival that takes place in late January in Dublin, Ireland. Founded by the Temple Bar Company, a not-for-profit organisation who work on behalf of businesses in the cultural quarter of Temple ...

. Initially a single concert, it was extended with an extra two nights.

1990–2000: Four-piece band, ''Anam'', ''Banba'', and ''Lore''

After Pól's exit, Clannad continued as a quartet and recorded '' Anam'' (Irish for ''Soul'') in Dublin and England. It marked a return to their sound heard on ''Magical Ring'' and ''Macalla'', and features greater contributions from Ciarán who is credited as a writer on nine of the album's ten original songs. The US edition, released in 1992, features "In a Lifetime" with Bono and "Theme from Harry's Game", which had been included in the film ''

Patriot Games ''Patriot Games'' is a thriller novel, written by Tom Clancy and published in July 1987. ''Without Remorse'', released six years later, is an indirect prequel, and it is chronologically the first book featuring Jack Ryan, the main character i ...

'' and a

Volkswagen Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...

television advert, boosting the group's recognition in the country. The public interest generated from the advert made ''Anam'' reach No. 46 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, still the group's highest position on the chart. The latter won a

for World Music Song of the Year. Clannad dedicated "Rí na Cruinne", the opening track, was included on the ''

One World One Voice ''One World One Voice'' is a world music album intended to raise awareness of environmental issues, produced by Rupert Hine in 1990. A video of the entire album was produced for television together with a "Making of" documentary. It was created a ...

'' charity album to raise awareness of environmental issues. In 1991, Clannad released a duet with

Paul Young Paul Antony Young (born 17 January 1956) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & the Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, he became a teen idol with his solo success in the 1980s. ...

, a cover version of the

song "

Both Sides Now "Both Sides, Now" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. First recorded by Judy Collins, it appeared on the US singles chart during the fall of 1968. The next year it was included on Mitchell's album ''Clouds'', and became one of ...

". The track had been put together for the

Blake Edwards Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio s ...

film ''Switch'', featuring

Ellen Barkin Ellen Rona Barkin (born April 16, 1954) is an American actress and a producer. Her breakthrough role was in the 1982 film '' Diner'', and in the following years, she had starring roles in films such as ''Tender Mercies'' (1983), ''Eddie and the ...

. In the storyline, a nasty male chauvinist, is reincarnated as an attractive female. The use of the Joni Mitchell song was therefore suitable and proved a hit for the group. Released in 1993, ''

Banba In Irish mythology, Banba (modern spelling: Banbha ), daughter of Delbáeth and Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, is a matron goddess of Ireland. She was married to Mac Cuill, a grandson of the Dagda. She was part of an important triumvirate of m ...

'' became Clannad's 13th studio album and received rave reviews and the band's first

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

nomination. The album jogged comfortably to the number one spot in the World Music Chart. ''Banba'' is a romantic mythical name for Ireland. In the track "I Will Find You," written especially for the film ''

The Last of the Mohicans ''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826. It is the second book of the '' Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfinde ...

'', Máire sings in English,

Mohican The Mohican ( or , alternate spelling: Mahican) are an Eastern Algonquian Native American tribe that historically spoke an Algonquian language. As part of the Eastern Algonquian family of tribes, they are related to the neighboring Lenape, who ...

and

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

. Once again all the songs were written and produced by Ciarán Brennan, except "Sunset Dreams", written by Noel Duggan. Moya Brennan described the album as ''"a fusion of various styles of music, growing out of a traditional Gaelic root."'' ''Banba'' has been described as one of Clannad's most visual albums, and has sold over 1 million copies to date. The album ''

Lore Lore may refer to: * Folklore, acquired knowledge or traditional beliefs * Oral lore or oral tradition, orally conveyed cultural knowledge and traditions Places * Loré, former French commune * Loré (East Timor), a city and subdistrict in Lau ...

'' (1996) gave some thought to the Native American Indians. On "Trail of Tears", when Noel Duggan imagines how it felt to be exiled from one's ancestral land, he was also thinking about these people and their connection with the Irish. It opens with "Croí Cróga" ('braveheart' in English) which was written as a theme tune for the

Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor, film director, and producer. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apocaly ...

film ''

Braveheart ''Braveheart'' is a 1995 American historical drama film directed and produced by, and starring Mel Gibson. Gibson portrays Sir William Wallace, a late-13th century Scottish warrior who led the Scots in the First War of Scottish Independence ag ...

'' which, for unknown reasons, never made it onto the soundtrack. ''Lore'' features American drummer

Vinnie Colaiuta Vincent Peter Colaiuta (born February 5, 1956) is an American drummer who has worked as a session musician in many genres. He was inducted into the ''Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 1996 and the ''Classic Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 2014. Colai ...

and

. It contained a strong jazz element, with songs such as "Seanchas" blending contemporary sounds with traditional

Irish music Irish music is music that has been created in various genres on the island of Ireland. The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music. It has remained vibrant through the 20th and into the 21st century, despite globalis ...

and the

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

. Clannad toured Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand in 1996 to promote the ''Lore'' album, but due to apparent disagreements with

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

, plans to tour the USA were scrapped. In 1996, they received a lifetime achievement award from the Irish recording industry (the IRMA). Clannad returned in 1997 with another album, ''

''. In the song "Of This Land", Máire sings about Ireland, of its past and of its future. The track "Fadó" (translates as ''Long Ago''), demonstrates the influences of old

Celt The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient ...

ic history on Clannad's music. It became one of the most celebrated Irish albums in history and in 1999, it won the group a

Grammy award for Best New Age Album The Grammy Award for Best New Age Album is presented to recording artists for quality albums in the new-age music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several ca ...

. In 1999, the group composed the song "What Will I Do" for the

Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...

film, ''

Message in a Bottle A message in a bottle (abbrev. MIB) is a form of communication in which a message is sealed in a container (typically a bottle) and released into a conveyance medium (typically a body of water). Messages in bottles have been used to send distres ...

''.

2000–present: Hiatus and return to activity

After ''Landmarks'', Clannad ceased to make any more studio albums, but had promised to return in the near future. In 2003, they released the best of album, '' The Best of Clannad: In a Lifetime'', which is one of their biggest-selling albums to date. In 2005 the two Duggan twins, Noel and Pádraig, as the musical duo

The Duggans The Duggans ( ga, Na Dúgáiní) were an Irish musical duo from Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland. The twin brothers Noel Duggan and Pádraig Duggan ( ga, Ó Dúgáin) came to prominence in the 1970s with the folk group Clannad, and took a ten ...

, got together for the first time outside of Clannad and recorded the album ''

Rubicon The Rubicon ( la, Rubico; it, Rubicone ; rgn, Rubicôn ) is a shallow river in northeastern Italy, just north of Rimini. It was known as Fiumicino until 1933, when it was identified with the ancient river Rubicon, famously crossed by Julius Ca ...

''. During the 2006 solo tour of

in The Netherlands, the concert in

De Doelen De Doelen is a concert venue and convention centre in Rotterdam, Netherlands. It was originally built in 1934 but then destroyed in 1940 during the German bombardment of Rotterdam in May 1940 at the outset of World War II. It was rebuilt in 19 ...

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

, was dedicated to Leo and Baba Brennan. The whole of Clannad, including former member

and sister Deirdre, performed five songs during the second half. The audience, Leo and Baba were unaware of the plan to bring Clannad on-stage, which resulted in multiple standing ovations from the audience.
The five original members of Clannad appeared on stage together at the

Celtic Connections The Celtic Connections festival started in 1994 in Glasgow, Scotland, and has since been held every January. Featuring over 300 concerts, ceilidhs, talks, free events, late night sessions and workshops, the festival focuses on the roots of tra ...

Festival in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

on 19 January 2007. The concert was greeted by 2,000 fans who travelled from places such as the US and

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

to see the legendary group perform some of the most loved songs in their history. While at the Meteor Ireland Music Awards that were held in Dublin on 1 February 2007 Clannad were presented with the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award. In March 2008, Clannad began their first UK tour in over 12 years, starting at

The Sage The Sage is a forthcoming indoor arena and conference centre in Gateshead, United Kingdom due to open in Autumn 2024. The site is located between the existing Sage Gateshead venue and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art on Gateshead Quayside. ...

Gateshead Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Sage ...

. The tour culminated in a dozen dates, including concerts in Ireland and

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

. In May 2008, Clannad's version of the traditional song "

Down by the Salley Gardens "Down by the Salley Gardens" (''Irish: Gort na Saileán'') is a poem by William Butler Yeats published in ''The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems'' in 1889. History Yeats indicated in a note that it was "an attempt to reconstruct an old song f ...

" was featured in the listening paper for Music

GCSE The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...

from the

Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations OCR (Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations) is an examination board that sets examinations and awards qualifications (including GCSEs and A-levels). It is one of England, Wales and Northern Ireland's five main examination boards. OCR is based ...

exam board An examination board (or exam board) is small board organization that sets examinations, is responsible for marking them, and distributes results. Some are run by governmental entities; some are run as not-for-profit organizations. List of nati ...

. On 25 August 2008, Clannad released a new compilation album of their early music to contrast the music of their previous compilation album at the beginning of 2008, '' Beginnings: The Best of the Early Years''. In June 2009, Clannad was nominated for an IMA Award in the category ''Best Revival Act'', along with other revived bands

Arcady Junctions is a software package by Transport Research Laboratory. It incorporates the previously separate programs ARCADY, PICADY and OSCADY. The latest version, Junctions 10, was launched Wednesday 3 February 2021. ARCADY ARCADY (Assessment o ...

and

Stockton's Wing Stockton's Wing is an Irish band formed in 1977 by four All-Ireland champion musicians; Paul Roche on flute/whistle, Maurice Lennon on fiddle, Tommy Hayes on bodhran, and Kieran Hanrahan on banjo/ mandolin, along with Tony Callinan on guita ...

. In January 2011, Clannad's concert at Christ Church Cathedral TempleBar TradFest in Dublin was extended by two nights due to fast ticket sales. The group appeared on

RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...

's '' The Late Late Show'' on 21 January 2011 performing the "

" with choral group

Anúna Anúna (stylized in all caps) is a vocal ensemble formed in Ireland in 1987 by Irish composer Michael McGlynn under the name An Uaithne. Taking the current name in 1991,Allmusic Biography/ref> the group has recorded 18 albums and achieved a ...

. It was their first appearance on the show in 14 years.
On 18 June 2013, Clannad announced that their brand new studio album

(their first new album since the release of Landmarks in 1998) was to be released worldwide in September 2013. An international tour commenced in October 2013 starting in Australia and New Zealand. In 2019, Clannad embarked on their ''In a Lifetime'' farewell tour, but it was postponed in March 2020 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. A new compilation album entitled, '' In a Lifetime'' which included two new tracks, was released. Noel Duggan died on 15 October 2022.

Musical style and legacy

When Clannad first started out in the early 1970s their music and sound stemmed solely from their traditional background. Despite this they managed to popularise such old songs as "

", "Teidhir Abhaile Riú" and "Coinleach Glas An Fhómhair", and these songs have remained popular numbers at their concerts. On the departure from their folk and traditional background in 1982, they created a new sound that would define the meaning of

new-age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...

and

Celtic music Celtic music is a broad grouping of music genres that evolved out of the folk music traditions of the Celtic people of Northwestern Europe. It refers to both orally-transmitted traditional music and recorded music and the styles vary considerab ...

forever. When "Theme from Harry's Game" and "Newgrange" were first heard, radio stations all over the world became fascinated by the earthly and spiritual sound that they had never encountered before. One critic said "the tunes were seeped in the old ways, but the production and the arrangement was fresh and inventive". This transition in Clannad's career is often seen as the birth of

, and to this day they are regarded as the pioneers of that genre. They are also noted for their melodious

harmonies In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However, ...

, which have been at the heart of their music since their first album. ''Legend'' (1984) was based on

English folklore English folklore consists of the myths and legends of England, including the English region's mythical creatures, traditional recipes, urban legends, proverbs, superstitions, and folktales. Its cultural history is rooted in Celtic, Christian, ...

. With later albums, Clannad delved further into the realms of

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...

and even pop. Due to this, many of their singles entered pop charts all over the world, and widened their fan base once again. Despite their success with this genre of music, the group managed to maintain a link with their Gaelic roots throughout their career, giving traditional Irish songs such as "Tráthnóna Beag Aréir" and "Buachaill Ón Éirne" the Clannad treatment. Even though the

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

-infused ''

Sirius Sirius is the list of brightest stars, brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Ancient Greek language, Greek word , or , meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinisation ...

'' and the pop-inclined ''

'' were successful for Clannad, it was their breakthrough style that they created themselves that has left the greatest legacy. Clannad's influence can be found in the film ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...

'', where

James Horner James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953 – June 22, 2015) was an American composer. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements, and for his frequent use of motifs associated with Celtic music. Horner's first film score was i ...

admitted to basing the soundtrack on Clannad's style. The soundtrack was so like Clannad's work that it has been incorrectly credited to them for many years. Clannad's 'Celtic mysticism' is a recurring theme in the film ''

Intermission An intermission, also known as an interval in British and Indian English, is a recess between parts of a performance or production, such as for a theatrical play, opera, concert, or film screening. It should not be confused with an entr'acte (F ...

''. The "

otherworld The concept of an otherworld in historical Indo-European religion is reconstructed in comparative mythology. Its name is a calque of ''orbis alius'' (Latin for "other Earth/world"), a term used by Lucan in his description of the Celtic Otherworld ...

ly" and "ethereal" Clannad sound comes from the ancient hills and glens that surround Gweedore, according to lead singer Moya Brennan. Traces of Clannad's legacy can be heard in the music of many artists, including Enya, Altan,

Capercaillie ''Tetrao'' is a genus of birds in the grouse subfamily known as capercaillies. They are some of the largest living grouse. Taxonomy The genus ''Tetrao'' was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his ...

The Corrs The Corrs are an Irish family band that combine pop rock with traditional Irish themes within their music. The group consists of the Corr siblings, Andrea (lead vocals, tin whistle, mandolin, ukulele), Sharon (violin, keyboards, vocals), Car ...

Loreena McKennitt Loreena Isobel Irene McKennitt, (born February 17, 1957) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who writes, records, and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern influences. McKennitt is known for her ...

Riverdance ''Riverdance'' is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions Jean ...

Órla Fallon Órlagh Fallon (born 24 August 1974), professionally known as Órla Fallon, is an Irish singer, songwriter and former member of the group Celtic Woman and the chamber choir Anúna. Early life and education Fallon was born in Knockananna, Irelan ...

and even U2. Bono stated that Moya has "one of the greatest voices the human ear has ever experienced". A Japanese visual novel released in 2004, which spawned a 2007 film and a 2007–08 television series based on it, was named after the band because screenwriter

Jun Maeda is a Japanese writer and co-founder of the visual novel brand Key under Visual Arts. He is considered a pioneer of nakige visual novels, and has mainly contributed as a scenario writer, lyricist, and musical composer for the games the company pr ...

mistakenly believed it to mean the word "family" in Irish.

Private lives

Band members

The private life of lead member Moya was detailed in her autobiography in 2000. In it, Brennan recalls her upbringing as the eldest of nine siblings in rural County Donegal, Ireland. Along with the highs of success in the music business, she also recounts low periods where alcohol, drugs and an abortion made her re-evaluate her life. She emerged from dark years as a committed Christian with rekindled faith. She remarried in 1991 (having previously been married to a Dublin musician) and now resides in Dublin with her husband, photographer Tim Jarvis, and children, Aisling and Paul.

The Brennan family

The Brennans are Ireland's most successful music family, with combined sales of over 90 million records. Máire (or Baba) Duggan and Leo Brennan are the parents of the Brennan siblings

Máire Máire is the Irish language form of the Latin Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek names Μαριαμ, or Mariam, and Μαρια, or Maria, found in the New Testament. Both New Testament names were forms of the Hebrew name or Mir ...

(or Moya), Leon, Ciarán, Deirdre,

, Olive,

Eithne Eithne is a female personal name of Irish origin, meaning "kernel" or "grain". Other spellings and earlier forms include Ethnea, Ethlend, Ethnen, Ethlenn, Ethnenn, Eithene, Ethne, Aithne, Enya, Ena, Edna, Etney, Eithnenn, Eithlenn, Eithna, Ethni, ...

(or Enya), Bartley and Brídín. Baba was the local school's music teacher and Leo led the celebrated

Slieve Foy Slieve Foy or Slieve Foye ( ga, Sliabh Feá)Slieve Feá/Slieve Foye

show band. The catalyst that would propel the entire family onto the stage was the opening of

Leo's Tavern Leo's Tavern ( ga, Tábhairne Leo) is a restaurant and pub in the Donegal Gaeltacht, known as the home of music artists Clannad, Enya and Moya Brennan.Brídín, who for years toured with Clannad as a backing vocalist, has released a solo record, ''Eyes of Innocence''. Enya is also Ireland's best selling solo artist, earning international success. Máire 'Baba' Duggan is currently the lead member of the local Catholic choir, Cór Mhuire Doire Beaga, but no longer continues to teach in the local community school Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair. The choir has been frequently joined by Leo Brennan and the Brennan siblings. Leo Brennan died on 22 June 2016 (age 90) at his home at Upper Dore,

in West Donegal, Ireland. Leon Brennan, one of the nine siblings of the Brennan family died in December 2021. Online announcements were made by his sisters Moya, and Enya, in a rare personal message on 17 December 2021.

Members

;Current members * Ciarán Brennan – bass, guitar, keyboards, mandolin, vocals (1970–present) * Moya Brennan – vocals, harp (1970–present) * Pól Brennan – flute, guitar, percussion, whistles, vocals (1970–1990, 2011–present) ;Former members * Noel Duggan – guitar, vocals (1970–2022; his death) * Pádraig Duggan – guitar, mandola, mandolin, vocals (1970–2016; his death) *

– percussion, keyboards, vocals (1980–1982)

Discography

Studio albums

* ''

'' (1973) * ''

'' (1974) * ''

'' (1976) * ''

'' (1980) * ''

'' (1982) * ''

'' (1983) * ''

'' (1984) * ''

'' (1985) * ''

'' (1987) * ''

'' (1989) * ''

'' (1989) * '' Anam'' (1990) * ''

'' (1994) * ''

'' (1996) * ''

'' (1997) * ''

'' (2013)

EPs

* ''Christmas Angels'' (1997)

Live albums

* ''

'' (1979) * '' Clannad: Live in Concert'' (2005) * '' Clannad: Christ Church Cathedral'' (2012) * ''Turas 1980'' (2018)

Videography

* ''

Pastpresent ''Pastpresent'' is a compilation album by Irish folk group Clannad, released in 1989. It is a collection of selected songs recorded by the band from 1982 up to 1989, including two new songs exclusive to this release (until their inclusion on t ...

'' (1989) * '' Clannad: Christ Church Cathedral'' (2012)

Bibliography

* ''

'' (1989) :Sheet music book for 'Past Present' * ''A Woman's Voice'' (1991) :Eddie Rowley in conversation with Máire Brennan * '' Ireland: Landscapes of God's Peace'', Máire Brennan (2002) :sometimes called ''God of Peace'' * '' The Other Side of the Rainbow'', Máire Brennan with Angela Little (2001) :Later subtitled: The Autobiography of the Voice of Clannad *'' Moments in a Lifetime'', Noel Duggan (2008) :Detailing Clannad's journey as a band

Awards and nominations

Won #1982: 1982 Ivor Novello Awards, ''Best Soundtrack'' for "

Theme From Harry's Game "Theme from ''Harry's Game''" is a 1982 song by Clannad commissioned as the theme for ''Harry's Game'', a Yorkshire Television miniseries adapted from a 1975 novel set in The Troubles in Northern Ireland. It was released as a single in October 1 ...

" #1984: 1984 BAFTA Awards, ''Best Television Music'' for "

" #1992:

, ''World Music Song of the Year'' for " Rí na Cruinne" #1999:

Grammy Awards of 1999 The 41st Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 24, 1999, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1998. Lauryn Hill received the most nominations with 10, setting a record for Grammy Award ...

, ''

Best New Age Album The Grammy Award for Best New Age Album is presented to recording artists for quality albums in the new-age music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several c ...

'' for "

" #2007:

Meteor Music Awards A Meteor Ireland Music Award was an accolade bestowed upon professionals in the music industry in Ireland and further afield. They had been bestowed each year since 2001, replacing the IRMA Ireland Music Awards held in the 1990s. Promoted by ...

, ''Lifetime Achievement Award'' #2014:

BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards celebrate outstanding achievement during the previous year within the field of folk music, with the aim of raising the profile of folk and acoustic music. The awards have been given annually since 2000 by British ra ...

, ''Lifetime Achievement Award'' Nominations #1982: 1982 BAFTA Awards, ''Best Television Music'' for "

" #1994:

Grammy Awards of 1994 The 36th Annual Grammy Awards were held on March 1, 1994. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Whitney Houston was the Big Winner winning 3 awards including Record of the Year and Album of the Year while opening th ...

, ''

'' for "

" #1996:

Grammy Awards of 1996 The 38th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 28, 1996, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. The awards recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Alanis Morissette was the main recipient, being awarded four trophies, in ...

, ''

'' for "

" #2009: Ireland's Music Awards, ''Best Revival Act''

References

External links

Official Clannad website
* * {{Authority control BAFTA winners (people) Celtic fusion groups Celtic rock groups Culture in Gweedore Family musical groups Grammy Award winners Irish folk musical groups Irish folk rock groups Ivor Novello Award winners Musical groups established in 1970 Musical groups from County Donegal RCA Records artists