bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top 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 othe ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

LAPD The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...

Irish traditional music Irish traditional music (also known as Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants) is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland. In ''A History of Irish Music'' (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that, in Gaelic Ireland, there w ...

Manus Lunny Manus Lunny (born 1962) is an Irish producer and multi-instrumentalist from County Donegal, Ireland, best known as a member of Celtic supergroup Capercaillie. He is the brother of multi-instrumentalist and producer Dónal Lunny. He had a son, Shane, with singer-songwriter

Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want What ...

; Shane was found dead on 7 January 2022, aged 17.

Early life

Lunny was born on 10 March 1947 in

Tullamore Tullamore (; ) is the county town of County Offaly in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is on the Grand Canal (Ireland), Grand Canal, in the middle of the county, and is the fourth most populous town in the Midland Region, Ireland, midlands reg ...

. His father Frank was from

Enniskillen Enniskillen ( , from ga, Inis Ceithleann , 'Cethlenn, Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of ...

in

County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of 1,691 km2 (653 sq mi) and has a population of 61,805 a ...

and his mother, Mary Rogers, came from

Ranafast Ranafast or Rinnafarset, officially only known by its Irish name Rann na Feirste () is a Gaeltacht village and townland in the Rosses region of northwest County Donegal, Ireland. Name Ranafast, or sometimes Rannafast or Rinnafarset, is the angl ...

in

The Rosses The Rosses (officially known by its Irish language name, ''Na Rosa''; in the genitive case ''Na Rosann'') is a geographical and social region in the west of County Donegal, Ireland, with a population of over 7,000 centred on the town of Dungloe, ...

in

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 ...

; they raised four boys and five girls. The family moved to Newbridge in

County Kildare County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, ...

when Dónal was five years old. He attended secondary school at

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 ...

and in 1963 joined the Patrician Brothers' school for the Intermediate Certificate year. As a teenager, Lunny joined an occasional trio called Rakes of Kildare with his elder brother Frank and

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, ...

. They played mostly in pubs and were also booked for a couple of gigs, one at Hugh Neeson's pub in Newbridge for Easter Monday 1966. In 1965, Lunny enrolled at Dublin's

National College of Art & Design The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is Ireland's oldest art institution, offering the largest range of art and design degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the country. Originating as a drawing school in 1746, many of th ...

where he studied Basic Design and Graphic Design. He also developed an interest in metalwork leading him to become a skilled gold- and silversmith, although he only practised the craft for a short time before devoting his energies fully to music. During his time in Dublin, he played in a band called The Parnell Folk, with Mick Moloney, Sean Corcoran, Johnny Morrissey and Dan Maher.

Performing career

Emmet Spiceland

Later he formed the group Emmet Folk, which also included Mick Moloney and Brian Bolger, and they started a club at 95 Harcourt Street called The 95 Club. "At that time, we'd reached the stage where we had our own repertoire and ... developing urown identity rather than just singing everybody's songs. We were taken quite seriously." Eventually, Lunny and Bolger joined forces with brothers Brian and Mick Byrne from Spiceland Folk to form

Emmet Spiceland Emmet Spiceland was an Irish folk band formed when brothers Brian Byrne and Michael Byrne of the Spiceland Folk Group joined forces with Dónal Lunny, Brian Bolger and Mick Moloney's Emmet Folk Group. Emmet Spiceland hold a special place in ...

, which continued as a trio after Bolger resigned. Their debut album, ''The First'', was released in 1968. As a vocal harmony group, they had a number 1 hit in Ireland with the single Mary from Dungloe, which had earlier been popularised in Dublin's folk clubs by Lunny and his Emmet Folk group partner Mick Moloney.

Duo with Andy Irvine

In 1970, Lunny formed a musical partnership with Andy Irvine—who had returned from his travels in

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...

—after an initial gig at a party for the Irish-Soviet Union Friendship conference organised by

Seán Mac Réamoinn __NOTOC__ Seán Mac Réamoinn (27 November 1921 – 17 January 2007) was an Irish people, Irish journalist and broadcaster. He took a deep interest in Irish culture and language and religious affairs. Mac Réamoinn was born in Birmingham, the thi ...

. They created their own club night downstairs at Slattery's pub in Capel Street, Dublin, which they called 'The Mug's Gig'. This featured Irvine and Lunny, and guest performers such as

Ronnie Drew Joseph Ronald Drew (16 September 1934 – 16 August 2008) was an Irish people, Irish singer, folk musician and actor who achieved international fame during a fifty-year career recording with The Dubliners. He is most recognised for his lead voc ...

,

Mellow Candle Mellow Candle were a progressive folk rock band. Principally Irish, the members were also young, Clodagh Simonds being only 15 and Alison Bools (later O'Donnell) and Maria White 16, and still at school, at the time of their first single, "Fee ...

and the group Supply, Demand & Curve.

Clodagh Simonds Clodagh Simonds ( ; born 16 May 1953) is an Irish musician, songwriter and singer. She was born in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland and raised and educated in Killiney, County Dublin. Biography At the age of eleven, she formed her fi ...

, who co-founded Mellow Candle with Alison O'Donnell in 1963, recalls:

Planxty

In 1971, Lunny and Irvine, plus

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 ...

, played on Moore's second album, '' Prosperous'', which led them to form

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 ...

. Their first professional performance took place in Slattery's in early 1972. The band became a leading proponent of Irish traditional instrumental music.

Celtic Folkweave

In 1974, Lunny produced and performed on the album ''

Celtic Folkweave ''Celtic Folkweave'' is a studio album by Mick Hanly and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, released in 1974 by Polydor Records. Considered a seminal album in the traditional Irish music genre, the musicians involved in the recording would go on to found som ...

'' by

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, ...

and

Mícheál Ó Domhnaill Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (; 7 October 1951 – 7 July 2006) was an Irish singer, guitarist, composer, and producer who was a major influence on Irish traditional music in the second half of the twentieth century. He is remembered for his innovativ ...

, who had been supporting Planxty on tour. Hanly, Ó'Domhnaill, and Lunny were supported in the studio by O'Flynn on uilleann pipes and whistle,

Matt Molloy Matt Molloy (born 12 January 1947) is an Irish musician, from a region known for producing talented flautists. As a child, he began playing the flute and won the All-Ireland Flute Championship at nineteen. Considered one of the most brilliant ...

on flute,

Tommy Peoples Tommy Peoples (20 September 1948 – 4 August 2018) was an Irish fiddler who played in the Donegal fiddle tradition. Biography Peoples was born near St. Johnston, County Donegal, Ireland. He was a member of traditional Irish music groups, i ...

on fiddle, and

Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill is an Irish traditional singer, keyboard player, and composer, considered one of the most influential female vocalists in the history of Irish music. She is famed for her work with traditional Irish groups such as Skara ...

on harpsichord. These were players who would join Lunny in forming

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 ...

.

The Bothy Band

Lunny left Planxty to form The Bothy Band in 1974, playing guitar and

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

. The Bothy Band quickly became one of the prominent bands performing Irish traditional music. Their enthusiasm and musical virtuosity had a significant influence on the Irish traditional music movement that continued well after they disbanded in 1979.

Moving Hearts

After the Bothy Band disbanded, Lunny became a session musician on various projects, including ''Davey and Morris'', the first album to feature Shaun Davey. In 1981, Lunny reunited with Moore to form

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 ...

, along with a young

uilleann piper 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 their ...

,

Davy Spillane Davy Spillane (born 1959 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish musician, songwriter and a player of uilleann pipes and low whistle. Biography Irish music At the age of 12, Spillane started playing the uilleann pipes. His father encouraged him an ...

. Following the example of the group

Horslips Horslips are an Irish Celtic rock band that compose, arrange and perform songs frequently inspired by traditional Irish airs, jigs and Reel (dance), reels. The group are regarded as 'founding fathers of Celtic rock' for their fusion of tradit ...

, Moving Hearts combined Irish traditional music with rock and roll, and also added elements of jazz to their sound. The group disbanded in 1985. In February 2007, Moving Hearts reunited for a concert in Dublin. In 2008 and 2009, the group performed again in several concerts in Ireland and the United States.

Coolfin

In 1987, Lunny recorded a solo album titled ''Dónal Lunny'' (Gael-Linn 1987), which included many guest musicians playing his music and arrangements. In 1998, he produced a similar group project album titled ''Coolfin''.

Mozaik

From 2002 onwards, Lunny and Andy Irvine founded a multicultural band called Mozaik, with

Bruce Molsky Bruce C. Molsky (born 1955, New York City) is an American fiddler, banjo player, guitarist, and singer. He primarily performs old-time music of the Appalachian region. Early years As a young man, Molsky first became interested in blues music, but ...

, Nikola Parov and Rens van der Zalm. Mozaik have performed worldwide and recorded two albums to date. Dónal Lunny Bristol 2012

LAPD

On 20 January 2012, Lunny appeared on stage with

LAPD The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...

, the latest grouping of players from Planxty; the moniker 'LAPD' is made up from the first name initials of Liam O'Flynn, Andy Irvine,

Paddy Glackin Paddy Glackin (born 5 August 1954) is an Irish fiddler and founding member of the Bothy Band. He is considered one of Ireland's leading traditional fiddle players. Biography Paddy Glackin was born on 5 August 1954 in Clontarf, Dublin. His father ...

and Dónal Lunny. After a series of occasional concerts, LAPD disbanded, their last gig taking place on Saturday 26 October 2013."Andy Irvine is still going strong in his seventies" in Irish Examiner, 5 February 2015.
Retrieved on 1 March 2015.
Retrieved on 8 July 2016.

Usher's Island

On 27 January 2015 Lunny's latest musical association performed at Celtic Connections 2015 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 ...

. Called Usher's Island (a reference to the Dublin quay where

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

's story The Dead is set), it morphed from LAPD and comprises Lunny, Irvine and Glackin, plus

Michael McGoldrick Michael McGoldrick (born 26 November 1971, in Manchester, England) is a folk musician who plays Irish flute, uilleann pipes, low whistle and bodhran. He also plays other instruments such as acoustic guitar, cittern, and mandolin. Bands McGo ...

(uilleann pipes, flute and whistle) and John Doyle (guitar).Usher's Island (December 2014).
Page at Andy Irvine's website. Retrieved 12 June 2016''Celtic Connections: Usher's Island at Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow''.
Live Review by Rob Adams in ''The Herald Scotland'', Wednesday 28 January 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2016

Trio with Zoë Conway & Máirtín O'Connor

Lunny continues to contribute to contemporary music in Ireland: as well as touring with many musicians (including Andy Irvine,

Paddy Glackin Paddy Glackin (born 5 August 1954) is an Irish fiddler and founding member of the Bothy Band. He is considered one of Ireland's leading traditional fiddle players. Biography Paddy Glackin was born on 5 August 1954 in Clontarf, Dublin. His father ...

,

Michael McGoldrick Michael McGoldrick (born 26 November 1971, in Manchester, England) is a folk musician who plays Irish flute, uilleann pipes, low whistle and bodhran. He also plays other instruments such as acoustic guitar, cittern, and mandolin. Bands McGo ...

,

Paul Brady Paul Joseph Brady (born 19 May 1947) is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician from Strabane, Northern Ireland. His work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age. Initially popular for playing ...

and Kevin Burke). In September 2016 he formed a trio with

Zoë Conway Zoë Conway is an Irish violinist, trained in both classical music and traditional fiddle-playing. She is married to fellow Irish traditional musician John McIntyre. Early life Born in Dundalk in 1981, attended St Louis Secondary School, Du ...

and

Máirtín O'Connor Máirtín O'Connor is an Irish button accordionist from Galway, Ireland, who began playing at the age of nine, and whose career has seen him as a member of many traditional music groups that include Skylark, Midnight Well, De Dannan, and T ...

.

Production career

When Moving Hearts broke up in 1985, Lunny diversified and became a producer. He had already produced a 45rpm single for

Skid Row A skid row or skid road is an impoverished area, typically urban, in English-speaking North America whose inhabitants are mostly poor people " on the skids". This specifically refers to poor or homeless, considered disreputable, downtrodden or fo ...

(featuring 17-year-old

Gary Moore Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 19526 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career he played in various groups and performed a range of music including blues, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and jazz ...

) and, in 1975, the album ''A Silk Purse'' for electric folk band Spud, managed by

Paul McGuinness Paul McGuinness (born 16 June 1951) is the founder of ''Principle Management Limited'', a popular music act management company based in Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland. He was the manager of the rock band U2 from 1978 to 2013. Early life ...

. He was closely involved in the establishment of a new Irish record label, Mulligan Records (acquired in 2008 by

Compass Records Compass Records is an independent record label founded in 1995 by musicians Garry West and Alison Brown that specializes in folk music, folk, bluegrass music, bluegrass, Celtic music, Celtic, jazz, and acoustic music. In 2006, Compass purchased t ...

), and produced and played on many of its early releases, the first of which was from Pumpkinhead. He played on several

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, ...

albums, and was a producer and session musician on

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights", ...

albums. He played bouzouki and bodhrán on

Shaun Davey Shaun Davey (born 18 January 1948) is an Irish composer. Early years Shaun Davey was born in Belfast in 1948 and attended Rockport School in County Down. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin in the history of Art in 1971. He then took a ...

's ''Granuaile'', and fiddle on

Midnight Well Midnight Well are a foursome consisting of Thom Moore, Janie Cribbs, Gerry O'Beirne and Máirtín O'Connor, Mairtín Ó Connor. They were formed in the mid-seventies and issued one, self-titled, album in 1977. Prior to the Sligo Live Festival app ...

's ''Saw you running''. He composed the soundtracks for the Turkish film, ''Teardrops'', and the Irish film ''

Eat the Peach ''Eat the Peach'' is a 1986 Irish comedy film, directed by Peter Ormrod. The title derives from the T. S. Eliot poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." It was written by Peter Ormrod with John Kelleher. Filming ''Eat The Peach'' was filme ...

''. He also played on the soundtracks of the film ''

This Is My Father ''This Is My Father'' is a 1998 film directed by Paul Quinn. Plot The film portrays a tragic love story set in late 1930s Ireland, focusing on the relationship between Fiona Flynn ( Moya Farrelly), a beautiful, feisty seventeen-year-old from a m ...

'' and the TV program ''The River of Sound''. In 1989 he contributed synthesizer on

Mary Black Mary Black (born 23 May 1955) is an Irish folk singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both traditional folk and modern material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland. Background Mary Black was born into a m ...

's breakthrough album ''

No Frontiers ''No Frontiers'' is an album by Irish singer Mary Black. The album was one of Ireland's best selling albums of 1989 and introduced her to audiences elsewhere in Europe and in the United States and Japan. The album spent 56 weeks in the Irish Top ...

''. He was the producer and music director of the soundtrack of ''Bringing It All Back Home'', a

BBC television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...

documentary series charting the influence of

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 ...

throughout the world. He played on or produced albums for

Paul Brady Paul Joseph Brady (born 19 May 1947) is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician from Strabane, Northern Ireland. His work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age. Initially popular for playing ...

,

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

,

Indigo Girls Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo from Atlanta, Georgia, United States, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. The two met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part o ...

,

Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want What ...

,

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 ...

, Maurice Lennon,

Baaba Maal Baaba Maal ( ff, 𞤄𞤢𞥄𞤦𞤢 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤, italics=no, born 13 June 1953) is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several al ...

, and Five Guys Named Moe. He played on compilation albums ''The Gathering'' (1981) and ''Common Ground'' (1996). In 1994 he produced Irish Australian singer/songwriter Mairéid Sullivan's first recording, ''Dancer''. He pushed new boundaries with his band ''Coolfin'' (1998) which included the work of

uilleann pipe 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 their ...

r John McSherry. He appeared at the 2000

Cambridge Folk Festival The Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual music festival, established in 1965, held on the site of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Cambridge, England. The festival is known for its eclectic mix of ...

, and the album that commemorated it. In 2001 Lunny collaborated with

Frank Harte Frank Harte (14 May 1933 – 27 June 2005) was a traditional Irish singer, song collector, architect and lecturer. He was born in Chapelizod, County Dublin, and raised in Dublin. His father, Peter Harte, who had moved from a farming backgroun ...

on the album ''My Name is Napoleon Bonaparte''. He produced the album ''Human Child'' (2007) by Faeroese

Eivør Pálsdóttir Eivor, Eivør or Øyvor is a female given name in the Nordic countries. In Sweden, 4,922 people bear the name. The average age is 78. The name perhaps originated from either the Proto-Norse word ''auja'', which is thought to mean "good luck", o ...

, which is published in two versions, one English and one Faeroese. As an arranger, he has worked for

The Waterboys The Waterboys are a folk rock band formed in Edinburgh in 1983 by Scottish musician Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained ...

,

Fairground Attraction Fairground Attraction were a London based folk and soft rock band. They are notable for the 1988 hit songs " Perfect" and "Find My Love", both taken from the group's multi-platinum selling debut album, ''The First of a Million Kisses''. The ban ...

and

Eddi Reader Sadenia "Eddi" Reader MBE (born 29 August 1959) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as frontwoman of Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career. She is the recipient of three BRIT Awards. In 2003, she showcased the wo ...

. ''Journey'' (2000) is a retrospective album. During 2003–2005, Lunny was part of the reunited Planxty concert tour. He also produced

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 ...

's album entitled ''

Hey-Ho Believe ''Hey-Ho Believe'' is the fourth album by Irish singer/songwriter Jimmy MacCarthy. It was released on November 12, 2010, through his own label Ride On Records, the same label used for the previous album ''The Moment''. The track listing was anno ...

'', which was released on 12 November 2010.

Influence

Dónal Lunny can claim popularising the

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

in the Irish music sphere after being given an instrument by Andy Irvine, who was himself introduced to the instrument by

Johnny Moynihan John Moynihan (born 29 October 1946, Phibsboro) is an Irish folk singer, based in Dublin. He is often credited with introducing the bouzouki into Irish music in the mid-1960s. Music career Sweeney's Men Known as "The Bard of Dalymount", he w ...

in the early days of

Sweeney's Men Sweeney's Men was an Irish traditional band. They emerged from the mid-1960s Irish roots revival, along with groups such as The Dubliners and the Clancy Brothers. The founding line-up in May 1966 was Johnny Moynihan, Andy Irvine and "Galway J ...

. Lunny ordered a custom-built bouzouki from English luthier Peter Abnett, with a flat back instead of a traditional Greek rounded back. He also invented an acoustic drum kit designed to fill the need for a bass/percussion instrument in Irish traditional music. The process of building and developing the instrument was featured on his 2010–2011

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 ...

series ''Lorg Lunny''.

Discography

;Solo albums * ''Dónal Lunny'' (1987), Gael-Linn, CEFCD133 * ''Coolfin'' (1998) * ''Journey: The Best of Dónal Lunny'' (2001) ;With Christy Moore * '' Prosperous'' (1972) * ''

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) * ''

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 ...

'' (1976) * '' Live in Dublin'' (1978) * ''AntiNuclear'' (1979), on "People Will Die" and "Trip to Cransore" * ''H-Block'' (1980) * ''Christy Moore and Friends'' (1981) * ''The Time Has Come'' (1983) * '' Ride On'' (1984) * ''The Spirit of Freedom'' (1985) * '' Ordinary Man'' (1985) * ''Unfinished Revolution'' (1987) * ''Voyage'' (1989) ;With Planxty * ''

Planxty (album) ''Planxty'' is the first album by the Irish folk group Planxty, recorded in London during early September 1972 and released in early 1973. Overview Because of its dark cover, ''Planxty'' is sometimes referred to as "the black album." Author L ...

'' (1973) * ''

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 ''Cold Blow and the Rainy Night'' is the third album by the Irish folk group Planxty. It was recorded in Sarm Studios, Whitechapel, London during August 1974 and released the same year. It takes its title from the third song on the album, "Cold ...

'' (1974) * '' After The Break'' (1979, 1992) * ''

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, 1992) * "Timedance" (1981), 12" single * '' Words & Music'' (1983) * ''Arís!'' (1984) * '' Live 2004'' CD/DVD (2004) * '' Between the Jigs and the Reels: A Retrospective'' CD/DVD (2016) ;With Andy Irvine and Paul Brady * '' Andy Irvine/Paul Brady'' (1976) * ''

Welcome Here Kind Stranger ''Welcome Here Kind Stranger'' is a 1978 in music, 1978 album by Paul Brady. After leaving The Johnstons, Brady toured with Planxty until they disbanded in 1975, and recorded a duo album with Andy Irvine (musician), Andy Irvine in 1976. ''Welcome ...

'' (1978) * ''

Andy Irvine/70th Birthday Concert at Vicar St 2012 ''Andy Irvine/70th Birthday Concert at Vicar St 2012''
Retrieved on 1 March 2015 is a live recordi ...

'' (2014) ;With Mozaik * '' Live from the Powerhouse'' (2004) * ''

Changing Trains ''Changing Trains'Mozaik – Changing Trains'', Compass Records 744682, 2007. is the first studio album recorded by Andy Irvine & Dónal Lunny's Mozaik, Mozaik in Budapest during November 2005, and for which they had rehearsed new material a f ...

'' (2007) * ''The Long And The Short Of It'' (2019) ;With Usher's Island * ''Usher's Island'' (2017) ;With the Bothy Band * ''1975'' (1975) * ''Old Hag You Have Killed Me'' (1976) * ''Out of the Wind, Into the Sun'' (1977, 1985) * ''Afterhours (Live in Paris)'' (1978, 1984) * ''Live in Concert'' (1994) ;With Moving Hearts * ''

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 ...

'' (1982) * ''

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 M ...

'' (1982) * '' Live Hearts'' (1984) * '' The Storm'' (1985) * '' Live in Dublin'' (2008) ;With other artists * ''

Celtic Folkweave ''Celtic Folkweave'' is a studio album by Mick Hanly and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, released in 1974 by Polydor Records. Considered a seminal album in the traditional Irish music genre, the musicians involved in the recording would go on to found som ...

'' by Mick Hanly and

Mícheál Ó Domhnaill Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (; 7 October 1951 – 7 July 2006) was an Irish singer, guitarist, composer, and producer who was a major influence on Irish traditional music in the second half of the twentieth century. He is remembered for his innovativ ...

(1974) * ''

Patrick Street Patrick Street is an Irish folk group founded by Kevin Burke (formerly of The Bothy Band) on fiddle, Andy Irvine (Sweeney's Men, Planxty) on mandolin, bouzouki, harmonica and vocals, Jackie Daly (De Dannan) on button accordion, and Arty McGl ...

'' by

Patrick Street Patrick Street is an Irish folk group founded by Kevin Burke (formerly of The Bothy Band) on fiddle, Andy Irvine (Sweeney's Men, Planxty) on mandolin, bouzouki, harmonica and vocals, Jackie Daly (De Dannan) on button accordion, and Arty McGl ...

(1986) (Green Linnet, GLCD1071) * '' Altan'' by

Frankie Kennedy Frankie Kennedy (30 September 1955 – 19 September 1994) was a flute and tin whistle player born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was also the co-founder of the band Altan, formed with his wife Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh. The popular ''Frankie Ken ...

and

Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh (; born 26 July 1959) is an Irish fiddler and the lead vocalist for the Irish folk music band Altan, which she co-founded with her late husband Frankie Kennedy in 1987. Today, Mairéad is recognised as a leading exponent ...

(1987), Green Linnet, GLCD 1078 * '' The Rough Guide to Irish Music'' (1996) * ''

Idir an Dá Sholas ''Idir an Dá Sholas'' (''Between the Two Lights'') is a music album by Irish musicians Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill and Dónal Lunny. It was released worldwide in 1999. Track listing #"Spanish Lady" #"Liostail Mé le Sáirsi ...

by Maighread & Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (1999) * ''Marginal Moon'' by

Soul Flower Union Soul Flower Union, also known as SFU, is a Japanese musical group that incorporates Asian styles and world music styles into a rock and roll band. They are known for their blend of psychedelic, rock, Okinawan music, Celtic music, chindon (a kind ...

(1999) (Japanese release) * ''

Hey-Ho Believe ''Hey-Ho Believe'' is the fourth album by Irish singer/songwriter Jimmy MacCarthy. It was released on November 12, 2010, through his own label Ride On Records, the same label used for the previous album ''The Moment''. The track listing was anno ...

'' by Jimmy MacCarthy ;Guest appearances * ''Midnight Well'' by

Midnight Well Midnight Well are a foursome consisting of Thom Moore, Janie Cribbs, Gerry O'Beirne and Máirtín O'Connor, Mairtín Ó Connor. They were formed in the mid-seventies and issued one, self-titled, album in 1977. Prior to the Sligo Live Festival app ...

(1976), Mulligan * " Night of the Swallow" by

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights", ...

(1981) * ''

No Frontiers ''No Frontiers'' is an album by Irish singer Mary Black. The album was one of Ireland's best selling albums of 1989 and introduced her to audiences elsewhere in Europe and in the United States and Japan. The album spent 56 weeks in the Irish Top ...

'' by

Mary Black Mary Black (born 23 May 1955) is an Irish folk singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both traditional folk and modern material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland. Background Mary Black was born into a m ...

(1989), Dara * ''

Golden Heart ''Golden Heart'' is the debut solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 26 March 1996 by Vertigo Records internationally and Warner Bros. Records in the United States. Following a successful career l ...

'' by

Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler (born 12 August 1949) is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Born in Scotland and raised in England, he was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits. He pursued a s ...

(1996) * ''

Sean-Nós Nua ''Sean-Nós Nua'' is the sixth studio album by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor, released on 8 October 2002, by Vanguard Records. It consists of traditional Irish songs, the title meaning "new old-style" and also referring to the popular style of tr ...

'' by

Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want What ...

(2002), Hummingbird Records * ''Tráthnona Beag Areir'' by Albert Fry (2008), Gael Linn * ''

Imeall ''Imeall'' (Irish Gaelic for "''Edge''", "''Rim''", "''Threshold''") is Irish musician Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh's debut (and to date only) solo album, self-produced on her own label "Moon" and released physically as a (numbered) limited edition in ...

'' by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh (2008), Moon * ''

Ceol Cheann Dubhrann ''Ceol Cheann Dubhrann'' is an album supporting Scoil Naisiúnta Rann na Feirste, a National school and Áislann Rann na Feirste, a community centre in Ranafast in the Gaeltacht of County Donegal, Ireland. The album was recorded, mixed, produced ...

'' by various artists (2009)

Filmography

* ''Planxty Live 2004'' (2004), DVD * ''The

Transatlantic Sessions Transatlantic Sessions is the collective title for a series of musical productions by Glasgow-based Pelicula Films Ltd, funded by- and produced for BBC Scotland, BBC Four and RTÉ of Ireland. The productions comprise collaborative live performan ...

Series 3'' (2007), DVD * ''Moving Hearts Live in Dublin'' (2008), DVD * ''Andy Irvine 70th Birthday Concert at Vicar St 2012'' (2014), DVD *
Mozaik on Tour 2014
' (2014), YouTube video

References

External links

Dónal Lunny
at

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lunny, Donal 1947 births Living people 20th-century Irish people 21st-century Irish people Aosdána members Bodhrán players Irish bouzouki players Irish folk musicians Irish guitarists Irish male guitarists Moving Hearts members Mozaik members Musicians from County Offaly People educated at Newbridge College People from Tullamore, County Offaly Planxty members The Bothy Band members Usher's Island (band) members