Liam Óg O'Flynn ( ga, Liam Ó Floinn, 15 September 1945 – 14 March 2018) was an

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

uilleann piper and Irish traditional musician. In addition to a solo career and as a member 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 ...

, O'Flynn recorded with:

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, ...

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 ...

, Andy Irvine,

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", ...

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 ...

, the

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Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...

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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 ...

Enya 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 arti ...

and

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 ...

. O'Flynn was acknowledged as Ireland's foremost exponent of the

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

and brought the music of the instrument to a worldwide audience. In 2007, O'Flynn was named Musician of the Year at the TG4 Gradam Ceoil Awards, considered to be the foremost recognition given to traditional Irish musicians.

Early life

He was born 15 September 1945 in

Kill, County Kildare Kill () is a village and parish in County Kildare, Ireland near the county's border with Dublin beside the N7. Its population was recorded as 3,348 people in the 2016 census. Kill is the birthplace of the Fenian John Devoy as well as home to ...

, Ireland, to musical parents. His father, Liam, was a teacher and fiddle player. His mother, Maisie (née Scanlan), who came from a family of musicians from Clare, played and taught piano. From an early age, O'Flynn showed musical talent, and was encouraged to pursue his interest in the

by the piper Tom Armstrong. At the age of 11, he began taking classes with

Leo Rowsome Leo Rowsome (5 April 1903 - 20 September 1970) was the third generation of an unbroken line of uilleann pipers. He was a performer, manufacturer and teacher of the uilleann pipes throughout his life. Samuel Rowsome, Leo’s grandfather sent hi ...

. He was also influenced by Willie Clancy and

Séamus Ennis Séamus Ennis ( ga, Séamas Mac Aonghusa; 5 May 1919 – 5 October 1982) was an Irish musician, singer and Irish music collector. He was most noted for his uilleann pipe playing and was partly responsible for the revival of the instrument duri ...

. In the 1960s, he began to receive recognition of his talent, winning prizes at the Oireachtas Festival and the

Fleadh Cheoil The Fleadh Cheoil (; meaning "festival of music") is an Irish music festival run by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ), a non-profit organisation. The festival includes live music events as well as competition. Each year a single town or city ...

. During his early years, he was sometimes billed as Liam Óg Ó Flynn.

Music career

In 1972, O'Flynn co-founded the

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 ...

group

, alongside

, Andy Irvine and

and remained a member throughout the band's various incarnations. While

Seán Ó Riada Seán Ó Riada (; born John Reidy; 1 August 1931 – 3 October 1971), was an Irish composer and arranger of Irish traditional music. Through his incorporation of modern and traditional techniques he became the single most influential figur ...

and

The Chieftains The Chieftains are a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous wi ...

had reinvigorated Irish traditional instrumental music in an ensemble format during the 1960s, Planxty built on that foundation and took it one step further. They brought a punch and vitality to acoustic music that drew heavily on O'Flynn's piping virtuosity. As O'Flynn grew in his skill as a musician and as he began to meet pipers like Willie Clancy and Seamus Ennis, he became acutely aware of his position in the tradition of piping. His subsequent close friendship with Seamus Ennis (which started as a Master/pupil relationship) taught him that there was much more to being a piper than playing tunes. Liam noted: "Seamus Ennis gave me much more than a bag of notes." Following the break-up of Planxty in 1983, O'Flynn found work as a session musician with such prominent artists as the

Nigel Kennedy Nigel Kennedy (born 28 December 1956) is an English violinist and violist. His early career was primarily spent performing classical music, and he has since expanded into jazz, klezmer, and other music genres. Early life and background Kenn ...

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, and

. He also worked on film scores, including ''Kidnapped'' (1979) and '' A River Runs Through It'' (1992). He was adventurous enough to work with avant-garde composer

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, but his most natural alliance was with neo-romantic composer

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 ...

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 ...

were natural successors to the original Planxty, and one of its members,

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 ...

, who subsequently joined

, played with

' fiddler Seán Keane on O'Flynn's album, ''The Piper's Call'', which was performed in the 1999

Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...

season at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

. He also worked on projects with

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.

, mixing poetry with music. His name is mentioned in Christy Moore's song "Lisdoonvarna".

Death

O'Flynn died in Dublin on 14 March 2018 after a long illness.

Discography

;Solo albums * ''Liam O'Flynn'' (1988) * ''The Fine Art of Piping'' (1991) * ''

Out to an Other Side ''Out to an Other Side'' is the third solo album by master Uilleann pipes, uilleann piper and prominent Folk music of Ireland, Irish traditional musician Liam O'Flynn. Produced by Shaun Davey and recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, Irela ...

'' (1993) * ''

The Given Note ''The Given Note'' is the fourth solo album by master uilleann piper and prominent Irish traditional musician Liam O'Flynn. Produced by Shaun Davey and recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, the album was released in 1995. The title was ...

'' (1995) * ''

The Piper's Call ''The Piper's Call'' is the fifth solo album by master uilleann piper and prominent Irish traditional musician Liam O'Flynn. Produced by Arty McGlynn and Liam O'Flynn and recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, the album was released on C ...

'' (1999) ;With Christy Moore * '' Prosperous'' (1972) * '' Ordinary Man'' (1985) ;With Planxty * ''

'' (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'' (1974) * ''The Planxty Collection'' (1974, compilation) * '' After The Break'' (1979) * ''

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

'' (1980) * '' Words and Music'' (1983) * '' Planxty/Live 2004'' CD/DVD (2004) * '' Between the Jigs and the Reels: A Retrospective'' CD/DVD (2016) ;With Andy Irvine * ''Fifth Irish Folk Festival Compilation'' (1978) * '' Rainy Sundays... Windy Dreams'' (1980) * ''

Way Out Yonder (Andy Irvine album) ''Way Out Yonder'Andy Irvine – Way Out Yonder'', Andy Irvine AK-2, 2000. is an album by Andy Irvine, recorded between July and December 1999 and released in January 2000. It was co-produced by Irvine and Steve Cooney.Sleeve notes from ''A ...

'' (2000) * '' Changing Trains'' (2007) * '' Abocurragh'' (2010) * ''

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 Shaun Davey * '' The Brendan Voyage'' (1980) * '' The Pilgrim'' (1983) * ''

Granuaile Grace O'Malley ( – c. 1603), also known as Gráinne O'Malley ( ga, Gráinne Ní Mháille, ), was the head of the Ó Máille dynasty in the west of Ireland, and the daughter of Eóghan Dubhdara Ó Máille. In Irish folklore she is commonly k ...

'' (1985) * ''The Relief of Derry Symphony'' (1990) * ''May We Never Have to Say Goodbye'' (2006) * ''Voices from the Merry Cemetery'' (2010) ;With Kate Bush * ''

The Dreaming The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by his co ...

'' (1982) * ''

Hounds of Love ''Hounds of Love'' is the fifth studio album by English musician Kate Bush, released on 16 September 1985 by EMI Records. It was a commercial success and marked a return to the public eye for Bush after the relatively low sales of her previous ...

'' (1985) ;With Mark Knopfler * '' Cal'' (film soundtrack) (1984) * ''

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 ...

'' (1995) ;With Enya * ''

'' (1987) * '' The Celts'' (1987) * ''

Shepherd Moons ''Shepherd Moons'' is the third studio album by Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya, released on 4 November 1991 by WEA. After the unexpected critical and commercial success of her previous album ''Watermark'' (1988), Enya embarked on a w ...

'' (1991) ;With Seamus Heaney * '' The Poet & The Piper'' (2003) ;With other artists * ''The Rambles of Kitty'' compilation by

Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (; meaning "Society of the musicians of Ireland") is the primary Irish organisation dedicated to the promotion of the music, song, dance and the language of Ireland. The organisation was founded in 1951 and has pr ...

(1967) * '' Celtic Folkweave'' 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) * ''Kidnapped'' by

Vladimir Cosma Vladimir Cosma (born 13 April 1940) is a Romanian composer, conductor and violinist. He was born into a family of musicians. His father, Teodor Cosma, was a pianist and conductor, his mother a writer-composer, his uncle, Edgar Cosma, composer and ...

(1978) * '' Born Yesterday'' by the

(1985) * ''The Emigrant Suite'' by Charlie Lennon (1985) * ''Notes from my Mind'' by Séamus Connolly (1988) * ''Best of Irish Folk Festival'' (1988, compilation) * ''Best of Irish Folk Festival Vol 2'' (1989, compilation) * ''Jig in Style'' by Seán Keane (1990) * ''

Brand New Dance ''Brand New Dance'' is an album which Emmylou Harris released on October 16, 1990. Produced by Richard Bennett and Allan Reynolds, the album mixed a rather eclectic collection of covers, including Bruce Springsteen's "Tougher Than the Rest", and ...

'' by

(1990) * '' The Field'' (film soundtrack), by

Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 origi ...

(1990) * "My Special Child" by

(1991) * ''Bringing it all Back Home'' (1991, compilation) * ''Out of Court'' by Maire Casey & Chris Newman (1991) * ''No Dowry'' by Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill (1991) * ''A River Runs Through It'' (film soundtrack) by

Mark Isham Mark Ware Isham (born September 7, 1951) is an American musician and film composer. A trumpeter and keyboardist, Isham works in a variety of genres, including jazz and electronic. He is also a film composer, having worked on numerous films and t ...

(1992) * ''

'' by

(1992) * ''The Seville Suite'' by

Bill Whelan Bill Whelan (born 22 May 1950 in Limerick, Ireland) is an Irish composer and musician. He is best known for composing a piece for the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. The result, ''Riverdance'', was a seven-minute display of tradi ...

(1992) * ''Fire Aflame'' by

, Seán Keane, and Liam O'Flynn (1992) * ''Mercury Years'' by the Everly Brothers (1993, compilation) * ''Poiema" by

Michael Card Michael Card (born April 11, 1957) is an American, Christian singer-songwriter, musician, author, and radio host from Franklin, Tennessee. He is best known for his contributions in contemporary Christian music, which combine folk-style melod ...

(1994) * ''Idir Dhá Chomhairle (In Two Minds)'' by Aine Ui Cheallaigh (1995) * '' Voyager'' by

(1996) * ''Sult Compilation'' (1996) * ''We Wont go Home Till Morning'' by Brendan Begley (1997) * '' Kashmir: Symphonic Led Zeppelin'' by the

London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symphony ...

(1997) * ''Finisterres'' by

Dan Ar Braz Dan Ar Braz (; born Daniel Le Bras on 15 January 1949 in Quimper) is a Breton guitarist-singer-composer and the founder of L'Héritage des Celtes, a 50-piece Pan-Celt band. Leading guitarist in Celtic music, Dan Ar Braz has recorded as a solo ...

(1997) * ''With Friends Like These'' by James Keane (1998) * ''Os Amores Libres'' by Carlos Núñez (1999) * ''Bilbao Oo:Oh'' by Kepa Junkera (1999) * ''Speaking With Angels'' by

(2000) * ''Volume 3: Further in Time'' by Afro Celt Sound System (2001) * ''Journey: The Best of Dónal Lunny'' by

(2001) * ''

The Girls Won't Leave the Boys Alone ''The Girls Won't Leave the Boys Alone'' is an album by Cherish the Ladies released in 2001 on the Windham Hill label. The title reverses the lyrics "the boys won't leave the girls alone" from the Irish song " Belle of Belfast City/I'll Tell Me ...

'' by

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(2001) * ''To Shorten the Winter'' by

Tommy Sands Thomas Adrian Sands (born August 27, 1937) is an American pop music singer and actor. Working in show business as a child, Sands became an overnight sensation and instant teen idol when he appeared on ''Kraft Television Theater'' in January 19 ...

(2001) * '' The Blue Idol'' by Altan (2002) * ''

An Dealg Óir ''An Dealg Óir'' (meaning 'The Golden Thorn') is the fifth studio album from Irish singer Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin. The album was released on the Gael Linn label.

'' by

Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin Pádraigín Máire Ní Uallacháin () is an Irish singer-songwriter, academic, and former newsreader

(2002)

References

External links

* Liam O'Flynn (Allmusic)
Tools of the Trade (Tara Music)

Liam O'Flynn (Thistle Radio)

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Oflynn, Liam 1945 births 2018 deaths Irish uilleann pipers Irish tin whistle players Musicians from County Kildare Planxty members Claddagh Records artists

Early life

Music career

Death

Discography

See also

References

External links