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 The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedles ...

and won the All-Ireland Flute Championship at nineteen. Considered one of the most brilliant Irish musicians, his style that adapts piping techniques to the flute has influenced many contemporary Irish flute players. westport matt molloys

During the 1970s, Molloy was a member of

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 ...

and its successor, the re-founded

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, guit ...

. He joined

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 ...

in 1979, replacing

Michael Tubridy Michael "Mick" Tubridy (born 1935 at Kilrush, County Clare, Ireland) is an Irish musician, step dancer and structural engineer. Career In November 1962, he was a founder member of the traditional Irish music group, The Chieftains, with whom ...

. Over the course of his career, Molloy has worked with the

Irish Chamber Orchestra The Irish Chamber Orchestra (ICO) is an Irish classical music ensemble, administratively based at the University of Limerick. János Fürst founded the ICO in 1963. The ICO consisted only of strings as its regular ensemble for many years, adding w ...

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 ...

, Tommy Peoples,

Micheál Ó Súilleabháin Micheal is a masculine given name. It is sometimes an anglicized form of the Irish names Micheál, Mícheál and Michéal; or the Scottish Gaelic name Mìcheal. It is also a spelling variant of the common masculine given name '' Michael'', and is ...

and

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

. Molloy owns a pub on Bridge Street in Westport,

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the yew trees") is a county in Ireland. In the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Counci ...

where there are regular Irish music sessions.

Discography

;Solo Albums *''Matt Molloy with Donal Lunny'' (1976) *''Molloy, Brady, Peoples'' (1978) *''Contentment Is Wealth'' (1985) *''Heathery Breeze'' (1985) *''Stony Steps'' (1987) *''The Fire Aflame'' (1992) *''Music at Matt Molloy's'' (1993) *''Shadows on Stone'' (1996) *''The West Ocean String Quartet (with Matt Molloy):''The Guiding Moon (2007) *'' Pathway to the Well'' (2007)'' Matt Molloy, John Carty, Arty McGlynn'' * ''Back to the Island'' (2019) ;Contributing artist *'' H-Block (Compilation by Christy Moore)'' (1978 album) *'' The Rough Guide to Irish Music'' (1996)

References

External links

*
Matt Molloy's web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Molloy, Matt 1947 births 20th-century Irish people 21st-century Irish people Irish flautists Living people Musicians from County Mayo Musicians from County Roscommon People from County Roscommon The Chieftains members The Bothy Band members Planxty members Claddagh Records artists Green Linnet Records artists