The Duggans ( ga, Na DúgáinÃ) were an Irish musical duo from
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 ...
, Ireland.
The twin brothers Noel Duggan and Pádraig Duggan ( ga, Ó Dúgáin) came to prominence in the 1970s with the folk group
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 ...
, and took a ten-year break after winning 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 ...
for their 1998 album ''
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 ...
''. They later toured extensively with their band Norland Wind. They were identified and introduced to television by
Tony MacMahon
Tony MacMahon (18 April 1939 – 8 October 2021) was an Irish button accordion player and radio and television broadcaster.
MacMahon's chief early inspiration, accordionist Joe Cooley, was a frequent caller at the MacMahon home in Ennis, Co. Cla ...
, and in 2005 released their first studio 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 ...
'', which featured
Moya Brennan
Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Nà 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 ...
,
Finbar Furey
Finbar Furey (born 28 September 1946) is a multi-instrumental Irish folk musician, best known for his band of brothers, The Fureys. The Fureys were formed in Ballyfermot, Dublin, where they grew up.
Early life
Finbar Furey was born on 28 Septe ...
and
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 ...
among others. It was met with critical acclaim and sold well throughout Ireland. Pádraig Duggan died in 2016 and Noel Duggan died in 2022.
Members
Twins Pádraig and Noel Duggan were born Ó Dúgáin on 23 January 1949 in Gweedore, County Donegal. They were the youngest of seven and their older sister, Baba, married
Leo Brennan
Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól Brennan, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles The Duggans, Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout t ...
who bought a pub, Innod Jack, which they helped to renovate and reopen as
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.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 ...
and they used a
tape recorder
An audio tape recorder, also known as a tape deck, tape player or tape machine or simply a tape recorder, is a sound recording and reproduction device that records and plays back sounds usually using magnetic tape for storage. In its present- ...
to collect old Irish songs from elderly people in their village and on
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 ...
along with self-penned songs in English. The album features long-time collaborators Thomas Loefke and Kerstin Blodig of Norland Wind fame,
Moya Brennan
Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Nà 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 ...
,
BrÃdÃn Brennan
BrÃdÃn Nà Bhraonáin, professionally known as BrÃdÃn Brennan, is an Irish pop singer from Dobhar (Dore), Gweedore, County Donegal. She is the sister of Enya, Moya and Pól Brennan, and has also toured with family-band Clannad.
Her precise ...
and Celtic Woman's
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 ...
.
Discography
Albums
* ''
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 ...