Pioneering Irish traditional musician Dónal Lunny has died aged 79

LAST UPDATE | 1 hr ago

LEGENDARY IRISH TRADITIONAL musician Donal Lunny has died at the age of 79. 

A central figure in folk and traditional music since the 1960s, he was a founding member of a number of bands, including Planxty, Moving Hearts, LAPD and Usher’s Island.

Born in Tullamore, Co Offaly in 1947, Lunny’s family moved to Newbridge when he was five.

He joined his first band as a teenager, forming the Rakes of Kildare with his older brother Frank and neighbour Christy Moore, whom he remained friends with and collaborated with throughout his life.

He attended the National College of Art and Design, where he studied graphic design before devoting himself to music.

Best known for his bouzouki playing, Lunny also played guitar, bodhrán, mandolin, keyboards and synthesizer, as well as singing.

He first came to public attention in 1968 as a member of vocal harmony group Emmet Spiceland, when their single Mary from Dungloe went to number one in Ireland.

He co-founded Mulligan Records in 1975 and went on to produce 17 albums for the label.

Throughout his career, the multi-instrumentalist worked with artists such as U2, Kate Bush, Sinéad O’Connor, Elvis Costello and Van Morrison.

Tributes

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was deeply saddened to hear of Lunny’s death, describing him as “a colossus of Irish music”. 

“Uniquely gifted, Dónal carried traditional and folk music to new audiences through Planxty and his many other endeavours,” he said.

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said Lunny “helped shape the sound of Irish music for generations, bringing our rich musical heritage to audiences at home and around the world”.

She added: “His contribution to Irish music and culture will never be forgotten.”

The National Concert Hall said Lunny “helped redefine Irish traditional music, bringing new sounds to the tradition and inspiring generations of musicians”. 

A gifted musician, arranger and producer, he was admired for his creativity, collaborative spirit and enduring contribution to Irish music.

“Dónal performed at the NCH on many occasions, most recently in 2023 for Drawing from the Well: Tommy Peoples, presented in partnership with the Irish Traditional Music Archive,” the statement continued. 

“The Board and staff of the National Concert Hall extend their deepest sympathies to Dónal’s family, friends, collaborators and the wider musical community.”

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Shona McCarthy, director of the Arts Council, said Lunny’s championing of Irish traditional music “was instrumental in bringing the artform to the fore”.

“Donal was a trailblazer, inspiring generations of musicians and expertly balancing tradition and reinvention. He was a talented and passionate artist, and on behalf of the Arts Council I would like to extend my most sincere sympathies to all those who knew him personally or were inspired by his work.”

In a post on Instagram, the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) said it was “deeply saddened” to hear of his death. 

“As a musician, arranger and producer, Dónal opened new harmonic and rhythmic possibilities in our melody tradition.

“Through Planxty, The Bothy Band, Moving Hearts and a lifetime of collaboration, his imagination helped shape the sound of Irish music over more than half a century.”

It said his musical life was founded on creativity, friendship and collaboration, adding that his work with the likes of Christy Moore, Andy Irvine, Liam O’Flynn and Paddy Glackin “places him at the heart of some of the most important developments in Irish music of the modern era”. 

TradFest said it learned of Lunny’s death with great sadness.

“Few people have shaped Irish music the way Dónal did,” it said in a statement. 

“From Planxty and The Bothy Band to Moving Hearts, and through decades of producing and playing alongside the finest musicians in the country, he changed how the tradition sounded and how far it travelled.”

Last year, Lunny received the lifetime achievement award at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards. 

Christy Moore presented him with the award. “I’ve known Dónal Lunny for 66 years,” he said.

“I met him first in 1959 in school, and what I remember most from those years were his lack of homework, that he was more interested in being out on the Liffey trying to tickle trout, or climbing trees to gaze into the wild birds’ nests.”

In Time: Dónal Lunny, a feature-length documentary exploring his life and career, was also released last year. 

A prefatory text appears on the screen at the outset of the documentary stating that in March 2024, during the making of the film, Lunny became seriously ill. 

He performed alongside fiddler Zoë Conway during the Fleadh Cheoil festival in Belfast in August. 

Lunny is survived by his family, including his children Oisín Lunny, Cora Venus Lunny and Sora Chan. 

His son Shane O’Connor died in 2022 at the age of 17. Shane’s mother, singer Sinéad O’Connor, died in 2023.