Welcome to our regular music and entertainment guide, brought to you by Paddy McCarthy for your reading enjoyment.
I am so proud to bring you the history of one of Irelands greatest musical family group Clannad who are now on a farewell tour of North America that you shouldn’t miss. The Farewell Tour begins on September 7 in Alexandria, VA and ends October 9 in Seattle, WA.
Before I give you the tour and I am so overwhelmed with happiness to be talking to him. The reason
I have been a fan myself dating back to the 1970s and I am so overwhelmed with happiness to have just had a chat over the phone with Pól Brennan, one of the founding members prior to this historic North American tour. Pól, who now lives in Kilkenny, was telling me that of the himself and the family are from Gweendore, County Donegal, Ireland.
I asked him how it all started with the family playing in the band and he said that since they just grew up together, it was very easy for them as all the instruments were there available to them.
His dad had a music bar and a lot of instruments around as he also was playing in a band, they’d just pick them up and start playing. They were all classically trained on piano, guitars and other instruments. Pól himself can play multiple instruments, including guitar, flute and he also provides vocals.
He did play a vital role in shaping the band’s sound and musical direction during their formative years. Pól left Clannad in the late 1980s to pursued a solo career and released several albums showcasing his talents as a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
I asked him about the Farewell Tour and they originally were to do it just before the Covid pandemic started so that put a stop to everything that was planned as it was to be a world tour.
The Farewell tour of North America begins in September and finishes in early October and he told me they had to disappoint many other states in North America and Canada as they just could not do them all. He said they are very humbled with the reaction that they have received; they will not be doing another tour as this is the last one, but they will do special one off shows but again no more touring.
Clannad is an Irish folk band from Gweedore, County Donegal. The band was formed in the early 1970s and became highly influential in the realm of traditional Irish music and Celtic folk music. They started as a family band comprising siblings Moya Brennan (vocals, harp), Ciarán Brennan (bass, guitar, vocals, keyboards), Pól Brennan (guitar, flute, vocals), and their twin uncles Noel Duggan (guitar, vocals) and Pádraig Duggan (mandolin, guitar, vocals).
The Brennans are Ireland’s most successful music family; in 2005, the combined record sales of Clannad and Enya exceeded 70 million. Leo Brennan (born Leo Henry Brennan-Hardin) and Máire “Baba” Duggan (born 1930) are the parents of the Brennan siblings Máire (or Moya), Leon (died 2021), Ciarán, Deirdre, Pól, Olive, Eithne (or Enya), Bartley and Brídín. Brennan was a musician who played in an Irish showband, the Slieve Foy, and Duggan was an amateur musician who taught music at Gweedore Community School and lead the local choir, Cór Mhuire Doire Beaga.
The family lived in Dore, a parish in Gweedore, Donegal. In 1968, the pair bought Leo’s Tavern in Meenaleck for £1,500.
Their early music focused on traditional Irish folk songs and instruments, but as time passed, they began incorporating modern elements and international influences into their sound.
They are known for their hauntingly beautiful vocal harmonies, atmospheric arrangements, and skilled musicianship. In the 1980s, Clannad gained international recognition when they recorded the theme song for the British television series “Harry’s Game.” The song became a commercial success and introduced their music to a wider audience.
Throughout their career, Clannad released numerous albums, and their 1982 album Magical Ring and 1984 album Legend achieved considerable success, earning them critical acclaim and commercial popularity.
Moya Brennan, the lead vocalist of Clannad, is often referred to as the “First Lady of Celtic Music.” After achieving success with the band, she pursued a solo career and collaborated with various artists, contributing to the growth and popularity of Celtic and new age music on the global stage.
Clannad’s unique blend of traditional Irish folk music with contemporary sounds has had a lasting impact on the genre, and they remain one of the most beloved and influential bands in Irish musical history.
The music style of Clannad is described as a mixture of rock, folk, traditional Irish, and new age. The incorporation of smooth jazz and Gregorian chant is also felt in their music.
Clannad performed for the first time in the annual Letterkenny Folk Festival.
Their debut album was a self-titled one, which was recorded at Eamonn Andrews Studios and released in 1973. This album included a cover of “Morning Dew” by Bonnie Dobson. At the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland, the band participated with an “An Pháirc” entry.
Clannad 2 was the second studio album by the group in 1974 which was followed by Dúlamán (1976), Crann Úll (1980), Magical Ring (1983), Legend (1984), Atlantic Realm (1989), The Angel and the Soldier Boy (1989), Nádúr (2013), and many more.
The four live albums released by Clannad are Clannad in Concert (1979), Clannad: Live in Concert (2005), Clannad: Christ Church Cathedral (2012), and Turas 1980 (2018).
The band also appeared on RTÉ’s The Late Late Show performing the “Theme from Harry’s Game” on January 21, 2011. Clannad has won six awards throughout its career including 1982 Ivor Novello Awards for Best Soundtrack, 1984 BAFTA Awards for Best Television Music, 1992 Billboard Music Award for World Music Song of the Year, 1999 Grammy Awards for Best New Age Album, 2007 Meteor Music Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, and finally 2014 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award.
Current members Ciarán Brennan – bass, guitar, keyboards, mandolin, vocals (1970–present),Moya Brennan – vocals, harp (1970–present), Pól Brennan – flute, guitar, percussion, whistles, vocals (1970–1990, 2011–present). Former members are Noel Duggan – guitar, vocals (1970–2022), Pádraig Duggan – guitar, mandola, mandolin, vocals (1970–2016), Enya Brennan – percussion, keyboards, vocals (1980–1982).
I hope you enjoyed this history and again I have to say that Clannad are certainly Ireland’s greatest family group, so do not miss them on this last Farewell Tour as it’s going to be a sellout.