Celebrated Irish musician Dónal Lunny dies aged 79

One of Ireland's most-celebrated traditional musicians and multi-instrumentalists, Dónal Lunny, has died aged 79.

A founding member of three renowned bands - The Bothy Band, Planxty and Moving Hearts - he was widely credited for the revival and growth of Irish traditional music.

He also composed and wrote scores for a wide range of projects including TV dramas, documentaries and films.

In recent years he worked with contemporary artists such as Kate Bush, Rod Stewart, Elvis Costello, Clannad and Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler.

He is noted for having left a lasting impact on the music scene in Ireland and was once described by U2's Bono as the island's "answer to Quincy Jones".

Born in Tullamore, County Offaly, in 1947, Lunny moved to Newbridge in County Kildare when he was five years old and he said, from childhood, music was always an enjoyable part of his life.

He first met a young Christy Moore in 1959, according to Irish broadcaster RTÉ, and the two school friends recognised a musical connection between them that would last for many decades.

A founding member of Planxty with Moore, Liam O'Flynn and Andy Irvine, Lunny helped redefine traditional Irish music.

The group recorded three albums between 1971 and 1973, with Lunny playing bouzouki, guitar, keyboards and bodhrán throughout.

In 1973, he set up the label Mulligan Records and went on to produce 17 albums, with the label publishing music from a range of artists including Boomtown Rats, The Radiators and Agnes Bernell.

Lunny joined The Bothy Band in 1975, helping push the boundaries of traditional Irish music alongside Matt Molloy, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, Kevin Burke, Paddy Glackin and Paddy Keenan.

In 1981, Ireland hosted the Eurovision Song Contest.

For the interval act, Dónal Lunny and Bill Whelan composed a three-part suite of baroque-influenced traditional music called Timedance, recorded and performed live by Planxty.

When Whelan was commissioned to orchestrate the interval for the 1994 competition, again hosted in Ireland, he built on the foundation established by himself and Lunny.

That interval act was later developed into the full-scale production Riverdance - composed by Whelan and starring Michael Flately - which went on to become one of the most successful touring stage shows in the world.

"It was no mistake of mine to call it Riverdance because it connected absolutely to Timedance," Whelan told author Leagues O'Toole in his 2006 book The Humours of Planxty.

In 1992, Lunny produced and served as musical director of the acclaimed TV series Bringing It All Back Home, beginning a long creative partnership with producer Philip King.

He also composed film scores, including for This Is My Father, starring Aidan Quinn and James Caan.

Following a successful, decades-long career, Lunny was presented a lifetime achievement award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2018.

Last year, he was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the RTÉ Radio 1 Irish Folk Awards.

One of his last public appearances was in August, when he performed at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann [All-Ireland Fleadh] in Belfast.

Musician and composer Neil Martin, who had collaborated with Lunny throughout his career described the loss as "huge" and said he was an "extraordinary figure".

"Since the mid-60s nearly anything that was of significant movement within the traditional music world, Dónal was at the epicentral to it," he told BBC's Evening Extra programme.

Speaking of a time he shared with Dónal 18 months ago, when they sat over a drink, Neil recalled thinking "Lunny's back again" and said, although the musician had been unwell for some time, the news of his death came as "a bit of a shock".

He told the programme he was "delighted" that his last memory with Dónal is a "happy one".

"All the musicians in Ireland will have nodded to him at some stage," he added.

In a statement, The Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) said Lunny's influence on Irish music was "immense" and he "opened new harmonic and rhythmic possibilities".

Crediting the work he produced in his bands, they said "his imagination shaped the sound of Irish music" and his career was described as being built on "creativity, friendship and collaboration."

"Dónal leaves behind an extraordinary body of work. His artistry, generosity and influence are woven deeply into the living tradition and into the lives of so many who knew him, were inspired by him, or had the privilege of playing and working alongside him," ITMA added.

Lunny is survived by his family including his children Oisin, Cora Venus, and Sora Chan, as well as his partner Una O'Boyle. His brother, Manus, is also a noted musician and producer.

He had a brief relationship with his musical collaborator Sinéad O'Connor in the early 2000s and they welcomed a son, Shane, in 2004.

Shane died in 2022 at the age of 17, followed by his mother in 2023.