Book The Chieftains

The Chieftains are an Irish group that came together in Dublin in 1962 under Paddy Moloney with Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy, whose largely instrumental sound is built around the uilleann pipes and became synonymous with traditional Irish music. Their work on the 1975 film Barry Lyndon helped open the door to American audiences. The group made thirty-one albums, from the self-titled The Chieftains in 1963 to Irish Heartbeat with Van Morrison in 1988, The Long Black Veil in 1995, Santiago in 1996, Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions in 2002, San Patricio in 2010 and Voice of Ages in 2012, which marked their 50th anniversary with a tour. They won six Grammy Awards, received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2002 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and the Castelao Medal in 2013, and in 1989 the Irish government named them Ireland's Musical Ambassadors. They have recorded with Luciano Pavarotti, Madonna, Sting and Sinéad O'Connor, and with the Rolling Stones and Roger Daltrey. On stage their traditional instrumental sound is lively, virtuosic and warmly communicative.