The Chieftains

The Chieftains took Irish traditional music around the world for nearly sixty years. Founded in Dublin in 1962 and led by Paddy Moloney, they played for a Pope, on the Great Wall of China and with musicians such as Van Morrison.

History

Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy formed the band in Dublin in 1962, and with help from Garech Browne signed to his Claddagh Records. Their popularity spread to the United States after Island Records released their albums there in 1973. Their music for Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon (1975), including "Women of Ireland", helped carry them into the mainstream.

In 1979 they played for Pope John Paul II in Dublin's Phoenix Park before more than a million people. In 1983 they became the first Western group to perform on the Great Wall of China, and the first group to perform in the US Capitol. They made Irish Heartbeat with Van Morrison in 1988, and the next year the Irish government named them Ireland's Musical Ambassadors. They celebrated their fiftieth anniversary with Voice of Ages and a Carnegie Hall concert in 2012. Moloney's death on 12 October 2021 effectively ended the band.

Members over the years

Besides the founders, the band's members included Martin Fay, David Fallon, Peadar Mercier, Seán Keane, Derek Bell, Ronnie McShane, Barney McKenna, Matt Molloy and Kevin Conneff.

Selected albums

Irish tunes to learn: The Wild Rover · Molly Malone · our tin whistle guide. More Celtic bands: Solas · Battlefield Band