The Irish trad band are back after 45 years playing gigs once more.
After announcing a gig in Belfast recently, The Bothy Band will perform their first public concerts in Ireland, since 1979 at the National Concert Hall Dublin on April 9th and 10th 2024.
The gigs are presented by Foggy Notions with tickets on sale now, priced from €56.
The Bothy Band were instrumental in popularising traditional Irish music. Formed in 1974 by bouzouki player Dónal Lunny, after he left Planxty, the original lineup featured Lunny, Paddy Keenan (pipes), Matt Molloy (flute), Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (harpsichord), Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (guitar), and Paddy Glackin (fiddle), and would include Tommy Peoples and Kevin Burke over some lineup changes.
The Bothy Band’s traditional Irish tunes brought a contemporary approach, incorporating elements of jazz and other genres. They released several albums, including The Bothy Band (1975), Old Hag You Have Killed Me (1976), and Out of the Wind, into the Sun (1977).
They are joined by Seán Óg Graham on guitar for these gigs.
The Bothy Band members went on to contribute to other projects, with Lunny returning to Planxty, before joining Moving Hearts, while Molloy joined The Chieftains, Burke founded Patrick Street and Ó Domhnaill and Ní Dhomhnaill went on to form Relativity and Nightnoise.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
