St Brigid’s Day – T With The Maggies

Triona Ní Dhomhnaill performed with both Skara Brae and The Bothy Band. In the late 70’s she moved from Ireland to the USA where she formed Touchstone. When her brother, Mícheál, also emigrated they both enjoyed considerable acclaim with Relativity and Nightnoise. Triona released her a solo album, ‘The Key’s Within’, in 2010 and received the Composition Award at TG4’s Gradam Cumadóir agus Comharcheoil in 2019.

Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill was also with Skara Brae and is renowned for her distinctive sean-nós style which she has taken worldwide as an ambassador and champion of Irish tradition. Her father and aunt were avid collectors of traditional songs. Besides her numerous collaborations, including those with sister Triona and as a member of Dónal Lunny’s Coolfin, she has released a number of solo albums, including the pivotal, ‘No Dowry’ in 1991. She has recorded and performed with the West Ocean String Quartet.

Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh formed Altan with her late husband Frankie Kennedy in the late 80’s. Despite his untimely death she has continued fronting the group as singer and exceptional fiddle player. In 1994 she was instrumental in founding the Frankie Kennedy Winter School. Her debut solo album, ‘Imeall’, was released in 2009. Her prolific career continued apace and in 2017 she was awarded Gradam Ceoil TG4 award for Traditional Musician of the Year. She also finds time to perform with her family band Na Mooneys and the Donegal women’s fiddler collective, The Sí Fiddlers.

Moya Brennan has fronted Clannad since the mid 70’s. With 19 albums, a Grammy and Ivor Novello award the family group pioneered Celtic music and brought the Irish language to a mass audience. Moya’s solo output includes 7 albums and she has performed and duetted with a wide range of artists, including Bono, Bruce Hornsby, Michael McDonald, Robert Plant, Paul Brady among others. She received the Lifetime Achievement award from the RTE Radio 1 Folk Awards in 2019 and was conferred with an honorary doctorate by Dublin City University in 2022.

What the critics say:

“…they embody the essence of the tradition: ever evolving, ever curious about what lies around the next corner. An inventive collaboration that promises much more to come, given half a chance.” (Siobhan Long, Irish Times)

“…the effervescence of the personalities on stage, and the sense of respect and sisterhood displayed had won me over…

There is no unity of sound, but nor need there be – the intensity of delivery is uniformly stunning.” (Aengus Ó Maoláin, The Journal of Music)