Monday Night Concert 2023

Ennis Trad Festival Sunday Night Concert: Andy Irvine Robbie Hannan & Paddy Glackin

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Ennis Trad Festival are excited to announce our Monday night concert with Andy Irvine, preceded by Robbie Hannan & Paddy Glackin.

Andy Irvine

Andy Irvine has enjoyed a long and successful career as a traditional Irish musician. He has travelled the world as a solo artist and as a member of legendary Irish groups such as Planxty and Patrick Street and more recently Mozaik. Throughout his extensive career he has maintained and developed the qualities in his music, which endear him to his audience and fellow musicians alike. After his introduction to the world of touring with Sweeney’s Men in 1965, he continued to travel the world, leaving the band in 1968 to pursue his wanderlust. He travelled through Bulgaria, Romania and Yugoslavia, studying the music traditions and styles of these nations. It was these journeys, which led him to adopt the bouzouki in his performance. This new instrument allowed him to develop his own style while learning that of the Balkan countries he visited.

On his return to Ireland, Andy formed Planxty with fellow musicians Christy Moore, Donal Lunny and Liam O’ Flynn. Planxty went on to achieve huge success and legendary status, reigniting traditional music as a popular genre. While Planxty took a break in 1967, Andy took the time to record another piece of work with Paul Brady. The two recorded a classic album together, simply entitled “Andy Irvine & Paul Brady”. Planxty regrouped from 1979 – 1983. When the group permanently disbanded, Andy began his solo career. He recorded his first album “Rainy Sundays…. windy dreams” shortly after. His second album was “Parallel Lines” a duo album with the great Scots troubadour, Dick Gaughan.

Taking a break from working solo, Andy formed a band with Donal Lunny and some European friends called Mozaik. They completed one European summer tour before Andy returned to his solo and collaborative work. These collaborations led to the formation of Irelands first traditional “super group” Patrick Street. The group consisted of Kevin Burke (Bothy Band), Jackie Daly (De Dannan) and guitar maestro Arty McGlynn. The group toured from 1987–1990, releasing three albums in the process. They would regroup in 1993 to release a further five albums, although in between Andy recorded two solo albums. One of these albums consisted of entirely Balkan music, which Andy had learned on his earlier travels. In 2002, Andy finally formed his “dream band”, Mozaik, with Donal Lunny, Dutch guitarist Rens van der Zalm, Hungarian bagpiper Nikola Parov and American fiddler Bruce Molsky. The group have completed tours of Australia, Europe and America and have released two highly acclaimed albums

Andy continues to tour the world with Mozaik as well as Patrick Street. He has also completed a brief series of reunion concerts with Planxty and Paul Brady in the last few years. His constant touring is testament to the fact that he is still as passionate about his music as when he began. As a musician and a living icon, Andy Irvine will remain in the Irish music scene for a long time to come.

Robbie Hannan & Paddy Glackin

Robbie Hannan was born in Belfast and raised in the nearby town of Holywood Co. Down. He began to take an interest in Irish traditional music as a result of listening to his parents’ record collection. After listening to the recordings of Paddy Maloney with the The Chieftains and Liam O’Flynn with Planxty he decided to take up the pipes in 1977. The pipers who have most influenced him have been Séamus Ennis, Willie Clancy and Tommy Reck and he has also adapted some of the repertoire of the Donegal fiddle playing tradition to the pipes. Robbie has made a number of recordings including a solo record on the Claddagh label and a duet recording with the Dublin fiddle player Paddy Glackin for Gael-linn. He has taught the advanced piping class at the Willie Clancy Summer School in Co. Clare and at Scoil Acla in Co. Mayo for a number of years. He has played at concerts and festivals throughout Europe and, in recent years, has played at a number of festivals and concerts the United States.

Fiddle player Paddy Glackin is from Dublin. His father, Tom, was from County Donegal and was a noted fiddler who had a significant influence on Paddy’s style. Paddy has also been inspired by John Doherty, the Donegal travelling fiddle player and by others such as John Kelly, Tommy Potts and Pádraig O’Keeffe. Paddy was senior all-Ireland champion fiddle player at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann at age nineteen. He was a member of the traditional music group ‘Seachtar’ and then of ‘The Bothy Band’ in the 1970s. He was also a member of ‘Ceoltóirí Laighean’ recording two albums with them. Having spent some time as Traditional Music Officer with the Arts Council he moved to broadcasting with RTE. Although his preference is for solo playing he has joined forces with numerous musicians such as Paddy Keenan, Dónal Lunny, Robbie Hannan and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, he has also recorded with John Cage and Jolyon Jackson. Paddy co-presents ‘Dúchas an Cheoil: The Scope of Irish Music’ at the annual Willie Clancy Summer School. His first solo album ‘Glackin: Ceol ar an bhFidil’ was released in 1977. He was the recipient of the TG4 Gradam Ceoil Musician award for 2022.