Chieftains, The

THE CHIEFTAINS

  • From Dublin, Ireland.
  • Formed in 1963 by Paddy Maloney, an uillean piper. Went full-time in 1975.
  • Became Ireland’s best known performers of traditional Irish/Celtic music.
  • Members: Paddy Moloney, Sean Keane, Kevin Conneff, Matt Molloy, Martin Fay, Michael Tubridy, Sean Potts, Derek Bell. Bell died in 2002.
  • 1975, won an Academy Award for the soundtrack to the movie “Barry Lyndon.” They have written and performed soundtracks for several other films as well.
  • They have won six Grammy Awards.
  • 2002, released Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions album with many bluegrass artists including Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Sam Bush, Del McCoury, Nickel Creek and others.
  • 2002, Paddy Moloney performed on the IBMA Awards show with the Del McCoury Band.
  • 2003, released Further Down the Old Plank Road album, a follow up to their 2002 bluegrass-flavored album.
  • 2021, Paddy Moloney died at the age of 83.