It would be hard to hear the sharp strum of a bouzouki and not immediately think of perhaps Ireland’s most admired traditional music star, Dónal Lunny. If you know where to look, the folk musician’s influence can be seen in many young and upcoming trad artists, but even a master of the arts has to learn his craft from somewhere.
Born in Tullamore, Co Offaly, Dónal grew up in a busy household, surrounded by three brothers and four sisters. His family moved to Newbridge in Kildare when he was five years old, which is where his love for music blossomed. When he was a teenager, Dónal started playing in local pubs with his older brother, Frank, and fellow Irish legend Christy Moore. The trio, who called themselves the Rakes of Kildare, even managed to secure a few bookings during their time together, which proved to be valuable groundwork for both Dónal and Christy as they explored their shared passion for music. Speaking at the 2025 RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, Christy reflected on the duo’s childhood together when presenting Dónal with the Lifetime Achievement Award, saying: “I’ve known Dónal Lunny for 66 years. I met him first in 1959 in school, and what I remember most from those years were his lack of homework, that he was more interested in being out on the Liffey trying to tickle trout, or climbing trees to gaze into the wild birds’ nests.”
As a young adult, Dónal moved to the capital to try his hand at graphic design and metalwork. He won two scholarships to the National College of Art and Design, where he studied from 1965 until 1968. For over two years, he also made silverwork and jewellery in a workshop he shared with the sculptor Vincent Browne. But it wasn’t long before he decided to dedicate himself fully to the art of music. He spent time playing with The Parnell Folk before forming the group Emmet Folk alongside Mick Moloney and Brian Bolger, which he said was a stepping stone in developing his own identity as a musician.
Later, Dónal and Brian merged their talents with brothers Brian and Mick Byrne from the band Spiceland Folk to form Emmet Spiceland. The group had a unique sound that blended traditional Irish folk with a hint of contemporary pop, and soon after, they earned a number one hit with the single Mary from Dungloe. The band is often regarded as the first of its kind to introduce a more modern sound to the nation and was even called Ireland’s first boy band!
In the 1970s, Dónal began a musical partnership with Andy Irvine, and the duo founded their own club night, which they called ‘The Mug’s Gig’, in Slattery’s Pub. Not long after that, Christy, who had left for England, returned home after keeping a close eye on his friend’s musical ventures. He asked Dónal if he was interested in making an album together, and the rest was history. Christy’s second record, Prosperous, was recorded, and soon after, Planxty, featuring members Dónal, Christy, Andy Irvine, and Liam O’Flynn, was formed.
Christy has credited Dónal as “the man that brought it all together” when working on Planxty. The band reinvented the genre of Irish folk music and was incredibly popular thanks to their hugely successful tour dates. The band made their television debut on The Late Late Show back in 1972, and less than two months later, they played their first show, which helped them secure a weekly residency. It wasn’t long before the group embarked on an intense touring schedule, which took them to several European cities.
Dónal was the first to leave Planxty in September 1973, explaining that he was tired of the constant touring and had an urge to explore other musical opportunities. The band recruited new members and continued to tour before eventually breaking up in December 1975. The original four members would later reunite and embark on a massive European tour, where they played forty-seven concerts in fifty-eight days, and released several albums together before their final performance in 2005.
After leaving Planxty the first time, Dónal stayed true to his traditional roots, producing and performing on the Celtic Folkweave album. Soon after, he formed The Bothy Band in 1975, where he played both guitar and bouzouki. The band quickly gained a reputation as one of the most influential groups in the traditional music scene, and their first record was described by RTÉ as a “game-changer of an album”. They released two more studio albums together before disbanding in 1979, but their influence in the trad genre lasted long after.
During this period, Dónal co-founded the influential Irish independent label Mulligan Records, which provided a platform for folk and traditional music groups and played a crucial role in the revival of the era. Christy has since said that Dónal was the “heartbeat of Mulligan Records, that wonderful label that produced so much wonderful music and great albums.”
Dónal played as a session musician across various projects after The Bothy Band disbanded, but just two years later, he formed a new group alongside Christy called Moving Hearts. The long-time collaborators wanted to explore what would happen if they combined contemporary sounds with Irish traditional music, and experimented with rock and roll and even jazz. They played together for four years, until 1985.
Afterwards, Dónal released a self-titled album, but continued to work with guest musicians and perform on many stages over the years, alongside a vast multitude of artists, such as his work on the album Coolfin. His passion for music is undeniable, and Bono has referred to Dónal as “Ireland’s answer to Quincy Jones”. Much of his work after Moving Hearts was behind the scenes, as he stepped into a producer role. He composed soundtracks for films, frequently collaborated with Christy, and even helped produce albums for Kate Bush.
He brought his beloved bouzouki with him across many of his projects, and popularised the twangy, rich sound of the instrument. Dónal also invented an acoustic drum kit that is designed specifically to fill the need for a percussion instrument in traditional music.
Outside of being a figurehead in the Irish traditional music scene, Dónal has two children from his first marriage to Julia, called Oisin Lunny and Cora Venus Lunny, both of whom got their father’s love of music. Speaking in his RTÉ documentary titled “Dónal Lunny – Follow the Music”, he spoke about Cora, who now works as a composing musician.
He said: “Sometime in the early eighties I met Julia from Germany and we had a relationship and sometime after that Cora was born. On Cora’s third birthday Julia got her a little violin and she took to it like a duck to water. Her music development was very rapid.
“Julia and I separated when Cora was about three. Again being a musician didn’t make life any easier. I don’t see as much of Cora as I’d like to because we are living worlds apart, but Cora and I will always have a connection through music as well.”
He has another daughter, Sora Chan, from his most recent marriage in 2002 to his wife, Itami Hideko, who is also a musician. He spent several years living in Japan with them, a place he has spoken of very fondly. Dónal also shared a son, Shane, with singer Sinéad O’Connor, who was born in 2004. Shane sadly passed away at the age of 17.
Last year, Dónal made an unexpected return to the stage in a surprise appearance after taking some time away from the limelight to recover from surgery. He performed alongside Andy Irvine and others to a packed crowd in Cork’s Triskel arts centre, after a screening of a documentary about the musician’s life titled ‘In Time – Dónal Lunny’. The doc was the first film account of Dónal to be made, focusing on his contributions to Irish culture and music, as well as his creative process.
And now, at 78 years old, Dónal is still making strides in the Irish music scene. He became the first person to be inducted into The Late Late Show Trad Music Hall of Fame in January of this year. Talking to Patrick Kielty, Dónal gave a brief but lovely recap of his long-standing friendship with Christy Moore, from the duo sharing a “dingy bedsit” for a year to making their very first album together. He also made his debut performance with his new group, Dónal Lunny’s Darkhorse, when he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the RTÉ Irish Folk Awards in February last year – showing that the trad legend has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.
This article was featured in the Spring edition of RSVP Country on shelves now.
You can buy your copy and have it delivered directly to your door through our online shop here. Postage fees apply.
Want to see more of the stories you love from RSVP ? To add RSVP as a preferred source of news on Google, simply click here
