Keleher spotted this and wanted to share it with the Culchies. Check it out. - Darren
I just viewed a recent video of Donal Lunny and Andy Irvine playing ‘The Blacksmith’ on RTE One via You Tube. Thanks to fiddler Philippe Varlet for posting that on Facebook.
Both musicians were members of the 1970′s trad super group Planxty. I believe they’re both playing the bouzouki which Donal Lunny introduced to Andy Irvine and traditional Irish music. This is one of my favorite songs by Planxty.
They’ve both certainly gotten better with age I have to say..
Here is a video of Planxty performing the very same song, along with Lunny and Irvine, are Liam O’Flynn on the Uilleann pipes and Christy Moore on the bodhran and organ. The video was recorded during the 1970′s on the Late Late Show.
Thanks for having a look, comments welcome.
I tend to a preference to the 1970′s version. I think the bodhran finishes off the melody perfectly…
Thanks Tom, I am just mesmerized by the 2009 video of that song, the musicianship is spectacular, more intense to me than the original, and being a bodhrán player, good to see Christy Moore join in on that at the end.
He is known more has a singer and guitar player [balladeer] and did not know that he played keyboards at all.
I have seen Donal Lunny tour in the 90′s with Nollaig Casey and Mairead Ni Dhomnaill at my old hangout McGann’s in Boston. I also have met Andy Irivine at his gigs in Boston in those years, and am a fan of his songs, especially those on historical events and people, both in Ireland and in America. Working on that subject for a future post.
Séamus Keleher
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I just visited Andy Irvine’s website and read that in fact he introduced the bouzouki to Donal Lunny, not the reverse, as I had posted.