He was not always centre stage, but his playing changed the way others were heard. Beneath a voice or around a fiddle tune, the bouzouki of Dónal Lunny could give the music a new depth. The Irish musician, arranger and producer died on 23 October 2026, aged 79. With his death, the island has lost one of the key figures in its musical revival.
Death confirmed on 23 October
Cultural institutions pay tribute to the musician
The Arts Council and Aosdána announced his death in a statement dated 23 October. That same day, the Irish Traditional Music Archive paid tribute to an artist whose collaborations spanned more than half a century of Irish music.
President Catherine Connolly pays tribute
In a statement published at 9.30 pm on 23 October, Irish President Catherine Connolly offered her condolences to his family, friends and musical collaborators. She recalled his ties with Christy Moore and Andy Irvine, as well as his role in Planxty, The Bothy Band and Moving Hearts.
The President also highlighted his contribution to establishing the bouzouki in Irish music. In 2025, his career had been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards.
Why his music made such an impact in Ireland
To accompany was also to create
Lunny’s career sheds light on a role that can be less visible than that of the singer or soloist. An accompanist chooses the accents, colours and breathing spaces that allow a melody to take on a different life. The ITMA emphasises the new rhythmic and harmonic possibilities opened up by his work.
You do not need to know the instruments or the repertoire to enter this world. Simply listen to a piece again and shift your attention: move away for a moment from the voice or main theme and follow what supports them. That background then becomes a landscape in its own right.
From bands to studios, the same curiosity
Beyond the groups with which his name remains closely associated, Lunny worked as a producer and collaborated with many artists. His official biography mentions Clannad, Kate Bush, Mark Knopfler and Baaba Maal, among others, as well as his production of the album Common Ground. These encounters reveal a career in which Irish tradition was always open to dialogue with other forms of music.
Explore his career and recordings
A biography of the man behind the music
From his childhood in central Ireland to his time with Planxty and Moving Hearts, our biography of Dónal Lunny looks back at his life, his bands and his contribution to Irish music.
To explore further, the RTÉ archives offer material covering the different stages of his career. Before a trip to Ireland, these images and sounds reveal more than the atmosphere of a pub: they tell a collective story shaped by craftspeople, encounters and reinvention.
