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2 clusters · 12 sources · 3 days · First seen · Last updated
Death of Irish musician Dónal Lunny
Overview
Renowned Irish musician, composer, and producer Dónal Lunny died at the age of 79 on October 23, 2026, at St James’s Hospital in Dublin following a short illness.
A central figure in the Irish folk revival, Lunny was a founding member of influential groups such as Planxty, The Bothy Band, and Moving Hearts, and later formed the group Coolfin. He is credited with helping introduce the bouzouki into the Irish folk genre, noting it provided a more open accompaniment than the guitar.
In addition to his work as a multi-instrumentalist, Lunny was a prolific producer and co-founder of Mulligan Records. His professional collaborations included international artists such as Sinead O’Connor, Kate Bush, Elvis Costello, Rod Stewart, and Mark Knopfler. Following his death, Irish President Catherine Connolly and Taoiseach Micheál Martin issued tributes, describing him as a “colossus of Irish music.”
Entities
Timeline
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[CULTURE] 2 sourcesIrish musician and producer Dónal Lunny dies at 79
Irish folk musician, producer, and co-founder of the Irish folk revival Dónal Lunny has died at age 79.
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[CULTURE] 10 sourcesDónal Lunny, influential Irish musician and producer, dies aged 79
Celebrated Irish musician and producer Dónal Lunny has died at age 79. A key figure in the Irish folk revival, he was a member of Planxty and The Bothy Band and a master of the bouzouki.
Sources
amass.jp · bbcrussian.com · ch-cultura.ch · independent.co.uk · newfolksounds.nl · newstalk.com · nova.ie · standard.co.uk · textes-blog-rock-n-roll.fr · tgmusic.it · theguardian.com · todayfm.com