Paddy Glackin

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About Paddy

       At 17, having fallen in love with the blues, Paddy Keenan left Ireland for England and Europe, where he played blues and rock. Returning to Ireland after a few years, he began playing around Dublin with singer/keyboardist Triona Ni Dhomhnaill and singer/guitarist Micheal O Dhomhnaill. Fiddler Paddy Glackin then joined the three, and they asked flute player Matt Mollov to play with them shortly thereafter. Next accordion player Tony MacMahon joined the group, and then guitarist Donal Lunny was asked to listen to the six. Liking what he heard, he joined as well, and the loosely-knit band began calling itself "Seachtar," the Irish word for "seven."

        Seachtar's first major concert was in Dublin. They played a few more gigs around the country, but circumstances soon forced Tony MacMahon to drop out. When the rest of the band decided to turn professional Paddy Glackin left as well; he was replaced by Donegal fiddler Tommy Peoples who was later replaced by fiddler Kevin Burke. All the group needed now was a name.

        Micheal O' Dhomhnaill had recently returned from Scotland, where he happened across a photograph taken in the 1890s of a group of tattered musicians. "The Bothy Band," it was titled, in reference to the migrant Irish laborers who worked in England and Scotland and were housed in stone huts known as "bothies." Micheal suggested that the band take this name, and the others agreed. Thus was born one of the most influential bands of the 1970s, The Bothy Band.

Paddy Glackin - feature article in the Living Tradition magazine

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Since 1997 Paddy Glackin and Michel O'Domhnaill have teamed up to perform at concerts and festivals throughout Europe. In the year 2000 they released their first album together called Athchuairt and they have toured to places such as Tel Aviv since packing out theatres and leaving crowds

Paddy Glackin and Michel O'DomhnaillMichel O'Domhnaill's first group was 'Skara Brae', a singing group with his sisters Trona and Maighread and Derryman Dith Sproule. Then followed a stint with Mick Hanly in a duo 'Monroe'. In 1975 he was a founder member of one of the most influential Irish traditional bands 'The Bothy Band'. In the four years the band was together they toured extensively and recorded several highly acclaimed albums and although the Bothy band broke up in 1979 their legacy still lives on in the young traditional bands coming out of Ireland today. After the demise of The Bothy Band Michel moved to America where he played with many musicians including fiddle player Kevin Burke, also of the Bothy Band. Later with his sister Trona and flute player Brian Dunning he formed 'Nightnoise' which gained widespread recognition and acclaim throughout The United States and Europe.

Paddy Glackin, though born in Dublin is connected to the Donegal fiddle style through his father Tom. He has long been regarded as one of Ireland's leading fiddle player's. Like Michel he was a founder member of The Bothy Band but left to pursue his solo career before the band's first recording Paddy has performed and recorded with such well known artists as Van Morrison, Kate Bush, avant garde composer John Cage as well as many of Ireland's top traditional musicians.

SEAMUS HEANEY, LIAM O’FLYNN

The Boys and Girl from County Clare

For THE BOYS & GIRL FROM COUNTY CLARE, Adams consulted with many of his musician friends such as Sean Potts, Francis McPeake, Francis O'Connor, Siobhán Ní Chonaráin, Áine O'Connell, the brothers Paddy and Seamus Glackin, Kieran Hanrahan, John Regan, Seamus Meehan, Mary Corcoran, Paul McGrattan and Brendan Begley for insight into traditional Irish music. Paddy Glackin is an RTE Radio producer and presenter. He was the original member of The Bothy Band. He has recorded many LPs and CDs and played as a 'stand-in' member of The Chieftains. His brother, Seamus Glackin, has also recorded CDs. Kieran Hanrahan was a founding member of Stockton's, has also recorded extensively and now presents the RTE radio program "Ceili House" – an Irish institution. Paul McGrattan has recorded both solo CDs and as a guest on many others – is a member of the group Beginish. Paul McGrattan , who comes from Dublin's northside, has been playing flute since an early age and is now regarded as one of the top traditional flute players in Ireland. His first influence was the South Donegal fiddle tradition, which he heard on his holidays in the area as a child, later influences were his uncle Paddy Treacy, Seán Potts and Sligo flute player John Egan. As well as a duet album with Paul O'Shaughnessy "Within a Mile of Dublin' he has also released a fine solo album 'The Frost is All Over'. When not performing with the group Paul spends much of his time teaching the next generation of flute players.

Paddy Glackin and Adams sat down and went through what they thought were the best tunes to represent the era of traditional Irish music and what became fashionable in the late '60s and early '70s. Adams himself was an instrument maker. He was in partnership with Bruce DuVe and learnt his trade through trial and error. He wanted to make instruments that were aesthetically beautiful but very functional. He says, "It takes three months to make a set of pipes but gives me great satisfaction." Several CDs have been recorded using his instruments, for example a flute album with Frankie Gavin of De Dannan and one with piper Padraic MacMathuna.

See Albums: Doublin'