
30. Andy Irvine: Irish Musician and Living Legend
02/26/24 • 64 min
Episode 30 is a chat with another living legend: Andy Irvine. Andy has played with Sweeney's Men, Planxty, Patrick Street, Mozaik, LAPD and Usher's Island. As a duo Andy has teamed up with Dónal Lunny, Paul Brady, Mick Hanly, Dick Gaughan, Rens van der Zalm, and Luke Plumb
Conversation includes: Phil Coulter; Des Kelly; the Planxty deal; the dancehall gigs; the first Planxty gig; Johnny Moynihan and the bouzouki; strings; Paddy Maloney; being a troubadour; and an acoustic artist; Paddy Glasgow and Glasgowbury; Kevin Burke; playing for oneself; potential alternative careers; Andy’s father; writing; musical arrangements of Planxty; Liam O’Flynn; setlists; engine room vs touch players; playing with Donal Lunny; deteriorating during Covid; plectrums; favourite recording experiences; Bill Whelan; a great version of Planxty; John Faulkner and Dolores Keane; the best gigs; why Andy still performs; holiday plans as well as other topics.
We are extremely grateful to Andy for joining us on the podcast. It is conversations like this that justify the existence of The Ireland Podcast.
Relevant Links
Additional Links
William Taylor - performed by Planxty
Andy Irvine with Paddy Glasgow on the Small But Massive Podcast
The Chieftains with Frank Zappa
Get bonus content on PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 30 is a chat with another living legend: Andy Irvine. Andy has played with Sweeney's Men, Planxty, Patrick Street, Mozaik, LAPD and Usher's Island. As a duo Andy has teamed up with Dónal Lunny, Paul Brady, Mick Hanly, Dick Gaughan, Rens van der Zalm, and Luke Plumb
Conversation includes: Phil Coulter; Des Kelly; the Planxty deal; the dancehall gigs; the first Planxty gig; Johnny Moynihan and the bouzouki; strings; Paddy Maloney; being a troubadour; and an acoustic artist; Paddy Glasgow and Glasgowbury; Kevin Burke; playing for oneself; potential alternative careers; Andy’s father; writing; musical arrangements of Planxty; Liam O’Flynn; setlists; engine room vs touch players; playing with Donal Lunny; deteriorating during Covid; plectrums; favourite recording experiences; Bill Whelan; a great version of Planxty; John Faulkner and Dolores Keane; the best gigs; why Andy still performs; holiday plans as well as other topics.
We are extremely grateful to Andy for joining us on the podcast. It is conversations like this that justify the existence of The Ireland Podcast.
Relevant Links
Additional Links
William Taylor - performed by Planxty
Andy Irvine with Paddy Glasgow on the Small But Massive Podcast
The Chieftains with Frank Zappa
Get bonus content on PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode

29. Tommy Keane: Uilleann Pipe Player
Includes: introductions; the list of great players Tommy has played with including Jacqueline McCarthy, Pádraic Keane, Siobhán Keane and Maisie-Kate Keane; getting the recording gig for Rum, Sodomy & The Lash; Phil Chevron; Elvis Costello; Red Roses For Me vs Rum, Sodomy & The Lash vs If I Should Fall From Grace From God; the arrangement of Dirty Old Town; Old Grey Whistle Test performance; vari-speeding; the three parts of the uilleann pipes; the chanter; the range of uilleann pipes vs bagpipes; overblowing and octave notes; the three drones; the three regulators; Dirty Old Town; breaking down the solo; the use of colour and vibrato; Paddy Moloney’s vibrato; Liam O’Flynn’s vibrato; who Tommy likes to listen to; the different levels of familiarisation of Irish music; having pipes in different keys; Na Píobairí Uilleann; the renewed popularity of the uilleann pipes; The Old Main Drag; the ending of the Dirty Old Town solo; the Blues; Henry Benagh’s fiddle part; Poguetry In Motion EP; Body Of An American; Planxty Noel Hill; playing live gigs with The Pogues; A Pair Of Brown Eyes; the overblow; tunes which are not pipe-friendly; the recording environment for Rum, Sodomy & The Lash; Elvis Costello witnessing the uilleann pipes; Davy Spillane; Tommy Carney; starting out on the uilleann pipes; Colm Broderick & Liam O’Flynn’s pipes; Pádraic Keane; Páraic Mac Donnchadha, as well as other topics.
Tommy has played with Pádraic Keane, Siobhán Keane, Maisie-Kate Keane, Marion McCarthy, Tommy McCarthy, Tommy Kearney, Pat Mitchell, Liam O’Flynn, Tommy Reck, Bobby Casey, Roger Sherlock, National Theatre Co., Rambert Ballet Co., The Pogues, Clannad, Ralph McTell, Thatch Céilí Band, Druid Theatre Co., Liam Clancy, Shaskeen, Sergeant Early Band, Alec Finn, Iarla Ó Lionáird, The Irish Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, De Dannan as well as other artists.
Performances
Dirty Old Town in D: 32:47
Dirty Old Town in C: 33:30
Old Main Drag: 46:09
Body Of An American: 52:31
Planxty Noel Hill: 54:04
A Pair Of Brown Eyes: 57:38
A Man You Don't Meet Every Day: 1:11:38
NB Tommy had a lingering cough from a recent cold for this recording. The coughs have all been reduced in the edit for your listening pleasure.
Relevant Links
https://www.tommykeane.com
Tommy's Uilleann Pipe Demonstration
https://youtu.be/JIOMngg94l8
Additional Links
Jaylin Chu’s tribute to the Keane family:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pNiBWcxy_U
The Pogues BP Fallon interview featuring Frank Murray 1985
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWxJyYA697s
Dirty Old Town on The Old Grey Whistle Test
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAbQuCIyilQ
Na Píobairí Uilleann (The Uilleann Pipers)
https://pipers.ie
Pipemakers
https://pipers.ie/resources/pipemakers
Pádraic Keane
https://www.padraickeane.com
The Pogues & The Dubliners - The Irish Rover (Saturday Live) (Live) (1987)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVfzdD9X5MQ
Longplayer
https://longplayer.org
Get bonus content on PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode

31. Andy Irvine Bonus Extra: One Midsummer’s Day
Warning: This episode has strong language!
Episode 31 is Andy singing a song called One Midsummer’s Day. The roots of this track actually lie in Arthur McBride and Andy explains all about it. This is a bonus episode and therefore it is only seven minutes in duration.
Relevant Links
Additional Links
Get bonus content on PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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