Dónal Lunny, Celebrated Irish Musician, Dies Aged 79
Source reports published 24 Oct 2026, 3:39 am – 10:00 am AEST
Dónal Lunny, a prominent Irish traditional musician and multi-instrumentalist, died at the age of 79. He was a founding member of several renowned bands and contributed significantly to the revival and growth of Irish traditional music.
What happened
- Dónal Lunny, born in Tullamore, County Offaly, in 1947, died in St James’s hospital in Dublin on Friday morning from cancer.
- He was a key figure in Irish traditional music, having founded bands including The Bothy Band, Planxty and Moving Hearts.
- Lunny’s career spanned decades, marked by his work with contemporary artists such as Kate Bush and collaborations with figures like Christy Moore and Neil Martin.
- He was described by U2’s Bono as the ‘Ireland's answer to Quincy Jones’.
- Lunny’s influence extended beyond performance, as evidenced by his label Mulligan Records, which produced 17 albums featuring artists like The Radiators and Agnes Bernell.
- His contributions included the Timedance suite for the 1981 Eurovision interval and his involvement in the creation of Riverdance.
- Musician Neil Martin described Lunny’s loss as ‘huge’ and noted his central role in the evolution of traditional music.
- The Irish president, Catherine Connolly, and Taoiseach Micheál Martin, expressed condolences, acknowledging Lunny’s impact on Irish music and culture.
- The Irish Traditional Music Archive highlighted his ‘immense’ influence and ‘creativity, friendship and collaboration’ that shaped the sound of Irish music.
Original reporting
- BBC: Dónal Lunny: Celebrated Irish musician dies aged 79
2026-10-23T17:39:24.157000+00:00 - Guardian: Dónal Lunny, ‘colossus of Irish music’, dies aged 79
2026-10-24T00:00:00+00:00