One of Irish music’s most legendary figures, Donal Lunny, has been confirmed for a public interview at the Hot Press and 2fm supported Music Show, which takes place on February 25 and 26 in the Dublin RDS.
The multi-instrumentalist will be looking back at a career, which includes spells with such groundbreaking acts as The Emmet Spiceland, Planxty, Moving Hearts, The Bothy Band and Coolfin who between them re-invented traditional music and took it off in myriad new directions.
Along the way, he’s collaborated with Liam O Maonlai, Sinéad O’Connor, Bono, Sharon Shannon and Maire Ni Bhraonain to mention just a very small handful.
He’s also been involved in activism, both at home and in Japan where he was resident for a period, and presented two series of the critically acclaimed Sult music show on TG4.

Also joining the Music Show line-up are Maria Doyle Kennedy, the singer and actor whose recent credits include American blockbusters The Tudors and Dexter. She’s currently working on Neil Jordan’s Byzantium and has a new album ready to roll – see elsewhere in Music News for the lowdown; MCD’s Caroline Downey who promotes shows for the likes of Westlife, Shayne Ward and Boyzone, runs the annual Childline spectacular in the O2 and, produced the College Green welcoming concert for the Obamas; iRadio Assistant Programme Director and Head of Music Mark Cunning who’s a big champion of Irish artists; Spin South West Programme Controller Nessa McGann who also goes the extra yard for domestic talent; Pugwash and Duckworth Lewis Method man Thomas Walsh who was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award; Peter Smidt, the driving force behind Holland’s Eurosonic showcase festival, which has provided an important shop window for the likes of Imelda May, Heathers, James Vincent McMorrow, Delorentos and And So I Watch You From Afar; John Giddings whose Solo Agency and Promoters has worked with such globe-conquering heavyweights as U2, The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga and Madonna; Phantom 105.2 and When Under Ether presenter Michelle O’Doherty.

They join an already huge list of music industry movers ‘n’ shakers such as barrister Gavin Bonnar who’s instrumental in drawing up the international Artists’ Charter, more of which anon; producer and songwriter Stuart Levine; TV producer Larry Bass; footballing legend and top 20 Irish singer Paul McGrath; award-winning songwriter Brendan Graham; The Riptide Movement’s Mal Tuohy; DJ and producer Jon Carter; lighting designer Tom Kenny; musician and journalist John Robb; Pledge Music’s Paul Barton; Topspin co-founder Shamal Ranasinghe; former Thin Lizzy manager and Live Nation man Chris O’Donnell; and producer Ben Hiller.

Those lined up to give workshops include Thin Lizzy founder member Eric Bell; hard rock and trad legend Pat McManus; multi-instrumentalist and producer David Lyttle; and Jonathan Mover who’s drummed with the likes of Aretha Franklin and Alice Cooper.

Confirmed for The Live Stage are Northern Irish hard rockers The Answer who memorably circumnavigated the world a few years ago with AC/DC.