Hot Press Editor Niall Stokes Pays Tribute To Dónal Lunny

"This is desperate, heartbreaking news. Dónal Lunny was one of the real, enduring greats of Irish music. I knew of his legend from the Emmet Spiceland days, but it was in the Planxty era that I first got to know him. He was, I immediately thought, a lovely man with a wonderful sense of mischief and a truly winning smile. But, of course, he was also a marvellous musician, who provided the inspiration for some of the greatest Irish music of the past fifty years and more.

"Dónal had a wonderful feeling for melody and harmony, but also a brilliant sense of rhythm, knowing when to use the bouzouki, guitar or bodhrán as a counterfoil to the main rhythmic thrust of whatever music was happening around him.

"Whether with Planxty,The Bothy Band, Moving Hearts, Mosaic – or any of the other musical liaisons he was involved in over the years – Dónal brought a unique artistic vision and sensibility to his work. He was a marvellous arranger, producer and collaborator and an ensemble player par excellence. It was a joy to see him in live action, and to know always that before long a big, inclusive grin would happen sufficient to light up a room entirely on its own.

"He was a great friend of Hot Press, from the earliest days, when he was one of the founders of Mulligan Records and playing with The Bothy Band. The interview we did with him and Andy Irvine together, for our Up Close and Personal YouTube series (conducted by Pat Carty), was a real highlight for me, offering unique insights into a life in music that was wonderfully rich and wide-ranging. And when he’d reach over, and pick up the bouzouki, we’d know that something special was about to happen.

"I went to visit him in James Hospital, when he was hospitalised for the first time with cancer. Inevitably, his main instrument of choice was there on a stand beside the bed, and after he’d awakened from his slumber, we spent a lovely hour together, as he regaled me with stories about playing tunes for the other guests, as well as a new record that he was working on – and hoped would be released soon. He seemed to be in great form and – as always after a conversation with Dónal – I felt much happier, more relaxed and more optimistic on the way home.

"It is lovely to have that memory to hold onto now, as we enter the dark AD days of After Dónal. He was, as my brother Dermot put it straight away upon hearing the news, a towering figure in Irish music. His wonderful legacy will live on. But nothing will ever feel the same, knowing that the light of Dónal’s playing – and his wide smiles and even wilder laughter – have forever been dimmed. We will miss him always."

Here's the official announcement of Donal's passing:

Meanwhile, Micheál Martin has just said: "Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dónal Lunny - a colossus of Irish music, as a performer, songwriter and producer. Uniquely gifted, Dónal carried traditional and folk music to new audiences through Planxty and his many other endeavours."