The Bothy Band and Kris Drever

The Bothy Band stand out as perhaps the most influential and revered of all the many Irish ensembles who revolutionised the playing of traditional music in recent generations. 

During their brief 5 year history they blazed like a comet across the firmament of Celtic music. Coming together in October last year to record a television documentary for Irish television the band members-all legendary figures in Irish music- enjoyed the experience so much that they were open to the long-standing invitation from Celtic Connections to consider a full concert again. For the first time since 1979, Donal Lunny (bouzouki), Tríona ní Dhomhnaill (keyboards), Matt Molloy (flute), Paddy Keenan (uilleann pipes, low whistle), Paddy Glackin (fiddle), Kevin Burke (fiddle) come together to perform their first public concert. They are joined by Seán Óg Graham on guitar. 

Described by journalist Colin Irwin as ‘a rock’n’roll band in folk clothing’, The Bothies, as they were lovingly known, stormed on to the world stage with their iconic debut album 1975 featuring the late Tommy Peoples on fiddle.  Between 1975 to 1979 the band were to release three more albums - all of which are regarded as classics of their type. Incendiary live performances driven by a front line of fiddle, pipes and flute underpinned by the powerhouse rhythm section of bouzouki, clavinet and founder member Mícheál Ó Domhnaill on guitar (who died in 2006), cemented their reputation as perhaps the most innovative and exciting combination to play traditional music from these islands. 

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