Lúnasa (band)

Lúnasa is a traditional Irish music group, named after Lughnasadh, an ancient harvest festival. They tour and perform internationally, and have recorded a number of albums of both traditional and contemporary Irish instrumental music.

Lúnasa
Lúnasa performing at the Cornouaille Festival in Quimper, Brittany (France)
Background information
OriginIreland
GenresIrish folk, Celtic
Years active1996–present
LabelsLúnasa, Compass, Green Linnet
Websitewww.lunasa.ie
MembersSean Smyth
Kevin Crawford
Trevor Hutchinson
Cillian Vallely
Ed Boyd
Colin Farrell
Patrick Doocey
Past membersTim Edey
Donogh Hennessy
Michael McGoldrick
John McSherry
Paul Meehan

History

Lúnasa was founded in 1997 when Sean Smyth, John McSherry and Steve Cooney teamed up to tour Sean's solo album The Blue Fiddle. They called in Mike McGoldrick who was a friend of McSherry's and toured as a four-piece. As the band was taking off Cooney bowed out.

In the meantime Smyth was touring in Scandinavia with the rhythmical duo Donogh Hennessy and Trevor Hutchinson, and recruited them to join the band.[1] Calling themselves Lúnasa, they began performing and touring; the first album, Lúnasa, was recorded while the group was on tour in 1996 and released to critical acclaim.[2]

McGoldrick and McSherry were becoming increasingly busy with other projects and left the band. Kevin Crawford then joined the band and various other pipers stepped in for McSherry. McSherry and McGoldrick were again called upon to record the second album Otherworld. It was after this album that piper Cillian Vallely joined the band.[3]

In 1999, the group signed a three-year contract with Green Linnet Records, and that October released their second album, Otherworld. After releasing The Merry Sisters of Fate[1] and Redwood with the label, they terminated their contract. In 2000 they appeared on A Thistle and Shamrock Christmas Ceilidh.

In 2004, Lúnasa signed up with Compass Records and recorded The Kinnitty Sessions before a live audience in Kinnitty Castle, County Offaly. That same year, Donogh Hennessy left the group. He subsequently recorded an album as a duet with Pauline Scanlon – previously of the Sharon Shannon band – the culmination of a project entitled 'Deora De', an album comprising tunes and songs. Hennessy was eventually replaced by Tim Edey and Paul Meehan who each played half the tracks on the album Sé. Tim Edey left shortly after, and Paul Meehan became the band's guitarist.

In 2008 the band released a compilation album, Lúnasa: The Story So Far, with representative recordings from the band's first eleven years.[4][5]

Released in April 2010, the band released an album, Lá Nua, the first release on the band's own record label, Lúnasa Records.[6][7] That same month, the band also performed on the Natalie Merchant album Leave Your Sleep. Meehan left the group in late 2011 and was replaced by Ed Boyd.[8]

In 2018 the band released the album CAS.[9]

The group tours for a majority of each year and has performed in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

Lineup
Lúnasa performing at the Celtic Hall in East Greenbush, New York

Current members

Former members
  • Tim Edey – guitar
  • Donogh Hennessy – guitar
  • Michael McGoldrick – Uilleann pipes, flute, whistle[11]
  • John McSherry – Uilleann pipes[11]
  • Paul Meehan – Guitar, Bouzouki, Mandolin

Discography
Lúnasa performs at Interceltic Festival of Avilés (Asturias) in July 2004.

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums
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References
  1. "Lúnasa The Merry Sisters of Fate". The Irish Music Review, by Geoff Wallis, reprinted from FRoots Magazine.
  2. "Lúnasa brings traditional Irish tunes to Cumberland". Susan McDonald / Providence Journal, Feb 23, 2017
  3. "Festival Review Mighty music parts the clouds in Maryland" By Earle Hitchner
  4. "Lúnasa: The Story So Far". The Green Man Review
  5. "Strong roots" The Irish Times, Mar 28, 2008, by SIOBHAN LONG
  6. "LÚNASA'S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NEW ALBUM". Irish Music Magazine. 2010-03-24. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  7. "Lúnasa". The Irish Times, May 28, 2010, by SIOBHAN LONG
  8. Orel, Gwen. "Lúnasa Keep 'Carrying The Tune'". The Irish Examiner. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  9. "Lúnasa hits the road after first album in 7 years". Albuquerque Journal, By Adrian Gomez / February 18th, 2018
  10. http://www.colinfarrellmusic.com/
  11. "Top trad/rock/roots band Lúnasa for Róisín Dubh". Archived from the original on February 10, 2005. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  • lúnasa.ie – the official website.
  • – video on BBC's Celtic Connections site – live January 2009. Link dead as of August 2019.
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