Andy Irvine

Andy Irvine

Andy Irvine is an Irish folk singer, songwriter and musician from the United Kingdom, born in 1942. He is known for a long solo career alongside work in a series of influential traditional and folk groups, and for performing songs drawn from Irish tradition, Balkan dance music and his own writing.

Career

He first makes his mark with Sweeney’s Men in 1966. After two years he leaves the group and travels through Bulgaria, Romania and Yugoslavia, where he earns a living as a street musician and absorbs Balkan musical traditions. On returning to Ireland in 1970, he joins Christy Moore, Dónal Lunny and Liam O’Flynn to form Planxty, a band that helps renew interest in Irish traditional music.

Planxty breaks up in late 1975, and Irvine then records and performs with Paul Brady, including the album Andy Irvine & Paul Brady. He also works briefly with De Dannan before Planxty reforms in 1979 and continues until its second breakup in 1983. He later records solo albums including Rainy Sundays...Windy Dreams, Rude Awakening, East Wind, Rain on the Roof and Way Out Yonder.

Groups and collaborations

In 1985 Irvine forms Mosaic, a pan-European group with Dónal Lunny and Hungarian singer Marta Sebestyen. The project includes Bruce Molsky, Rens van der Zalm and Nikola Parov, and releases Live from the Powerhouse and Changing Trains. In 1986 he helps form Patrick Street with Kevin Burke, Jackie Daly and Arty McGlynn; the group records eight studio albums and one live album, with On the Fly as its last album in the account given here.

He also records the duo album Parallel Lines with Dick Gaughan, and later forms Mozaik in 2002 with Dónal Lunny, Rens van der Zalm, Bruce Molsky and Nikola Parov. Mozaik releases Live from the Powerhouse and Changing Trains, and tours widely. Another later group, LAPD, includes Irvine, Dónal Lunny, Liam O’Flynn and Paddy Glackin, and is followed by Usher’s Island, which adds John Doyle and Mike McGoldrick.

Reunion projects and later work

Planxty reunites in 2004 and plays a series of concerts in Ireland and London, also recording a live CD and DVD. In 2008 he reunites with Paul Brady for a concert at Celtic Connections in Glasgow, and in 2009 he collaborates with John Doyle for concerts at the Irish Arts Center in New York.

He records Precious Heroes with Luke Plumb in Melbourne, with additional recordings by Rens van der Zalm and a later remix. He also performs concerts marking the 40th anniversary of Andy Irvine & Paul Brady, appearing with Dónal Lunny and Kevin Burke.

Recognition

Irvine is described as a major figure in Irish traditional music and as a “tradition in himself”. He receives the Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards in 2018.

Touring

His work takes him across Europe and on repeated tours in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada, as well as extended tours in Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Japan, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Argentina and Chile.