Clannad

Clannad is an Irish group from Gweedore, Ireland, also known as Gaoth Dobhair in County Donegal. Formed in 1970 by members of the Brennan and Duggan families, the line-up includes Moya Brennan, Ciarán Ó Braonáin, Pól Ó Braonáin, Noel Ó Dúgáin and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin. Enya, Moya Brennan’s sister, also performs a member role in the group’s history and appears in the early 1980s line-up.

Background and name

The name Clannad comes from the Irish phrase an Clann as Dobhar, meaning the family from Dore. The group begins performing in their father Leo Brennan’s tavern and develops from a family act rooted in the Donegal area.

Style and recognition

Their music is associated with celtic, folk, Irish folk, new age, progressive folk and Celtic new age. Clannad wins a Grammy Award in 1999 for Best New Age Album and also receives a BAFTA, an Ivor Novello Award and a Billboard Music Award. The group is also nominated for an IMA Award in 2009 in the Best Revival Act category.

Notable songs and albums

Clannad gains wider attention with Harry’s Game, which becomes known through its use as a television theme and also appears in the film Patriot Games. The song is also used in a Volkswagen commercial in 1992 and helps the group build a larger audience in the United States. Another notable recording is In a Lifetime, a 1985 collaboration with Bono of U2. I Will Find You features on the soundtrack to The Last of the Mohicans.

The album Lore appears in 1996, and Trail of Tears and Of This Land reflect themes linked to Ireland and Native American history. Landmarks, released in 1997, leads to the group’s 1999 Grammy win. Clannad also releases the best-of collection In A Lifetime in 2003, and Nádúr in 2013, their first new album since Landmarks. Earlier releases include The Pretty Maid, Clannad 2, Dúlamán, Clannad in Concert, Crann Úll, Fuaim, Magical Ring, Legend, Macalla, Sirius, Anam and Banba.

Later activity

Clannad tours again from 2008, beginning with a UK tour in March that year. In 2019, the group begins its In a Lifetime farewell tour, which is postponed in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A compilation of the same name is also released, including two new tracks.