Jackie Daly

Jackie Daly

Jackie Daly is an Irish accordion and concertina player from Ireland, born in 1945. He is known for his work in Irish traditional music and plays the button accordion as well as the concertina.

Career

Since the mid-1970s, Daly has been a significant figure in traditional music. He is associated with a number of prominent Irish traditional-music groups, including De Dannan, Patrick Street, Arcady and Buttons & Bows.

He is the first in a line of accordion players to perform with De Dannan, and he appears on four of the band’s albums between 1980 and 1985. His work with the group is widely regarded as important in changing the standing of the accordion in Irish music, helping to establish it as a concert instrument rather than one used mainly in dance-band settings.

Musical significance

Daly is often credited with helping to rehabilitate the reputation of the accordion in Irish traditional music. His playing and band work contribute to the instrument’s acceptance in concert-group line-ups and to its broader use on the Irish traditional-music stage.