This article is about the Irish band. For the Japanese visual novel franchise, see Clannad (video game). For the 2007 anime film, see Clannad (film).

Clannad (Irish pronunciation: [ˈkl̪ˠan̪ˠəd̪ˠ]) are an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan.[1] They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, starting out as an acoustic folk group mainly performing rearranged traditional Irish songs in Gaelic before they expanded their sound with original songs in English lyrics, electronic keyboards, vocal harmonies, and incorporating elements of rock, Celtic, new age, smooth jazz, and Gregorian chant.[2]

Initially known as Clann as Dobhar (Irish for Family from Dore),[3] they shortened their name to Clannad in 1973 after winning the Letterkenny Folk Festival with the song "Liza", which secured them a record deal.[4] By 1979, they had released three albums and toured Europe and the US. From 1980 to 1982, they operated as a six-piece with their sister/niece Enya Brennan on additional keyboards and vocals, before she left the group to pursue a solo career. Later in 1982, Clannad gained international attention with their single "Theme from Harry's Game"[3][5] which became a top-five hit in Ireland and the UK. The song was featured on Magical Ring (1983), which was met with much acclaim.[6] They experimented with more new-age and pop-influenced sounds in the 1980s and 1990s, as evident on Macalla (1985), and Anam (1990).[7][8] This transition would ultimately go on to define their sound as almost purely 'Celtic', making them innovators of that genre.[9] After Landmarks (1997), the band went on a hiatus in order to pursue solo projects.[10] They regrouped in 2007 as a four piece again, with Moya, Ciarán, Noel, and Pádraig completing a world tour in 2008.[11][12] In 2013, Pól rejoined and they released Nádúr, their first studio album in fifteen years.[13] Pádraig Duggan died in 2016, leaving the group to embark on their 2020 farewell tour as a quartet.[14]

Clannad have won numerous awards throughout their career, including a Grammy Award, a BAFTA, an Ivor Novello Award, and a Billboard Music Award.[15] They have recorded in six different languages and scored eight UK top 10 albums. They are widely regarded as a band that have brought Irish music and the Irish language to a wider audience, often experiencing more popularity abroad than in their native Ireland.[16][17]

History

Formation

Leo's Tavern in Meenaleck, County Donegal, the pub owned by Leo Brennan where members of Clannad first performed

Clannad was formed by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Máire Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. The five grew up in Dore, a remote parish in Gweedore, County Donegal in north-western Ireland. It is a Gaeltacht region where Irish is the main spoken language.[18][19] Raised as a Roman Catholic family of musicians, the Brennans' mother, Máire "Baba" Brennan (née Duggan), was a music teacher while their father, Leo Brennan, was a member of the Slieve Foy, an Irish showband. In 1968, the two bought and ran Leo's Tavern in nearby Meenaleck where the Duggan and Brennan children performed together.

The five made their major live debut in 1970 at a music competition held during the inaugural Slógadh Youth Festival. Máire was the eldest member and had learned the harp and could play "holy songs and Brian Boru", so she was elected as lead vocalist. They were reluctant to enter at first but were encouraged by the local police seargeant and family members,[20] and they submitted their entry form with ten minutes to spare before the post was due to be collected.[21] With assistance from a grandfather they named themselves Clann as Dobhar, Irish for Family from Dore.[22] They adopted the name until 1973, when they took the "a" and the "D" and shortened the name to Clannad.[3] Despite winning the Slógadh competition prize of £500, a trophy, and a recording contract with Polydor Records, the band members were too young to sign.[23]

Clannad established themselves as acoustic folk group, building a repertoire of rearranged traditional Irish songs for a full band "with a contemporary slant" which generated some criticism at first, partly due to Gaelic being attached to poverty.[21] Pól Brennan recalled: "Once they said that, of course, we just had to do it even more."[24][25] They also wrote original material, and covered songs by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Joni Mitchell.[26]

1973–1982: early years and six-piece band with Enya

"Liza" (1973)
A sample of "Liza" from Clannad (1973), the first song that Clannad wrote.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

In 1973, Clannad came in first place in the annual folk festival in Letterkenny, County Donegal which led to a deal with Philips Records, which they negotiated themselves.[27][26] Having now secured a label the group prepared material for their debut album and recorded at Eamonn Andrews Studios in Dublin, choosing Gaelic and English songs and a cover of "Morning Dew" by Bonnie Dobson. Released in 1973, Clannad was met with initial resistance from the label due to the Gaelic songs and the group soon found themselves more popular outside Ireland, particularly Germany.[27] Later in 1973, Clannad competed for Ireland in the heat stages of the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest with "An Pháirc".

The band followed their debut album with Clannad 2 in 1974, released by Gael Linn Records and produced by Dónal Lunny, founder of Planxty and The Bothy Band. Like their first, Clannad 2 features a mixture of English and Gaelic songs, this time with Lunny and Bothy Band members on additional instruments. It marked the band's first use of a synthesizer.[24][26]

Dúlamán (Irish for Seaweed) was released in 1976 and named after the Irish folk song "Dúlamán", which became a stage favourite. It was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales and is their first album produced by Nicky Ryan. At the time of its release, Clannad capitalised on their growing popularity in Europe by including liner notes in German and French and completing their debut tour across the continent.[27] At one show, the standing ovation they received after an extended rendition of "Níl Sé Ina Lá (Níl Sé'n Lá)" from Clannad convinced the group to continue full-time.[28][29] Recordings from a tour of Switzerland in 1978 were released in the following year as Clannad in Concert. Also in 1979, Clannad underwent a 36-date tour of North America, the most extensive by an Irish band at the time.[30]

At the 1982 Leeds Folk Festival

In 1980, Clannad became a six-piece band following the addition of Enya Brennan on keyboards and additional vocals. Ryan wished to expand the group's sound with vocals and electronic instruments and invited her to join. Enya's first recordings with the group were made as a guest musician for their Crann Úll (Irish for Apple Tree), their fifth studio album recorded in Cologne, Germany and released in 1980 on Tara Music. "Ar a Ghabháil 'n a 'Chuain Domh" featured a particularly full band arrangement reflective of their live jams at the time. "Lá Cuimhthíoch Fán dTuath" showed the first hints of the more atmospheric side of the band's arrangements.

By the time Clannad entered Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin to record Fuaim (Irish for Sound), Enya had become a full-time member. The album displays the group's further experimentation with electronic instruments, and Enya is featured on lead vocals on "An tÚll" and "Buaireadh an Phósta". Neil Buckley plays the clarinet and saxophone with Noel Bridgeman on percussion and Pat Farrell on electric guitar. Fuaim was released by Tara Music in 1982. After a further European tour, their managers Nicky Ryan and Roma Ryan left the group. Nicky had brought Enya into the group to expand their sound, yet the group soon settled into their "boring" musical formula once more and called a meeting during the tour. After a group vote, the Ryans split. Enya followed suit, feeling increasingly restricted in a band setting and pursued a solo career with the Ryans as collaborators, causing a rift between the two groups for a short time.[31]

1982–1985: "Theme from Harry's Game" and Magical Ring

"Theme from Harry's Game" (1982)
The song that introduced Clannad to a worldwide audience.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

In 1982, the now five-piece Clannad signed to RCA Records and acquired Dave Kavanagh as their new manager. They accepted an invitation to record the title music for Harry's Game, a three-part television drama depicting The Troubles in Northern Ireland based on the same-titled novel by Gerald Seymour, who suggested that the band record music for the show.[32] In several hours Ciarán, Pól, and Máire wrote "Theme from Harry's Game", an atmospheric piece featuring a Prophet-5 synthesizer and over 100 tracked vocals that marked a departure from their acoustic folk sound. The track was recorded in two days.[32][24][3][26] Released as a single in October 1982, "Theme from Harry's Game" became the band's commercial breakthrough and caught international attention. It peaked at No. 2 in Ireland and No. 5 in the UK, and reached the top-20 in the Netherlands and Sweden. It remains the only UK hit single to be sung entirely in Gaelic. Clannad's national exposure increased further when they performed the song on Top of the Pops.[33] From 1983 to 1987, Irish rock band U2 used the song at the end their concerts.[34]

"Two minutes of haunting vocal magic—the sort of thing Clannad have been doing for years—and all of a sudden everybody wants to know who they are."

—Belfast Telegraph, November 1982[32]

Following their newfound success the group released their seventh studio album Magical Ring, in March 1983. In addition to "Theme from Harry's Game", it features a mix of original and traditional Irish songs plus a cover of "I See Red" by Jim Rafferty. The album peaked at No. 26 in the UK, and became the group's first album to be certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).[35] Two singles from the album were released; "I See Red" went to No. 19 in Ireland and No. 81 in the UK, and "Newgrange" reached No. 30 and No. 65, respectively. In April 1983, Clannad were awarded a Hot Press Music Award for their impact on Irish music in the past year.[36] Around this time Maire noted the group lost some fans of their traditional folk sound, but at the same time gained new ones following their commercial break.[33]

A month after Magical Ring was released, the band were commissioned to score the 26-episode television drama series Robin of Sherwood that aired on ITV from 1984 to 1986.[36] They once again began to stretch themselves, creating music for a range of characters and events related to the legend of Robin Hood and, in a career first, recorded in its entirety in English. In May 1984, a soundtrack album from the series was released as Legend that reached No. 9 in New Zealand and No. 15 in the UK. The series' theme tune was released as a single entitled "Robin (The Hooded Man)" that went to No. 19 in Ireland and No. 42 in the UK. Clannad won a BAFTA for Best Original Television Music, the first Irish band to win it, in 1985.[24] In 1984, the band embarked on their first major concert tour of the UK, which was followed by a 18-month world tour including dates across the US and USSR.[37][33]

1985–1989: Macalla and Sirius

In 1985, Clannad released Macalla (Irish for Echo) which was recorded in Switzerland, England, and Ireland. It contained all original material except one traditional song and yielded the group a hit single "In a Lifetime", a duet with U2 singer Bono which begins with Máire being heard teaching Gaelic to Bono during the introduction.[38] The album features numerous backing musicians who have continued to tour with them, including ex-King Crimson saxophonist Mel Collins, Moving Hearts' guitarist Anthony Drennan, and drummer Paul Moran. Also on board was producer Steve Nye, who oversaw the pop-flavoured "Closer to Your Heart" and the ballad "Almost Seems (Too Late to Turn)" and became hit singles, the latter serving as the Children in Need charity single in 1985. In the following year the band put out their first compilation album, The Collection.

In October 1987, Clannad got together with American producers Greg Ladanyi and Russ Kunkel, the drummer for James Taylor's band, to assist on their next album, Sirius. The pair gave the album a contemporary pop influenced sound and production, which created the incorrect assumption that it was recorded in the US when it was recorded in the UK and mixed in Los Angeles.[26] Máire Brennan recalled the band were at an experimental stage during this time, and that Ladanyi and Kunkel did not listen to their previous records. Ciaran thought the music was "sandpapered down to be a radio-friendly album" and the production relied too heavily on a computer.[26] Sirius features "Something to Believe In", a duet with Bruce Hornsby on vocals and keyboards, and guest appearances by Steve Perry and J.D. Souther. In February 1988, the band kicked off a world tour to commemorate their fifteenth anniversary, which included dates across Europe, Australia, and the US.[39]

In between their 1988 tour the group scored three episodes of the BBC wildlife documentary series Natural World about the Atlantic Ocean, broadcast in January 1989. A soundtrack album of the score was released as Atlantic Realm, which went to No. 41 in the UK. In addition Clannad released a second compilation album Pastpresent, which focused on their output from 1982 onward, plus two new tracks: "The Hunter" and "World of Difference". The set was a commercial success, peaking at No. 5 in the UK where it was certified Platinum for over 300,000 copies sold.[40] It was promoted with a sell-out UK tour and the release of a double A-side single, "Hourglass" with "Theme from Harry's Game", although the former is not on the compilation. Clannad provided music to The Angel and the Soldier Boy, an animated film with narration from actor Tom Conti. Ciarán and Pól Brennan wrote the music which was performed by the band. A same-titled soundtrack was released in 1989. Also in 1989, Clannad won four Clio Awards for their music in a US advertisement produced by An Bord Fáilte.[40]

1989–2000: four-piece band, Anam, Banba, and Lore

In 1989, Pól Brennan decided to leave Clannad to work with Peter Gabriel as a producer for the WOMAD arts festival and as an acoustic specialist.[27] The band continued as a four-piece and wrote, arranged, and recorded Anam (Irish for Soul) in under three months, with Ciarán Brennan becoming their producer and primary songwriter.[26] Released in October 1990, the album peaked at No. 14 in the UK. Its US release followed in 1992 and includes "In a Lifetime" and "Theme from Harry's Game", which had been included in the film Patriot Games (1992) and a Volkswagen television advert, boosting the group's recognition in the country.[27][26] The public interest generated from the advert made Anam reach No. 46 on the US Billboard 200, the group's highest position on the chart.[41] In 1996, the album reached gold certification in the US for selling 500,000 copies.[42] The latter won a Billboard Music Award for World Music Song of the Year. "Rí na Cruinne" was included on the One World One Voice charity album to raise awareness of environmental issues.

"I Will Find You"
From Banba (1993).
Problems playing this file? See media help.

In late 1990, the group's sister/niece Bridin Brennan joined the group as a live member, performing additional instruments and backing vocals. Around this time a documentary on the band's 20-year history was produced, entitled Clannad in Donegal.[43] In 1991, Clannad released a duet with Paul Young, a cover version of "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell. The track had been put together for the Blake Edwards film Switch.

In late 1992, the group started working on material for Banba, but this time took a different approach to the songwriting. Ciarán wrote as many as fifteen songs at his leisure at his home studio, to which Maire and he picked out tracks to develop as a band, and produced a demo of them. The pair revisited them after a period of time and arranged the best parts into complete songs.[26] Released in May 1993, the album went to No. 5 in the UK and No. 110 in the US. It features "I Will Find You", written for the film The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and has Máire singing in English, Mohican, and Cherokee Indian. Maire said director Michael Mann had liked their Gaelic songs, but the band were unsure of writing a song about early American history in Gaelic and opted for the native languages. A version fully in English was also made.[26] Banba was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album. Like its predecessor, it reached Gold certification in the US for selling 500,000 copies.[42] It was supported by Clannad's 20th anniversary tour that concluded with a show to several thousands at Lincoln Castle in July 1993.[44]

By early 1996, Clannad had recorded and finished Lore, but its release was delayed after the band tried to leave BMG and sign a worldwide deal with Atlantic Records, their US distributor.[45] Released in March 1996, the album features American drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. It reached No. 14 in the UK and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top World Albums chart, knocking off Gipsy Kings after their 24-week run at the top.[46] "Croí Cróga" (Irish for "Brave Heart") was originally written for the Mel Gibson film Braveheart (1995), but failed to make the final cut.[45] "Farewell Love" was used in the soundtrack to the Irish drama film A Further Gesture (1997). Clannad's tour to promote the album included their first shows in Japan that featured several sell-out shows.[47] In 1996, Clannad received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Irish Recorded Music Association. In April 1996, the group split with their manager Dave Kavanagh after 14 years.[48]

Clannad returned in 1997 with Landmarks. In the song "Of This Land", Máire sings about Ireland, of its past and of its future. The track "Fadó" ("Long Ago") demonstrates the influences of old Celtic history on Clannad's music. In 1999, it won the group a Grammy award for Best New Age Album. Also in 1999, the group wrote "What Will I Do" for the Kevin Costner romantic drama film Message in a Bottle.

2000–present: hiatus, five-piece reunion, Nádúr, and final tour

Clannad returned as a five piece in January 2007

Between 1999 and 2007, Clannad were largely inactive while the individual members pursued solo projects. In 2003, BMG/RCA released the greatest hits album The Best of Clannad: In a Lifetime, which peaked at No. 23 in the UK. In the following year, the Duggan twins got together for the first time outside of Clannad and released Rubicon under their duo moniker, The Duggans.

Clannad reunited for a one-off performance in 2006 during Moya Brennan's solo concert in De Doelen, the Netherlands, which was dedicated to Leo and Máire Brennan. The whole of Clannad, including former member Pól Brennan and sister Deirdre, performed five songs in the second half of the concert. The audience, Leo, and Máire were unaware of the plan, which resulted in multiple standing ovations from the audience.[49] In January 2007, the five original members of Clannad performed at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow. In the following month, the group received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Meteor Ireland Music Awards in Dublin.

In March 2008, Clannad began their first UK tour in over 12 years.[50] In May 2008, Clannad's version of the traditional song "Down by the Salley Gardens" was featured in the listening paper for Music GCSE from the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations exam board. Also in 2008, two compilation albums were released: Celtic Themes: The Very Best of Clannad and Beginnings: The Best of the Early Years.[51] In 2009, Clannad were nominated for an IMA Award for Best Revival Act.[52][53]

In 2011, Pól Brennan returned to the group as a full-time member for the first time since 1990. He recalled that the most exciting thing about his return was writing songs with his brother Ciarán again.[54] In January 2011, the band organised two additional concerts at the Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin due to the high demand for tickets. The group appeared on RTÉ's The Late Late Show on 21 January, performing "Theme from Harry's Game" with vocan ensemble Anúna. It was their first appearance on the show in 14 years.[55]

In September 2013, Clannad released their first studio album since 1998 and their final overall, Nádúr.[56] It was their final album before the death of Padraig Duggan in 2016. An international tour commenced in October 2013, starting in Australia and New Zealand, and lasted through 2014. In 2016, Moya Brennan announced she was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease that required her to rephrase the vocals to some songs.[54]

In February 2020, BMG announced the release of In a Lifetime, a greatest hits set to commemorate the band's fiftieth anniversary. Released on April 3 by BMG, the album was available on CD, vinyl, digital platforms, and a deluxe edition that contains over 100 tracks spanning their career. The set includes two new tracks, "A Celtic Dream" and "Who Knows (Where the Time Goes)", their first recorded since Padraig Duggan's passing.[57] The album coincided with the In a Lifetime Tour, their final as a group, which was to take place in the UK and North America between March and October 2020.[57] However, the tour was postponed after several shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[58] The tour resumed in 2021, before Noel Duggan died on 15 October 2022 at age 73. The band performed their farewell concert at the 3Arena in Dublin on 18 February 2023.[59] The tour will conclude with a US leg in October 2023, after which Clannad will disband and the individual members will continue with solo projects.[59]

Musical style and legacy

The original Clannad line-up at the 2006 Meteor Awards:Pádraig Duggan, Pól Brennan, Moya Brennan, Ciarán Brennan and Noel Duggan

"There's a feeling in all our music, an ambience that stems directly from where we were brought up and to have to define our sound, I always say that if they were to visit Gweedore they wouldn't need to ask." – Ciarán Brennan[60]

When Clannad first started out in the early 1970s their music and sound stemmed solely from their traditional background. Despite this they managed to popularise such old songs as "Dúlamán", "Teidhir Abhaile Riú" and "Coinleach Glas An Fhómhair", and these songs have remained popular numbers at their concerts. On the departure from their folk and traditional background in 1982, they created a new sound that would define the meaning of new-age and Celtic music forever. When "Theme from Harry's Game" and "Newgrange" were first heard, radio stations all over the world became fascinated by the earthly and spiritual sound that they had never encountered before.[61] One critic said "the tunes were seeped in the old ways, but the production and the arrangement was fresh and inventive". This transition in Clannad's career is often seen as the birth of Celtic music, and to this day they are regarded as the pioneers of that genre. They are also noted for their melodious harmonies, which have been at the heart of their music since their first album. Legend (1984) was based on English folklore. With later albums, Clannad delved further into the realms of electronica and even pop. Due to this, many of their singles entered pop charts all over the world, and widened their fan base once again. Despite their success with this genre of music, the group managed to maintain a link with their Gaelic roots throughout their career, giving traditional Irish songs such as "Tráthnóna Beag Aréir" and "Buachaill Ón Éirne" the Clannad treatment.

Even though the rock-infused Sirius and the pop-inclined Macalla were successful for Clannad, it was their breakthrough style that they created themselves that has left the greatest legacy. Clannad's influence can be found in the film Titanic, where James Horner admitted to basing the soundtrack on Clannad's style.[15] The soundtrack was so like Clannad's work that it has been incorrectly credited to them for many years.[62] Clannad's 'Celtic mysticism' is a recurring theme in the film Intermission.[63] The "otherworldly" and "ethereal" Clannad sound comes from the ancient hills and glens that surround Gweedore, according to lead singer Moya Brennan.[64] Traces of Clannad's legacy can be heard in the music of many artists, including Enya, Altan, Capercaillie, The Corrs, Loreena McKennitt, Anúna, Riverdance, Órla Fallon and even U2.[65][66] Bono stated that Moya has "one of the greatest voices the human ear has ever experienced".[67]

A Japanese visual novel released in 2004, which spawned a 2007 film and a 2007–08 television series based on it, was named after the band because screenwriter Jun Maeda mistakenly believed it to mean the word "family" in Irish.[68]

The Brennan family

The Brennans are Ireland's most successful music family; in 2005, the combined record sales of Clannad and Enya exceeded 70 million.[69] Leo Brennan (born Leo Henry Brennan-Hardin; 1925–2016)[70] and Máire "Baba" Duggan (born 1930) are the parents of the Brennan siblings Máire (or Moya), Leon (died 2021),[71] Ciarán, Deirdre, Pól, Olive, Eithne (or Enya), Bartley and Brídín. Brennan was a musician who played in an Irish showband, the Slieve Foy, and Duggan was an amateur musician who taught music at Gweedore Community School and lead the local choir, Cór Mhuire Doire Beaga. The family lived in Dore, a parish in Gweedore, County Donegal.

In 1968, the pair bought Leo's Tavern in Meenaleck for £1,500.[20]

Members

Current members
  • Ciarán Brennan – bass, guitar, keyboards, mandolin, vocals (1970–present)
  • Moya Brennan – vocals, harp (1970–present)
  • Pól Brennan – flute, guitar, percussion, whistles, vocals (1970–1990, 2011–present)
Former members
  • Noel Duggan – guitar, vocals (1970–2022; his death)
  • Pádraig Duggan – guitar, mandola, mandolin, vocals (1970–2016; his death)
  • Enya Brennan – percussion, keyboards, vocals (1980–1982)

Discography

Main article: Clannad discography

Studio albums

EPs

  • Christmas Angels (1997)

Live albums

Videography

Bibliography

Sheet music book for 'Past Present'
  • A Woman's Voice (1991)
Eddie Rowley in conversation with Máire Brennan
sometimes called God of Peace
Later subtitled: The Autobiography of the Voice of Clannad
Detailing Clannad's journey as a band

Awards and nominations

Won

  1. 1982: 1982 Ivor Novello Awards, Best Soundtrack for "Theme From Harry's Game"
  2. 1984: 1984 BAFTA Awards, Best Television Music for "Robin of Sherwood"
  3. 1992: Billboard Music Award, World Music Song of the Year for "Rí na Cruinne"
  4. 1999: Grammy Awards of 1999, Best New Age Album for "Landmarks"
  5. 2007: Meteor Music Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award
  6. 2014: BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award

Nominations

  1. 1982: 1982 BAFTA Awards, Best Television Music for "Harry's Game"
  2. 1994: Grammy Awards of 1994, Best New Age Album for "Banba"
  3. 1996: Grammy Awards of 1996, Best New Age Album for "Lore"
  4. 2009: Ireland's Music Awards, Best Revival Act

References

  1. ^ "Clannad Lyrics". Lyricsfreak.com. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  2. ^ "Rolling Stone : Clannad: Macalla : Music Reviews". Archive.today. Archived from the original on 18 May 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d Simpson, Dave (13 April 2020). "How Clannad made Theme from Harry's Game". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Pádraig Duggan obituary". The Guardian. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  5. ^ "University of Ulster News Release – UU To Honour Peacemaker Tutu". News.ulster.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  6. ^ "Radio Swiss Classic". Radioswissclassic.ch. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Clannad - News, Photos, Videos, Bio. Free music downloads at MP3.com". Mp3.com. Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 8 November 2007.
  8. ^ "Usually, their results were an entrancing, enchanting form of pop that managed to fuse the disparate elements together rather seamlessly". Billboard. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 9 June 2017.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. ^ "How Clannad changed the world's view of Celtic music". Thetonedeaf.thebrag.com. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  10. ^ Heim, Chris (19 February 1993). "CLANNAD GETS HIGHER PROFILE, THANKS IN PART TO VOLKSWAGEN". Chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  11. ^ "New Clannad album > Clannad & Moya Brennan News". 28 February 2009. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009.
  12. ^ "Kennedy Street – Clannad". Archived from the original on 7 June 2008.
  13. ^ "Clannad's Nádúr and Other New Celtic Recordings". Huffington Post. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  14. ^ Munro, Scott (9 September 2019). "Clannad announce In A Lifetime farewell UK tour". Loudersound. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  15. ^ a b "mdm.ie". Mdm.ie. Archived from the original on 18 November 2007.
  16. ^ Moser, Margaret (21 June 2002). "Chieftains, Clannad". Austinchronicle.com. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  17. ^ "Clannad Finds Road to U.S. Exposure: Pop music: The use of 'Harry's Game' in TV car commercials has given the Irish folk-pop group another shot at the American market". Los Angeles Times. 2 June 1993. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Maire Brennan Interview". Rootsworld.com. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  19. ^ Moya Brennan. "Biography". Moyabrennan.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  20. ^ a b Daly, John (9 July 2005). "Love and the Music". Irish Independent. pp. 22, 24–25. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  21. ^ a b "Mother Moya". Irish Independent. 23 March 1996. p. 10. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  22. ^ "Gaeltacht group release single". Irish Independent. 19 October 1974. p. 7. Retrieved 30 June 2023 – via British Newspaper Archives.
  23. ^ Purcell, Deirdre (6 December 1987). "'Music Is My Whole Life'". Sunday Tribune. p. 17. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  24. ^ a b c d Bacon, Tony (June 1985). "That Clannad Moment". One Two Testing (Jun 1985): 54–55. Retrieved 29 June 2023 – via Muzines.
  25. ^ "Clannad Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Clannad". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Pendergast, Mark J. (October 1993). "Clannad". Sound on Sound (Oct 1993): 108–110. Retrieved 29 June 2023 – via Muzines.
  27. ^ a b c d e Burke, David (November 2013). "Clannad". Rocksbackpages.com. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  28. ^ "Popular Irish folk". Belfast Telegraph. 21 March 1977. p. 3. Retrieved 30 June 2023 – via British Newspaper Archives.
  29. ^ "Capital Celtic Network - CLANNAD". Capitalceltic.com. Archived from the original on 17 December 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2007.
  30. ^ Kurt Loder (3 January 1980). ""Rolling Stone" column". St. Petersburg Times. p. 17D. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  31. ^ Willman, Chris (5 March 1989). "Enya hits high 'Watermark' sans Clannad...". Los Angeles Times. p. 68. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  32. ^ a b c "Clannad - Winners of Harry's Game". Belfast Telegraph. 6 November 1982. p. 10. Retrieved 1 July 2023 – via British Newspaper Archives.
  33. ^ a b c Harbridge, Simon (5 October 1984). "Looking after family business". Nottingham Evening Post. p. 8. Retrieved 1 July 2023 – via British Newspaper Archives.
  34. ^ [1][dead link]
  35. ^ JT Koch (ed). Celtic Culture. A Historical Encyclopaedia ABC-CLIO 2006 pp 1627–1628
  36. ^ a b Creagh, Liam (16 April 1983). "Clannad: The Success Theme Continues". Belfast Telegraph. p. 11. Retrieved 1 July 2023 – via British Newspaper Archives.
  37. ^ Myles, Eric (16 April 1983). "Last Chance to Catch Clannad". Belfast Telegraph. p. 11. Retrieved 1 July 2023 – via British Newspaper Archives.
  38. ^ '"Easter-egg" during first 20 seconds of "Lifetime"', Máire explains during public IRC chat with fans, 2003
  39. ^ "[Untitled]". Sunday Independent. 28 February 1988. p. 15. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  40. ^ a b Rowley, Eddie (13 August 1989). "Up in Clannad's hillside 'haunt'". Sunday World. p. 21. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  41. ^ Mayfield, Geoff (9 August 1997). "Between the Bullets". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 32. p. 76. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  42. ^ a b "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America.
  43. ^ "On the Side". Sunday Tribune. 28 October 1990. p. 12. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  44. ^ "Clannad celebrate 20 years in style". Lincolnshire Echo. 19 July 1993. p. 2. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  45. ^ a b O'Connor, Roderick (24 March 1996). "Rock profile: Roderick O'Connor talks to Maire Brennan about the return of Clannad". Sunday Tribune. p. 14. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  46. ^ "Clannad are on top of the world". Evening Herald. 11 March 1996. p. 10. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  47. ^ "Late Late snub for Clannad". Evening Herald. 20 December 1996. p. 10. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  48. ^ "Clannad and top manager to split". Evening Herald. 29 April 1996. p. 10. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  49. ^ [2][dead link]
  50. ^ "The Clannad Newsblog". Archived from the original on 17 November 2007.
  51. ^ "New Clannad Compilation Confirmed – Northern Skyline". Clannad.org.uk. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  52. ^ "Clannad & Enya Nominated for IMA's!". Clannad.org.uk. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  53. ^ "Profile: Clannad". Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  54. ^ a b Kielty, Martin (17 October 2022). ""Youth is a funny thing, isn't it?" Clannad: their final chapter". Loudersound. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  55. ^ [3][dead link]
  56. ^ "Clannad Website / News (18 June 2013)". Clannad.ie. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  57. ^ a b "Clannad Announce 'In A Lifetime' Career-Spanning World Tour". Thatericalper.com. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  58. ^ Honigmann, David (6 March 2020). "Clannad: In a Lifetime — reflecting on a 50-year career". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  59. ^ a b Rowley, Eddie (21 December 2022). "Clannad singer Moya Brennan says the band were 'laughed at' when they started off". Sunday World. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  60. ^ "Clannad Interview and Article Library". Clannad.org.uk. Archived from the original on 30 March 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  61. ^ "Clannad's 'Earthly' style". Uk.real.com. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  62. ^ "Titanic". Filmtracks.com. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  63. ^ "Lynch uncovers his hardnosed relish for the nastier aspects of police work and his softer side too, deriving much pleasure through listening to Irish folk acts such as Clannad in his unmarked police car!". Futuremovies.co.uk. 28 November 2003. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  64. ^ "Entertainment News". Celtic-connection.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  65. ^ "Get Ready for the Return of Moya Brennan And Clannad". Irish Examiner, USA. 13 March 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  66. ^ michaelmcglynn (7 October 2009). "The Free Design and Clannad " Michael McGlynn". Michaelmcglynn.wordpress.com. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  67. ^ "Home – Real Good Music". Rgmbooking.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  68. ^ pre-Clannad (in Japanese). SoftBank Creative. 15 April 2004. ISBN 4-7973-2723-5. ASIN 4797327235.
  69. ^ "Moya Brennan : News Archive". Archived from the original on 17 November 2007.
  70. ^ "SADNESS AS FATHER OF FAMOUS CLANNAD CLAN PASSES AWAY". Donegaldaily.com. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  71. ^ Enya [@official_enya] (17 December 2021). "It is with a deep and terrible sadness that I must announce the death of my beloved brother, Leon. Not only was he my brother, but he was my dearest and closest friend. My love for him will remain forever in my heart. I would ask for privacy at this time. Enya" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 28 November 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022 – via Twitter.

External links