No other group has done more to bring Irish traditional music to an international audience than The Chieftains. Over a career spanning nearly sixty years, they played for presidents and popes, collaborated with rock stars and classical orchestras, won six Grammy Awards, and made the sound of uilleann pipes and tin whistles recognisable to millions of people who had never set foot in Ireland.<\/p>\n
And they did it without compromising the music. That\u2019s the remarkable thing. Paddy Moloney never dumbed down, never chased pop trends, never abandoned the jigs and reels. He simply took the tradition and presented it with such artistry and conviction that the world paid attention.<\/p>\n
The story begins with S\u00e9an \u00d3 Riada, the classically trained composer who founded Ceolt\u00f3ir\u00ed Chualann in 1961. \u00d3 Riada had a radical idea: that Irish traditional music deserved to be arranged and presented with the same care and sophistication as classical chamber music. He assembled an ensemble of outstanding musicians and created arrangements that featured individual instruments in turn, rather than everyone playing in unison.<\/p>\n
Paddy Moloney was one of those musicians \u2014 a young uilleann piper and tin whistle player from Donnycarney in Dublin. When Ceolt\u00f3ir\u00ed Chualann began to wind down, Moloney formed The Chieftains in 1962 with Se\u00e1n Potts (tin whistle) and Michael Tubridy (flute and concertina). Over the following years, the lineup expanded to include Martin Fay (fiddle), Se\u00e1n Keane (fiddle), Kevin Conneff (bodhr\u00e1n and vocals), Derek Bell (harp), and Matt Molloy (flute), among others.<\/p>\n
The Chieftains\u2019 first seven albums, released between 1963 and 1977, are the foundation of their legacy. These are pure traditional music \u2014 jigs, reels, slow airs, O\u2019Carolan compositions \u2014 arranged with Moloney\u2019s characteristic ear for dynamics, texture and drama.<\/p>\n
What set these recordings apart was the quality of the arrangements. Moloney treated each tune like a miniature composition, bringing instruments in and out, varying the texture, building and releasing tension. The result was trad that felt cinematic without losing its authenticity. The Chieftains 4 (1973) and The Chieftains 5 (1975) are often cited as the high points of this early period.<\/p>\n
The albums sold modestly at first. The Chieftains were a part-time project \u2014 the members all had day jobs. It wasn\u2019t until the mid-1970s that their reputation began to build internationally.<\/p>\n
The breakthrough came from an unexpected direction. In 1975, Stanley Kubrick used Chieftains music in the soundtrack to his film Barry Lyndon. The exposure introduced the group to a global audience. They began touring internationally, and Moloney \u2014 a tireless networker and organiser \u2014 started building the relationships that would define the band\u2019s later career.<\/p>\n
By the 1980s, The Chieftains were playing to large audiences in North America, Europe and Asia. In 1983, they played a historic concert on the Great Wall of China \u2014 one of the first Western musical groups to perform there. They played for Pope John Paul II during his 1979 visit to Ireland. They performed at the inaugurations of US Presidents. The Irish government named them Ireland\u2019s Musical Ambassadors in 1989.<\/p>\n
Moloney\u2019s genius was in understanding that trad didn\u2019t need to change to reach new audiences; it just needed the right platform. A jig played brilliantly in a grand concert hall was just as compelling as a jig played in a pub \u2014 arguably more so, because the contrast between the formal setting and the raw energy of the music was electric.<\/p>\n
From the 1980s onward, The Chieftains became famous for their collaborations with artists from every genre imaginable. They recorded with Van Morrison (Irish Heartbeat, 1988 \u2014 one of the great crossover albums), The Rolling Stones, Sting, Sinead O\u2019Connor, Ry Cooder, Luciano Pavarotti, Galician pipers, Nashville country musicians, and Breton artists.<\/p>\n
The Long Black Veil (1995) was the commercial peak \u2014 a collaboration album featuring Mick Jagger, Sting, Sinead O\u2019Connor, Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler and Tom Jones, among others. It sold millions and won a Grammy. Later collaboration albums explored connections between Irish music and the traditions of Galicia, Brittany, Nashville, China and elsewhere.<\/p>\n
The collaborations were not universally loved by trad purists, who felt the group had strayed from its roots. But Moloney\u2019s achievement was real: he demonstrated that Irish trad could hold its own alongside any musical tradition in the world, and he introduced the music to audiences who would never have found it otherwise.<\/p>\n
The Chieftains were never a one-man show, despite Moloney\u2019s dominant role. The group featured some of the finest traditional musicians in Ireland.<\/p>\n
Paddy Moloney (1938\u20132021): <\/strong>Uilleann pipes, tin whistle, arrangements. The founder, leader, arranger and driving force for nearly sixty years.<\/p>\n Matt Molloy: <\/strong>Widely regarded as the finest Irish flute player alive. Joined in 1979 after stints with Planxty and The Bothy Band. His playing gave the group a new dimension.<\/p>\n Se\u00e1n Keane: <\/strong>Fiddler of extraordinary precision and expressiveness. A member for over forty years, his playing was central to the group\u2019s sound.<\/p>\n Kevin Conneff: <\/strong>Bodhr\u00e1n player and singer whose rhythmic sensitivity and vocal warmth added an essential dimension.<\/p>\n Martin Fay (1936\u20132012): <\/strong>The original fiddler, a classically trained musician whose pizzicato accompaniment on early albums was a distinctive touch.<\/p>\n Derek Bell (1935\u20132002): <\/strong>Harpist and multi-instrumentalist who joined in 1974 and brought the Irish harp sound into the group.<\/p>\n Se\u00e1n Potts (1930\u20132015): <\/strong>Tin whistle player and a founding member. His duets with Moloney on the early albums are some of the finest whistle recordings in the tradition.<\/p>\n Paddy Moloney died in October 2021, and The Chieftains effectively ended with him. But their legacy is immense. They proved that Irish traditional music could fill concert halls, win Grammys, and stand alongside any musical tradition in the world. They introduced millions of people to the sound of uilleann pipes, tin whistles and bodhr\u00e1ns. And their early albums remain some of the finest recordings of Irish instrumental music ever made.<\/p>\n For listeners new to trad, The Chieftains are an ideal starting point. Their music is accessible without being simplified, beautiful without being sentimental, and rooted in the tradition without being museum-piece. Start with the early albums for pure trad, or The Long Black Veil for the crossover magic.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll hear The Chieftains on Radio Siamsa every day. They\u2019re part of the fabric of the tradition, and the tradition is richer for them.<\/p>\n Read our guide to the great Irish traditional musicians<\/a><\/p>\n Read our complete guide to Irish traditional music<\/a><\/p>\n Paddy Moloney founded The Chieftains in 1962, initially as an offshoot of S\u00e9an \u00d3 Riada\u2019s ensemble Ceolt\u00f3ir\u00ed Chualann. The original members were Moloney, Se\u00e1n Potts and Michael Tubridy.<\/p>\n Six Grammy Awards, across categories including Best Traditional Folk Album and Best Pop Collaboration. They were also nominated many more times over their career.<\/p>\n The Chieftains effectively ended with the death of their founder Paddy Moloney in October 2021. Some former members continue to perform in various contexts, but the group itself is no longer active.<\/p>\n For pure traditional music, start with The Chieftains 4 (1973). For the collaborative magic, start with The Long Black Veil (1995) or Irish Heartbeat (1988, with Van Morrison).<\/p>\n At their core, The Chieftains played traditional Irish instrumental music \u2014 jigs, reels, slow airs, O\u2019Carolan compositions. Their collaborations with rock, country and world music artists expanded their palette, but the foundation was always trad.<\/p>\nLegacy<\/h2>\n
Essential Listening<\/h2>\n
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Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n
Who founded The Chieftains?<\/h3>\n
How many Grammy Awards did The Chieftains win?<\/h3>\n
Are The Chieftains still performing?<\/h3>\n
What is the best Chieftains album to start with?<\/h3>\n
Did The Chieftains play traditional music or something else?<\/h3>\n
Further Reading<\/h2>\n
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