Monday, July 10, 2006

RIP, Micheál Ó Domhnaill

Sad news today of the death of a real giant in Irish music and a long time favorite of mine. Micheál Ó Domhnaill, 54, died at his home in Dublin yesterday. A member of the seminal trad group The Bothy Band, Ó Domhnaill played with some of Ireland’s finest musicians, including Daithi Sproule, Donal Lunny, Paddy Keenan, and Paddy Glackin. He formed the fusion trad/jazz group Nightnoise in the 1980s after moving to the US, and returned to Ireland in the 1990s. His albums with fiddler Kevin Burke, Portland and Promenade were early influences of mine when my love of traditional Irish music was just beginning. A wonderful guitarist, he also had a beautiful, understated and haunting singing voice.

Slan agus beannacht, Micheál.

2 comments:

Happy In Bag said...

You reported this sad news twelve hours ahead of any other source. I guess you're connected. Here's my modest tribute:

http://therestandstheglass.blogspot.com/2006/07/nightnoise-march-air.html

Anonymous said...

Awful news! A big loss to the world of Irish Tradition and Folk Music! May he rest in peace, Ar dheis Dé go raibh a Anam!