The Bothy Band

The Bothy Band was an Irish traditional band active during the late 1970s. It quickly gained a reputation as one of the most influential bands playing Irish traditional music. Their enthusiasm and musical virtuosity had a significant influence on the Irish traditional music movement that continued well after they disbanded in 1979.
The Bothy Band was formed in 1975 by bouzouki player Donal Lunny, after he left the group Planxty to form his own record company, Mulligan. Lunny invited uilleann piper Paddy Keenan, flute and whistle player Matt Molloy, fiddler Paddy Glackin, and accordion player Tony MacMahon to get involved in an early project for the new label. This group of players was soon joined by a brother and sister who played in the Irish traditional group Skara Brae: Mícheál Ó Domhnaill on acoustic guitar and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill on clavinet and vocals. Originally called, Seachtar (meaning seven), the group was renamed by Mícháel Ó Domhnaill after Tony MacMahon left the group to work as a producer for BBC. The Bothy Band made its debut on 2 February 1975 at Trinity College, Dublin.
In 1975, the Bothy Band released their eponymous first album on Green Linnet Records, which received critical acclaim and established their reputation as a significant musical force in Irish traditional music. In 1976, the released their second album, Old Hag You Have Killed Me, which also received critical praise and expanded their following. In 1977, they recorded what would be their last studio album, Out of the Wind Into the Sun. In 1979, the Bothy Band released a live album, After Hours (Live in Paris). The album included tracks recorded in London by the BBC at the Pares Theater in July 1976 and the Kilburn National Theater in July 1978.
During their four years together, the Bothy Band featured a variety of fiddlers. Original fiddler Glackin was replaced by Donegal fiddler Tommy Peoples on the band's début album. Peoples in turn was replaced by Sligo-influenced fiddler Kevin Burke on the second release.
After the group disbanded in 1979, the members continued to play influential musical roles in the Irish traditional music movement. Lunny returned to Planxty, and then later helped form the Celtic rock band Moving Hearts. He continued working as a record producer, and later formed the group Mozaik, releasing two albums in 2004 and 2007. Matt Molloy joined internationally known ensemble The Chieftains and Kevin Burke, after several solo projects, including two with Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, helped found the band Patrick Street with Jackie Daly (formerly of De Dannan) and Andy Irvine (formerly part of Planxty). Mícheál Ó Domhnaill and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill went on to form the successful groups Relativity and Nightnoise.
In 1994, previously unreleased concert recordings from 1976 and 1978 were released as BBC Radio One – The Bothy Band Live in Concert. Following the death of Mícheál Ó Domhnaill in July 2006, the surviving members of the Bothy Band came together at the tribute concert A Gig for Mícheál, held on 24 May 2007.