The Chieftains are now recognised for bringing traditional Irish music to the world's attention. They have uncovered the wealth of traditional Irish music that has accumulated over the centuries, making the music their own with a style that is as exhilarating as it is definitive.
The group was formed in 1962 by Paddy Moloney, from the ranks of the top folk musicians in Ireland. Although their early following was purely a folk audience, the range and variation of their music very quickly captured a much broader public, making them today the best known Irish band in the world.
They have been involved in such historic events as a tour of China (the first Western group to perform on the Great Wall ), Roger Waters' The Wall performance in Berlin in 1990 and became the first group to give a concert in the Capitol Building of Washington DC. On top of their six Grammy awards, they have been honoured in their own country by being officially named Ireland’s Musical Ambassadors. They also performed during the Pope's visit to Ireland in 1979 in front of a 135 million strong audience.
The Chieftains are the finest practitioners of traditional Irish music in the world, icons without peer or parallel. Now the Chieftains are making a much anticipated return to the Royal Theatre, Castlebar, Co Mayo on Friday October 23.
