Andy Irvine pays tribute to Dónal Lunny: ‘The first 18 months of Planxty were the most joyous of my life up to then’

Irvine – a founding member of Planxty – was thrilled by Lunny’s empathy, both as a friend and as a musicianAndy Irvine and Dónal Lunny met in the 1960s when Irvine went to view a bedsit in Rathmines, where Lunny was living I am devastated by the loss of my great friend and brilliant musician, Dónal Lunny. It has taken me a few days to even begin to get used to the fact that he is no longer with us. I wanted to pen my own early memories of our friendship. We met first in the 1960s; I was looking for somewhere to live and had an appointment to view a bedsit in Grosvenor Road in Dublin’s Rathmines. I rang the bell and the door was opened by Dónal, who lived there. He would always tell the story that I stood there “festooned” with musical instruments. We had a cup of tea and the owner arrived. I did not get the bedsit unfortunately (musicians were viewed with suspicion in those days). In 1970, after I came home from eastern Europe, Dónal and I began to play together. Seán Mac Réamoinn, the famous broadcaster and journalist, was involved in the Irish-Soviet Friendship Society and asked both of us – independently – if we would play for half an hour to entertain Russian guests at a forthcoming meeting. Dónal and I arrived and had about half an hour to work up a programme, having never played together before. It was then that I got my first taste of his brilliance. The speed with which he got a grip on the three or four songs I had planned to play thrilled me, and we became close friends and played together for the next 54 years.READ MOREI had brought back a Greek bouzouki from my Balkan travels and Dónal discovered it one day, lying in a pile of other instruments in my room. He picked it up and started learning his way around it. After about an hour, he had made such progress, even though he was left-handed and it was set up for a right-hander, that I just gave it to him.[ Dónal Lunny obituary: Innovative musician who leaves indelible mark on Irish folk and traditional musicOpens in new window ]We formed “The Mugs Gig” together after that, downstairs in Slattery’s of Capel Street (later, we managed to move upstairs to the bigger venue where Planxty – even before it got its name – made its debut in early 1972).Dónal and I played concerts in The Exam Hall in Trinity and recorded for Shay Healy’s radio programme. I was thrilled by his empathy, both as a friend and as a musician. He had the wonderful ability of playing the perfect accompaniment to my songs. Later, musicians of all kinds would discover this same ability.Andy Irvine and Dónal Lunny performing after the screening of In Time, at the Triskel for Sounds from a Safe Harbour festival, September 2025. Photograph: Bríd O’Donovan. Christy Moore, who was a long-time friend of Dónal’s, asked us, and Liam O’Flynn, to play on a recording he was planning, which later became Prosperous. It was quite a hit and Christy asked me would I be interested in forming a band. This took me by complete surprise and I said, “Well, who would be in it?” He said Dónal and Liam. [ Andy Irvine on Dónal Lunny: ‘He glued Planxty together and made the structure work’Opens in new window ]I said: “Is Dónal into it?”He said: “Yes, mad into it!”I said: “But surely Liam wouldn’t be interested.”He said: “Oh yes he is, very interested.”That left me only one option. The first 18 months of Planxty were the most joyous of my life up to that point. Off stage – and often even on stage – Dónal and Christy were like a comedy double act. They had us all in stitches as we rolled around the country in our Transit van. We were popular, we were full of humour, we loved each other and ... we were loved.Dónal’s music is an inspiration and though he is no longer present, his name and all he stood for will be remembered for all time.IN THIS SECTION