Clannad are an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including folk, folk rock, traditional Irish, Celtic and new-age music, often incorporating elements of smooth jazz and Gregorian chant.
Moya Brennan, also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She began performing professionally in 1970 when her family formed the band Clannad, and is considered the "First Lady of Celtic Music". Brennan released her first solo album in 1992 called Máire, a successful venture. She has received a Grammy Award from five nominations and has won an Emmy Award. She has recorded music for several soundtracks, including Titanic, To End All Wars and King Arthur.
Anthony "Anto" Drennan is an Irish guitarist noted for his involvement with the Corrs, Genesis and Mike + the Mechanics among others.
"Theme from Harry's Game" is a 1982 song by Clannad commissioned as the theme for Harry's Game, a Yorkshire Television miniseries adapted from a 1975 novel set in The Troubles in Northern Ireland. It was released as a single in October 1982 and became a surprise hit, reaching number 5 in the UK Singles Chart the following month and number 2 in the Irish Singles Chart.
Macalla is a 1985 musical album by Irish folk group Clannad. It is their ninth album and became prominent with a collaboration between Clannad's singer Moya Brennan and U2 vocalist Bono on the duet "In a Lifetime". Furthermore, it featured some internationally renowned artists such as art rock saxophone player Mel Collins, an ex-King Crimson member and famous for his solo on The Rolling Stones' "Miss You", and Anton Corbijn's photography. An alternate version of the album's first track, "Caisleán Óir", was used throughout the third Robin of Sherwood series.
Emmet Spiceland was an Irish folk band formed when brothers Brian Byrne and Michael Byrne of the Spiceland Folk Group joined forces with Dónal Lunny, Brian Bolger and Mick Moloney's Emmet Folk Group.
Live in Concert is a live album by the Irish folk group Clannad which was released in 2005. It features new versions of material from across the band's catalogue as far back as their 1973 debut album. Songs originally released in their simplest acoustic form are now performed here with brand new full band arrangements. "In A Lifetime" features a duet with former Riverdance singer Brian Kennedy. An 11-minute medley of music from the Robin of Sherwood TV series features previously unreleased music. The album was compiled from concerts recorded during their 1996 European tour.
Sirius is the tenth album by Irish folk group Clannad, released in 1987. It features several guest artists such as Bruce Hornsby, Steve Perry and J.D. Souther.
Pastpresent is a compilation album by Irish folk group Clannad, released in 1989. It is a collection of selected songs recorded by the band from 1982 up to 1989, including two new songs exclusive to this release – "The Hunter" and "World of Difference".
Lore is a 1996 studio album by the Irish folk group Clannad. It was re-issued in 2005 with the Cantoma mix bonus track of "Croí Cróga". Lore was greeted with great acclaim by music critics worldwide, often stating that this was one of Clannad's greatest recordings. This has the most Gaelic songs of all Clannad albums since 1982, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album, the band's second nomination, although it lost to The Memory of Trees by Enya, who was once a member of Clannad and is the sister of band members Moya Brennan, Ciarán Brennan and Pól Brennan as well as niece to Noel Ó Dúgáin and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin.
The Best of Clannad: In a Lifetime is a greatest hits compilation album by Irish folk group Clannad. It contains two new tracks, "Christmas Angels" and "What Will I Do", the latter of which is on the soundtrack to the Kevin Costner film Message in a Bottle.
"In a Lifetime" is a pop song performed by Irish artists Clannad and Bono. It was written by brothers Pól Brennan and Ciarán Brennan and produced by Steve Nye. The single was released in January 1986, and was the third single to be released from Clannad's eighth studio album Macalla (1985). It charted well in many countries including United States, Ireland, UK, Italy and Brazil. It is one of Clannad's most successful songs and it remains as Bono's most successful solo effort.
The Collection is a compilation album by Irish musical group Clannad, released in 1986 by K-tel International Ltd. It consists of their greatest hits dating back to 1972, with the tracks featuring a mix between pop rock influenced songwriting done by the band in addition to traditional folk music. The album saw a 1987 release on compact disc, which include a comment on the back cover by Irish journalist Tommie Gorman stating: "freed at least by recognition, their creative instincts have found a new strength."
Rogha: The Best of Clannad is the fourth greatest hits album released by Irish group Clannad. The word rogha is the Irish word for "choice"; it's pronounced row-ah.
"Something to Believe In" is a song by Irish group Clannad and American musician Bruce Hornsby. It was the first single released by Clannad from their 1987 album Sirius. A promotional video for the single was directed by Meiert Avis, using the radio edit of the song.
Celtic Themes: The Very Best of Clannad is a greatest hits compilation album by Irish group Clannad. It was released to coincide with their reunion UK tour in early 2008.
The discography of Clannad, an Irish musical group, consists of sixteen studio albums, seventeen compilation albums, thirty-one singles and a number of other appearances.
Nádúr is a studio album by Irish folk group Clannad, and was released digitally worldwide on 20 September 2013 and physically within the following week or two, depending on the country. It was the first new studio album since Landmarks in 1997, and the first to feature all five original members of Clannad since the compilation album Past Present in 1989. It is also the last to feature Pádraig Duggan who died on 9 August 2016.
"I See Red" is a song written by Gerry Rafferty's brother, Jim Rafferty. I See Red was first recorded by Anni-Frid Lyngstad of ABBA, under the name "Frida" for her first English-language studio album, "Something's Going On". Lyngstad's version did not chart other than South Africa, although subsequent cover versions by other artists such as the Irish folk group, Clannad, included in their album, Magical Ring, resulted in a moderate success. Clannad's version was the follow-up single to their breakthrough hit "Theme from Harry's Game". Gerry Rafferty himself also recorded a version on his 1992 album, On a Wing and a Prayer.
In a Lifetime is a greatest hits compilation album by Irish group Clannad. The albums contains two new tracks, "A Celtic Dream" and "Who Knows ", the first recorded by the group since the passing of member Padraig Duggan. Released on 3 April 2020, the album was to coincide with the band's 50th anniversary as a group and they subsequently embarked on a world tour. The In a Lifetime tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
