Clannad Return To Donegal, Ireland 1979

Clannad are back in the Donegal Gaeltacht to celebrate their tenth anniversary with a concert in the family pub.

Folk superstars Clannad play to hundreds of thousands of fans around Europe each year. But no matter how far they travel, each year they play in the pub where they first got together, Leo’s Tavern (Tabhairne Leo), opened by their parents Leo and Máire (Baba) in 1968.

Bass player with Clannad Ciarán Brennan explains why the band returns home each year.

This area between Gweedore and Ranafast is the place where we get all the songs from and we’d like to play the songs back to them with a different arrangement.

While at home the band members relax and recharge their batteries in readiness for their next tour which will see them play in America and Canada before returning to play in Europe again.

The band are celebrating ten years together and any initial pressures have long gone and the individual band members get along well as a group.

An RTÉ News report broadcast on 16 August 1979.

[ufobattleship]

Beautiful peoples...still watching and learning...greetings from California

[fiddlejohn]

I heard them this same year at a parish in Staten Island. After the concert a bunch of us went up to Manhattan to hear Joe Burke and Andy McGann play. Good times!

[carmelhegarty]

Clannad. Their music could heal the wounds that medicine couldn't touch. Thank you for this beautiful post. 🙏🇮🇪🙏

[Vingul]

I clearly need to check out more from their pre-synthesizer era!

[gerardodwyer]

Must be reminiscent of the magical music and melodies that emanated from Chieftain's houses and castles during the 1, 600 years of Gaelic rule in Ireland.