insiderblmThe founder and leader of The Chieftains traditional Irish music group, piper Paddy Moloney, has died.
Born in 1938, Moloney grew up in Donnycarney, north County Dublin, in a musical family.
The piper, tin whistle player and composer formed The Chieftains in 1962.
The Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) said few could lay claim to the “level of impact Paddy Moloney had on the vibrancy of traditional music throughout the world”.
Moloney’s first instrument was a plastic tin whistle, according to The Chieftains’ official website.
Paddy Moloney (1938-2021) Taoiseach & laoch ar lár. Uilleann piper, tin whistle player, composer, arranger & leader of The Chieftains, Paddy made an enormous contribution to Irish traditional music, song and dance. Suaimhneas sÃoraà dá anam uasal. #RIP — ITMA (@ITMADublin) October 12, 2021
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By age eight, he was learning to play the uilleann pipes under pipe master, Leo Rowsome.
In a statement on social media, ITMA said: “Uilleann piper, tin whistle player, composer, arranger and leader of The Chieftains, Paddy made an enormous contribution to Irish traditional music, song and dance.
“During a recent interview in ITMA, he spoke about the people and events that shaped his life in music. Few people can lay claim to having the level of impact Paddy Moloney had on the vibrancy of traditional music throughout the world. What a wonderful musical legacy he has left us.”
Irish Tourism Minister Catherine Martin said Moloney’s music was “a source of pride and inspiration for all of us”.
“With the passing of Paddy Moloney, we have lost a giant of the national cultural landscape,” she said.
“Through the Chieftains, he brought the joy of Irish music to a global audience. His music was a source of celebration and pride for all of us.”
