Legendary Irish musician Dónal Lunny dies aged 79

Dónal Lunny, founding member of Planxty, The Bothy Band and Moving Hearts, has died aged 79.

Lunny was born in Tullamore, Co Offaly, in 1947 and maintained close ties to the Donegal Gaeltacht through his mother, Mary Rogers, who was from Rann na Feirste, and his brother Manus, a noted musician based in the county.

He spent many childhood summers in Rann na Feirste, developing a lasting affection for the Irish language, local traditions and the area’s musical heritage. In the 1960s, as a member of Emmet Spiceland, Lunny helped popularise the song “Mary from Dungloe”, which topped the Irish charts in 1968 and became linked to the county’s flagship festival.

Legacy of the Mary from Dungloe necklace

While studying art and design in Dublin, Lunny designed the iconic solid‑silver necklace presented each year to the festival’s Mary. The piece, weighing more than seven ounces, has been passed from winner to winner since its creation.

Across a career of more than five decades, Lunny was celebrated as a musician, composer, arranger and producer, mastering bouzouki, guitar, bodhrán, mandolin and keyboards. He worked with artists such as Christy Moore, Sinéad O’Connor, Kate Bush, U2, Elvis Costello and Van Morrison, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards in February 2025.

Donegal TD Pat the Cope Gallagher paid tribute, noting Lunny’s family roots in Rann na Feirste and his contribution to the Mary from Dungloe Festival.

Source: Donegal Daily. Photo: Alexey Demidov / Pexels.