“MY DEAR FRIEND AND BEST MAN”: CHRISTY MOORE PAYS HEARTBREAKING TRIBUTE AS IRISH MUSIC LEGEND DÓNAL LUNNY diᩚєs AGED 79

Their friendship began as schoolboys in Ireland and grew into one of the most influential musical partnerships in the country’s history. Now, Christy Moore is remembering the man who stood beside him for more than six decades.

The Irish music world is mourning the loss of Dónal Lunny, the celebrated multi-instrumentalist and producer whose remarkable career helped transform traditional Irish music.

Lunny died aged 79 on Friday, October 23, 2026, at St James’s Hospital in Dublin after battling cancer. His passing has prompted an outpouring of tributes from fellow musicians, cultural figures and admirers who recognised the extraordinary mark he left on Ireland’s musical heritage.

Among the most moving tributes came from his lifelong friend and collaborator, Christy Moore, who remembered Lunny not only as an exceptional musician but also as a dear friend who had been part of his life since childhood.

A FRIENDSHIP THAT BEGAN IN THE CLASSROOM

Moore and Lunny first met in 1959 while attending Newbridge College in County Kildare. They were young boys with different interests, but music would eventually become the common thread connecting their lives.

Looking back on those early years, Moore recalled that Lunny was more interested in exploring the outdoors than completing his homework. He remembered his friend trying to catch trout in the River Liffey and climbing trees to look into birds’ nests.

Those childhood memories would become the beginning of a friendship that lasted more than six decades.

As teenagers, Moore, Lunny and Lunny’s brother Frank formed a band called The Rakes of Kildare. It was an early step in a musical journey that would eventually help reshape the Irish folk scene.

What began among school friends grew into a lifelong creative partnership, with the two men continuing to work together through different bands, recordings and performances.

“A DEAR FRIEND, A 𝘴єn𝘴iᩚtiᩚvє AND CREATIVE COLLABORATOR”

In his tribute, Moore described Lunny as a constant presence in his professional life from 1962 until 2026.

He remembered him as a dear friend, a 𝘴єn𝘴iᩚtiᩚvє and creative collaborator, and an influential musician whose contributions would continue to inspire future generations.

Their relationship extended far beyond the recording studio. Together, they helped create music that connected Ireland’s traditional sounds with contemporary audiences, giving familiar melodies and instruments new energy.

The pair collaborated on seven albums through their work in bands and Moore’s solo projects.

For Moore, Lunny was not simply someone he performed alongside. He was a trusted companion whose creativity and friendship had become inseparable from his own musical journey.

Their bond was also recognised publicly in 2025, when Moore presented Lunny with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the RTÉ Radio 1 Irish Folk Awards.

The moment celebrated Lunny’s immense contribution to Irish music while bringing together two friends whose shared history stretched back to their schooldays.

THE MUSIC THAT HELPED CHANGE IRISH FOLK FOREVER

Lunny’s influence reached far beyond his partnership with Moore.

He became a founding member of Planxty, alongside Moore, Andy Irvine and Liam O’Flynn. The group emerged in the early 1970s and became one of the defining forces in the revival of Irish traditional music.

He later played with The Bothy Band and Moving Hearts, helping explore new arrangements and rhythmic possibilities while preserving the spirit of traditional Irish music.

A gifted multi-instrumentalist, Lunny played guitar, mandolin, bodhrán and other instruments. He became particularly associated with the Irish bouzouki, helping establish its place in the traditional music scene.

His work as a producer was equally significant. Through his recordings and collaborations, he helped bring Irish music to wider audiences and worked with artists across different musical styles.

For generations of musicians, his career demonstrated that tradition did not have to remain unchanged. It could evolve, welcome new influences and continue to speak to audiences around the world.

FRIENDS UNITED BY MUSIC — AND A SHARED SENSE OF PURPOSE

The friendship between Moore and Lunny was not limited to music.

Both men were involved in political and social campaigns throughout their careers. Their shared commitments found expression in songs addressing issues including the hunger strikes, prisoners’ rights and other causes that shaped Irish public life.

Among their collaborations were “Ninety Miles to Dublin” and “The Time Has Come”, songs connected to the hunger strikes.

They also recorded “On the Bridge”, concerning women held in Armagh Prison, and “The Wicklow Boy”, inspired by the case of Nicky Kelly.

Their work reflected a belief that music could do more than entertain. It could preserve memories, raise difficult questions and give a voice to people and causes that mattered to them.

In remembering Lunny, Moore honoured both the musician who helped shape his career and the friend who stood beside him through decades of shared experiences.

TRIBUTES POUR IN FOR AN IRISH MUSICAL GIANT

Moore was far from alone in expressing his grief.

Irish President Catherine Connolly described Lunny as one of Ireland’s greatest musical figures, praising his talent as a musician and producer and his central role in many of the most important moments in Irish music over the past 60 years.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin also paid tribute, describing Lunny as a towering figure whose work helped carry traditional and folk music to new audiences.

Fellow musicians remembered his creativity, generosity and lasting influence. His legacy was built not only through his own performances, but also through the artists he collaborated with and the musical possibilities he helped others discover.

Lunny had received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 RTÉ Radio 1 Irish Folk Awards, recognition of a career that had shaped the sound of Irish music across generations.

A LEGACY THAT WILL LIVE ON

Dónal Lunny is survived by his partner, Úna O’Boyle, and his children Oisín, Cora Venus and Sora. His son Shane, whom he had with singer Sinéad O’Connor, died in 2022.

His passing marks the end of an extraordinary life, but the music he created and helped bring to the world will continue to be heard.

For Christy Moore, the loss is deeply personal. The friend he first met as a schoolboy became a musical partner, a trusted companion and a constant presence throughout his adult life.

Their story is a reminder that some of the most enduring artistic achievements begin with something simple: friendship, shared curiosity and a love of music.

As tributes continue to arrive, Dónal Lunny will be remembered not only for the instruments he mastered or the influential bands he helped create, but also for the relationships he built and the generations of musicians he inspired.

And for Moore, the memories of a dear friend will remain woven into the music they made together — a lasting connection between two lives that began in the same school and helped shape the sound of a nation.