CLANNAD - In A Lifetime: The Farewell Tour

No upcoming concerts for clannad

Other Upcoming Shows

Ismo: Watch Your Language Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Oct 5th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$27 - $37

Heather McDonald: The Juicy Scoop Experience

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Oct 6th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $85

Yngwie Malmsteen: The 40th Anniversary Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Mon Oct 7th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$45 - $75

CANCELLED – Robin Trower

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Tue Oct 8th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$49 - $69

My Therapist Ghosted Me

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Oct 10th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$37 - $47

Brian Simpson

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Oct 11th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$27 - $57

Tracy Morgan

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Oct 12th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$69

Richard Thompson: Ship to Shore Tour – Full Band Show

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Oct 13th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$55 - $85

John Early: The Album Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Tue Oct 15th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Partly seated
PRICE:
$45

Liang Haiyuan – The Man In The Corner 2

*Performed in Mandarin

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Oct 16th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$55 - $75

Therapuss Live with Jake Shane

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Oct 17th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $126

Matt McCusker

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Oct 18th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Oct 18th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$29 - $39

Sheng Wang

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Oct 19th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Oct 19th - 9:45PM Doors Open - 8:45 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Oct 20th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$32.50 - $42.50

HAIRY SITUATION: A New Comedy show by ALOK

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Mon Oct 21st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
Openers: Travis Alabanza
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $49

Jenny Slate LIFEFORM Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Oct 23rd - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$65 - $75

The Moth Mainstage

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Oct 24th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$57

Tommy Tiernan – tommedian

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Oct 27th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Mon Oct 28th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$52 - $62

Lore Podcast Live

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Oct 30th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $49

Duncan Trussell

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 1st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $40

Neighbor and LaMP

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Nov 2nd - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$32

Ronny Chieng: The Love To Hate It Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Nov 3rd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Nov 3rd - 9:45PM Doors Open - 8:45 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$49 - $89

The Wallflowers

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Nov 6th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$57 - $85

CANCELLED – Miller: New Supply Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Nov 7th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $49

Almost Friday TV Live

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Nov 7th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $55

Brian Regan

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 8th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Nov 9th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$55 - $69

Kevin Hart: Acting My Age (Boch Center)

Please Note - This show is at the Wang Theatre

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Nov 10th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39.50 - $299.50

The Rest Is History

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Nov 10th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $47

Max Fosh – Loophole

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Nov 13th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$45

Steve Treviño: The Good Life Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Nov 14th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $59

Kathleen Madigan: The Potluck Party

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 15th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Nov 16th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$36.75 - $61.75

An Evening with Railroad Earth

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Nov 17th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Partly seated
PRICE:
$35 - $39.50

Dinosaur Live

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Nov 20th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$34 - $65

Michael Rapaport

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Nov 21st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $45

Whitney Cummings: Big Baby

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 22nd - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 22nd - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $59

Ryan Hamilton

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Nov 23rd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$25 - $35

Anubhav Singh Bassi

Ages 16+ | Performed in Hindi

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Nov 24th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$37 - $82

Justin Hayward: Blue World Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Nov 27th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$55 - $189

Chris Botti

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 29th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Nov 30th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$59 - $89

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 1st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$60 - $95

Jimmy O. Yang

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 6th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$48 - $98

David Lucas

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Dec 7th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $40

Hot Tuna (Acoustic)

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Dec 11th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$60 - $80

Morgan Jay: Aphrodesia Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Dec 12th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Dec 12th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 13th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 13th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$36.50 - $56.50

Godfrey

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Dec 14th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$26 - $35

Matt Rogers: The Prince of Christmas Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 15th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$45

Girls Gotta Eat: No Crumbs Tour

Tickets on sale now!

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 20th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 20th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Dec 21st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$44.50 - $77

Sammy Obeid

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 22nd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $89

Big Jay Oakerson

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Dec 28th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $49

Bob Marley Comedian

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 29th - 5:30PM Doors Open - 4:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 29th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$46.50

Russell Peters: RELAX World Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Jan 15th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$59 - $229

Tech Roast: Touring Machine

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Jan 16th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$47 - $117

Christopher Titus

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Jan 19th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $45

Monét X Change: Life Be Lifin’

Rescheduled from 5/14 to 1/24

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Jan 24th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$38 - $48

Sarah Silverman: Postmortem

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Jan 25th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Jan 25th - 9:45PM Doors Open - 8:45 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$59 - $89

Gals on the Go Podcast: Who Is She? Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Tue Sep 17th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$37 - $100

Andrew Santino: Freeze Peach Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Feb 14th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Feb 14th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Feb 15th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$49 - $69.50

Tom Segura @ TD Garden

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Feb 14th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$44.50 - $104.50

Jordan Jensen

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Feb 16th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$27

Jimmy Cash

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Feb 20th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$27 - $37

Ginger Billy

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Feb 22nd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $100

HYPROV: Improv under Hypnosis

Starring Colin Mochrie (of Whose Line Is It Anyway?) and Asad Mecci (World Renowned Hypnotist)

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Feb 28th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $49

Maria Bamford

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Mar 6th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $45

David Nihill: Shelf Help Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Mar 9th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$29 - $59

Margaret Cho Live

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Mar 14th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $50

Phil Hanley Spellbound Tour

Each ticket includes "Spellbound" Book!

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Mar 15th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39

Neil deGrasse Tyson: Astronomy Bizarre

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Mar 20th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$49 - $250

Trae Crowder

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Mar 22nd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $45

A Nightmare with Casey Sherman

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Mar 26th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $55

Gaelic Storm: Roll Out the Barrel Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Mar 27th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$40 - $65

Becky Robinson: Members Only Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Apr 4th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$37 - $70

JOHNNYSWIM: The WHEN THE WAR IS OVER Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Apr 11th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$42 - $297

CANCELLED – Christina P: Old Yeller Tour

This show is cancelled. Ticket purchasers will be refunded automatically.

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat May 17th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
PRICE:
$39

Bio

In 1970, in the remote parish of Gweedore, County Donegal, three siblings and two of their uncles decided to fuse folklore with an intrinsic passion for singing. For Pól,

In 1970, in the remote parish of Gweedore, County Donegal, three siblings and two of their uncles decided to fuse folklore with an intrinsic passion for singing. For Pól, Ciarán and Máire (Moya) Brennan and the Duggan twins, Pádraig (1949-2016) and Noel, there was nothing beyond such simple pleasures. There were no thoughts of making it big (whatever ‘big’ actually meant) or of anything other than the celebration of the wealth of music that enveloped them like a hug and the nature that surrounded them like an invisible cloak. For them, the cultural placebo of television was non-existent (the family didn’t own one), so time was passed with outdoor pursuits such as fishing or clambering over cliffs, and indoor pastimes such as playing the piano and other musical instruments. As if out of nowhere, and just as spontaneously, a bond was forged: the indisputable, beautiful ruggedness of the landscape cleaved to the intangible force of music.

‘Beautiful Donegal,’ says Moya. ‘Where it all began. Donegal has that kind of mystical and ethereal, an earthiness that we allowed into our music. It’s very hard to describe, but if you love what you do and are enthused by things, we were influenced by then everything just arrives. It was so natural, and I think that was the secret of Clannad.’

And it was, of course, yet family — the open secret — was also crucial. Swirling around in the gene pool were blends of musical experience, from being taught the fundamentals of piano by their music teacher mother, Baba, to learning from their father, Leo, a broader repertoire through his time in the Slieve Foy Band. A showband that performed jazz, ceilidh, pop and whatever you’re having yourself in the dancehalls of Ireland as well as in the Irish-colonised sectors of London, Birmingham and Glasgow, Leo’s group would, by osmosis, influence the future members of Clannad in the ways of stage performance.

Music influences, inevitably, seeped in: at the age of thirteen, Ciarán discovered a battered double bass in an outhouse and set about mastering it. Subsequently, Leo — who in parallel with all this taking place, was in the process of buying and developing a pub, Leo’s Tavern, in the nearby village of Meenaleck — bought him a set of drums, and another relative taught him guitar chords. Pól was slowly becoming an accomplished flute and guitar player, while also achieving grades and undertaking voice training in nearby Derry. Moya, too, was undertaking voice training as well as harp lessons. All constituent family members would be furthering their love of harmonies through 1960s’ pop groups such as The Hollies, The Beach Boys, The Mamas and the Papas, and The Beatles. ‘There was a real focus on substance at an early age,’ recalls Pól, sketching the blueprint of future creativity.

Noel’s mother, meanwhile, advanced an audacious thought: instead of singing English language songs by favoured songwriters such as Joni Mitchell, she suggested, why don’t they start singing in Gaelic? ‘We would avoid augmented, jazzier chords because we wanted it to be more Celtic,’ says Ciarán, who, like Noel, was especially taken by contemporised English folk ballads as delivered by the likes of Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention and Pentangle. ‘There was a wealth of Gaelic songs that were being lost around our area of Donegal,’ says Ciarán. ‘I thought we could save some of them and play them in the pub. Whether people liked it or not, I was going to give it a go.’

Come 1970, the nascent Clannad just about made the entry deadline for a competition in the annual Letterkenny Folk Festival. Following the shock of winning — the prize of which was to record an album for Phillips Ireland, the Dublin-based division of the UK record label — matters were about to get serious. Sensing they could realise their dream and perform music full-time, they set about recording their self-titled debut. Released in 1973, all of the tracks were traditional, except two: ‘Morning Dew’, a cover version of the song written by Canadian folk singer Bonnie Dobson, and ‘Liza’, written by Pól and Pádraig (and described by the latter as a pop song influenced by The Beatles and/or The Beach Boys). These tracks were, however, in contrast to the weight of fusionist traditional material, which would constitute the majority of Clannad’s albums up to 1983’s Magical Ring.

And yet despite (or, perhaps, because of) the traditional elements, the group generated something quite unique to the overall sound. Take away their folkloric, traditional background, the remoteness of their homeland, the heritage and history of their native/local music, and you have less than half the story. Put them at the centre of knowledge, intuition, language, landscape, passion, bloodline, and an increasingly ambitious inquisitive approach, and you have the makings of a book.

Collecting old songs was the early key that unlocked innumerable treasures, says Moya. ‘Our first six albums were mainly collecting old songs. We knew a lot ourselves from our grandparents and our mother, but we also used to go to people’s houses with a reel-to-reel tape recorder and a half-pack of Guinness! On the tape, you’d hear the grandfather clock ticking in the background. The people would first tell you the story behind the song, then they’d give you the words. The melody would be the last thing they’d give you, but these older people used to say to us “go now and sing it your own way”.’We loved doing that. All our energy was going into arranging these beautiful melodies and beautiful words. It enabled us to create a sound.’

And yet, irony of ironies, because the group sang exclusively in Irish, outside of Leo’s Tavern gigs weren’t exactly forthcoming. This was about to change, and Clannad could not only thank Leo’s Tavern for it, but also two German music promoters who happened to have called in for a drink when Ciarán was sitting by the bar. Before the promoters had departed, Ciarán had signed Clannad to a 20-plus city tour of Germany, in the company of other Irish folk/ballad groups such as The Fureys. If Gweedore was the heart and soul of Clannad, and the region’s tradition was their skeleton, then that first tour of Germany put flesh on the bones. Returning to Ireland, they took a collective decision to give up the day jobs (Moya was teaching music in Donegal; Pól and Pádraig were trainee radiographers) and dive headfirst into being a living, breathing, touring, singing musical unit. The downsides? No one quite knew if it would work in their favour; they were all too aware of operating in a niche area. The upsides? God favours the brave, and they knew their music was unique.

By the time of Clannad’s fifth and sixth albums (respectively, 1982’s Fuaim and 1983’s Magical Ring), their sonic output had become recognised as wholly singular, and they had long consolidated their standing as a Gael force to be reckoned with. With younger sister Eithne, aka Enya, having quickly come and gone as a group member (to subsequently enjoy huge success as a solo performer, of course), Fuaim was the pathway by which Clannad negotiated the excursion from moderate success in Europe to worldwide mainstream appeal. A song on that album , ‘Mhórag ‘S Na Horo Gheallaidh’, brought their music to the attention of the writer and makers of the 1982 television drama mini-series, Harry’s Game. With the subsequent global success of ‘Theme from Harry’s Game’, from this point on Clannad were on a completely different level.

As a testament to their prolificacy and ideas-driven output, more albums followed throughout the ‘80s (eight during this decade) and ‘90s (four). Following a brief hiatus from recording, Clannad continued to perform, collecting gold and platinum discs, Lifetime Achievement Awards and Grammy Awards along the way, all the while ensuring their love of traditional Irish music, Irish language and Celtic history was astutely merged with an exploratory and genre-defying mindset.

Clannad returned to the album format in 2013 with Nádúr (sadly, the last to feature original co-founding member, Pádraig), and have since decided that it’s time to exit stage left with dignity, decorum, and some world-beating tunes. ‘Our music,’ notes Pól, ‘was never pop. There was an aspect to it that was ethereal, looking for a dreaming place.’

The journey, circuitous though it may have been, has been completed. ‘Unknown to ourselves,’ admits Ciarán, ‘we created something that just came very naturally.’ For Moya, the grand finale of a celebratory world tour is a perfect and gentle closing of the door. ‘It’s nice to feel that we are leaving in such a way. We have been really blessed.’

Blessed with music, blessed with landscape, but most of all, blessed with family.

Clann As Dobhar. 1970-2020. It’s a lifetime. In a lifetime.

— Tony Clayton-Lea

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