It is appropriate that Clannad are celebrating the 40th anniversary of Legend, as in that time, they have quietly built their own. They are one of the most gently influential groups of the past five decades: in a world of noise and disruption, the outfit, which originated in County Donegal – a mysterious, joyous place, where rapture can be
found in the everyday – remains a soothing balm, a place of retreat, calm in treacherous waters. Their story is one of family, friendship, landscape, folklore, and multi-platinum success on both sides of the Atlantic. Like the legends from which they have drawn some of their greatest material, their story is one of thrilling chances, happy accidents and opportunities taken, with luck playing a large part. And, like that folklore they painstakingly catalogued in their early material, sometimes the story seems so unbelievable – a group that sang for pleasure being entered into a talent competition, getting a contract with Philips, a major label; being asked to contribute to a TV series that was completely on the zeitgeist; winning Ivor Novello Awards, BAFTAs and GRAMMYs.

In the late 1960s, in the remote parish of Gweedore, three siblings and two of their uncles decided to make music, fusing folklore with a passion for singing. Pól, Ciarán and Máire (Moya) Brennan and the Duggan twins, Pádraig (1949-2016) and Noel (1949-2022) sang and played together, gathering traditional songs that had been sung
in living rooms and bars for centuries, transcribing and thus ensuring they were preserved for posterity. The Brennan’s mother, Máire, was a music teacher and father, Leo, was a saxophonist and a member of showband Slieve Foy, who toured the British Isles.

In 1968, Leo Brennan bought an inn in the village of Meenaleck, and it became Tábhairne Leo (Leo’s Tavern), a music bar. It was here, playing regularly for the customers, that the family learned their craft. Irish folk, British rock and American harmonies all fed into their musical palette. Settling on a line-up of double bass, guitar, flute and harp and mandola, the group needed a name: “My grandfather, Hugh, was a very learned man; a schoolmaster, a great man for literature and the arts,” Moya says. “He suggested ‘Clann As Dobhar’ meaning ‘family from Dore’. Realising it was a bit awkward, he added, ‘take the abbreviation of ‘a’ and ‘d’ and stick it onto the end of ‘Clann’. Clannad.” Their talent was such that they were victorious when they were entered into the Letterkenny Folk Festival in 1970.

With a name, and the first prize of a record contract, the group set about recording their self-titled debut album, which was released in 1973. The majority of songs 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. “We did
a lot of research,” Pól says, “constantly looking for the gems of the songs and unearthing ones that were mentioned but weren’t available anywhere.” Traditional material would constitute the majority of Clannad’s albums up to 1983’s Magical Ring. The modest success of the debut album led to the group performing frequently
at Leo’s Tavern as well as touring (mainly in Europe) and releasing three further albums. Around this time, Clannad undertook a tour of Germany, playing with The Fureys, and the group decided to go professional. Younger sister Eithne (Enya) joined the group and recorded two albums. Her membership was fleeting – yet her
later solo success further demonstrated the musical accomplishment of the family. 

For their fifth album, 1982’s Fuaim, a track Mhórag 'S Na Horo Gheallaidh, caught the attention of the writer and producers of a TV show that was being made of the 1975 novel Harry’s Game about the Troubles in Northern Ireland. As a result, Clannad were asked to write something for the closing titles of the mini-series. Released on RCA, the beguiling solemnity of Theme From Harry’s Game – sung entirely in Gaelic – unexpectedly gave the group a Top 5 hit in the UK and a Top 3 hit in Ireland. “I was as amazed as anyone else that anyone would buy Harry’s Game without a drumbeat or an actual time,” Ciarán was to say. The track gained them and Ivor Novello Award. The accompanying album, Magical Ring, introduced Clannad’s haunting blend of mystical, spiritual, traditional, and modern to the wider world.

Their next project was sung entirely in English and cemented the group’s reputation as bespoke writers of music for film and television. Robin Of Sherwood was a bold new take on the traditional story, dialling down the jollity of previous versions and adding in a level of mysticism. Released in April 1984, Clannad’s soundtrack album –
titled Legend – worked masterfully as a stand-alone piece and remained on the UK charts for best part of a year. The soundtrack garnered the group a BAFTA for Best Original Television Music.
 

The next run of albums established Clannad as leaders in a field that they helped create – known widely as ‘New Age’. As with many labels, it was a convenient way of trying to pigeonhole a group with such a rich, unclassifiable sound. Macalla – from 1985 – boasted one of their most loved hits, In A Lifetime, sung with Bono,
which was a UK Top 20 in both 1986 and 1989. 1987’s Sirius broadened the group’s sound; and their first collection, Pastpresent closed the 80s with a platinum album, as well as a No 1 in New Zealand where, when the group visited, they were treated as full-on rock stars.

The 90s found the group consolidating their success – contributing I Will Find You to the soundtrack of Michael Mann’s The Last Of The Mohicans in 1992, with Moya adding Cherokee and Mohican to the Gaelic and English in which she’d already sung. 1993’s Banba was nominated for a Grammy Award For Best New Age album, as was 1996’s Lore, a much-loved work that contained the most Irish material since Magical Ring. In 1999 Clannad finally received a Grammy for their album, Landmarks. By now, the group had gained another label – ‘chill-out’, and were compiled on many post-club compilations

Following a brief hiatus from recording, Clannad returned in 2013 with Nádúr (the last to feature original co-founding member, Pádraig). Their 2019 career retrospective, In A Lifetime – which featured two new tracks, A Celtic Dream and Who Knows (Where the Time Goes) – was intended to draw a line under the group.
But the farewell collection, and tour (including triumphant shows at the London Palladium and the Cropredy festival) was so warmly received, that Clannad prevail.

 After the tour, Noel sadly joined his twin, Pádraig, in the tavern in the sky. The three Brennans remain and mark the 40th anniversary of Legend with an expanded edition of the album, with the much sought-after and unreleased score from the second series of Robin Of Sherwood – and a celebration concert London’s Royal Albert Hall. “People asked me about where we got our sound from and I’d say, ‘If you go to Donegal, you'll feel the earthiness,’” Moya says. That earthiness, mixed with such amazing musicianship has created one of the most unique sounds of the past 50 years

BY DARYL EASLEA