The beloved Irish folk musician is remembered by an Irish minister as 'a source of pride and inspiration' in his home country in the wake of his passing at the age of 83.
- October 13, 2021
AceShowbiz - The Chieftains founder Paddy Moloney has died.
The 83-year-old piper formed the group in 1962 and led the band to become one of the most beloved traditional Irish folk acts.
Irish Tourism Minister Catherine Martin was among the first to pay tribute to the musician, calling Moloney's music "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.
Irish leader President Michael D. Higgins added, "The Irish music community, and indeed the much larger community throughout the world who found such inspiration in his work, will have learnt with great sadness today of the passing of Paddy Moloney, founder and leader of the Chieftains."
"Paddy, with his extraordinary skills as an instrumentalist, notably the uileann pipes and bodhran, was at the forefront of the renaissance of interest in Irish music, bringing a greater appreciation of Irish music and culture internationally..."
"He brought a love of Irish music not just to the diaspora, but to all those across the world who heard his music."
Moloney passed away on Monday night (11Oct21).
Singer Imelda May wrote on Twitter, "So sad to hear of the passing of our dearest Paddy Moloney. He was ours wasn't he. He made us all so proud of our heritage and brought such joyous energy. I'm honoured to have known and worked with not just a legend but a thoroughly lovely man."
