Paddy Glackin
Encyclopedia
Paddy Glackin is an Irish fiddler from Clontarf
, Dublin. His father Tom Glackin was from Donegal and Paddy's fiddle style reflects his family's Donegal roots. Glackin is considered one of the leading Irish fiddlers in the late 20th/early 21st centuries. He became fiddle champion at the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil
in 1973. Glackin's primary influence came from Donegal fiddlers, most prominently John Doherty
the legendary travelling fiddler whom Glackin always cites as his main influence. His influences are not limited to Donegal however, he also cites fiddlers such as John Kelly, Tommy Potts
and Padraig O'Keeffe
as important in shaping his overall approach.
Paddy was an original member of Bothy Band
when they were named Seachtar. The original line-up included Irish music legends Matt Molloy
, Dónal Lunny
, Paddy Keenan
, Tony MacMahon
, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill
and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill
. When the group decided to become professional Paddy left and eventually became political and sports editor for RTÉ
radio, Ireland's national broadcaster.
While maintaining his profession in RTÉ
Paddy has continued to perform and record Irish music. He has released many recordings including seminal ones such as 'Doublin' with the piper Paddy Keenan
and 'In Full Spate' with Donal Lunny
, his debut solo recording 'Ceoil ar an bhFidil le Paddy Glackin' featured some tracks with his father Tom and his brothers Kevin Glackin and Séamus Glackin. Kevin and Séamus would later release an acclaimed duet recording 'Northern Lights'.
Paddy's most recent recordings are 'The Whirlwind' a duet album with the piper Robbie Hannon and 'Reprise' with his former Bothy Band
colleague the late Mícheál Ó Domhnaill
.
Although Glackin is quite outspoken in his preference for a pure soloists approach to the tradition he has been involved in a number of experimental recordings including 'Roaratorio' by the American avant-garde composer John Cage
and 'Hidden Ground' a recording from 1980 made with the late multi-instrumentalist Jolyon Jackson
which is notable for its use of synthesizers alongside Glackin's pure traditional fiddle playing. While this recording has not dated well it anticipated the trend for mixing traditional Irish music with synthesizers that continues into the 21st Century.
Glackin continues to perform and he teaches annually at the Willie Clancy Summer School
in Clare.
As a guest musician
Clontarf, Dublin
Clontarf is a coastal suburb on the northside of Dublin, in Ireland. It is most famous for giving the name to the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, in which Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, defeated the Vikings of Dublin and their allies, the Irish of Leinster. This battle, which extended to districts...
, Dublin. His father Tom Glackin was from Donegal and Paddy's fiddle style reflects his family's Donegal roots. Glackin is considered one of the leading Irish fiddlers in the late 20th/early 21st centuries. He became fiddle champion at the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil
Fleadh Cheoil
The Fleadh Cheoil is an Irish music competition run by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann or more commonly known as "Comhaltas" ....
in 1973. Glackin's primary influence came from Donegal fiddlers, most prominently John Doherty
John Doherty
John Doherty may refer to:*John Doherty , senior executive in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation*John Doherty , first baseman for the Angels, 1974–1975...
the legendary travelling fiddler whom Glackin always cites as his main influence. His influences are not limited to Donegal however, he also cites fiddlers such as John Kelly, Tommy Potts
Tommy Potts
Tommy Potts was a improvisational Irish fiddle player and composer from Dublin who gained iconic status in traditional Irish music circles for his virtuoso musicianship. He has influences in jazz and classical music, making his music a highly individualistic take on the Irish music tradition...
and Padraig O'Keeffe
Padraig O'Keeffe
Padraig O'Keeffe was a noted Irish traditional musician.O'Keeffe was born in Glountane, Castleisland, County Kerry,into a large family where his father was the local national school headmaster. He was reared by his maternal grandparents...
as important in shaping his overall approach.
Paddy was an original member of Bothy Band
Bothy band
A bothy band is a musical group which comes from the farming culture of nineteenth century Scotland. At that time agriculture was relatively labour-intensive. As a result large farms often had a small community associated with them, the farm toun. This was made up of married couples who lived in...
when they were named Seachtar. The original line-up included Irish music legends Matt Molloy
Matt Molloy
Matt Molloy is an Irish musician, from a region known for producing talented flautists. As a child, he began playing the flute and won the All-Ireland Flute Championship at only seventeen years old...
, Dónal Lunny
Dónal Lunny
Dónal Lunny is an Irish folk musician. Lunny has been at the forefront of the evolution of traditional Irish music for more than thirty-five years and has participated within the renaissance of traditional Irish music in that time period...
, Paddy Keenan
Paddy Keenan
Paddy Keenan is an Irish player of the uilleann pipes who first gained fame as a founding member of The Bothy Band. Since that group's dissolution in the late 1970s, Keenan has released a number of solo and collaborative recordings, and continues to tour both as a soloist, and with...
, Tony MacMahon
Tony MacMahon
Tony MacMahon is an Irish button accordion player and broadcaster. Among his influences were accordionists Joe Cooley and Sonny Brogan, as well as piper Willie Clancy, fiddler Bobby Casey, and singer and piper Seamus Ennis....
, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill
Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill
Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill is an Irish traditional singer, pianist, and composer, considered one of the most influential female vocalists in the history of Irish music. She is famed for her work with traditional Irish groups such as Skara Brae, The Bothy Band, Relativity, Touchstone, and Nightnoise.-...
and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill
Mícheál Ó Domhnaill
Mícheál Ó Domhnaill was an Irish singer, guitarist, and composer, who was a major influence on Irish traditional music in the second half of the twentieth century...
. When the group decided to become professional Paddy left and eventually became political and sports editor for RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
radio, Ireland's national broadcaster.
While maintaining his profession in RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
Paddy has continued to perform and record Irish music. He has released many recordings including seminal ones such as 'Doublin' with the piper Paddy Keenan
Paddy Keenan
Paddy Keenan is an Irish player of the uilleann pipes who first gained fame as a founding member of The Bothy Band. Since that group's dissolution in the late 1970s, Keenan has released a number of solo and collaborative recordings, and continues to tour both as a soloist, and with...
and 'In Full Spate' with Donal Lunny
Dónal Lunny
Dónal Lunny is an Irish folk musician. Lunny has been at the forefront of the evolution of traditional Irish music for more than thirty-five years and has participated within the renaissance of traditional Irish music in that time period...
, his debut solo recording 'Ceoil ar an bhFidil le Paddy Glackin' featured some tracks with his father Tom and his brothers Kevin Glackin and Séamus Glackin. Kevin and Séamus would later release an acclaimed duet recording 'Northern Lights'.
Paddy's most recent recordings are 'The Whirlwind' a duet album with the piper Robbie Hannon and 'Reprise' with his former Bothy Band
Bothy band
A bothy band is a musical group which comes from the farming culture of nineteenth century Scotland. At that time agriculture was relatively labour-intensive. As a result large farms often had a small community associated with them, the farm toun. This was made up of married couples who lived in...
colleague the late Mícheál Ó Domhnaill
Mícheál Ó Domhnaill
Mícheál Ó Domhnaill was an Irish singer, guitarist, and composer, who was a major influence on Irish traditional music in the second half of the twentieth century...
.
Although Glackin is quite outspoken in his preference for a pure soloists approach to the tradition he has been involved in a number of experimental recordings including 'Roaratorio' by the American avant-garde composer John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
and 'Hidden Ground' a recording from 1980 made with the late multi-instrumentalist Jolyon Jackson
Jolyon Jackson
Jolyon Jackson was an Irish musician and composer.-Life:Jackson was born in Malaya where his father was Deputy Commissioner of the police . His father was Patrick Jackson, from County Limerick, of a Cork family; his mother was the singer Charmian Jenkinson...
which is notable for its use of synthesizers alongside Glackin's pure traditional fiddle playing. While this recording has not dated well it anticipated the trend for mixing traditional Irish music with synthesizers that continues into the 21st Century.
Glackin continues to perform and he teaches annually at the Willie Clancy Summer School
Willie Clancy Summer School
The Willie Clancy Summer School is Ireland's largest traditional music summer school held annually since 1973 in memory of the uilleann piper Willie Clancy. During the week, nearly a thousand students from every part of the world attend daily classes taught by experts in Irish music and dance...
in Clare.
Discography
- Paddy Glackin & others, "Ceoltoiri Laighean - The Crooked Road," (1973) Gael-Linn RecordsGael-Linn RecordsGael Linn Records is an Irish record label, run by the Irish language promotion organisation Gael Linn.Gael Linn released records by many of the world's most renowned Gaelic and Irish Traditional musicians known today...
CEF 035 - Paddy Glackin & others, "Ceoltoiri Laighean - The Star of Munster," (1975) Gael-Linn CEF 047
- Paddy Glackin, "Glackin," (1977) Gael-Linn CEF 060
- Paddy Glackin & Paddy Keenan, "Doublin'Doublin'Paddy Keenan on uilleann pipes and Paddy Glackin on fiddle were two of the founding members of one of Ireland's foremost traditional groups of all time The Bothy Band.-Tracks:# Reels: The Mountain Road / The Congress Reel...
" (1978) TaraTara Music labelTara Music have been regarded for many years as one of the leading traditional Irish music recording companies. The label was set up by Jack Fitzgerald and John Cook back in the early 1970s....
2007 - Paddy Glackin & others, "An Fhidil, Vol. 2," (1980) Gael-Linn CEF 069
- Paddy Glackin, Mick Gavin, Michael O'Brien, "The Flags of Dublin," (1980) Topic 12TS383
- Paddy Glackin & Jolyon Jackson, "Hidden Ground" (1980) Tara 2009
- Paddy Glackin, "In Full Spate," (1991) Gael-Linn CEFCD 153
- Paddy Glackin & Robbie Hannan, "Seidean Si" (1995) Gael-Linn CEFCD 171
- Paddy Glackin & others, "Na Connerys - Celtic Sessions" (1997) Honest HON CD 3006 (now on Celtic Note)
- Paddy Glackin & others, "Na Connerys - Part 2, Fire in Our Hearts" (c 1998-9) Celtic Note CNCD 1003
- Paddy Glackin & Michael O'Domhnaill, "Reprise" (2001) Gael-Linn CEFCD 180
As a guest musician
- Triona Ni Dhomhnaill, "Triona" (1975) Gael-Linn CEF 043
- Paddy Keenan, "Paddy Keenan" (1975) Gael-Linn CEF 045
- Mick Hanly, "A Kiss in the Morning Early" (1976) Mulligan LUN 005
- John Cage "Roaratorio" (1980) Mode 28/29
- Mick Hanly, "As I Went Over Blackwater" (1980) Mulligan LUN 040
- Oisin, "Over the Moor to Maggie" (1980) Tara 2012, 1980
- Michael O'Suilleabhain, "Cry of the Mountain" (1981) Gael-Linn CEF 079
- Oisin, "The Jeannie-C" (1982) Tara 2013
- John Regan, "Let Down the Blade" (1999) BeaumeX BMCD 571