The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music

Folk music of Ireland

The folk music of Ireland is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres in Ireland.-History:...

 popular around the world.
The band's name came from the book Death of a Chieftain by Irish author John Montague

John Montague

John Montague may refer to:*John Montague , Irish poet and writer*John Montague , baseball relief pitcher*John Montague , golfer and con man...

. Assisted early on by Garech Browne

Garech Browne

The Hon. Garech Domnagh Browne, born 25 June, 1939, is a member of the titled family of Oranmore and Browne in the West of Ireland and is a wealthy patron of Irish arts, notably traditional Irish music...

, they signed with his company Claddagh Records

Claddagh Records

Claddagh Records is a record label which was founded in 1959 by Garech Browne and Ivor Browne. It specialises in Irish traditional music and spoken word. Gareth had been taking lessons at the time from the master piper Leo Rowsome whose artistry was very well known. Leo, who had made many...

. They needed financial success abroad, and succeeded in this, as within a few years their third album's sleeve note section was printed in three languages.
The band has recorded many albums of instrumental Irish folk music, as well as multiple collaborations with popular musicians of many genres, including Country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

, Galician traditional music, Cape Breton

Cape Breton fiddling

Cape Breton fiddling is a regional violin style which falls within the Celtic music idiom. Cape Breton Island's fiddle music was brought to North America by Scottish immigrants during the Highland Clearances. These Scottish immigrants were primarily from Gaelic-speaking regions in the Scottish...

 and Newfoundland

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...

 music, and rock and roll

Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...

.