Dónal Lunny

As a vocal harmony group, they had a #1 hit in Ireland with the single "Mary From Dungloe" which had earlier been popularised in Dublin's folk clubs by Donal and his Emmet Folk group confrere Mick Moloney. In 1971 Donal played on Prosperous, the second album by Christy Moore.

Four of the musicians from Prosperous - Moore, Lunny, Andy Irvine and Liam O'Flynn assembled in 1972 under the name Planxty and first played professionally in public in Slattery's pub in Capel Street, Dublin in January or February of that year. The band became a leading proponent of Irish traditional instrumental music for the next ten years. In 1974 Lunny left them to form The Bothy Band, playing guitar and bouzouki.

They disbanded in 1978. Lunny became a session musician on Davey and Morris, the first album to feature Shaun Davey. Lunny then got together with Christy Moore again in 1981, to form Moving Hearts. Another founding member was the young uilleann piper, Davy Spillane. Moving Hearts reunited for a reunion concert in Dublin in February 2007, and has since performed at several concerts in Ireland and the U.S.A. in 2008 and 2009. Read Less