The Bothy Band

The Bothy Band were one of the superstar groups of the early-to-mid-'70s who tapped into an unsuspected mass craving for traditional Irish music that channeled traditional songs in a more percussive, urgent style. Though their lineup shifted slightly over their short life, they packed a lethal punch that included legendary uilleann piper Paddy Keenan, Donal Lunny, accordion player Tony MacMahon, flute genius Matt Molloy (later of the Chieftains) and siblings Michael O Domhnaill and Triona Ni Dhomhnaill. They ran through a lineup of great fiddlers, starting with Paddy Glackin, moving on to Tommy Peoples and ending with Kevin Burke. They disbanded in 1979 after just four albums, but by then they'd left an indelible imprint on Irish music.