DESCRIPTION:
The Claddagh Band is an association of Galway's finest musicians, singers, performers and composers (as well as a few blow-ins with Galway connections) who came together ostensibly to produce a charity single for St Vincent de Paul. The song's theme appropriately deals with team spirit and community cooperation for surmounting life's challenges and struggles. One of the most satisfying aspects of the project has been witnessing the coming together of original members of DeDannan, who must surely rank, along with The Chieftains and Planxty, as one of the most important traditional groups to emerge in Ireland in our time. Augmented by Carl Hession & Tony Maher (keyboards) and Declan O'Donoghue (drums), the band provide a rich organic soundscape to match the earthy range of singers that includes Dolores & Sean Keane, Eleanor Shanley, Sean Tyrrell, Mary Coughlan, Mary McPartlan, Michelle Lally, Jan Nagle and Johnny Duhan. The sound they produce conjures up the salty tones you might hear reverberating around the Claddagh region of the tribal city.