The cause of death is still unknown.
“Few can argue what influence Paddy Moloney has had on the dynamics of traditional music around the world. What a wonderful musical legacy he left for us, ”writes ITMA.
Together with Sean Potts and Michael Tabridi, Moloney played Irish instruments such as the uilleann pipe (Irish harmonica) and the bodhrán (percussion instrument).
Founded in 1962, The Chieftains have helped popularize the traditional music of the Republic of Ireland by collaborating with several well-known artists such as Mick Jagger, Luciano Pavarotti, Van Morrison or Elvis Costello, winning six Grammy Awards in 18 nominations.
In a small post on Facebook, The Chieftains mourned the “loss” of Paddy Moloney.
“Paddy had a lot more songs and stories. We are lucky that he was with us for so long, ”the group emphasizes.
Remaining the only original member of The Chiefs for nearly 60 years, Paddy Moloney has contributed to the soundtrack for films such as Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon and Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York.
Also on Facebook, Elvis Costello and his wife Diana Kroll left their testimonies of their past adventures with Paddy Moloney, sending “love and deepest condolences” to his family and all his colleagues and friends whom they consider “great people.”
“Paddy was like a man who had a map that marked all the ancient underwater telegraph lines connecting continents. […] It traces the connection between traditional Irish music and the human relationship between hemispheres. The Irishman came everywhere and had musical testimonies in him, ”says Elvis Costello’s page.
Costello recalled the collaboration that led to the official song of the television series Irish in America: The Long Journey Home, a tune that Paddy Moloney called “Anthem” because it described “emigration and eventual return” to Ireland.
Born and raised in Dublin, Moloney began making music at the age of six, starting with a plastic whistle given to him by his mother.
Paddy Moloney was married to artist Rita O’Reilly, with whom he had three children: Aonghus, Padraig and Edin.
