An Grianan-Horse With a Heart

In my mid-twenties, I got interested in "Celtic music", a mix of Irish, Scottish, and other music. One of ways I heard bands was through the Tulsa PAC Celtic series. I went to every show for several years, whether I had heard of the band or not. One of the groups that came through was Altan. Altan was the true superstar band of the Celtic scene in the 1980s. The first time I saw them, they had only a few albums out, but were quickly gaining a name. They played the Williams Theater, a medium sized venue in the PAC. The next time they came to Tulsa,10 years later, they were in the Chapman Music Hall, the big theater upstairs were they Opera, Ballet and Symphony perform. I've seen them perhaps seven times in my life, more than any other band. When someone asks me today who my favorite band is, I reply Altan.

Like all bands, Altan has evolved through the years. The original core of the band was flutist Frankie Kennedy and his wife Mairéad ní Mhaonaigh on fiddle and vocals. Mairéad is one of the finest Donegal fiddlers around, and a first rate singer. They were backed by Mark Kelly on guitar and Ciarán Curran on bouzike. After a couple of albums they were joined by a second fiddler. The two driving fiddles and flute became their trademark sound. On their fifth album a second gutiarist, Dáithí Sproule was added. Tragically in 1994 Frankie Kennedy died of throat cancer. The band carried as Frankie wished. Instead of adding a new flutist, they added an accordion player Dermot Byrne. Mairéad and Dermot are now married and have a daughter.

This is a track off their second album.