Andy Irvine

Sponsored by Patrick O’Leary & Karen Yamasaki

Andy Irvine is widely regarded as one of the great voices of Irish music, a singer whose work reaches to the very soul of Ireland. Hailed as “a tradition in himself,” Irvine has maintained his distinctive style as a musician, singer, and songwriter for more than 55 years.

He first gained recognition with Sweeney’s Men in the mid-1960s before traveling through Eastern Europe as a street musician, where he absorbed the musical traditions of the Balkans. Returning to Ireland in 1970, he joined Christy Moore, Dónal Lunny, and Liam O’Flynn to form the legendary group Planxty, whose influence helped ignite a revival of Irish traditional music.

In 1976, Irvine recorded the landmark album Andy Irvine & Paul Brady, widely regarded as one of the finest recordings in Irish folk music. He has since continued to shape the tradition through influential collaborations with groups including Patrick Street, Mozaik, LAPD, and Usher’s Island.

A lifelong troubadour inspired by Woody Guthrie, Irvine blends Irish traditional song, Balkan influences, and his own acclaimed songwriting. In 2018 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards.