Altan

Irish instrumental and vocal group playing mainly traditional songs and tunes. Many tunes are specifically from Northern Ireland.

(Daithi Sproule has also recorded with Skara Brae, the US band Trian and solo)
(Paul O'Shaunessy has recorded with Beginish)
(Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh and Frankie Kennedy have recorded as a duo)
(Ciaran Tourish has recorded solo)(Frankie Kennedy died in 1994)

Albums.

Title.	Year.	Label.	number.
Altan	1987	Green Linnet	GLCD 1078
Horse With A Heart	1989	Green Linnet	GLCD 1095
The Red Crow	1990	Green Linnet	GLCD 1109
Harvest Storm	1991	Green Linnet	GLCD 1117
Island Angel	1993	Green Linnet	GLCD 1137
Blackwater	1996	Virgin	41381
Runaway Sundays	1997	Virgin	CDV2836
Another Sky	2000	Virgin	CDV3001
The Blue Idol	2002	Virgin	CDVE961
[Reissue]	2002	Narada World	1955
Local Ground	2005	Vertical	VERTCD069
25th Anniversary Collection (*)	2010	IRL

(* with RTE Concert Orchestra)

Collaboration - Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Frankie Kennedy

Title.	Year.	Label.	number.
Ceol Aduidh (Music of the North)	1983	Green Linnet

Compilations.

Title.	year.	Label.	number.
The First Ten Years 1986 - 1995	1995	Green Linnet	GLCD 1153
Best of Altan (2CDs)	1997	Green Linnet	GLCD1177
Once Again: 1987 - 1993	2000	Recall
Best of 1987 - 1993	1999	Earthsongs	M ATLAS4001
Altan's Finest	2001	Grapevine	CCCD100
Dance of Altan	?	JVC
Voice of Altan	?	JVC
Collection	2002	Eureka
The Best of Altan: The Songs	2003	Virgin	593 0272
[Reissue]	?	Narada World	CD 93027

Anthology - Bill Whelan, The Pogues, Altan, Clannad, Frances Black, The Chieftains, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, Nollaig Casey, Davy Spillane, et al.

Title.	year.	Label.	number.
L'Imaginaire Irlandais (*)	1996	Keltia Musique	KMCD63

(* one track only - " Strathspey/ Con McGinley's/ The Newfoundland Reel" from "Blackwaterside".)

Anthology - Altan, Loreena McKennitt, Orion, Dan ar Braz, Tannas, Bagad Kemper, Capercaillie, Deanta et al.

Album title.	year	Label.	Number.
Kindred Spirits	2000	Green Linnet	?

Anthology - Altan, Kate Rusby, Beth Orton, Martin Simpson, Eliza Carthy, Joan Baez et al.

Album title.	year	Label.	Number.
Cool as Folk: Cambridge Folk Festival (live)	2007	?	?

Best Albums(*).

Title.	year.
Red Crow	1990
Island Angel	1993
Runaway Sunday	1997
The First Ten Years 1986 - 95	1995

(*) Based on critical opinion.

Singles.

Title.	year.	Label.
Blackwaterside	1996

Popular downloads.

Title.
Island Girl
Dulaman
The Lass of Glenshee
The Jug of Punch
The Waves of Gola
The Flower of Magherally
Dobbin's Flowery Vale
Blackwaterside
Mazurka
Ten Thousand Miles
An Grianan/ Horse With a Heart

DVDs/ Videos - Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Sinead O'Connor, Emmylou Harris, Altan, Christy Moore, Mark Knopfler et al.

Title	year.	Label.
Gaelic Spirit	1996	Kultur
[Reissue]	2009

Album tracks.

Another Sky. Issued in 2000. Running time 49 minutes 39 seconds. Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh (fiddle, vocals), Ciaran Tourish (fiddle, whistle), Dermot Byrne (accordion), Ciaran Curran (bouzouki), Mark Kelly (guitar), Dáithí Sproule (guitar). Two of the songs are in English, five in Irish Gaelic.

Guests: Steve Cooney (bass, guitar), Jimmy Higgins (bodhran), Mick Kinsella (harmonica), Donal Lunny (keyboards), string quartet, Jerry Douglas (dobro), James "Hutch" Hutchinson (bass), Bonnie Raitt (slide guitar), Neil Martin (cello and keyboards), Triona Ní Dhomhnaill (piano) .

Title.	Author.
1. Beidh Aonach Amarach (There's a Fair Tomorrow)	Trad (Gaelic)
2. Green Grow the Rushes	Trad arr Burns
3. The King of Meenasillagh/Lamey's/The High Fiddle Reel	Trad/Trad/Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh (Instrumentals)
4. Island Girl	Steve Cooney
5. Eoghainin O Ragadain	Trad (Gaelic)
6. Ten Thousand Miles	Trad
7. Gusty's Frolics/Con's Slip Jig/The Pretty Young Girls of Carrick/The Humours of Whiskey	Trad (instrumentals)
8. Girl From The North Country	Bob Dylan
9. The Verdant Braes of Screen	Trad
10. The Dispute at the Crossroads/Columba Ward's/ Siuns Reel	Trad/Trad/Ciaran Tourish (instrumentals)
11. Tiocfeidh an Samradh (Summer Will Come)	Trad (Gaelic)
12. The Ookpik Waltz	Trad (instrumental)
13. The Waves of Gola	Mark Kelly (instrumental)

Blackwater. Issued in 1996. Running time 40 minutes 01 seconds. Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh (fiddle, vocals), Ciaran Tourish (fiddle, whistle, backing vocals), Dermot Byrne (accordion, melodeon), Ciaran Curran (bouzouki), Mark Kelly (guitar, backing vocals), Dáithí Sproule (guitar, backing vocals). Three of the songs are sung in Irish Gaelic. Ar Bhruach Na Carraige Baine" is sung party in England and partly in Gaelic. "Blackwaterside" is sung in English.

Guests: Donal Lunny (bouzouki on track 10, bodhrans on 4,7,9,12, keyboards on 5,7,9,12), Steve Cooney (bass on 7,9,10,12), backing vocals on 3 and7, Jimmy Higgins (bodhran on 1,3,5darrbuka on 8, snare drum on 7, wood block on 9, clay drums on 3), Brendan Power (harmonica on 3,7,9), Triona Ní Dhomhnaill (piano on 11, backing vocals on 3), Maighréad Ní Dhomhnaill (backing vocals on 3), Anna Ni Mhaonaigh (backing vocals on 7), Conan Doyle (backing vocals on 3) . There is a string quartet on "Blackwaterside", including Máire Breathnach on viola.

Title.	Author.
1. Johnny Boyle's/ King of the Pipers	Trad/ Trad (Instrumentals)
2. Dark Haired Lass/ Biddy From Muckross/ Sean Maguire's (Reels)	Trad/ Trad/ Trad (Instrumentals)
3. 'Stór, A Stór, A Ghrá (song)	Traditional (Gaelic)
4. Strathspey/ Con McGinley's/ The Newfoundland Reel (Strathspey and Reels)	Trad/ Trad/ Trad (Instrumentals)
5. Tá Mé 'Mo Shui (I am awake) (song)	Traditional (Gaelic)
6. An Gasúr Mor/ Bunker Hill/ Dogs Among the Bushes (Hornpipe and Reels)	Trad/ Trad/ Trad (Instrumentals)
7. Molly Na gCuach Ní Chuilleaníin (The curly haired Molly)(song)	Traditional (Gaelic)
8. Jenny Picking Cockles/ Farewell to Leitrim/ John Doherty's (Reels)	Trad/ Trad/ Trad (Instrumentals)
9. Ar Bhruach Na Carraige Baine (song)	Traditional (sung in English and Irish)
10. The Dance of the Honeybees (hornpipe)	Charlie Lennon (Instrumental)
11. Blackwaterside (song)	Traditional (English)
12. A Tune for Frankie (jig)	Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh

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Last updated on 19/06/2010