Dónal Lunny will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, which will take place in Vicar Street, Dublin at 8.00pm on Wednesday 26th February.
One of the most significant figures in folk and traditional music ever to come out of Ireland, Dónal Lunny's influence as a multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer has shaped the sound of Irish music for more than half a century.
A founder member of seminal bands Planxty, the Bothy Band, Moving Hearts, Emmet Spiceland and Coolfin, Lunny has long been a driving force behind the popularity of Irish folk and traditional music, collaborating with several generations of musicians.
He has collaborated with, and produced, major international artists such as Kate Bush and Mark Knopfler, served as producer and music director of the soundtrack of the seminal TV series Bringing It All Back Home and produced the album Common Ground: Voices of Modern Irish Music, featuring artists such as Elvis Costello and Neil and Tim Finn, as well as Bono and Adam Clayton.
His new group, Dónal Lunny's Darkhorse, will be performing live at this year’s RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards ceremony.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented annually by the Executive Steering Committee of the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards to a living artist who has made a significant contribution to Irish folk music over many years.
Dónal Lunny joins a distinguished list of Lifetime Achievement recipients that includes Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (2024), Mary Black (2022), Christy Moore (2021), Steve Cooney (2020), Moya Brennan (2019) and Andy Irvine (2018).
Head of RTÉ Radio 1 and Member of the 2025 Folk Awards Steering Committee, Peter Woods said:
"With the change between The Raggle Taggle Gypsy and Tabhair dom do Lámh on the Prosperous album and the opening chords of the Kesh Jig on the first Bothy Band recording, Dónal Lunny announced and was central to a shift of gear in Irish music. He defined much of the music of a generation at a time when traditional music was not mainstream and was almost subversive.
"His contribution to that music through Planxty, to Moving Hearts, Mozaik and of course the Bothies and beyond, sits alongside a career as a producer and collaborator across genres and as a true innovator. Dónal has done this without losing sight of the integrity of the music. What he has turned his hand to he has enhanced.
"It is a real honour for RTÉ Radio 1 to be associated with this award."
Róise Rua, a renowned singer from Árainn Mhór, Dún na nGall, will also be inducted into the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards Hall of Fame on the night. Georgina Dudgeon, a relative of Róise Rua who has been involved in promoting and celebrating her great-grand-aunt's legacy, will be among the guests of honour at Vicar Street, to accept the award on her behalf.
The RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards will be presented by John Creedon and will be broadcast live on RTÉ Radio 1 and the RTÉ Radio Player. The event will feature live performances from Damien Dempsey, Róis, Seamas Hyland, Pólca 4, and Mary Chapin Carpenter, among many others.
The event is open to the public and limited tickets for the night are available here.
