Irish musician Dónal Lunny dies at 79

Irish musician and producer Dónal Lunny died on 23 October at 79. ITV reported that a statement on his official page confirmed he died at St James’s Hospital in Dublin; Ireland’s Arts Council also confirmed his death. ^[1][2]

Dublin, IrelandEvent: 23 October 2026Under 1 min read

Published 29 Oct 2026, 03:34 UTC

The facts

Lunny was a founding member of Planxty and later played with the Bothy Band and Moving Hearts. He was known particularly for the bouzouki. ^[1][2]
He co-founded Mulligan Records and produced 17 albums for the label. The Arts Council also records collaborations with Kate Bush, Mark Knopfler, Clannad and Baaba Maal. ^[1]
He was elected to the Irish artists’ association Aosdána in 2006 and received an honorary music doctorate from Trinity College in 2008. ^[1]

Still unconfirmed

The checked institutional announcement does not establish a medical cause of death.

Sources

References support the numbered facts above. Source checks: 29 Oct 2026, 03:34 UTC.

Statement on the death of Dónal Lunny (1947–2026)
The Arts Council of Ireland / Aosdána · Primary source · 23 Oct 2026
Original institutional statement retrieved through normal public HTTPS; confirms the death date and musical career.
Irish traditional musician Dónal Lunny dies aged 79
ITV News · Reporting · 24 Oct 2026
Independently owned from the Arts Council. Quotes the official-page announcement of death on Friday morning, 23 October; its Saturday posting date is not used as the death date.

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