The Chieftains

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Top Songs By The Chieftains

Listen to The Foggy Dew by The Chieftains, see lyrics, music video & more!

The Foggy DewThe Chieftains

Listen to Irish Heartbeat by Van Morrison & The Chieftains, see lyrics, music video & more!

Irish HeartbeatVan Morrison & The Chieftains

Listen to Star of the County Down by Van Morrison & The Chieftains, see lyrics, music video & more!

Star of the County DownVan Morrison & The Chieftains

Listen to The Wind That Shakes the Barley / The Reel With the Beryle by The Chieftains, see lyrics, music video & more!

The Wind That Shakes the Barley / The Reel With the BeryleThe Chieftains

Listen to Wild Mountain Thyme by The Chieftains, see lyrics, music video & more!

Wild Mountain ThymeThe Chieftains

Listen to Cotton-Eyed Joe by The Chieftains & Ricky Skaggs, see lyrics, music video & more!

Cotton-Eyed JoeThe Chieftains & Ricky Skaggs

Listen to Mo Ghile Mear ("Our Hero") by The Chieftains & Sting, see lyrics, music video & more!

Mo Ghile Mear ("Our Hero")The Chieftains & Sting

Listen to The Long Black Veil by The Chieftains, see lyrics, music video & more!

The Long Black VeilThe Chieftains

Listen to I Know My Love by The Chieftains, see lyrics, music video & more!

I Know My LoveThe Chieftains

Listen to Danny Boy by James Galway, The Chieftains & National Philharmonic Orchestra, see lyrics, music video & more!

Danny BoyJames Galway, The Chieftains & National Philharmonic Orchestra

More albums from The Chieftains

Listen to Chronicles: 60 Years of The Chieftains (Deluxe) by The Chieftains

ALBUMChronicles: 60 Years of The Chieftains (Deluxe)The Chieftains

Listen to San Patricio (feat. Ry Cooder) by The Chieftains

ALBUMSan Patricio (feat. Ry Cooder)The Chieftains

Listen to Further Down the Old Plank Road by The Chieftains

ALBUMFurther Down the Old Plank RoadThe Chieftains

Listen to Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions by The Chieftains

ALBUMDown the Old Plank Road: The Nashville SessionsThe Chieftains

Listen to A Celtic Spectacular by Erich Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, The Chieftains, James Galway, John McDermott, Liz Knowles & Kieran O'Hare

ALBUMA Celtic SpectacularErich Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, The Chieftains, James Galway, John McDermott, Liz Knowles & Kieran O'Hare

Listen to Water From The Well by The Chieftains

ALBUMWater From The WellThe Chieftains

Listen to Tears Of Stone by The Chieftains

ALBUMTears Of StoneThe Chieftains

Listen to Fire In the Kitchen by The Chieftains

ALBUMFire In the KitchenThe Chieftains

ALBUMSantiagoThe Chieftains

Listen to The Long Black Veil by The Chieftains

ALBUMThe Long Black VeilThe Chieftains

Listen to The Celtic Harp by The Chieftains

ALBUMThe Celtic HarpThe Chieftains

Listen to The Bells Of Dublin by The Chieftains

ALBUMThe Bells Of DublinThe Chieftains

Listen to Over the Sea to the Sky - The Celtic Connection by James Galway, The Chieftains, RCA Victor Concert Orchestra & Dudley Simpson

ALBUMOver the Sea to the Sky - The Celtic ConnectionJames Galway, The Chieftains, RCA Victor Concert Orchestra & Dudley Simpson

Listen to Irish Heartbeat by Van Morrison & The Chieftains

ALBUMIrish HeartbeatVan Morrison & The Chieftains

Listen to Celtic Wedding by The Chieftains

ALBUMCeltic WeddingThe Chieftains

Listen to In Ireland by James Galway & The Chieftains

ALBUMIn IrelandJames Galway & The Chieftains

Listen to Music From Ballad Of The Irish Horse by The Chieftains

ALBUMMusic From Ballad Of The Irish HorseThe Chieftains

Listen to The Chieftains In China by The Chieftains

ALBUMThe Chieftains In ChinaThe Chieftains

Listen to The Chieftains 10: Cotton-Eyed Joe by The Chieftains

ALBUMThe Chieftains 10: Cotton-Eyed JoeThe Chieftains

Listen to The Chieftains 9: Boil the Breakfast Early by The Chieftains

ALBUMThe Chieftains 9: Boil the Breakfast EarlyThe Chieftains

Listen to The Chieftains 8 by The Chieftains

ALBUMThe Chieftains 8The Chieftains

Listen to The Chieftains 7 by The Chieftains

ALBUMThe Chieftains 7The Chieftains

Listen to Bonaparte's Retreat by The Chieftains

ALBUMBonaparte's RetreatThe Chieftains

Listen to The Chieftains 5 by The Chieftains

ALBUMThe Chieftains 5The Chieftains

Listen to The Chieftains 4 by The Chieftains

ALBUMThe Chieftains 4The Chieftains

Listen to Bear’s Sonic Journals: The Foxhunt, The Chieftains, San Francisco 1973 & 1976 by The Chieftains

ALBUMBear’s Sonic Journals: The Foxhunt, The Chieftains, San Francisco 1973 & 1976The Chieftains

Listen to The Chieftains 3 by The Chieftains

ALBUMThe Chieftains 3The Chieftains

Listen to The Chieftains 2 by The Chieftains

ALBUMThe Chieftains 2The Chieftains

Listen to The Chieftains 1 by The Chieftains

ALBUMThe Chieftains 1The Chieftains

The Chieftains's Popular Music Videos

The Making of Voice of Ages (Deluxe Edition)

The Chieftains

School Days Over (feat. The Low Anthem) [Deluxe Edition]

The Chieftains

Cancion Mixteca (feat. Ry Cooder & Los Tigres del Norte) [Music Video]

The Chieftains

Artist Playlists

The Chieftains Essentials

Meet the long-lived ambassadors of Irish folk.

Inspired by The Chieftains

A new generation of Irish revivalists, punk rockers welcome.

About The Chieftains

Artist Biography

Over the course of 60-plus years and more than 40 albums, The Chieftains have taken Irish traditional music's lively jigs, reels, and primeval airs from Dublin's smoke-filled folk clubs to the world's most prestigious concert halls. Formed by a trio of amateur enthusiasts in 1962, The Chieftains revolved around frontman Paddy Maloney's enchanted whistles and Uilleann pipes. Director Stanley Kubrick helped launch them internationally in 1975 by choosing "The Women of Ireland" from The Chieftains 4 as the ethereal, Oscar-winning theme music for Barry Lyndon. Blending fiddles, flutes, harp, pipes, whistles, and bodhran, The Chieftains reinvented their local musical tradition as impeccable chamber music. Irish Heartbeat, their 1988 collaboration with Van Morrison, established them as Celtic godfathers to the likes of Clannad and The Pogues. Collaborations with artists as eclectic as Stevie Wonder, Mick Jagger, Bon Iver, Pavarotti, Dolly Parton, The Decemberists, and The Muppets—some of whom appear on their 50th-anniversary, T-Bone Burnett-produced album Voice of Ages—convincingly demonstrate that Irish music has no boundaries. For further proof, consult Chronicles, a satisfying 60th-anniversary celebration that also serves as a eulogy to final founding member Paddy Maloney, who died in 2021.

Hometown

Dublin, Ireland

Genre

Worldwide