Up Close & Personal: Planxty – Planxty

A Hot Press production, Up Close and Personal is a series of live events and programmes in which artists talk about their own classic Irish albums. The first six broadcasts feature interviews and performances from Gemma Hayes (Night On My Side, 2002), Mary Coughlan (Tired and Emotional, 1985), Damien Dempsey (Seize The Day, 2003), Tim Wheeler of Ash (1977, 1996) Conor O’Brien of Villagers (Awayland, 2013) and Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny (Planxty, 1973).

The series is produced in association with Aidan Shortall of Up Close and Personal Promotions and supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. The public interviews took place at The Grand Social, Dublin in the winter of 2021. This show features Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny being interviewed by Hot Press writer Pat Carty, and performing several songs from Planxty’s self-titled debut album.

Formed in 1972, Planxty have come to be regarded as one of the most important Irish groups of living memory. The initial line-up of Christy Moore, Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny and Liam O’Flynn feature on the 1973 album Planxty, produced by Phil Coulter. The group broke up twice, first in 1975 and again in 1983, before reuniting in late 2003. They played several sold-out shows in Ireland, before capping off their reunion with a final performance at The Barbican, London on January 31, 2005.