Clannad, whose name is taken from an Clann as Dobhar meaning the family from Dore, was formed by the Brennan family in 1970. Máire, Ciarán and Pól Brennan joined uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan and began performing in their father Leo's tavern. Máire's sister, Enya, joined the band in 1979 and left three years later to pursue a successful solo career. Máire has also enjoyed a simultaneous career as a solo singer, starting with her 1992 album entitled Máire, and recently altered the spelling of her name to Moya Brennan.
Harry's Game, the group's theme song for a television thriller, prominently featured in the film Patriot Games, was also used in a commercial for Volkswagen in 1992, and won Clannad newfound popularity in the United States. Another hit was the 1985 song In a Lifetime with Bono of U2. Their song, I Will Find You, is part of the soundtrack for the 1992 film The Last of the Mohicans.
The mega-selling album Lore (1996) also gave some thought to the Native American Indians. On Trail Of Tears Noel Duggan imagined how it felt to be exiled from your ancestral land. He was also thinking about these people and their connection with the Irish. How for instance, these distant American cousins had sent money to Ireland during the potato famine of the Nineteenth Century.
Their Grammy in 1999, (their third nomination) was in recognition for the Landmarks (1998) record, which was once again sited in the heartland of Donegal, shaped by the mountains, the glens and the sea-lashed shores of Gweedore. In Of This Land Moya sings about Ireland, of its past and of its future. The track Fadó translates as "Long Ago", which once again demonstrates the influence of old Celtic history on Clannad's music.
In 2003, Clannad released the best of album, In A Lifetime, which is one of their biggest selling albums to date.
Clannad have gone from strength to strength, and from their early days have created a massive fan base. The youngest of the siblings, Moya's (Máire's) sister and goddaughter is the musician Brídín Brennan.
In 2008, Clannad again began touring, beginning with a UK tour in March. Clannad's Noel Duggan in March 2008 released the band's official biography, 'Moments in a Lifetime', which includes many unseen photographs, and the band's latest (15th) compilation 'Celtic Themes' was released a few days later.
In June 2009, Clannad was nominated for an IMA Award in the category Best Revival Act.
Their album Nádúr (their first new album since the release of Landmarks in 1997) was released worldwide in September 2013.
In 2019, Clannad embarked on their In a Lifetime farewell tour, but it was postponed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A new compilation album entitled, In a Lifetime (which included two new tracks), was released.
Discography
* 1972 — The Pretty Maid (Clannad)
* 1974 — Clannad 2
* 1976 — Dúlamán
* 1978 — Clannad in Concert [live]
* 1979 — Ring Of Gold [live, unofficial bootleg]
* 1980 — Crann Úll
* 1982 — Fuaim
* 1983 — Magical Ring
* 1984 — Legend [soundtrack]
* 1985 — Macalla
* 1987 — Sirius
* 1987 — The Collection [collection]
* 1988 — Atlantic Realm [soundtrack]
* 1989 — Pastpresent [collection]
* 1989 — The Angel and the Soldier Boy [soundtrack]
* 1992 — Anam
* 1993 — Banba
* 1995 — Lore
* 1995 — Themes [collection]
* 1997 — Landmarks
* 1997 — Rogha: The Best of Clannad [collection]
* 1998 — An Diolaim [collection]
* 2003 — The Best of Clannad: In A Lifetime [collection]
* 2005 — Clannad - Live In Concert, 1996 [live]
* Nádúr (2013)
Official website: www.clannad.ie
Northern Skyline: www.clannad.org.uk
Theme From Harry's Game
Clannad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A dtainig ariamh
An ghealach is an ghrian
Fol lol the doh fol the day
Fol the doh fol the day
Imtheochaidh an ghealach's an ghrian
An Daoine og is a chail 'na dhiadh
Fol lol the doh fol the day
Fol the doh fol the day
Fol lol the doh fol the day
Fol the doh fol the day
Imtheochaidh a dtainig ariamh
An duine og is a chail ne dhiadh
Fol lol the doh fol the day
Fol the doh fol the day
Translation
I will go east and go west
(To the places) from whence came
The moon and the sun
The moon and the sun will go
And the young man
With his reputation behind him
I will go wherever he came from
The young man with his reputation behind him
The lyrics of Clannad's "Theme From Harry's Game" are poetic and evocative, conjuring a sense of timelessness and mystery. The song is sung in Gaelic, a language which is considered a key part of Ireland's cultural heritage. The first verse speaks of going east and west, tracing the path of the moon and the sun, two celestial bodies that have fascinated humans for centuries. The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "Fol lol the doh fol the day," adds a sense of rhythm and repetition, giving the song a hypnotic quality.
The second verse introduces the idea of a young man with a reputation, a figure who may be a hero or a villain, a lover or a fighter. The singer declares her intention to follow him wherever he came from, suggesting that this young man may be the key to unlocking some deeper mystery or truth. Overall, the song is a haunting portrait of a world that is both ancient and eternal, a land of myth and legend that still holds untold secrets for those who are willing to seek them out.
Line by Line Meaning
Imtheochaidh soir is siar
I will go east and go west
A dtainig ariamh
To the places from whence came
An ghealach is an ghrian
The moon and the sun
Fol lol the doh fol the day
Chorus: Fol the doh fol the day
Imtheochaidh an ghealach's an ghrian
The moon and the sun will go
An Daoine og is a chail 'na dhiadh
And the young man with his reputation behind him
Fol lol the doh fol the day
Chorus: Fol the doh fol the day
Fol lol the doh fol the day
Chorus: Fol the doh fol the day
Imtheochaidh a dtainig ariamh
I will go wherever he came from
An duine og is a chail ne dhiadh
The young man with his reputation behind him
Fol lol the doh fol the day
Chorus: Fol the doh fol the day
Fol lol the doh fol the day
Chorus: Fol the doh fol the day
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CIARAN MARION BRENNAN, PAUL BRENNAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind