Friends and families of band De Danann attended a mayoral reception in Galway, its home city, yesterday to honour the contribution it has made to Galway and to music in the west since its foundation 25 years ago.
The Mayor of Galway, Cllr Angela Lynch Lupton, acknowledged De Danann's role in establishing the careers of so many Irish singers, including Dolores Keane, Mary Black, Maura O'Connell, Eleanor Shanley and Tommy Fleming.
De Danann's founders, Alec Finn and Frankie Gavin, were joined for the celebration by former members of the group, Dolores Keane and accordion player Mairt O'Connor, and by prominent local figures from the arts and business world. "The fact that De Danann stayed here and made Galway their headquarters means a great deal to the city," the mayor said. "De Danann are Galway, no matter where they go in the world." The group arose out of informal sessions in Tigh Hughes pub, Spiddal, in 1974.