Leo's Tavern

Noel & Pádraig Duggan

Pádraig is always first to stress that his inspirations are varied. He is inspired by world history itself, by his friends and family, by the Donegal landscape, his pets and of course his youth and frequent visits to Tory island, where the brothers still have family ties. Noel is inspired by those too, but also books and the often-wry, poisonous evolution of this world through war, pesticides and conflict. Each of these inspirations, they have proven, are enough to enthral the minds of listeners of every age, nationality and background.

Sent to piano lessons while still at National School, after Grade 3 the Duggan brothers gave up altogether on the instrument, seeing it as old-fashioned in contrast to the music scene at the time. Although secluded in Donegal from a buzzing, smoky civilisation, Noel and Pádraig listened as much as they could to all the bands that that “civilisation” possessed: The Hollies, The Rolling Stones and The Beachboys. The Duggans then picked up guitar, and the creativity began.

With their niece and nephews, all only around 3-5 years their junior, Clannad was formed and went on to ‘break the ice’ in terms of both harmony and instrumentation. The songs they had learned from singer and Gaelic language pioneer Albert Fry and locals singers came into great use, even up into the 90′s, with the Grammy Award-winning ‘Landmarks’ album.

Noel and Pádraig have toured Europe extensively with world-class harpist Thomas Loefke, their band Norland Wind and in 2005 released a new album, ‘Rubicon : The Duggans and Friends’, featuring Finbar Furey, Orla Fallon (previously of Celtic Woman) and their family.

Further information at NorlandWind.eu and Clannad.ie.