Traditional Irish Music
He has been a leading proponent for the revival and preservation of traditional Irish music, through his record label Claddagh Records which he founded with others in 1959. His former house, Woodtown Manor, near Dublin was for many years a welcoming place for Irish poets, writers and musicians and which was associated with the folk-pop group Clannad, where they made many recordings of their music. When in Ireland, he lives at Luggala set deep in the Wicklow Mountains. The house has been variously described as a castle or hunting lodge of large proportions which he inherited from his mother. It has a fairytale setting and is famous for its hospitality and house parties since the time of his mother's residency. He was interviewed at length for the Grace Notes traditional music programme on RTÉ lyric fm on 18 March 2010.
Garech was instrumental in the formation of the traditional Irish folk group, The Chieftains. In 1962, after setting up Claddagh Records, he asked his friend, the famed uileann piper Paddy Moloney, to form a group for a one-off album. Paddy responded with the first line-up for The Chieftains, who went on to achieve international renown.
Read more about this topic: Garech Browne
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