The Blacksmith Andy Irvine & Donal Lunny 2009 

I lived in Dublin for most of the 70’s. I got to see all the great folk groups of the time, the Chieftains, Planxty, the Bothy Band, De Danaan and soon. It was a magical time to be in Ireland.

I have to bloody cry almost every time I listen to it: not because of lyrics, but music. One of the most powerful and beautiful things I ever heard...

Amazing musicianship as always this pair.

Two Giants of Irish music. Wonderful musicianship.

The most important thing you can do in life is to do what you want in life, unfettered. These lads do exactly that.

Andy still has an amazing voice. This is so awesome.

their playing what is called irish bouzouki . its like the greek only difference i think is mixed with lute & guitar too . greetings from a greek to the beautiful irish people . m my mind is here but my heart is up there . eire 4 evaaaaaaaaaa

One of the most beautiful songs ever made

Just home from donal l and andy I playing in galway folk festival. Andy I 80 today. The performance was magic as usual. Timeless, thank ye gentlemen.

this song reflects the beauty of much of Irish Literature and music .The instrumentation is brilliant and busy only adding to the sadness ,loss despair of the abandoned young woman .The last line of the song ,a devastating understatement ,like a line from Frank O Connor . Keep it up lads

Stunning - incredible talent and such a beautiful and moving song.

I love the energy that Donal puts into this song. I can't stop watching it.

This is my favorite performance of the Blacksmith. Two of the best musicians IMHO.

(Denmark) So beautiful 🌹🌹 I’ve listen to You since 1977 🎶🎶

This is one of the greatest music performances of all time. Brilliant Andy and Donal!!!!!

There are Irish musicians. And then. There's Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny. Superlative.

my favourite song and this is a great version

2 absolute legends, pure maestros!

Wow! They are both incredibly good musicians. Planxty all over again.

Andy sounds as brilliant as ever. Fantastic piece of playing from both Donal and himself.

It doesn't get much better than this!

Great tune, I love the way this song keeps a folk old world feel. Reminds me of the Lebanese music my Grand daddy listened to in that the vocal tunes are raised with the high pitch of the instruments creates a great harmony that sings to the soul Cheers from Canada

Simply great - and a pleasure listening over and over... :-)

Bravo Andy!

I wish I could be this good when I'll get to this age. Wow.

I LOVE the energy Donal Lunny gives this tune. You go Donal!!!!!

Best non-ensemble version EVER!

Double dynamite. This track just SOOO good in so many ways.

Unbelievable. Absolutely brilliant.

Still as superb as ever I remember them.

Brilliant!! They just get better and better every time they play together! Thanks a million for posting this! Why-o- why-oh-why can one only award a maximum of 5 stars??????

A gem - what else can you say...

This is a signature piece!

Irvine and Lunny are musical legends, and it is shame they are so "underground" in the United States. This is as good as music gets in my opinion.

One of the great trax on YT. I keep on coming back to it over the years. Absolutely blood gorgeous.

World class music, Here I am again.

They are always great!...

Two masters in action. Best trad song of all time.

Love this pair

Going to see this duo in Ann Arbor in August - I cannot wait!

He also was with the late great Bothy Band.

Excellent!!! Ruiseart.

i agree, goosebumps all over

Those 2 picking together is pure magic

Top class

Gives me chills, every time.

I've listened to this so many times, I love it so much and the Balkan inspired instrumental. I can't get over it, I have gone so far as to try and learn it.

Priceless as always..............

Grand - no more can I say....

I AM IRISH ON BOTH SIDES, AND I SALUTE THESE LADS.

So wonderful.

I am not Irish BUT..I would be proud to be so...raise the Guiness jars for Planxty!

Have loved this song - among so many others - for so long now - what a feast to see them play - thanks, bilko!

i would like to see andy sing "the rambling boys of pleasure" again...this wuld be great!

Fabulous musicians in peak form, who have played together regularly for thirty? years. The Blacksmith is one of my favorite songs from Planxty. This version is better. For me, this is one of the greatest performances of Celtic music anywhere. Thanks for adding this joy to my life.

Alternate, what a great descriptor, agree entirely, these guys always have been and continue to be the Masters of the genre! ;-)

Lol at Lunny using that homemade looking capo from the 60s

BANG ! ovni musical !! super BANG !

Good call. You're absolutely right.

perfect!

u are magic

The best

Incredible. I actually started to laugh at one point. Thanks very much for uploading this.

Legends with a capital 'L' ......

Dynamite.

That was great, thanks for sharing! 5*

fuckin wizards

@earlgrey626 You are spot on I think. Irvine may be playing a tenor mandola here. I'm not a string instrument expert though haha.

mint. mint. mint.

What a great version of this ancient track! I wonder what Erik Visser/Flairck would think of this? Ask Mary Coughlan!

Who are the daddies? These two men, Andy and Donal, are the daddies.

I love this song but Andy has got to be absolutely sick of it!

@faerieangeltaitai They are playing the Irish bouzouki!

Check mozaiks version andy and Donal with other lads

awesome bilko! just takes me somewhere away from his world.

@SpanneredSpoons It is a Bouzouki. I think it was Donal that first modified the bouzouki for their purposes. It could be called an Irish Bouzouki, for all I know. I just know it is one, but modified. If you look into the bio for Donal or Planxty, you might find the story.

1:26 Donald effortless face 🎶🎸

amazing and inspiring performance. anyone know what the tuning on the bouzouki is for this?

Does anyone know where to find the bouzouki tabs for this

@cdplaya0 It looks like Lunny's has a longer scale. Is there no term differentiation for this, or is Irvine's more in the Cittern family, albeit with 4 courses of strings instead of 5?

Capo on second fret on donaals andy has capo on Mandola on eight fret

@yahoochiewatchie He was not, but he was in Sweeney's Men along with Terry Woods, later a member of Steeleye Span.

is that a bouzouki that Andy's playing or is it one of these elusive "Andylinns"? Or is it a mandola or something?

does anyone know the female version of this song?

hooooooooh!!!! c'mon bhoyo;s!!!

It's not a tenor mandola. I play one of those, and that thing dwarfs mine. Bouzouki or mandocello gets my guess.

This is great....but I think Donal is somewhat in overdrive, which knocks some of the heart out of it imo

Jesus I didn't know Bono played Mandolin so well. Is there anything that man CAN'T do?! Also he's aged badly.