Clannad -

Clannad was an Irish family group from Gweedore, County Donegal, that moved from Gaelic folk-rooted records in the 1970s into spacious keyboard-led work that shaped the Celtic/New Age crossover of the 1980s and 1990s.

Their early albums—Clannad, Clannad 2, Dúlamán, and Crann Úll—centered on close vocal harmonies, harp, flute, acoustic strings, and traditional material drawn from Irish-language song. On their 1982/83 albums Fuaim and Magical Ring, the group widened its frame through electric rhythms, synthesizers, and atmospheric studio sounds, scoring an international hit with “Theme from Harry’s Game.”

Clannad embarked on soundtrack work for Legend, The Angel and the Soldier Boy, and music associated with Robin of Sherwood. Their most popular albums include Macalla, Sirius, Anam, and Lore, which balance misted vocal textures and broad keyboard colours. In 1986, Bono dueted with Clannad frontwoman Maire Brennan on “In a Lifetime,” a pastoral ballad that brought the group to a wider international audience.

Members: Ciarán Ó Braonáin [Ciara Brennan] (bass, guitar, keyboards), Pól Ó Braonáin [Pól Brennan / Paul Brennan] (tin whistle, flute, guitar, keyboards, 1970-90, 2011-present), Pádraig Ó Dúgáin [Pat Duggan] (mandolin, harmonica, guitar, 1970-2016), Noel Ó Dúgáin [Noel Duggan] (guitar), Maire Ni Braonáin [Moya Brennan] (harp, vocals), Eithne Ó Braonáin [Enya / Enya Brennan] (keyboards, vocals, 1980-82)

Background

Clannad assembled in the late 1960s when three siblings of the nine-child Brennan brood — Máire (b. 1952), Ciarán (b. 1954), and Pól (b. 1956) — teamed with their young twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan (b. January 23, 1949). The two families grew up in Gweedore, a Northwest coastal town in Irish-speaking County Donegal.

The Brennan matriarch, Máire “Baba” Brennan (née Duggan), taught music. Their father, Leo Brennan, played saxophone and accordion in the Slieve Foy, a traveling Irish showband. With his brother-in-law, he opened Leo’s Tavern, a converted pub in the nearby Meenaleck village. The Brennan and Duggard children formed Leo’s in-house music act, comprised of Máire (harp, vocals), Ciarán and Pól (bass, bongos, vocals), and Noel and Pádraig (guitars). Their grandfather named the act Clann as Dobhar, Irish for “Family from Dore.”

In 1970, family elders spurred Clann as Dobhar into a music contest at the first Slógadh Youth Festival in Letterkenny. Despite their reluctance, the young members filed their entry form at the last minute. They won the competition, which awarded £500 and a Polydor contract that the members were too young to sign.

Clann as Dobhar honed their act on the Northwest folk circuit with a setlist comprised of Celt-rock originals and covers of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Joni Mitchell. Under the shortened name Clannad, they won another band competition at the 1973 Letterkenny folk festival. They signed with Philips Records and recorded their debut album.

Clannad

Clannad released their self-titled debut album in August 1973 on Philips Ireland. Side One contains five Gaelic traditionals and one original (“Liza”) co-written by Padraig Duggan and Pól Brennan. Side Two contains a mix of Irish and English-titled traditionals and songs by Limerick folkie Mick Hanly (“An Pháirc”) and North American folkies Tim Rose and Bonnie Dobson (“Morning Dew”).

The album presents acoustic arrangements from Clannad’s instrumental core — siblings Ciaran O Braonain (bass, guitar, piano) and Pol O Braonain (flute, bongos, guitar), and twin uncles Noel and Padraig O Dugain (guitars, mandola) — who harmonize around the vocal leads of Maire Ni Bhraonain. Guest Grainne McMonagle adds tin whistle on select tracks. Drummer John Wadham gives occasional backbeat.

Clannad moves between brisk ensemble pieces and stripped pastoral settings. “Níl Sé Ina La” opens with lifted pace, layered voices, flute, guitar, bongos, drum kit, and frontal rhythmic bass. “Brian Boru’s March” and “Mrs. McDermott” slow the pulse through harp, flute, guitar, and light percussion, with phrasing that unfolds in measured arcs. “Siobhán Ní Dhuibhir” adds denser chord movement and a mid-song vamp with a choir swell. Several tracks cut the frame to bare essentials: “Thíos Cois Na Trá Domh” rests on tender lead voice and spare acoustic backing, “An Mhaighdean Mhara” stands unaccompanied, and “The Pretty Maid” sets acoustic guitars and bass in quiet counterpoint beneath alternating male and female lines. “Liza” and “An tOileán Úr” bring firmer drum patterns, busier bass, and a more forward rhythmic shape, while “Morning Dew” closes in a hushed, mysterious register built from steady guitar progression, soft bongos, and close harmonies.

A1. “Nil Se Ina La (Nil Se’n La)” [It Is Not Yet Day] (4:50)
A2. “Thios Cois na Tra Domh” [Down by the Beach] (2:55)
A3. “Brian Boru’s March” (3:50)
A4. “Siobhan Ni Dhuibhir” [Susan O’Dwyer] (4:30)
A5. “An Mhaighdean Mhara” [The Mermaid] (2:10)
A6. “Liza” (2:00) — Padraig Duggan, Pol Brennan

B1. “An tOilean Ur” [The New Island] (4:03)
B2. “Mrs. McDermott” (3:03) — is a piece by the blind Irish baroque harpist Turlough O’Carolan (1670–1738).
B3. “The Pretty Maid” (2:40)
B4. “An Phairc” [The Field] (3:00) — Mick Hanly
B5. “Harvest Home” (1:40)
B6. “Morning Dew” (3:45) — was co-written by American singer–songwriter Tim Rose and Canadian folkie Bonnie Dobson. Rose premiered it on his 1967 debut album. Bonnie included a cover on her 1969 self-titled album (her sixth).

Clannad recorded the album at Eamonn Andrews Studios, Dublin, with producer John Cunan.

Clannad 2

Clannad released their numerical second album in 1975 on Gael Linn Records.

Clannad 2 leans toward slower, more stripped arrangements and keeps the instrumentation close to the vocal line. “An Gabhar Bán” opens with a light dance pulse carried by guitar, mandolin, and flute, while “Eleanor Plunkett” and “Fairly Shot of Her” trace gentle instrumental patterns through harp, flute, bass, and plucked strings. “Coinleach Glas An Fhómhair,” “By Chance It Was,” and “Chuaigh Mé Na Rosann” stretch the pace into longer, quieter forms: acoustic guitar sets the frame, piano or bass enter with restraint, and flute or whistle rise through the instrumental passages without breaking the stillness.

“Rince Briotánach” starts from solo harp, gradually adds drums, flute, and pipes, then lifts the tempo as the ensemble fills out, while “Dhéanainn Súgradh” shifts the album’s weight through male-led call-and-response vocals, moderate drum time, and a sharp electric-guitar break at the center. The brief pieces keep the old dance contour intact—“Rince Philib a’Cheoil” with drone-backed choral lines and sparse drumming, “Teidhir Abhaile Riú” with mandolin, flute, and mixed chorus—while “Gaoth Barra Na dTonn” cuts everything back to unaccompanied voice alone.

A1. “An Gabhar Ban” [The White Goat] (3:15)
A2. “Eleanor Plunkett” (2:49) — Turlough O’Carolan
A3. “Coinleach Ghlas an Fhomhair” [The Green Stubble of Autumn] (5:46)
A4. “Rince Philib a’ Cheoil” [Philip of the Music’s Dance] (1:51)
A5. “By Chance It Was” (5:41)
A6. “Rince Briotanach” [British Dance] (3:14)

B1. “Dheanainn Sugradh” [I Would Frolic] (5:39)
B2. “Gaoth Barra na dTonn” [Gaoth Barra of the Waves] (2:33)
B3. “Teidhir Abhaile Riu” [Go Home With You] (2:48)
B4. “Fairly Shot of Her” (2:21)
B5. “Chuaigh Me na Rosann” [I Went to the Rosses] (6:18)

Clannad recorded the album at Eamonn Andrews Studios, Dublin, with producer Donal Lunny and engineer Philip Begley. For these sessions, the family five-piece welcomed contributions from drummer Robbie Ó Braonáin, keyboardist–guitarist Dónal Lunny, and the nucleus of Skara Brae: guitarist Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, keyboardist Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, and vocalist Pádraig Ó Domhnaill.

Dúlamán

Clannad released their third album, Dúlamán, in 1976 on Gael Linn Records.

Dúlamán sharpens its acoustic weave and gives the material a firmer rhythmic profile. The title track opens in group voice, then expands into a more driving frame with flute, light percussion, and a long instrumental passage that pushes the pace forward. “Cumha Eoghain Rua Uí Néill” and “The Galtee Hunt” center the set’s instrumental side: the former moves in a somber, spare line through flute and mandolin, while the latter lifts into a quicker dance pulse led by flute and harp, with mandolin adding extra bite.

“Éirigh Suas A Stóirín” and “Siúil A Rún” slow the surface but deepen the internal motion, one through gently picked strings and widening choral support, the other through contoured chord movement and off-center rhythmic accents beneath the vocal line. “Éirigh Is Cuir Ort Do Chuid Éadaigh” carries a more forward bass presence and broader instrumental color, while “Mo Mháire” keeps the arrangement light and lets whistle and voice trade the lead. Elsewhere, “Two Sisters” starts bare, then thickens into a fuller, more rhythmic setting with group-response lines, “dTigeas A Damhsa” reduces the album to repeated unaccompanied figures, and “Cucanandy/The Jug of Brown Ale” closes with a clear, gentle reel shaped by flute, harp, mandolin, and bodhrán.

A1. “Dulaman” [Channel Wrack] (4:34)
A2. “Cumha Eoghain Rua Ui Neill” [Lament for Red-Haired Owen O’Neill] (4:09)
A3. “Two Sisters” (4:13)
A4. “Eirigh Suas a Stoirin” [Rise Up, My Darling] (5:14)
A5. “The Galtee Hunt” (3:09)

B1. “Eirigh Is Cuir Ort do Chuid Eadaigh” [Rise and Put On Your Clothes] (4:12)
B2. “Siuil a Ruin” [Walk, My Love] (5:50)
B3. “Mo Mhaire” [My Mary] (2:43)
B4. “dTigeas a Damhsa” [I Come to Dance] (1:26)
B5. “Cucanandy/The Jug of Brown Ale” (3:13)

Clannad recorded the album at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, Wales, with producer Nicky Ryan and engineer Fritz Fryer. Joachim Boske designed the cover with seaside photography by Bill Doyle and Manjit Jari.

Clannad in Concert

Clannad in Concert, the band’s first live album, appeared in 1979 on Ogham (Ireland) and Itercord (Germany).

The record captures the original quintet — Maire, Ciaran, Pol, Noel, and Padraig — in performance during their 1978 Swiss tour. The set draws primarily on material not yet available on studio albums at the time of release. Harp, acoustic guitar, flute, bongos, whistles, mandola, keyboards, and electric piano feature across the eight tracks.

A1. “Bean an Ti (O Bhean an Ti)” [Woman of the House (O Woman of the House)] (3:00)
A2. “Fairies Hornpipe/Off to California” (3:20)
A3. “A Neansai Mhile Gra” [O Nancy, Thousand Loves] (4:45)
A4. “Mhaire Bhruineall” [Maire Brunel] (1:08)

B1. “Planxty Burke” (3:42)
B2. “An Giobog” [The Rag] (2:10)
B3. “Down by the Sally Gardens” (4:36)
B4. “Nil Se Ina La (Nil Se’n La)” [It Is Not Yet Day] (10:20)

The LP appeared in a gatefold sleeve; early Irish copies included a large poster insert.

Crann Ull

Clannad released their fourth studio album, Crann Ull, in 1980 on Tara Music.

The core quintet returns, with producer Nicky Ryan inviting Eithne Ni Bhraonain — the youngest Brennan sibling (b. May 17, 1961), later known as Enya — to contribute percussion, keyboards, and backing vocals as an uncredited guest. Her keyboard work surfaces on the opening track and several others, subtle enough that the overall palette stays within their established folk framework. Ciaran expands his role with keyboards. All tracks are Gaelic apart from two English-titled picks.

Crann Ull stays close to a restrained acoustic frame, with a few tracks widening the palette through longer instrumental passages and subtle keyboard color. “Ar A Ghabhail’n A’Chuain Damh” gives the album its clearest internal lift: it begins in a moderate vocal-led pattern with guitars and bass, then opens into a more rhythmic second half where flute and electric piano carry the motion. “Lá Coimhthioch Fan Dtuath” and “Planxty Browne” serve as the set’s quiet centers, both led by harp and plucked strings, with the first pivoting through an abrupt mid-piece change before returning to its opening theme.

Elsewhere, the material stays spare and song-focused. “The Last Rose of Summer,” “Cruiscín Lán,” and the title track rest on simple vocal lines, acoustic guitar, light harmonies, and pastoral flute touches. “Bacach Shíl Andai” and “Gathering Mushrooms” bring a lighter lilt and a brighter vocal manner, while “An Buinnean Buí” slows the pace with a humble arrangement. Across the album, the movement revolves around subtle shifts in texture, phrasing, and instrumental spacing.

A1. “Ar a Ghabhail ‘n a ‘Chuain Damh” [As I Went on the Sea for Myself] (3:28)
A2. “The Last Rose of Summer” (4:17) — Thomas Moore
A3. “Cruiscin Lan” [Full Little Jug] (2:34)
A4. “Bacach Shile Andai” [Sheila Andy’s Lame Man] (2:33) — Clannad
A5. “La Coimhthioch fan dTuath” [A Strange Day in the Countryside] (3:49) — Clannad

B1. “Crann Ull” [Apple Tree] (3:44)
B2. “Gathering Mushrooms” (2:40) — Clannad
B3. “An Buinnean Bui” [The Yellow Bittern] (4:17)
B4. “Planxty Browne” (4:13) — Turlough O’Carolan

Clannad recorded the album at Conny’s Studio in Koln, Germany, with producer Nicky Ryan and recording engineers Dave Hutchins and Conny Plank, who worked in sequence on the breakthrough Ultravox album Vienna.

Fuaim

Clannad released their fifth studio album, Fuaim, in 1982 on Tara Music. For this project, the family welcomed three musical guests: guitarist Pat O’Farrell, percussionist Noel Bridgeman, and clarinetist–saxist Neil Buckley.

Fuaim pushes Clannad into a sharper, more varied frame. “Na Buachaillí Álainn” opens with a plain, deliberate entrance, then sets the album in motion with strummed backing and tightly joined female voices. “An Gabhar Bán” moves with a slow-swing pulse and opens out through a more exploratory middle passage colored by clarinet and lead guitar.

Enya, in her second and final appearance with the band, takes lead on two cuts. “An Túll” pairs her lighter voice with playful electric piano, while “Buaireadh An Phósta” closes the album with a looser, jazz-leaning lift. “Ní Lá Na Gaoithe Lá Na Scoilb?” stretches furthest, starting in an airy keyboard-and-guitar haze, then building into an extended instrumental rise driven by saxophone, briefly handed to flute, and carried to a full crescendo.

The quieter traditional pieces still shift the palette: “Mhórag ’S Na Horo Gheallaidh” keeps the focus on near-a cappella vocal blend with faint organ underlay, and “The Green Fields of Gaothdobhair” places whistle against synthesizer for a distant, spacious tone. Elsewhere, “Strayed Away” and “Lish Young Buy a Broom” add a lighter, playful pace that keeps the set from settling into one temperature.

A1. “Na Buachailll Alainn” [The Fine Boys] (2:57)
A2. “Mheall Si Lena Glorthai Me” [She Enticed Me with Her Voice] (4:17)
A3. “Bruach na Carraige Baine” [The Bank of the White Rock] (2:37)
A4. “La Brea Fan dTuath” [A Fine Day in the Countryside] (0:45)
A5. “An tUll” [The Apple] (3:07)
A6. “Strayed Away” (2:46)

B1. “Ni La na Gaoithe La na Scoilb” [The Windy Day Is Not the Day for Thatching] (6:11)
B2. “Lish Young Buy-A-Broom” (3:30)
B3. “Mhorag ‘s na Horo Gheallaidh” [Morag and the Horo Chorus] (1:43)
B4. “The Green Fields of Gaothdobhair” (4:09)
B5. “Buaireadh an Phosta” [The Trouble of Marriage] (2:52)

Clannad recorded the album at Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, with producer Nicky Ryan, engineer Brian Masterson, and assistant engineer Pearce Dunne. RCA issued “Strayed Away” as a 1981 single.

Magical Ring

Clannad released their seventh overall album, Magical Ring, on March 21, 1983, on RCA.

The album marks their shift toward English material and modern electronic sounds. Here, the Brennan’s and Duggard’s welcome input from guitarist Ed Deane , keyboardist James Delaney, drummer Charlie Morgan, percussionist Frank Ricotti, accordionist Alan Dunn, and vocalist Padraig O’Donnell.

Magical Ring settles into a hushed, suspended atmosphere and lets small shifts in texture carry the motion. “Theme From Harry’s Game” sets the tone with floating choral lines over soft, formless keys, its dynamic restraint giving the piece a still, arresting weight. “Tower Hill” keeps that shadowed air intact through double bass, flute, and male lead vocal, while “Passing Time” brightens the pace as synthesizers move around whistle and strummed guitar with a lighter step. “I See Red” balances warmth and chill, tightening the shape with a firmer refrain, and “Newgrange” leans on space and repetition, drawing tension from the near-silent gaps around its Gaelic chorus.

The traditional thread remains present in the reworked “Coinleach Ghlas an Fhómhair,” but the center of the album shifts toward original material built from resonant choir textures and keyboard-led depth. “Thíos Fa’n Chósta” breaks that spell at the close with a steadier pulse from piano and drums, then pushes outward through a lead guitar feature that gives the ending its strongest physical drive.

A1. “Theme from Harry’s Game” (2:30) — Pol Brennan, Ciarán Brennan
A2. “Tower Hill” (3:51) — P. Brennan
A3. “Seachrán Charn tSiail” [Wandering of Carn tSiail] (2:20) — Traditional
A4. “Passing Time” (3:44) — P. Brennan, C. Brennan
A5. “Coinleach Ghlas an Fhómhair” [The Green Stubble of Autumn] (5:57) — Traditional

B1. “I See Red” (4:23) — Jim Rafferty
B2. “Tá Mé i Mo Shuí” [I Am Sitting Up] (3:13) — Traditional
B3. “Newgrange” (4:03) — C. Brennan
B4. “The Fairy Queen” (2:40) — Traditional
B5. “Thíos Fa’n Chósta” [Down by the Coast] (3:16) — P. Brennan, C. Brennan, Padraig Duggan

Clannad recorded the album at Nova Studios, London, and Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, with producer Richard Dodd and engineer Austin Ince.

RCA issued “Theme from Harry’s Game” in October 1982 as an advance with the Fuaim cut “Strayed Away.” The single reached No. 2 in Ireland and No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. In Europe, Harry’s Game” reached No. 15 in the Netherlands and No. 16 in Sweden. “I See Red” followed as a second single.

Legend (TV soundtrack)

Clannad released their eighth album, Legend, in May 1984 on RCA. Legend features soundtrack music for Robin of Sherwood, a Robin Hood series starring actor Michael Praed that ran from April 1984 to June 1986 on the series ITV television network.

Legend moves between compact vocal pieces and short instrumental cues, with synthesizers often carrying the backdrop while harp, whistle, flute, and acoustic strings keep the lines grounded. “Robin (The Hooded Man)” lays out that balance at once: soft verse lead vocal, broad choral swells, and a firm keyboard mist behind the traditional instruments. “Together We” stays lighter and more suspended, with whistle phrases surfacing through a restrained, half-formed rise, while “Darkmere” and “Herne” lean into darker, colder space, the latter using the keyboard wash to stronger effect.

“Strange Land” and “Ancient Forest” stand as the album’s most fully formed pieces: the former leans on vocal harmonies and a more contoured line, while the latter presses harder than most of the set and delivers one of its few real surges of force. “Lady Marian” strips the texture back to harp-led stillness and stands as the album’s most delicate instrumental statement. Across the shorter cues, Clannad favors atmosphere over expansion with themes that surface, cast their mood, and withdraw before they widen into larger forms.

A1. “Robin (The Hooded Man)” (2:48) — Ciarán Brennan
A2. “Now Is Here” (3:32) — Pol Brennan
A3. “Herne” (5:08) — P. Brennan
A4. “Together We” (3:28) — P. Brennan
A5. “Darkmere” (1:59) — C. Brennan

B1. “Strange Land” (3:10) — P. Brennan
B2. “Scarlet Inside” (5:08) — P. Brennan
B3. “Lady Marian” (3:20) — C. Brennan
B4. “Battles” (1:01) — C. Brennan
B5. “Ancient Forest” (2:59) — P. Brennan, C. Brennan, Máire Brennan

Clannad recorded the album at Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, and Trident, London, with producer Tony Clarke. For these sessions, the Brennan/Duggard quintet utilized guitarist Pat Farrell, drummer Paul Moran, and returning auxiliaries James Delaney and Frank Ricotti.

Legend peaked at No. 15 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 9 in New Zealand. In 1985 the album won the BAFTA Award for Best Original Television Music, the first such win by an Irish band.

Macalla

Clannad released their ninth overall album, Macalla, on October 14, 1985, on RCA.

The album features family with familiar side-players plus guitarist Anto Drennan, serial saxophonist Mel Collins, producer–keyboardist Steve Nye, and U2 frontman Bono, who duets with Máire on “In a Lifetime.” Only two tracks carry Gaelic-language lyrics — ‘Caislean Oir’ and ‘Buachaill On Eirne’ — and only one, the latter, draws on traditional material.

Macalla — Irish for echo — moves between stark vocal pieces, spacious keyboard-led songs, and a few brighter turns in pace. “Caisleán Óir” opens in near a cappella form, with harp and faint keyboard entering around stacked voices to give the piece a stark, hymn-like shape. “The Wild Cry” expands into a fuller midtempo arrangement, where synthesizers, electric guitar, and Mel Collins’ sax carry the instrumental breaks. “Closer to Your Heart” pushes a firmer beat and a more open band attack, while “In a Lifetime” frames the duet as a tense vocal exchange inside dense period keys.

“Almost Seems (Too Late to Turn)” stays in that same spacious climate. “Indoor” lifts the pace and brings back fuller harmonies, “Buachaill Ón Éirne” narrows the texture to a quieter traditional setting, and “Blackstairs” lowers the light through male lead vocal, eerie chorus, and a keyboard-bass-harp frame. “Journey’s End” adds youthful lift, and “Northern Skyline” closes on a reflective midtempo line, with organ and lead-guitar breaks giving the last stretch its clearest upward pull.

A1. “Caisleán Óir” (2:06) — Ciarán Brennan, Máire Brennan
A2. “The Wild Cry” (4:41) — Pol Brennan
A3. “Closer to Your Heart” (3:29) — C. Brennan
A4. “In a Lifetime” (3:08) — C. Brennan, P. Brennan
A5. “Almost Seems (Too Late to Turn)” (4:51) — P. Brennan

B1. “Indoor” (3:53) — P. Brennan
B2. “Buachaill Ón Éirne” (3:08) — Traditional
B3. “Blackstairs” (4:15) — P. Brennan
B4. “Journey’s End” (2:42) — Noel Duggan, Padraig Duggan
B5. “Northern Skyline” (4:58) — C. Brennan, P. Brennan

Clannad recorded the album at Power Play Studio, Zurich; Ridge Farm Studio, Surrey; and Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin; with producer Steve Nye and engineer Louis Austin.

“Closer to Your Heart” first appeared in mid-September as an advance single, backed with “Buachaill On Eirne.” In late November, RCA issued “Almost Seems (Too Late to Turn),” which served as the official BBC Children in Need charity single for 1985 and reached No. 80 on the UK Singles Chart.

In January 1986, BMG and Island Records issued “In a Lifetime” (b/w “Indoor”). In the video, Bono and Máire duet on the scenic hills of Gweedore while lightning strikes a nearby masted ship. The single reached No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 5 in Ireland, and No. 14 in the Netherlands.

Sirius

Clannad released their tenth overall album, Sirius, on October 26, 1987, on RCA.

For this release, the Brennan/Duggard quintet utilize Mel Collins, recent Jethro Tull keyboardist Peter-John Vettese, and multiple America performers: drummer Russ Kunkel and singers Bruce Hornsby, Steve Perry, and J.D. Souther.

Sirius moves between two clear modes. One group of songs uses a broad, polished frame with programmed percussion, sax, electric guitar, and dense keyboard-backed surfaces: “In Search of a Heart” opens in that synthetic setting, “Second Nature” adds accordion and fiddle, and “Stepping Stone,” “Live and Learn,” and the title track keep the pace firm and outward, with guitar and sax central to the arrangement.

The second mode involves darker, atmospheric textures. “Turning Tide” builds through a forceful chorus, fast flute lines, and a wide orchestral rise, while “Skellig” sustains a shadowed, restrained air. “White Fool” adds chanting, atmospheric guitar, and tribal-rhythm touches, “Something to Believe In” expands into a warmer, fuller arrangement, and “Many Roads” narrows the texture to an acoustic-guitar-led ballad before the closing stretch.

A1. “In Search of a Heart” (3:53) — Pol Brennan
A2. “Second Nature” (3:20) — Ciarán Brennan
A3. “Turning Tide” (4:39) — P. Brennan
A4. “Skellig” (4:46) — C. Brennan
A5. “Stepping Stone” (3:53) — P. Brennan

B1. “White Fool” feat. Steve Perry (4:38) — P. Brennan
B2. “Something to Believe In” feat. Bruce Hornsby (4:47) — C. Brennan
B3. “Live and Learn” (3:32) — C. Brennan
B4. “Many Roads” (3:25) — C. Brennan
B5. “Sirius” (5:33) — P. Brennan

Clannad recorded the album between April 25 and July 20, 1987, at stduios in Dublin (Woodtown Manor), Wales (Rockfield), and London (Livingston and Angel Studios) with producers Greg Ladanyi and Russ Kunkel.

BMG issued “Something to Believe In” as a single in September 1987, backed with “Second Nature.” “White Fool” followed that winter.

Sirius peaked at No. 34 on the UK Albums Chart, No. 45 in the Netherlands, No. 84 in Canada, and No. 183 on the US Billboard 200.

Atlantic Realm

In January 1989, Clannad released Atlantic Realm, their soundtrack to the BBC television series The Natural World: Atlantic Realm, a documentary about the Atlantic Ocean.

Atlantic Realm uses short, self-contained pieces built from soft synth layers, wordless voices, and slow-moving instrumental themes that unfold in smooth, panoramic washes. “Under Neptune’s Cape” opens with deep bass tones under a bell-like line, then adds percussion and rises in intensity as the texture thickens. “Drifting” carries a shifting lift and places electric harp against vocal intonings within the arrangement, while “Ocean of Light” stays hushed and shimmering with a hymn-like calm. “Signs of Life” sets spoken lines over a heavier synthesizer backing. Sax, pipes, and mandolin appear only in sparse touches across the album’s surface.

A1. “Atlantic Realm” (3:49)
A2. “Predator” (3:05)
A3. “Moving Thru” (3:10)
A4. “The Berbers” (1:17)
A5. “Signs of Life” (2:04)
A6. “In Flight” (3:07)
A7. “Ocean of Light” (3:30)

B1. “Drifting” (1:53)
B2. “Under Neptune’s Cape” (3:19)
B3. “Voyager” (3:19)
B4. “Primeval Sun” (1:09)
B5. “Child of the Sea” (2:40)
B6. “The Kirk Pride” (1:19)

Clannad recorded the album at Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, and Real World Studios, Bath, with Pol Brennan and Ciaran Brennan producing.

The Angel and the Soldier Boy

Clannad released their third soundtrack album, The Angel and the Soldier Boy, on December 11, 1989, on BMG. The record accompanied the animated film, adapted from a recent children’s picture book by illustrator Peter Collington.

The Angel and the Soldier Boy unfolds as a continuous 25-minute suite that ties its sections into a soft, melancholic arc shaped for a fairy-tale setting. The music carries a clear central theme and moves through gently linked passages with keyboards at the front, vocal interludes from Máire Brennan, and an ensemble sound that suggests chamber-scale breadth without breaking the intimate frame. The arrangement favors smooth transitions, sustained tones, and a measured pace, with the Celtic element present inside a more orchestral, soundtrack-like design. Across the suite, the music keeps a hushed, storybook atmosphere and lets mood, contour, and recurring thematic material hold the structure together.

A. Music From The Angel and the Soldier Boy (25:28)
– “A Dream In the Night (Theme From The Angel and the Soldier Boy)”
– “The Pirates”
– “The Soldier Boy”
– “The Angel”
– “The Flies”
– “The Spider”
– “The Cat”
– “The Jolly Roger”
– “Into the Picture”
– “Pirates Merrymaking”
– “Finding the Key”
– “Pirates On the Island”
– “Sea and Storm”
– “The Love Theme”
– “The Chase”
– “The Toys”
– “The Rescue”
– “Back to the Book”
– “A Dream In the Night (Instrumental)”
B. The Angel And The Soldier Boy (Story Narrated By Tom Conti) (26:00)

Clannad recorded the album at Woodtown Manor and Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, with producers Ciaran Brennan and Paul Ridout.

By this time, Pól Brennan left Clannad, which continued as a quartet.

Anam

Clannad released their thirteenth overall album, Anam, on October 8, 1990, on RCA.

Ciaran Brennan produced Anam, performed with his three remaining co-founders: Maire, Noel and Padraig, joined by recurring guest Mel Collins.

Anam settles into a subdued, low-pulse flow built from soft vocal layers, acoustic guitar, restrained keyboards, and sparse instrumental color. “Ri Na Cruinne” opens with a firmer lift through Gaelic vocals, while the title track drops into a softer, quieter frame. “In Fortune’s Hand” lunges forward with a sax-laced arrangement, and “Why Worry?” does likewise in a smoother setting. “The Poison Glen” and “Love and Affection” carry the album’s clearest song form through light, delicate structures and a more direct vocal line. “Wilderness” strips down to acoustic guitar with light synth treatment, “Úirchill An Chreagáin” narrows further to voice and acoustic accompaniment, and “Dobhar” closes in a slow, elegiac mood.

A1. “Rí na Cruinne” [King of the Universe] (4:03) — C. Brennan, M. Brennan, N. Duggan, P. Duggan
A2. “Anam” (4:03) — C. Brennan, Leo Brennan
A3. “In Fortune’s Hand” (3:55) — C. Brennan
A4. “The Poison Glen” (3:55) — C. Brennan, M. Brennan, N. Duggan, P. Duggan
A5. “Wilderness” (2:07) — C. Brennan

B1. “Why Worry?” (4:29) — C. Brennan
B2. “Úirchill an Chreagáin” (4:24) — Traditional
B3. “Love and Affection” (4:59) — C. Brennan
B4. “You’re the One” (3:55) — C. Brennan, M. Brennan
B5. “Dobhar” (2:40) — C. Brennan

Clannad recorded the album at Woodtown Manor, Dublin, and Woolhall Studios, Beckington, England.

RCA issued “In Fortune’s Hand” and “Why Worry?” as singles from Anam, which peaked at No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart.

Discography: