Christy Moore

One of his homeland’s most beloved musical figures, Christy Moore is the Irish folk scene’s equivalent to Bob Dylan. Heavily rooted in traditional Irish music, he channeled his folk influences into a contemporary singer/songwriter style, often making strong political statements along the way. Born in County Kildare in 1945, Moore released his debut album, Paddy on the Road, in 1969 in collaboration with renowned Irish writer Dominic Behan. The musicians with whom he’d soon start the Celtic folk band Planxty accompanied him on the traditional fare of his follow-up, Prosperous. Moore concentrated on working with Planxty for the next few years, bringing new life to the Irish traditional-folk scene, before relaunching his solo career. His outspoken political leanings often got him into trouble with the authorities, which only fanned the flames of his legend further. He formed the folk-rock band Moving Hearts in the ’80s and remained a potent solo artist for decades to come.