Planxty - No Disco - Documentary - First aired on RTÉ Television 3rd March 2003

Clár in ómós an bhanna ceoil mór le rá as Éirinn, Planxty, á chur i láthair ag Leagues O’Toole. I measc na ndaoine a bheidh faoi agallamh beidh Christy Moore, Liam Óg O’Flynn agus Andy Irvine a bhí sa bhanna nuair a bunaíodh ar dtús é chomh maith le Paul Brady a ghlac áit Christy sa bhanna nuair a d’imigh sé i 1974. Roinnfidh ceoltóirí na linne seo - David Kitt, Richie Egan (The Redneck Manifesto), Jimi Goodwin (Doves) agus Colm Mac An Iomaire (The Frames) - a dtuairimí ar an mbanna clúiteach.
00.00am Planxty - No Disco
Dedicated to legendary Irish band Planxty. Presented by Leagues O’Toole, the programme features exclusive interviews with founding members Christy Moore, Liam Óg O’Flynn and Andy Irvine as well as Paul Brady who replaced Christy in 1974. The programme also looks at Planxty from the perspective of some of today’s artists. Guests include David Kitt, Richie Egan (The Redneck Manifesto), Jimi Goodwin (Doves) and Colm Mac An Iomaire (The Frames).
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Tonight's 'No Disco' features an hour-long special dedicated to legendary Irish band Planxty.
Presented by Leagues O'Toole, the programme features exclusive interviews with founding members Christy Moore, Liam Óg O'Flynn, and Andy Irvine as well as Paul Brady who replaced Christy in 1974.
Covering the band from its formation in Prosperous, Co Kildare in 1971 through live performances and TV appearances from the RTÉ archive, line-up changes and the 1978 reformation, the programme also looks at Planxty from the perspective of some of today's artists.
Guests include David Kitt, Richie Egan (The Redneck Manifesto), Jimi Goodwin (Doves) and Colm Mac An Iomaire (The Frames).
Due to the screening of the Meteor Awards, 'No Disco' will be broadcast on Network 2 at the later time of 11.50pm tonight, and not at 11.35pm as previously advertised.
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No Disco Documentary (2002-2003)
In late 2002, broadcaster and journalist Leagues O'Toole was working as presenter and researcher for the RTÉ television show No Disco and persuaded the programme editor, Rory Cobbe, to develop a one-off documentary about Planxty.
O'Toole proceeded with interviewing Moore, Irvine and O'Flynn but Lunny, who was living in Japan, was unavailable. After also shooting links at key landmarks from the Planxty history, the programme aired on 3 March 2003, receiving a phenomenal response from the public and some very positive feedback from the Planxty members themselves. In a final comment about the constant speculation of the original line-up regrouping, Moore had stated, on camera: "There's nobody longs for it more than myself and the other three guys. Definitely the time is right. Let's go for it".
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Hotpress Article:
Planx for the memories
Planxty get a new lease of life care of a one hour No Disco special
The Planxty revival starts here! Yup, March 5 finds No Disco paying fulsome - and somewhat unexpected! - tribute to the legendary tradsters with a one-hour documentary special.
A lifelong fan, Leagues O'Toole will be talking to all the people associated with the group including Christy Moore, Liam Og O'Flynn, Andy Irvine and Paul Brady.
Far from being a museum piece, the show finds David Kitt and Richie Egan updating two classic Planxty tunes, and Colm Mac Con Iomaire from The Frames and Jimmy Goodwin of Doves explaining why the group were so important to them.
You can catch the programme at 11.35pm on Network 2.
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[@suziedarcy2856]

Im here 2023.... Irish music is relevant!!! My son is 10 playing the bodhran and planxty is his GOD!!!!!! as long as i live Irish Traditional music will live... this is music for out soul!! Its not lost yet!!! ❤

[@killingmewillnotbringbacky9177]

People who are moved by Planxty understand what life is about.

[@pentangle78]

I am quite good at Irish music, but I didnt know them till now, so i need to question my knowledge :)

[@sdrtcacgnrjrc]

For me they've got a certain melancholy. Possibly related to hearing them played a lot at home growing up.

[@paula.redbird]

I'm a 26 years old brazilian woman, funny how music is such an amazing tool to connect cultures and generations around the world. I discovered Planxty in my teenage years because I was obsessed (and still am) with irish music and culture, turns out that I'm a huge fan of Planxty and their music transformed my life, helped me to get away from a heavy depression during my early 20's. I've always felt a spiritual connection with irish culture, even though I'm a italo-brazilian with no irish heritage, maybe past lifes haha? ANDY IRVINE IS MY HERO, MY GOD HAHAH I'm very thankful for their music.

[@grantryder5463]

I was very fortunate to be Planxty's UK tour driver in 1975. The line up was Andy, Liam, Paul and Johnny. The support act was the great folk artist Steve Ashley. This was my first exposure to Irish music. It couldn't have been a better introduction. Apart from the excellent music and musicianship all of the band and Steve were terrific company.

[@AndyIrvineFanblog]

Very cool!

[@Rasher1974]

Seem to remember Christy Moore as part of Planxty .

[@sdrtcacgnrjrc]

​@@Rasher1974 Christy left in 75 and rejoined a few years later

[@suziedarcy2856]

Oh my god.. im 33 i feel i have been born to late!! This is the music!!!!! I grew up as the family "karaoke " , stood on a stool in the 90s! But singing planxty ,wolftone you name it.. i was the juke box.. christy was my god!!!! Im born to late... but still here in 2023 and my children sing christy and luke kelly est. It will never die in out house.. and my son plays bodran.... love my roots!!

[@terrys1568]

First heard Planxty in 1973 in the house of a friend Thomas Kavanagh in Le Fanu Road Ballyfermot and that began a journey up to this day where a day never passes without hearing their music . Two years ago I was in Ephesus, Turkey and met an Australian who named his cat Planxty ! Long May the name stay with me .

[@kidcharlemagne7238]

Andy and Donal and Christy and Liam are just nice fellas, not an modicum of ego or arrogance, Thank you so much for making our world a better place.

[@nbenefiel]

I was living in Dublin for most of the 1970's and saw Planxty every chance I got.It's nice to remember that amazing energy.

[@patriciathewisher2315]

Saw them reformed Barbican London maybe 2005. Wonderful talented men. ❤

[@AndyIrvineFanblog]

Yes they are!

[@edelahaye]

"I was blown away when I heard the sound of the instrument" Exactly the reason why I was addicted to Planxty in the 75' ... They have been my inspiration.

[@Karl3kumli]

I fell in love with ballads while listening to Folk Songs and Minstrelsy in the early ‘60s (I was 4). In the early ‘70s a young priest in our parish turned me on to the Chieftains, Wolfe Tones, and Sweeney’s Men. Then came Planxty and finally the Bothys. By the early ‘80s I started hosting a Celtic music show on our local public station. Forty years on, the music and the show still stoke my life. Thank you to all the wonderful musicians. I’ve a debt to you which I’ll never be able to repay.

[@aliceharding1]

Its hard so far to realise what a revelation Planxty were to a generation looking for a new sound in Irish music.

[@tomgreene1843]

Great to see Andy as I remember him from our young days 1960S Dublin folk scene... always loved his music

[@gerardbreen8534]

the Beatles of traditional Irish music wow!!!

[@padraigvideo]

Came to Planxty too late to see them live, but this was very good

[@mariarafferty5210]

The bothy band are reformed and coming to Belfast this year. Not the same as planxty i know, but I never thought I'd see them in my lifetime either😊.

[@lindamon8]

Planx for the memory indeed! Having read Leagues O'Toole's book "Planxty", this film has put some more flesh on the bones of this great story. Some great never before seen (by me) footage. Thanks.

[@irish66]

Terrific doc.

[@seanodomhnaill2518]

A great, if flawed, documentary. Firstly, one quarter of the band-namely Dónal Lunny-was missing, so we were deprived of a great deal of insight into the musical evolution of the band and the difficulties they faced in recording their music. Secondly, it features other performers, some of whom probably hadn't been born when Planxty started, giving their opinions on the band. That was an unnecessary distraction that added nothing to our knowledge. As for Phil Coulter and what happened to the albums... The book that followed suffered from the same shortcomings. Someone needs to write the definitive book on the history of this unique band before it's too late. Maybe Peter Browne (now retired from years of sterling service with RTÉ), since he's a musician and worked with all of the band members!

[@mickmurtagh3040]

Seán Ó Domhnaill Iv been reading. The Rumours of Planxty by Leagues o toole....deals with the 60s, the fall outs the individuals, Sweeneys Men, Emmet Spiceland, Prosperous and onwards....I’ve actually started listening to the albums as I read them....so I’m on to the Third time of reading But have only got as far as the Black album but with Prosperous buzzing in my head

[@seanodomhnaill2518]

@@mickmurtagh3040 That's a nice approach to reading the book. I must go back to listen to Prosperous again myself. Music was so exciting in those days, with something new every week. Enjoy the rest of it.

[@Gogs126]

@@seanodomhnaill2518 Donal Lunny was living in Japan and not available for interview (his wife is Japanese). No Disco basically had no budget, like all RTE programmes. And those younger musicians are highly relevant to younger audiences and to the No Dico audience. That younger audience was the reason why Planxty reformed for the third time (and I got to see them play live).

[@c.a.t.732]

It's interesting to see the early-days clips of Andy playing a Portuguese guitarrra. I wonder if he used the traditional tuning or something more mandolin or guitar like.

[@stevemaherart]

Ah Richie Egan looks like a kid, I miss No-Disco.

[@jackfletcher1000]

We were the local lags giong to the local cineme to see the bogtrotters perform for the laugh, As soon as that started playing we all were fixed to our spot and said what is this aftrer that er followed everwher after that

[@nicholasmarshall6361]

STOKED!!!

[@desrutter6088]

Great stuff, I used to have this on a video tape but the quality was poor, this is excellent.

[@AndyIrvineFanblog]

Yes, it was available here in poor quality also. Nice to have a good quality copy

[@kidcharlemagne7238]

"the other stuff" Awh Phil come on be honest, the lads told us the truth. Phil let the side down!!! A shame and a pity :( Coulter reminds strangely of Bono's demeanour!! Coulter looks guilty to me!

[@m.thompson9894]

Does anyone know what the tune at 27:20 is? Looks like Tony MacMahon playing with Brady?

[@MrTheirlandais]

The skylark

[@m.thompson9894]

@@MrTheirlandais Much appreciated!

[@barttuthill4043]

how i missed this while hiding from the b.s. that was american music after 1975 !?

[@Stryder55]

It's allright, Bart. This kind of feeling happened to me more than once. I only discovered Planxty myself in the mid eighties. For our lives, it is still better to discover these artists at some point than never, even it here is some sadness involved indeed in not being there in the action at the time. I only discovered Kate Wolf only recently, for example, and to finally understand the breadth of John Renbourn's music, it took me a very long while too. As for Planxty's style of music, I would recommend, if you don't know them yet, tuning to a band which has been called by some the "Scottish Planxty", the band Ossian (the Celtic band, not the Hungarian metal band also named Ossian, which is not uninteresting in itself but is very different). I lived in Scotland one year in the mid 80's, and they had already been around for about 8 years, but I was lucky to see them in Glasgow and I will never forget that concert.

[@229andymon]

Irish/Scottish folk music c/w the rest?. Sorry rest of world, but we Celts own it…!

[@barttuthill4043]

he put a capo on the mando ? really? still a great chanty!

[@dafyddmaredudd7859]

I often put a capo on my mandolin.

[@kristianstipe]

Capos on mandos, bouzoukis et c is common practice in Irish music. The instruments are often tuned in an open chord, so you need a capo to change key.

[@dafyddmaredudd7859]

By using, wait for it, a mandolin capo!

[@DavidHennessy-v6m]

Raised on Trad it was in the 70s when a friend,aDub,handed me two Planxty cassettes and I was transfixed. Fifty years later and it’s like yesterday when I hear the lads . Sad at the loss of Liam. My life was made much richer from the first time I plugged those cassettes in.