Live At The Marquee - A Chancer's Guide to Christy Moore

Christy Moore plays Live At The Marquee on Saturday 4th July.

Christy Moore was born in Newbridge, Co. Kildare in 1945. He was originally a bank employee who wanted to express himself using traditional music.

1972 brought his first major release, Prosperous, which brought together the four musicians who shortly thereafter formed Planxty: Liam O'Flynn, Andy Irvine and Dónal Lunny. For a time they called themselves "CLAD", an acronym of their names, but soon decided on Planxty.

After leaving Planxty in 1975, Moore continued on his solo career, reforming his old band on occasion.

Moore's earlier years of heavy drinking, sleeping dysfunctional hours, continual travelling and often eating takeaway foods resulted in a decline in health and several operations. Moore's battle with alcohol, and subsequent heart operations, have taken their toll. At the end of the 1990s, Moore reduced his workload for medical reasons.

Some of Moore's songs are heavily influenced by drink and the effects of drink, his song "Delirium Tremens" being a good example. Other songs have political overtones due to his left-wing, Irish republican perspective. He has also recorded songs by the hunger striker Bobby Sands, including "Back Home in Derry". Other political songs include Mick Hanly's "On the Blanket" about the protests of republican prisoners, "Viva la Quinta Brigada" about Irish volunteers who fought against the Fascists in the Spanish Civil War and "Minds Locked Shut" about Bloody Sunday in Derry.

Moore's brother Barry, whose stage name is Luka Bloom, is also a successful singer-songwriter. His nephew, Conor Byrne, is also an accomplished traditional flautist and tin whistle player. In 2010 Christy Moore's song "Lisdoonvarna" which he wrote gained entry in the penguin book of Irish poetry. On Sunday 10th July 2011 Moore joined Coldplay on stage at 2011 Oxegen Festival performing the song "Ride On". In 2007, he was named as Ireland's greatest living musician in RTÉ's People of the Year Awards. His most recent album Where I Come From was released in November 2013 and features a new protest song called "Arthur's Day". The album peaked at number 3 in the Irish album charts.

Christy Moore has played every year at Live At The Marquee since it began in 2005.