Lúnasa

Named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, patron of the arts, Lúnasa is internationally acknowledged as being the finest traditional Irish instrumental band of recent times. Its members have helped form the backbone of some of the greatest Irish groups of the decade. The band's self-titled 1997 debut became an immediate bestseller in Ireland, and since its release the group has become one of the most sought-after bands on the international Celtic music scene.
Lúnasa has won many awards, including a nomination for Folk Album of the Year in the BBC Radio 2 Awards and an award for Best Traditional Album of 2005 in Irish Music Magazine. The group celebrated its 10th annivresary in 2007, and the BBC showed its support by filming the band's headlining appearnace at Glasgow's international jamboree, making Lúnasa the only band to have been filmed twice by the BBC at the event. The band also published its own book of tunes, Nótaí, compiled by band member Cillian Vallely. The group's most recent release, Lá Nua, came out in 2010.