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Who was Paddy Moloney's wife? 'Chieftains' legend dies at 83

Paddy Moloney formed a band with Sean Potts, Michael Tubridy and Sean Keane called 'The Chieftains.' They won six Grammys, among other awards

Paddy Moloney, founder of the traditional Irish music group, 'The Chieftains' died on Monday, October 11. He was 83 years old. Tributes poured in from fans all over the world for the great artist. The cause of death was not known at the time of publication. 

A man of many talents, Paddy Moloney grew up in a musical family in Dublin and began playing the tin whistle and then the uileann pipes from an early age. Later, he learnt from the pipe master Leo Rowsome. In 1962, Paddy formed a band with Sean Potts, Michael Tubridy and Sean Keane that later came to be known as 'The Chieftains'. We have witnessed the demise of several great music icons recently — Dusty Hill, Biz Markie, Sound Sultan, Robert Eugene Steinhardt, to name a few.

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'The Chieftains' went on to become one of the best-known Irish traditional groups in the world, winning six Grammys among other awards. The Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) said few could lay claim to the "level of impact Paddy Moloney had on the vibrancy of traditional music throughout the world". Irish President Michael D Higgins also remembered the music icon on his demise and said, "The Irish music community, and indeed the much larger community throughout the world who found such inspiration in his work, will have learnt with great sadness today of the passing of Paddy Moloney, founder and leader of the Chieftains. Paddy, with his extraordinary skills as an instrumentalist, notably the uileann pipes and bodhrán, was at the forefront of the renaissance of interest in Irish music, bringing a greater appreciation of Irish music and culture internationally."

Who is Paddy Moloney's wife?

Paddy Moloney was married to artist Rita O'Reilly, with whom he has three children, Aonghus Moloney, Padraig Moloney, and actress-producer Aedin Moloney.

'RIP Paddy Moloney'

Fans paid tribute to the legend and remembering his legacy, posted tweets like, "One of the greatest albums. What a contribution Paddy Moloney made to Irish music and to music in general. May he Rest In Peace." Another tweet read, "This is a truly sad moment. Paddy Moloney took on the mantle of O'Riada and brought Irish music to the world. His legacy will live forever." One person tweeted, "Surely the often used phrase 'the day the music died' couldn't be more appropriate today RIP Paddy Moloney." Another fan wrote, "Paddy Moloney leaves a great legacy from a brilliant band, one of the best Ireland has produced in any musical genre." One tweet read, "RIP Paddy Moloney. Incredible piper, joyful human and curator of traditional music. He was a man who helped drag a beautiful culture out of the darkness of colonization and spread it around the world."