Paddy Moloney, the founder of legendary traditional Irish band the Chieftains, has died at the age of 83.

According to the band’s official website, the group was formed nearly 60 years ago in 1962.

The band attained a tremendous following in this province, having last played here at the Arts and Culture Centre in 2019, a stop on their “Irish Goodbye Tour”

Great Big Sea had the opportunity to interact with the Chieftains several times over the years, most notably collaborating with them on the song “Lukey’s Boat.”

Former Great Big Sea bandmember Bob Hallett says Moloney was one of the first to recognize the commercial potential of Irish music internationally.

Hallett calls Moloney’s influence “massive,” noting that the Chieftains interacted with and influenced a host of artists around the world. He says Moloney “raised the bar” and everyone was better off after meeting with him.

The Chieftains were six time Grammy award winners and worked with many high ranking artists such as Mick Jagger, Van Morrison, Sinead O’Connor and many more.