Back at the turn of the last century when Irish refugees flocked to American shores, many of them slipped out without a proper goodbye.
Too painful. Too much uncertainty. And was it truly goodbye or just farewell for now?
So what is it with the Chieftains 2020 โThe Irish Goodbyeโ Tour โ farewell or see you later? Probably neither, as far as we can tell. That Paddy Maloney has a sense of humor!
Maloney, the uilleann pipes player who founded The Chieftains in 1962, is bringing the trio back to Tucson as part of the bandโs โThe Irish Goodbyeโ U.S. tour. Itโs their first Tucson show since they played the Fox Tucson Theatre in 2017.
Tucson has been a regular stop on the Chieftains American tours since at least the late 1990s, back when Maloney, 81, was surrounded by five other musicians. Today there are three; Maloney is the lone founding member; vocalist Kevin Conneff has been along for the ride since 1976, flutist Matt Malloy joined the group in 1979.
The Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus, Tucson & District Pipe Band and the McTeggart School of Irish Dance will be part of Saturdayโs show.
The Chieftains American tour runs through March.
