Macalla

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title: "Macalla" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1985-albums", "clannad-albums", "albums-produced-by-steve-nye", "rca-records-albums"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macalla" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

Field	Value
name	Macalla
type	studio
artist	Clannad
cover	Clannadmacalla.jpg
caption	Macalla was Clannad's first internationally successful album.
released	14 October 1985
recorded	*Power Play, Zurich, Switzerland
genre	Folk
length	37:11
label	RCA
producer	Steve Nye
prev_title	Legend
prev_year	1984
next_title	Sirius
next_year	1987
misc	{{Singles
name	Macalla
type	studio
single1	Closer to Your Heart
single1date	September 1985
single2	Almost Seems (Too Late to Turn)
single2date	November 1985
single3	In a Lifetime
single3date	January 1986
::

| name = Macalla | type = studio | artist = Clannad | cover = Clannadmacalla.jpg | alt = | caption = Macalla was Clannad's first internationally successful album. | released = 14 October 1985 | recorded = *Power Play, Zurich, Switzerland

• Ridge Farm, Surrey, England
• Windmill Lane, Dublin, Ireland | venue = | studio = | genre = Folk | length = 37:11 | label = RCA | producer = Steve Nye | prev_title = Legend | prev_year = 1984 | next_title = Sirius | next_year = 1987 | misc = {{Singles | name = Macalla | type = studio | single1 = Closer to Your Heart | single1date = September 1985 | single2 = Almost Seems (Too Late to Turn) | single2date = November 1985 | single3 = In a Lifetime | single3date = January 1986 | rev1 = Allmusic | rev1Score = Macalla is a 1985 musical album by the Irish folk group Clannad. It is their ninth album and is known for the duet between Clannad's singer Moya Brennan and U2 vocalist Bono on the single "In a Lifetime". An alternate version of the album's first track, "Caisleán Óir", was used throughout the third Robin of Sherwood series.

The album's title is Irish for "echo". Two of its songs are sung entirely in Irish: "Caisleán Óir", which translates as "golden castle", and "Buachaill Ón Éirne", which means "Boy from the Erne".

Track listing

1. "Caisleán Óir" (Ciarán Brennan, Máire Brennan) – 2:06
2. "The Wild Cry" (Pól Brennan) – 4:41
3. "Closer to Your Heart" (C. Brennan) – 3:29
4. "In a Lifetime" (a duet with Bono) (C. Brennan, P. Brennan) – 3:08
5. "Almost Seems (Too Late to Turn)" (P. Brennan) – 4:51
6. "Indoor" (P. Brennan) – 3:53
7. "Buachaill Ón Éirne" (Traditional) – 3:08
8. "Blackstairs" (P. Brennan) – 4:15
9. "Journey's End" (Noel Duggan, Pádraig Duggan) – 2:42
10. "Northern Skyline" (C. Brennan, P. Brennan) – 4:58
11. "Caisleán Óir (Planet Heaven Mix)" – 7:04 (bonus track available only on 2003 Deluxe Edition)

Personnel

Band

• Ciarán Ó Braonáin – bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Máire Ní Bhronáin – vocals, harp
• Pól Ó Braonáin – flute, guitar, percussion, vocals
• Noel Ó Dúgáin – guitar, vocals
• Pádraig Ó Dúgáin – guitar, mandolin, vocals

Additional Musicians

• Bono – vocals
• Mel Collins – saxophone
• Danny Cummings – percussion
• James Delaney – keyboards, synthesizer
• Anto Drennan – guitar, electric guitar
• Paul Moran – drums
• Steve Nye – keyboards

Production

• Steve Nye – producer
• Louis Austin – engineer
• Justin Birt – assistant engineer
• Ron Kurz – engineer
• Martin Pearson – assistant engineer
• Kevin Maloney – engineer
• John Grimes – assistant engineer
• Kevin Metcalfe – mastering
• Anton Corbijn – photography
• Jill Furmanovsky – photography

Additional information

• Engineered by Martin Pearson and Ron Kurz (Power Play Studio)
• Engineered by Louis Austin (Ridge Farm Studio), Assistant engineer - Justin Birt
• Engineered by Kevin Maloney (Windmill Lane Studio), Assistant engineer - John Grimes
• Mixed at Windmill Lane Studio
• Mastered at Townhouse Studios by Kevin Metcalfe
• Sleeve direction by Mainartery
• Photography - Jill Furmanovsky
• Clannad photography by Anton Corbijn

Charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1986) | Peak position | |---|---| | U.S Billboard 200 | 131 | | UK Albums Chart | 33 | ::

References

References

1. "Music Week".
2. {{AllMusic
3. (19 April 1986). "Billboard 200™".
4. (26 October 1985). "Macalla Chart History".

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