Christy Moore’s latest album, A Terrible Beauty, which landed last Friday via Claddagh Records, has claimed the number 1 spot on the Official Irish Albums Charts.

The record, which prevailed over Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet and The Cure’s Songs of a Lost World, is Moore’s first no. 1 album in seven years following 2017’s On The Road.

The release of A Terrible Beauty is a milestone in itself, arriving 56 years since Moore’s debut album Paddy On The Road, and just a month shy of the music legend’s 80th birthday.

The album features two A Lazarus Soul covers, ‘Black & Amber’ and ‘Lemon Sevens’, from the Dublin band’s 2019 record The D They Put Between The R And L.

"We went to hear A Lazarus Soul in Whelan’s, Dublin, six years ago," Christy comments. "I fell beneath the spell of Brian’s lyrics straight away. I made contact saying I’d love to sing a couple of his songs. He gave me the nod – his lines are just up my street.

"This song ['Black & Amber'] brings me back to a time in life when the pub was a central part of my life. It remained that way for many years. Different pubs in different places became my 'home away from home'. Thankfully the day came when I closed that door behind me, never to return, one day at a time. Briany Brannigan’s songs are raw, relevant and real."

Moore is currently in the middle of a 12-date stint at Vicar Street for this month, December and January. Ticket availability is limited, see Ticketmaster for more information.