A million views for Tolu Makay and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra

N17 arranged by Gavin Murphy a huge hit

With a million views and an incredible reaction, the recording of N17 by Tolu Makay and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra has had a huge impact since featuring on New Year’s Eve on RTÉ One along with messages from Irish living abroad. The Saw Doctors hit written by Leo Moran and Davy Carton in 1988 was arranged by Gavin Murphy, with the RTÉ CO musicians recording remotely from home and a great rendition by Tolu, in her first time working with the orchestra.

Graham Norton summed up the reaction of many when he tweeted ‘this has reduced me to a sobbing mess. Huge congratulations to everyone involved in putting it together!!’ There were reactions from Chris O’Dowd and Dara Ó Briain, embassies and cultural organizations worldwide, and weeks on it continues to attract huge public and media attention. The Saw Doctors themselves approved, tweeting ‘Thanks for bringing it to a whole new audience who might have heard it before but never listened as they did last night. Beautiful version.’ Online responses were full of warmth and pride and – for the diaspora – emotional memories of home, with one describing it ‘the most beautiful reimagining of an Irish anthem and perfect for these times’.