This septet from Dublin combined traditional Irish instrumentation (pipes and whistles) with commercial instruments. Unlike The Pogues or The Saw Doctors, however, they used this musical platform to play in the style of a rock act. Led by vocalist Leslie Dowdall, other members included Brian O'Briaian, Martin Colncy, Vinnie Kilduf and fiddler Steve Wickham. Discovered by Bono of U2 they were originally signed to Island Records but later moved to Virgin. Their singles included a cover version of Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody To Love" (1985), They played Self Aid, before Wickham left in 1986 to join The Waterboys. He was replaced on violin by Angela De Burca.


The Irish Tenors took the world by storm when they were first brought together for their March 1999 PBS premiere concert special, sparking an international phenomenon of concert performances that thrilled audiences across the United States.

Finbar Wright has emerged as one of Ireland's great romantic singers since his Platinum 1991 debut album, Because. He has hosted his own highly rated television series for RTE, Music of the Night, and appeared in major concert tours of Australia, Canada, and the United States. His distinctive rich and romantic tenor voice has sold over 300,000 records in Ireland, and he has performed for President Clinton and Pope John Paul II.

Ronan Tynan has performed to sold out houses in Ireland, Scotland, England and the United States over the last several years. He has won both the Tenor Trophy and the John McCormack Trophy at the National Singing Festival in Dublin and the RTE/BBC TV Talent Competition. He also captured the prestigious French International singing competition in 1996. In addition to his singing career, Tynan is a medical doctor and champion equestrian, despite having two prosthetic legs.

Anthony Kearns is known throughout Ireland as a true lyric tenor. He has sung at the National Concert Hall in Dublin and Limerick, the Gaiety Theatre and the RDS in Dublin and performed with the National Concert and Symphony Orchestras of Ireland. Currently he tours in operatic concerts with Richard Baker, the renowned BBC Classical Presenter.

A unique presentation of Irish Ballad Operas known collectively as The Irish Ring, features excerpts from three rare and beautiful operas, Maritana, The Bohemian Girl and The Lily of Killarney, performed by an array of top Irish artists including Anthony Kearns, Kathryn Smith, Pat Doherty, Miriam Blennerhesset and Derek Ryan. The show comes to the U.S. in September playing Boston, New York Baltimore and New Brunswick NJ.


Eileen Ivers has transformed the Irish fiddling tradition from a folk music staple into an internationally-acclaimed art. A former member of Cherish The Ladies, The Green Fields Of America, Chanting House and the Hall & Oates Band and a session player on albums by Paula Cole, Hothouse Flowers and Patti Smith, Ivers has continued to expand the traditions on her own. In addition to maintaining a highly successful solo career.

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