The Dubliners
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- The page is about the Irish folk band. For the book by James Joyce, see Dubliners.
The Dubliners are an Irish folk band, one of the oldest bands in music today.
The Dubliners formed in 1962, in the city of Dublin. Their original members were Ronnie Drew (vocals, guitar), Luke Kelly (vocals, banjo, guitar), Barney McKenna (banjo), Ciaran Bourke (tin whistle, harmonica, guitar, vocals), and John Sheahan (fiddle). Originally called "The Ronnie Drew Group", they changed their name to "The Dubliners", named after the James Joyce novel, Dubliners, which Kelly was reading at the time. Their first UK hit was Seven Drunken Nights.
The group has undergone several personnel changes over the years. Ronnie Drew left the group for a time in the 1970s, and was replaced by Jim McCann. Ciaran Bourke collapsed on stage in 1974 from a brain haemorrhage, and never recovered (he eventually died in 1988). Luke Kelly died in 1984. They were replaced by Sean Cannon and Eamonn Campbell. After 34 years, Drew left the band for good and was replaced by Paddy Reilly.
The Dubliners have recorded dozens of albums over the years, and have released albums commemorating their 15th, 25th, 30th and 40th anniversaries together. They have recorded with many other musicians, most notably The Pogues.
The group has also dabbled in acting. All five members were cast in the original run of Brendan Behan's play Richard's Cork Leg at the Abbey Theatre in 1972.
Though many different musicians have at one time or another have been members of The Dubliners, one physical feature they have all had in common is their sporting of large, bushy beards. Paddy Reilly, the newest member, is the sole exception.
Partial discography
- The Dubliners and Luke Kelly
- In Concert
- Finnegan Wakes
- Seven Drunken Nights (a.k.a. A drop of the Hard Stuff)
- Seven Deadly Sins (a.k.a. Drinking and Courting)
- More of the Hard Stuff
- Whiskey on a Sunday (a.k.a. At it Again)
- Live at the Royal Albert Hall
- At Home with The Dubliners
- Revolution
- A Parcel of Rogues
- Home, Boys, Home
- 15 Years On
- Together Again
- Prodigal Sons
- Live at Carre
- 21 Years On
- 25 Years Celebration
- Dubliner's Dublin
- 30 Years A-Greying
- Further Along
- Alive Alive-O
- 40 Year Celebration
- Live at the Gaietyde:The Dubliners