Irish descendants christmas
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The Irish Descendants
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Friday, March 15th
Newfoundland Celtic and folk group, The Irish Descendants, have contributed to the popularization of traditional east-coast music to audiences throughout Canada since the early 1990s. All the members, born of Irish immigrants, were workers in the fishing industry before merging from previously formed bands, The Descendants and Irish Coffee. Since then, they’ve released multiple critically acclaimed albums, earned a JUNO and an East Coast Music Award, and performed for Queen Elizabeth II during Newfoundland’s 500th anniversary celebrations.
The Irish Descendants’ repertoire is wide-ranging and includes Newfoundland folk standards, traditional and contemporary Irish and Scottish songs, instrumental jigs and reels, and original material. Performed primarily acoustic and accompanied by rich vocal harmonies, the band promises a foot-stompin’ good time when they stop in St. Albert.
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The Irish Descendants
Since their formation in 1990, The Irish Descendants have garnered a loyal fan base in their native Canada, and captured the attention of an ever-growing international audience. The band’s award winning recordings range from lilting ballads to toe-tapping reels, and their high-energy, humorous live performances have made them a popular attraction at home and abroad. To date, the band has sold half a million albums.
Having toured extensively throughout North America, including headlining Celtic Festivals in Chicago, Boston and Cleveland, The Irish Descendants have performed at such prestigious venues as The Smithsonian in Washington D.C., and have played with many of the nation’s best symphony orchestras. They appeared on stage at The Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto in the theatrical production of Needfire, as well as headlining The International Festival of the Sea in England.
When Newfoundland celebrated its 500th Birthday, the band was selected to play at the festivities, entertaining European royalty and heads of state.
The 1991 rele
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Newfoundlander folk-favourites The Irish Descendants celebrate their 35th anniversary of existence next year.
Beloved in Alberta, they’re on their way here again! We had a chat with founder Con O’Brien, from his home in Witless Bay, NL, to hear about life three and a half decades since his band began.
Even with all the years that have passed Con says he’s not remotely tired of Irish Descendants life.
“I’ve always been excited by new music, always excited by fans who come out and are looking for particular songs,” he says. “And you learn new things, you go to new places and you meet new people and that always makes it good.”
The band started in 1990, for fun, when two bands—The Descendants and Irish Coffee—joined forces. “I’m the lowest common denominator,” Con jokes, i.e. he is the sole member who’s been with the group since Day One.
The Irish Descendants swiftly became a professional pursuit for the band members, partly out of necessity. The cod fishery, the crucial industry where the band members lived in Newfoundland, was shut down in 1992.
“My generation was
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