This year started off so well for The Dubliners. In January they played, and recorded, two special concerts at Dublin’s Christchurch Cathedral attended by President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabine.
February saw them travel to Switzerland for more sell out shows and also to Manchester to pick up the BBC Radio 2 Lifetime Achievement Folk Award in recognition of their extraordinary success over the past 50 years.
March saw the band tour the UK where over 20,000 tickets sold including a 4,500 sell out at The Royal Albert Hall in London.
In April the band recorded “The Rocky Road to Poland” with Damian Dempsey, Bressie, Danny O’Reilly from The Coronas and the Irish Soccer Squad. It’s the official Republic Of Ireland song for the Euro 2012 Football Championships this summer.
Just two weeks before the band departed for Denmark the one and only Barney McKenna, founding member and banjo player, passed away suddenly at home.
The remaining Dubliners were left with an impossible situation. Should they honor and fulfill all the concerts for the rest of the year or should they call it a day? After much soul searching the band decided to continue with their 50th Anniversary Tour. They invited one of Barney’s favorite, and one of Ireland’s most respected tenor banjo players, Gerry O’Connor, to join them for the rest of the year. Gerry readily agreed to lend a hand. As Barney himself said recently “It’s too late to stop now…”
The 50th Anniversary show itself is a live concert interspersed with video footage & photographs of the band throughout their 50 year history. It is more than just another show it is a live celebration of one of the greatest bands ever to come out of Ireland.
The Dubliners 50th Anniversary Tour will conclude with two very special Christmas shows at Dublin’s Vicar St on Dec 29th & 30th. It will be a great way to end a tumultuous year for the band.
Tickets priced €39.50 (inc. booking fees)
