The Wayfarers were formed by Brad Dunnells and Jason Tinney in 1998. Dunnells and Tinney co-founded the popular and award-winning Irish American group Donegal X-Press, but as early as 1999, the two men could also be found in the Baltimore/DC area under the name “The Finn and Seamus Project,” an acoustic duo performing original tunes and stripped down versions of the Irish ballads and rebel songs that made up the bulk of Donegal X-Press live set lists. continue reading…
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Category: Irish
Irishtown Road, a traditional Irish musical group, based in the Adams-York County, PA area,
has been on the Celtic music scene since 1997.
The versatile repertoire of Irishtown Road consists of traditional folk songs and some traditionally arranged original work featuring intricate vocal harmonies and instrumental variety. With two albums to their credit and another in the works, the Adams-York area’s longest-tenured Irish musical group is in their 13th year of performing together. In that time, the band has firmly established themselves as a fixture in the regional Celtic music scene and they enjoy playing year
after previously entertaining area crowds only around St. Patrick’s Day. Due to the overwhelming response to their appearances, the musicians decided to become an official band. The versatile repetoire of Irishtown Road consists mostly of traditional songs in the style of the Clancy Brothers, the Bothy Band, the Chieftains and the Mollys, jigs and reels, and the tunes of Turlough O’Carolan, among others, with traditionally arranged original work included.
The quintet is now made up of siblings Brian Colgan of McSherrystown (vocals, fiddle, guitar, and flute) Eileen Colgan Bowling of Gettysburg (vocals, whistles, & percussion) ; Joe Clark of Hanover (bodran, hammered dulcimer, various percussion and vocals), Denny Seitz of Red Lion (banjo, banjola and vocals); Rodney Owens of Harrisburg (uilleann pipes and vocals and Ben Weak of Gardners (bass guitar, mandolin and vocals).
The band took its name from the main road through the south-central Pennsylvania village where the Colgans’ great-grandfather and his family settled after emigrating from Dromore, County Tyrone in the north of Ireland.
Irishtown Road, released their first album, a self-titled collection of original music in March of
2000 to great reviews. Their second CD titled The Road Home was released in 2005. Their third album, The One Road, a collection of live recordings and studio cuts is set to be released in 2009.
Irishtown Road enjoys playing to enthusiastic crowds in area pubs, at private parties and festivals
“Take a brisk walk down Irishtown Road yourself,” You’ll be glad you did refreshing ramble down Irishtown Road, for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.
“The McColgans were a breed of people there was great music in. Music is a thing that
follows tribes of people.” — From The Last of the Name by Charles McGlinchey (1986,
The Black Staff Press, Ltd,: Belfast)
Finnegan’s Wake
Irish Rover
Merry Mac, Drunken Sailor
Whisky In The Jar