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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


1990 - 1994
  • D'Arcy Broderick - fiddle, banjo, bouzouki, guitar, vocals
  • Larry Martin - bass, vocals
  • Con O'Brien - guitar, vocals
  • Ronnie Power - guitar, tin whistle, banjo, bouzouki, vocals

1994 - 1996
  • D'Arcy Broderick - fiddle, banjo, bouzouki, guitar, accordion, mandola, vocals
  • Gerard Broderick - drums, bodhran
  • Larry Martin - bass, vocals
  • Con O'Brien - guitar, vocals
  • Kathy Phippard - keyboards, flute, vocals
  • Ronnie Power - guitar, tin whistle, banjo, bouzouki, vocals

1996
  • D'Arcy Broderick - fiddle, banjo, bouzouki, guitar, accordion, mandola, vocals
  • Gerard Broderick - drums, bodhran, vocals
  • Larry Martin - bass, vocals
  • Con O'Brien - guitar, vocals
  • Ronnie Power - guitar, tin whistle, banjo, bouzouki, vocals

1997 - 1998
  • Larry Martin - bass, vocals
  • Con O'Brien - guitar, vocals
  • Ronnie Power - guitar, tin whistle, banjo, bouzouki, vocals
  • Gerard Broderick - drums, bodhran
  • Eamonn O'Rourke - fiddle, guitar, banjo, bouzouki, vocals

1998 - 2000
  • Larry Martin - bass, vocals
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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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