Irish Rovers, The
The Irish Rovers is a group of Irish musicians that originated in Toronto, Canada. Formed in 1963 and named after the traditional song "The Irish Rover" they are best known for their international television series, contributing to the popularization of Irish Music in North America, and for the songs "The Unicorn", "Drunken Sailor", "Wasn't That a Party", "The Orange and the Green", "Whiskey on a Sunday", "Lily the Pink", "Finnegan's Wake" and "The Black Velvet Band". The primary voices heard in the group's early songs were Will Millar (tenor), Jimmy Ferguson (baritone), George Millar and Joe Millar, and in the last twenty years, also John Reynolds and Ian Millar. Wilcil McDowell's accordion has been a signature sound of the band throughout their more than fifty years. Founding member George Millar and his cousin Ian are both from Ballymena, Davey Walker from Armagh, Sean O'Driscoll from Cork, Gerry O'Connor from Dundalk, with Morris Crum from Carnlough and percussionist Fred Graham from Belfast. Flute and whistle player Geoffrey Kelly was born in Dumfries, Scotland. In the 1980s, the group briefly renamed itself The Rovers. During this period, their "Wasn't That a Party" led to crossover success in the country rock genre. The Irish Rovers have represented Canada at five World Expos, and in 2018 were honoured as one of Ireland's greatest exports at Dublin, Ireland's EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum. In 2023, they sang their 50th Anniversary, which featured a two-disc CD. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Founded 1963
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1959 - 1971
Roles Represented in DAHR: Musical group
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decca | 120727 | 8/27/1968 | Stop, look, listen | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 120728 | 8/27/1968 | The village of Brambleshire | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 120729 | 8/27/1968 | Our little boy blue | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 120730 | 8/27/1968 | Ally Bally | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 121043 | 1/9/1969 | Lily the pink | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 121044 | 1/9/1969 | Mrs. Crandell's boardinghouse | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 122197 | 12/29/1969 | Rhymes and reasons | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 122256 | 12/29/1969 | Emperors of ice cream | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 122505 | 2/26/1970 | Lament for Molly McGuires | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 122937 | 7/15/1970 | Years may come, years may go | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 122938 | 7/15/1970 | Two little boys | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 123197 | 10/27/1970 | Marika's lullaby | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 123198 | 10/27/1970 | The marvelous toy | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 123594 | 7/6/1971 | Mountain tay | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 123595 | 7/6/1971 | Goodbye Mick and goodbye Pat | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 123596 | 7/6/1971 | Fiddlers green | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 123597 | 7/6/1971 | Bonnie Woodgreen | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | 123610 | 8/9/1971 | You're mine | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 11422 | 3/12/1959 | Imagination | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14128 | 10/10/1966 | My old man's a dustman | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14214 | 10/10/1966 | The Irish rover | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14215 | 10/10/1966 | My boy Willie | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14216 | 10/10/1966 | The rattling dog | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14217 | 10/10/1966 | Coulter's candy | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14218 | 10/10/1966 | My old man's a dustman | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14219 | 10/10/1966 | Patsy Fagan | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14220 | 10/10/1966 | I don't mind if I do | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14221 | 10/10/1966 | Many young men of twenty | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14222 | 10/10/1966 | Mick Maguire | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14223 | 10/10/1966 | Donald where's your trousers | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14224 | 10/10/1966 | Nancy whiskey | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14225 | 10/10/1966 | The flag of Sinn Fein | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14574 | 7/31/1967 | Goodbye Mrs. Durkin | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14575 | 7/31/1967 | Bonnie Kellswater | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14576 | 7/31/1967 | Black velvet band | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14577 | 7/31/1967 | Come in | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14578 | 7/31/1967 | The wind that shakes the corn | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14579 | 7/31/1967 | The first love in life | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14613 | 8/15/1967 | The unicorn | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14614 | 8/15/1967 | Pat of Mullingar | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14615 | 8/15/1967 | Bridget Flynn | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14616 | 8/15/1967 | Hiring fair | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14617 | 8/15/1967 | The orange and the green | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14913 | 3/28/1968 | (The puppet song) Whiskey on a Sunday | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14914 | 3/28/1968 | The biplane, ever more | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14929 | 5/27/1968 | My little Maureen | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14930 | 5/27/1968 | Bare legged Joe | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14931 | 5/27/1968 | Cold Winter shadows | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14937 | 5/28/1968 | Liverpool Lou | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14938 | 5/28/1968 | Henry Joy McCracken | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14939 | 5/28/1968 | Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost over night? | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14940 | 5/28/1968 | Goodnight Irene | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14941 | 5/28/1968 | The shores of America | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14942 | 5/28/1968 | Rovers fancy | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14943 | 5/28/1968 | Shamrock shore | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14944 | 5/28/1968 | Up among the heather | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14986 | 8/9/1968 | Oh you Mucky kid | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 14987 | 8/9/1968 | The Rovers Street song medley | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15031 | 11/5/1968 | The minstrel of Cranberry Lane | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15032 | 11/5/1968 | Mrs. Crandall's boardinghouse | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15033 | 11/5/1968 | The stolen child | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15034 | 11/5/1968 | Pennywhistle peddlers | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15035 | 11/5/1968 | Pigs can't fly | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15165 | 5/1/1969 | Orange nickelodeon | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15166 | 5/19/1969 | Peter Knight | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15199 | 5/1/1969 | Fifi O'Toole | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15200 | 5/1/1969 | Make believe days | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15201 | 5/2/1969 | Sullivan's John | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15202 | 5/2/1969 | Did she mention my name? | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15265 | 7/29/1969 | Shanksbridge | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15266 | 7/29/1969 | The life of the Rover | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15267 | 7/29/1969 | King of the fairies | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15268 | 7/29/1969 | Pleasant and delightful | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15269 | 7/29/1969 | Banks of Newfoundland | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15270 | 7/29/1969 | Farewell to Nova Scotia | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15271 | 7/29/1969 | Sam Hall | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15272 | 7/29/1969 | Bunclody cuckoo | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15273 | 7/26/1969 | Molecatcher | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group | |||
Decca | L 15287 | 8/21/1969 | Winkin' blinkin' & nod | Irish Rovers, The | Musical group |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Irish Rovers, The," accessed November 23, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/322571.
Irish Rovers, The. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 23, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/322571.
"Irish Rovers, The." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 23 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: The Irish Rovers
Discogs: Irish Rovers, The
Apple Music: Irish Rovers, The
IMDb: Irish Rovers, The
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Irish Rovers (Musical group) - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80159756
Wikidata: The Irish Rovers - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2119325
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/128617086
MusicBrainz: The Irish Rovers - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/500d2b10-b0fb-4615-a1a6-fa226a620d32
ISNI: 0000 0001 1892 0276 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000118920276
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
Feedback
Send the Editors a message about this record.