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The Irish Descendants

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The Irish Descendants Tickets

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5 based on 4 reviews

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About

The Irish Descendants In Concert

The Irish Descendants have been singing the songs, telling the stories, and passing down the history of their Irish ancestors since 1990. Hailed as "the lost Celtic tribe of Newfoundland" when they performed in Ireland for the first time, the original Irish Descendants were the children of emigrants who brought along the old sod's look, sounds, language, and pub culture when they arrived to work northeastern Canada's fishing industry.

Con O'Brien and the Descendants' other co-founders picked up their music at home in St. John's, where every family owned an accordion. They honed their craft in the pubs of George Street and released Misty Morning Shore, their first album of sweet ballads and rowdy reels, in 1991. Fishermen themselves, they turned to music full-time when Newfoundland's fishing industry went belly-up in 1992. Is Your Rhubarb Up? was released in 2018, marking the Descendants' 15th release and first full-length studio recording in a decade.

An estimated 80 musicians have been members of the Irish Descendants since their inception, with O'Brien the sole remaining co-founder. In addition to O'Brien's big baritone voice, the group's most recent incarnation features longtime members Patrick Moran on fiddle and Paul "Boomer" Stamp on drums.

Each band member contributes to sweet yet manly four-part vocal harmonies that lend a gentle joviality to songs about drinking, shipwrecks, and immigrant dreams. For every song about disaster and disappointment, such as "Barrett's Privateers," you'll find a toe-tapping reel or a tongue-twistingly humorous tune like "Rattlin' Bog" or "Mari-Mac."

In addition to mastering Celtic music's fiddle tunes and boisterous sing-alongs, the Descendants have dabbled in country music (on Living on the Edge) and always pay respects to bluegrass, the Appalachian cousin of their Irish and Scottish traditions.

Irish-Canadian rovers for sure, the Descendants rarely stop touring. While they mainly perform in North America, focusing on Canada, they often perform overseas, too, including at England's International Festival of the Sea. They've also done their part to make George Street, where they remain regulars, a place where Newfoundland and Irish traditional groups can be heard any evening of the week. "The trenches of George Street are a great place to keep your chops up," says Con O'Brien.

Reviews

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 based on 4 reviews
  • Rating: 2 out of 5

    Like being at a wedding with 300 drunk cousins

    by P. L. on 2/21/20Century Casino - Edmonton

    Well silly me! I thought this was a concert. But they crammed everyone into tiny tables so we were almost in each other's laps. People kept getting up to dance, leave for a smoke, or get another drink so visibility was non-existent. And we couldn't really hear the music because of all the talking and laughing! What I did hear was great, but i will never attend an event at this venue again.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    The Irish Descendants did not disappoint!

    by Baymen on 3/18/13Casino Rama - Rama

    Great venue with amazing sound. The crowd was ok. A little older so not the same feel as when I see this amazing Newfie band live at a smaller more intimate venue. Con still has an amazing sound and a big shout out to Duncan Cameron who was a rock star on the fiddle!

  • Rating: 4 out of 5

    The Irish Descendants & The Navigators were great!

    by Kay187456 on 3/17/13The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor - Windsor

    I would love to see them come back to Caesar's for a show so I could bring my dad! Young or old, it was a fun show and great live music!

  • Rating: 3 out of 5

    Irish descendants

    by Wojciechowski on 3/17/13The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor - Windsor

    The group is very talented as individuals, but together they did not produce the energy I had hoped for. Missing was group showmenship.