
Since 1975,
BLARNEY
has been brought the “living delight” of the Irish music tradition to life for
audiences wherever they perform.
BLARNEY celebrates the “Music of
Ireland
” – songs that reflect the
rich history and spirit of the Irish experience- songs of the sea, songs of
love, songs of uprising and rebellion, and of course, the spirited pub tunes of
revelry.
BLARNEY
weaves these tunes into a magic journey through the Irish experience.
BLARNEY has six recordings to their credit. Their latest “Home From the Sea” is a CD
re-release of their popular sea song album from 1985. In 1987, the group won a
“WAMI” award from the
Wisconsin Area Musicians
Industry for the “best folk group”.
While appearing primarily in
Wisconsin,
BLARNEY has performed at festivals in
Cape Cod,
Florida,
Michigan,
Minnesota,
Texas,
Kansas and throughout the
Midwest. They celebrated their 15th anniversary with a gig at the renowned Tommy Makem’s Irish Pavilion in
New York City. In March of 2003 and 2005, BLARNEY brought
their music to the Castledaly Manor House in
County Westmeath,
Ireland
to the rave reviews of the
owners and native Irish. “We haven’t
heard these great tunes in years” one local resident exclaimed.
Dubbed “perennial Irish Fest favorites”, BLARNEY has
performed annually at
Milwaukee’s
Irish Fest since the festival started in 1981. Their reunions have brought world-renown artists such as Liam Clancy,
Tommy Makem, Paddy Reilly and many others to the
stage for a fun-filled Irish Fest show.
To celebrate their 25th year together in 2000,
BLARNEY recorded a compilation of their favorite and most
requested Irish songs on a CD entitled “Songs Worth Singing”. It truly reflects the
timelessness of Irish folk music that celebrates all generations of the Irish
experience.
Based in the
Milwaukee
area, the members of
Blarney are Dennis
Murphy, Kevin Stapleton, and Chuck Ward.