The Irish Rovers at Florida Theatre

All band members hail from Ireland, however, The Irish Rovers formed in 1963 in Toronto, Canada. This year’s album release is in response to mammoth attention their Drunken Sailor recording has recieved on YouTube. This new album is full of tales from the sea – arrrrgg, including a tribute to The Titanic.

George Millar and his cousin Ian Millar are from Ballymena, original member Wilcil McDowell is from Larne, Sean O’Driscoll is from Cork, and both John Reynolds and percussionist Fred Graham are from Belfast. Photo right, The Irish Rovers at Carnlough Harbour, N. Ireland (from l): George Millar, John Reynolds, Sean O’Driscoll, Wilcil McDowell, Ian Millar, Fred Graham.

The story of The Irish Rovers (aka The Rovers) is one for the big screen; hosting three award-winning television series, topping the music charts again and again, several appearances as musical bank robbers on “The Virginian”, and more than 46 years of international recordings and touring their music around the world. The Irish Rovers themselves, were the inspiration for one of the world’s best-known party anthems. The boys in the band have lived large.