Patrick Street

Comprised of some of Ireland’s most accomplished musicians, Patrick Street initially launched in the mid-’80s as a one-off touring ensemble before consolidating into a powerhouse Celtic group that released eight studio albums and one live set. Its three primary members, Kevin Burke (fiddle), Andy Irvine (vocals, bouzouki), and Jackie Daly (accordion), have remained constants throughout the band’s existence with numerous other veteran players joining their ranks, both on tour and in the studio. For most of their first two decades together, Patrick Street were staples of the Green Linnet label, releasing acclaimed albums like Irish Times (1990) and All in Good Time (1993). After 2007′s On the Fly, they remained a live act for several more years. Formed in Dublin in 1986, Patrick Street originally came together as a sort of traditional Irish supergroup. Each of its original four members came from influential bands with Burke and guitarist Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, both founding members of the Bothy Band, Irvine a member of Planxty, and Daly a member of De Dannan. Billed as “Legends of Irish Music,” the original quartet toured the United States in 1986 and received such an enthusiastic response that they decided to make the band a more permanent venture. Adopting the moniker Patrick Street (a ubiquitous street name in many Irish towns), they recorded their self-titled debut that same year with fellow Planxty veteran Donal Lunny producing and Arty McGlynn (Van Morrison) replacing Ó Domhnaill on guitar. Peppered among the traditional repertoire were covers of folk songs and originals written by bandmembers, an approach they would continue to take on subsequent releases. They followed it with 1988′s No. 2 Patrick Street. 1990′s Irish Times marked a career highlight and featured yet another guitarist, American Gerry O'Beirne, along with McGlynn, Uillean piper Declan Masterson, and keyboardist Bill Whelan (Riverdance). It also contained a cover of Penguin Cafe Orchestra’s “Music for a Found Harmonium” which went on to become one of Patrick Street’s best known songs and was featured in several films. Although its members remained busy with other projects, Patrick Street remained active and prolific throughout the ’90s, releasing 1993’s All in Good Time and 1996′s Cornerboys, the latter featuring new member Ged Foley (the Battlefield Band) on guitar. They were successful enough that Green Linnet issued a 1995 anthology, The Best of Patrick Street, marking this prolific era of their career. Foley remained a permanent member on each of their subsequent albums including 1997′s Made in Cork and the 1999 concert album Live from Patrick Street. In the next decade, Patrick Street’s output slowed, though they returned for 2002′s Street Life. By 2007′s On the Fly, Daly had more or less retired and only appeared on two tracks. New member John Carty augmented the group of fiddle, flute, and banjo. ~ Timothy Monger & Craig Harris