Tickets on sale Mon 11 July

2012 is a landmark year for The Dubliners. It marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the band in Dublin’s O’Donoghues Pub on Merrion Row.

That day in 1962 when Barney McKenna, Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly and Ciaran Bourke finally decided to “give it a go” as a real band rather than just play in pubs for “porter and balls of malt”, and invited young fiddle player John Sheahan to join their ranks, has to be seen as one of the best accidents ever to happen in the world of music.

After spending their first few months as the Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, and even one show advertised as The Ronnie Drew Ballet Group, the lads decided to call themselves after the James Joyce book that Luke was reading at the time... Dubliners. It was as simple as that. The Dubliners were born.

Since then the band have entertained, sang, thrilled, amazed, travelled, drank, slept, travelled some more, had another drink... or three, recorded some great songs, Whiskey In The Jar, Dirty Old Town, The Irish Rover played with everyone from U2, Rory Gallagher, Imelda May, Damien Dempsey, Glen Hansard, The Pogues, had a drink, travelled even more... they have endured tragedies, first Bob Lynch, then Luke Kelly, and Ciaran Bourke and Ronnie Drew all passed on. Jim McCann’s health problems meant he had to retire but over the years Barney and John have played on. The Dubliners always go on. The music has to go on... Sean Cannon joined them over 30 years ago. Eamonn Campbell more than 25 years ago. And now “new boy” Patsy Watchorn. More travelling. More concerts... Barney said recently, “It’s too late to stop now.”

That’s just what they do. That’s what they always did. The Dubliners play. And boy can they play.

Ladies and Gentlemen... The Dubliners.