The Irish Rovers

Over the last 55 years, Ireland has felt the impact of The Irish Rovers long career of bringing Ireland and Irish music to the rest of the world. Their homeland now thanks the legendary band in a big way. The Rovers were honoured with an official Mayor’s Reception and sold out gig in the their hometown of Ballymena, N. Ireland for all they have done over the years for the music industry, and for promoting Ireland across North America and beyond. They were also honoured and hosted in Dublin by EPIC Museum Director Mervyn Greene who considers the Irish Rovers as one of Ireland’s greatest émigrés: “The Irish Rovers are iconic, world class and with very a long career. That’s important to us in Ireland. They’ve truly taken Ireland with them and shown the world.” Curator Nathan Mannion added, “The vault that boasts the Irish Rovers display, our ‘Music & Dance: Sharing the Tradition’ gallery, has repeatedly been voted the museum’s most popular by our visitors. It explores how emigrants and those of Irish origin have impacted the world through music and dance.”

Lead Rover George Millar was more than honoured, “It was a highlight of our career to play back home in Ireland and to be so generously welcomed was a dream.” The Irish Rovers return to tour Canada for 2020 / 2021. This country has been home to the band since its inception in the early 60s. Millar says, “It’s been a bit odd, being from both Ireland and Canada. Some fans have found it confusing as well, asking where we’re from. At times I’ve felt like a man with no country.”

As young Irish immigrants themselves, the Rovers became so much a part of the Canadian culture that Canada’s Prime Minister Trudeau personally asked them to become Canadian citizens so they could officially represent Canada around the world. “In Canada back in 1963 we were young Irish immigrants, and one night in Toronto I met Jimmy Ferguson. That changed my life. After cousin Joe arrived we formed The Irish Rovers. The fact that the band is still playing and loving it more than 55 years later is absolutely beyond me. ”

The Rovers most recent release “Up Among The Heather, The Scottish Album” reflects the Scots influence on their Northern Irish roots. The previous album “The Unicorn, the Continuing Story” gave us their long-awaited sequel to their famed Unicorn song. In 1968, The Irish Rovers had a breakout hit with their second album, The Unicorn, https://youtu.be/mN-uA9CiV_w . That album and ‘lucky little ditty’ of a title track written by Shel Silverstein, took them from folk clubs of America to concert halls and television sets worldwide. The Unicorn, which was in fact a last minute add to the original album, left us all with a tear or two, plus the unanswered question, “Whatever happened to the Unicorns when the ark left them stranded on the shore?”