Since forming in 1990, The Irish Descendants have had a wide impact on audiences and music lovers all around the world. The bands exquisitely produced award-winning recordings, ranging dynamically from the most sensitive and touching ballads, to high energy toe tapping reels along with their heartwarming and humorous live performances, has led the group to achieve a large and loyal fan base.

The Irish Descendants were formed when members of two local Newfoundland bands, The Descendants and Irish Coffee decided to merge their talents after realizing that there was a bigger future in music than fishing. The Irish Descendants began playing clubs and pubs across Newfoundland honing their craft and impressing audiences with their live shows.

In 1991, the band collaborated with local songwriter Gary O’Driscoll to record their debut album, Misty Morning Shore, in O’Driscoll’s basement studio. The record presented an opportunity for the band to be heard on the radio and to reach a much wider audience.

In February 1992, they showcased at the East Coast Music Awards in Halifax and in March of the same year they played their first show in Boston at the St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations. On July 1st, they performed on national television for the first time at “Canada’s Greatest Party” and in October, they performed as special guests of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra.

It was immediately apparent there was a rare power at work. 1993’s major label debut on Warner Music, Look To The Sea, was recorded in Toronto with Irish expatriate Derek Harrington. Delivering a force and fullness that made it easy to call their versions of songs the definitive ones; combined with the band’s playfulness and each member’s down-to-earth charm made for an irresistible package.

Quickly it became clear to them, and others, that they could go places, literally. In April 1994, the group traveled to Ireland where the Irish Press dubbed them “the lost Celtic tribe of Newfoundland” coming from “the land the Irish forgot.”

It was the Gypsies & Lovers album in 1995 that marked the turning point for the band. After winning the 1996 East Coast Music Award for “East Coast Music Entertainers Of The Year”, the band was presented with a Gold Album for Look To The Sea. A few weeks later, The Irish Descendants were presented with the Juno Award for “Best Roots/Traditional Album” for Gypsies & Lovers. By years end, the group received their second Gold Album for Gypsies & Lovers and were touring in support of their fourth album Livin’ On The Edge.

In 1997, The Irish Descendants were chosen as the official band for Newfoundland’s 500th Anniversary Celebrations. A proud moment for the band was performing for the Queen of England and the President of Italy. By the winter, the group was back in the studio to begin recording their fifth album, Rollin’ Home.

The Irish Descendants were one of the featured performers in the theatrical production of Needfire, launched by the Mirvish Organization at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto in the summer of 1998. Later that year, the group traveled to England to perform at the International Festival of the Sea.

In 1999, The Irish Descendants first ever “best of” collection, So Far So Good, was released and the band continued to tour and play to sold out crowds.

2000 saw the band continue to make inroads into the US, working their magic at such prestigious theatres as The Smithsonian in Washington and major Celtic festivals including Cleveland, Chicago and Boston.

2001 brings The Irish Descendants to a new level in their career. Founding member and lead vocalist Con O’Brien assembled a cast of old and new faces and returned to the studio with producer Derek Harrington to record Blooming Bright Star. Never have Con’s vocals sounded stronger or the band played with such feeling. Blooming Bright Star is a wonderful mix of time-honoured traditional songs and contemporary compositions by the likes of Luka Bloome and Gerry Rafferty.

After touring most of 2001 for Blooming Bright Star, The Irish Descendants took some time off to come home and records a heartfelt Christmas album titled The Gift. The album contains traditional family carols such as ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’, ‘O Holy Night’ and ‘The Instrumental Medley (Joy To The World/Ding Dong Merrily On High)’ all played and sung with the warmth and virtuosity you have come to expect from the band. The Gift also includes a personal song written by Con, called ‘Heading Home For Christmas’.