Tommy Byrne Guitar Player Wolfe Tones

News From The Wolf Tones

New C.D. The latest news is that I am currently writing songs and working on a new CD which we hope to have in time for Christmas!  We will be giving all our members the opportunity to get it before general release. It will be a special version of it just for you, more about that in the next newsletter. The new C.D. is now on sale, the title is Child Of Destiny, the tracks included are - Swing A Banker, The Cliffs Of Moher, Hibernia, Child Of Destiny, Uncle Nobby Steamboat, Siobhan, Anne Devlin, Moonbeam, The Celtic People, My Green Valleys, John O'Brien, Champion Of Champions, The Merman, The First Of May, Big Brother, Who Fears To Speak Of 89, and Admiral William Brown.

New D.V.D. We are also working on a documentary, see the promo of it below  Copies of this will only be available through the website so make sure all your friends join up and get this exclusive DVD.

No Airplay For The Wolfe Tones I am appalled at the lack of Irish content on Irish radio.  I have done many interviews over the recent times and could not believe that, first of all, they had no Wolfe Tones music in their database or at best maybe 1 or 2.   The DJ’s have none or little choice in what music is played or in the content of his/her show, even on local radio. For instance I gave an interview lately and they played Michael Jackson as a musical introduction and I was played out by the Spice Girls! This is Irish Radio, its crazy, like Jackson's 'Man in the Mirror', it reflects him, radio should reflect the Irish music scene and Irish content. It should be made compulsory as part of their licence agreement to have at least 50% Irish content in each show. Many other countries have a similar policy, Canada for example, living beside a powerful nation with a very influential musical industry have a similar one to this, 60% I think. Why shouldn’t we? Thousands of jobs would be created in the Irish musical industry in recording studios, for song writers, Musicians, road crews and technicians.     We are a great musical nation but there is a policy on our airwaves that favours imported music over that which is locally produced. Now this puts Irish talent at a disadvantage, I object to the fact that they get more exposure than Irish local acts who are equally as good and in most cases put on a better show or equally as good. Don’t get me wrong, I welcome international acts to Ireland, we travel the world and get fair treatment in the many lands we have toured but so too do the indigenous acts. We shared the stage with many great performers in many places across the world including Siamsa and anyone who remembers them will vouch for the fact that the Wolfies could hold their own with the best of them.   Now let’s work together to bring change to the airwaves, bombard them with requests for the Tones and let’s see what happens, maybe, just maybe, they might change their policy, I hope it changes for our new CD ------Brian Warfield 2011   The above by Brian reminded me of something Tommy Makem said in his last interview, '“I’m very worried about how our culture is faring all over the country,’ he said. “More and more our traditions are being downgraded and shoved under the table. In the past thirty years we have done to ourselves what the English government couldn’t do in 800 years. We’ve hammered hell out of our culture.” Tommy was right,  there are over 1,300 folk songs on this site, there's more chance of winning the lottery that any two of these songs getting played on our radio stations in a row.

Wolfe Tones Tour Of America

Eamonn Mac Thomáis - A Sense Of Freedom

I sat down in my best armchair and asked one of my youngfellas to put on a few records. I think I heard him coursing under his breath. ''Now Look It'' I said, when I was a chisseller I had to keep winding the handle of the Old Master's Voice type gramaphone all night long for me ma. What's more I said, I had to change the needle after each song. Now it's all automatic, a flick of the switch and the E.S.B. does the winding and the needle has more lives than a cat. Well fair play to the yonngfella, he put the record on the stereo and I sat back to listen to the Brace Wolfe Tones. The whole Bakers Dozen of songs and music came flooding back to me one after the other. I think this record is one of the best, if no their very best. The music is sweet and lively to make your feet tap and the songs are sung with great gutso and love. Among the thirteen songs there is a wide vairety to suit every taste and ''The Flower Of Scotland'' you can nearly smell. Here we have ''Planxty McGuire'' The Galtee Mountain Boy Mick Collins and Let The People Sing and a host of other songs. The ones my young lad liked best were Irish Eyes The Piper, The Mairmaid with his fishy tail. He said there was a right bit of a beat to the songs Sargeant William Bailey and Admiral William Brown. I must admit the songs Farewell To Dublin, Joe McDonnell and The Good Ship Catalpa are my favourites, I'm a sucker for Dublin Cobblestones, the sound of the magical names like James Joyce, Molly Bloom, Bang Bang, Johnny Fourty Coates and Zozimus nearly lifted me out of my armchair. I got the sudden urge to walk down Eccles Street in the footsteps of Molly Bloom. Then I wanted to stand at Bridgefoot Street Corner where I often stood and talked to Johnny Forty Coates. Maybe I'll go down and kiss the Sea Horses on Essex Bridge where Zozimus resited and drop in for a visit to Clonturk House Drumcondra where Bang Bang died, but sure I had to stay to listen to the rest of the songs. The Good Ship Catalpa reminds me of Bold Fenian Men and Joe Clarke, Joe the hero of The Battle Of Mount Street Bridge. in 1916 was the first man to make the name Catalpa a household name in the year 1960. Joe published at his own expence a booklet ''The Story Of The Catalpa''. A few years later Joe presented The Catalpa Flag to The National Museum. Joe Clarke was our link with The Fenians. He was a friend of Rossa, Devoy and Stephens who in turn were a link to The Young Irelander's of 1848, that's what you call ''Tradition''. Whenever I think about Joe McDonnell, Bobby Sands, Patsy O'Hara or the other seven men who died for Ireland on hunger strike in the H Blocks I always bring a prayer now a song and the words of Mickey Divine who also made the supreame sarcriface .''There is nothing that any human being values more that life, Every man clings to it with every ounce of strenght of his being  To willingly surrender it is acknowledged as the greatest sarcriface and man can make.