In 2023, The Irish Descendants were in Halifax to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. This year, the Irish folk group from Newfoundland are trading in shamrocks and green beer for mistletoe and eggnog as they bring their annual Christmas tour to the city.
Performing our Christmas show is as natural as breathing for us. – Con O’Brien
“This is a new thing for us, leaving The Rock for Christmas,” says the band’s frontman, Con O’Brien. “People are always asking for us to bring the show to them, especially around the holidays so we’re going to Ontario and Nova Scotia, which will keep us busy through to December 22.”
Joining O’Brien on lead vocals and guitar are Rowan Sherlock on mandolin, fiddle, piano and vocals, Jeff Kinsman on bass and vocals, and Madeline Carter on fiddle and vocals. The quartet will be joined by two members from the Newfoundland folk band Rum Ragged, Mark Manning and Aaron Collis. “Christmas time is about community and coming together, and the additional musicians bring an incredible energy to the show,” says O’Brien.
According to O’Brien, the group’s annual tour, which it has done for the last 15 years, is steeped in Newfoundland tradition. “I grew up in an Irish Catholic community where Christmas meant family, music, and gatherings,” says O’Brien. “Performing our Christmas show is as natural as breathing for us.”
The show will feature songs from the band’s two Christmas albums, The Gift (2001) and An Irish Descendants Christmas (2023), and other festive favourites. “It’s a great way to get into the Christmas spirit,” says O’Brien.
In addition to the tour, The Irish Descendants are also gearing up for their 35th anniversary in 2025. The band is releasing a special box set titled 35 for 35 to commemorate the milestone, featuring 35 tracks from their extensive discography. “It was hard to narrow it down to just 35 songs from our 15 studio albums,” says O’Brien.
The box set, available for pre-order, also includes a 100-page glossy colour coffee table book detailing the band’s history and photos from the last three and a half decades. “It’s a full history of The Irish Descendants, with photos, stories, and memories from all the band members over the years, and it is a way to thank our fans for their unwavering support over the years,” says O’Brien.
To further help celebrate the band’s milestone, O’Brien hinted at plans for a surprise in 2025. “We’re planning something special for the summer,” says O’Brien.
But while fans will have to wait to find out what O’Brien and The Irish Descendants have in store for them next summer, for now, it is all about celebrating the holiday season.
“What people can expect at our shows is a full evening of Newfoundland-Irish music,” says O’Brien. “You’ll hear fan favorites like Rattlin’ Bog and Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary’s, and we even do a version of O Holy Night that’s become a must-hear for fans.”
The Irish Descendants present their 2024 Christmas tour at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium (6101 University Ave, Halifax) on November 23, 2024. Visit theirishdescendants.com for tickets and information.