Celtic Thunder debuted in August 2007 at the Helix in Dublin, Ireland, accompanying the Celtic Concert Orchestra under the direction of Phil Coulter, the musical director of the group.
Since the group's formation, Celtic Thunder has released twelve albums: Celtic Thunder, Act Two, Take Me Home, It's Entertainment!, Celtic Thunder Christmas, Storm, Heritage, Voyage, Voyage II, Christmas Voices and Mythology as well as best-of collection Homeland, and twelve live performances on DVD, entitled Celtic Thunder: The Show, Take Me Home, It's Entertainment!, Storm, Christmas, Heritage, Voyage, Voyage II, Live and Unplugged and Mythology, as well as a Christmas performance. In December 2009 Billboard magazine named Celtic Thunder the Top World Album Artist.
Celtic Thunder is known for its eclectic style with songs ranging from a soloist to an ensemble focus. The group is backed by the Celtic Thunder Band on their concert tours, and their live shows are known for the use of dramatic effects via lighting and choreography as well as a stage set resembling an ancient stone pathway suggestive of those referenced in Celtic lore.
Members
The members of Celtic Thunder are (in alphabetical order of family name):
Neil Byrne (born November 16, 1977): Music has always been a major part of Neil's life. Born into a musical family, Neil’s father has worked as a professional musician his entire life and his mother is a huge fan of all music. By the age of 5, Neil was gripped by rhythm, which instinctively lead him to drum on anything in front of him. He began learning the guitar when he was 7, hugely helped and encouraged by his father. Later in life a mutual friend approached Neil and asked him to play at a function for one of Ireland’s most renowned songwriters and producers, Phil Coulter. When Sharon Browne and Phil began working on production for Celtic Thunder he was invited to record backing vocals for the debut DVD, and subsequently play lead guitar player for the live show. Neil would have to say the most memorable and prestigious performance of his career to date was in Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Since then he has toured America and Canada extensively with Celtic Thunder and most recently has joined the cast as the 6th leading vocalist with Celtic Thunder.
Paul Michael Byrom (born April 11, 1979) is from Dublin, Ireland. In addition to Celtic Thunder, he has also performed at major sporting events in Ireland and abroad, including singing at the All Ireland Finals in Dublin's Croke Park and at Heinz Field for a Pittsburgh Steelers game in the USA. He has also performed for Ireland's President, Mary McAleese, and for Emperor Akihito of Japan. Paul has released two albums: Velvet and I'll Be Home For Christmas. He left Celtic Thunder as of 2011 to pursue his solo career. Member from 2008-2011
George Donaldson (February 1, 1968- March 12, 2014) is the oldest member of the group and is a well-known balladeer, guitarist and flutist from Glasgow, Scotland. At Scotland's Celtic Park, Donaldson played to 65,000 fans at the opening match of the 2000-2001 season.
Keith Ronald Harkin, (born June 10, 1986), like Damian, is from Derry, Northern Ireland. He plays the guitar and has written one of the songs for Celtic Thunder: "Lauren and I". In 2008, a new solo album by Keith was rumoured to be in the working stages but has not yet been released as of mid 2009. Keith enjoys surfing and has written a song called Chasing Dreams that articulates his love for it. Keith has now recorded more original songs apart from Celtic Thunder, some titles include: Vanity, Don't Lose the Feeling, and What I Like.
Ryan John Kelly (born November 6, 1978) is from The Moy, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He holds two degrees from the Queen's University Belfast, having earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and also a Graduate Diploma in Advanced Accounting, qualifying Ryan to be a chartered accountant.
Damian Joseph McGinty, Jr. (born September 9, 1992) was the youngest member of the group for 4 years and is from Derry, Northern Ireland. He recorded the first Celtic Thunder album when he was only fourteen years old. It is rumoured that McGinty will begin work on a solo album in the next 6 months. He won his first singing contest at the age of five. He recorded the first Celtic Thunder album when he was fourteen years old. McGinty lists Michael Buble, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra among his inspirations.[5] On April 29, 2011 it was announced that Damian was chosen as one of 12 contenders for The Glee Project, a reality series on the Oxygen Network. He tied for first and had a guest starring role in the third season of the Fox hit TV show Glee. He debuted on Glee season 3 episode 4 Pot o' Gold. Though originally awarded a seven-episode arc, his run-time was later extended to 16 episodes including a guest appearance in season 4's Glee Actually. In the summer of 2013 Damian joined Paul Byrom for "The Me and My Shadow" Tour. McGinty is also part of Ethan Bortnick's concert.
Emmet Michael Cahill (born October 18, 1990) became Paul Byrom's replacement. 2010 was a very exciting year for Emmet Cahill; he was awarded the 2010 John Mc Cormack Bursary for the most Promising Young Tenor, and was named the most promising young singer at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. He has been a multiple prizewinner at the National Feis Ceoil singing competition in Ireland. Emmet is 20 years old and hails from Mullingar in County Westmeath in Ireland. His musical journey began when at just 5 years old he began learning the piano. By 7 Emmet had begun voice training, and he soon went on to win a music scholarship for high school in Mullingar and spend 5 years intensively studying and playing music. At school he furthered his studies in piano, organ and violin and vocal training, however singing has always been his true love. He continued his education at the prestigious Royal Irish Academy of Music where he received a university degree in Music Performance. He has been in many stage productions in Dublin and has performed on stage at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin and as a soloist at the National Concert Hall. He is an avid sports fan and has performed twice at Croke Park in Dublin, in front of crowds of 90,000. One such occasion was for the 125th Anniversary of The GAA. He has also performed for the President of Ireland Mary McAleese and at several international rugby games Dublin’s new Aviva Stadium. Emmet also sings regularly at the Mullingar Cathedral.
He is a huge sports fan and has won many prizes playing football with his college and local teams. In his spare time, he also loves attending music and sporting events, playing the guitar and listening to music. He attended auditions for Celtic Thunder in June 2010 and was delighted to be asked by Sharon and Phil to join the show. Emmet Cahill is the latest addition to the Celtic Thunder family.
Daniel Furlong
Vocalist
Daniel Furlong was the newest (and youngest) member of Celtic Thunder. Daniel is 13 years old and hails from the town of Taghmon in County Wexford on the Southeast coast of Ireland. He is a boy soprano and was discovered when he entered a singing competition at the age of seven and won! Although Daniel is barely a teenager, he has been performing and singing in public for over six years. Daniels hometown of Wexford is synonymous with Opera and is host to the internationally acclaimed Opera Festival in October of every year. Indeed Daniel is no stranger to opera and played the role of Edgar in the Wexford Light Opera Society production of Ragtime in 2008. In 2008 and again in 2009, Daniel was also cast in the lead role of Oliver in the musical Oliver with both Oyster Lane and Festival productions. He has also performed solo on two national television stations in Ireland. In 2009 Daniel won an All Ireland Song Contest as a solo singer, competing with artists considerably older than he. In 2011 he won "The All Ireland Talent" Show a nationally televised talent competition and Irelands answer to Americas Got Talent. In light of all of his incredible achievements to date, his home county of Wexford honored Daniel by naming him "Wexford Person of the Year" for 2011.
Daniel describes himself as an outgoing and optimistic, friendly and a fun person. He likes to spend time with his friends and family, and he loves the chance to perform. He is quite competitive and loves playing team sports such as hurling, Gaelic football, soccer and rounders (softball). Music is obviously Daniels passion, he practices with his local choir "The Young Wexford Singers" every week and is also learning to play the guitar and the pigeon box. Daniel came to the attention of Celtic Thunder producer Sharon Browne, when he won the All Ireland Talent Show" and she quickly arranged to meet him. His energy and enthusiasm is infectious and once Sharon had met Daniel and seen him perform, she immediately offered him a place in Celtic Thunder. He performs an angelic version of Walking In The Air in the Christmas show and also sings solo in Heritage on Somewhere Over The Rainbow and the Josh Groban hit To Where You Are. Daniel also joins with other members of Celtic Thunder in the Ensembles and performs duets with Keith and Emmet.
Colm Joseph Keegan (born August 2, 1989) is from Dublin, Ireland. He attended University College Dublin on a music scholarship, graduating in 2011 with an honors degree in Music and Irish. Colm auditioned for and was selected for Celtic Thunder in May 2012 as a new vocalist, becoming a sixth member of the previously five-man group. He was formerly a member of the Aontas Choral Ensemble, who are known for their work with Celtic Woman. Colm appeared in the Celtic Woman DVDs 'Songs From The Heart' (2009) and 'Believe' (2011).
Emmett O'Hanlon (born July 9, 1991), Celtic Thunder's newest member, is Emmet Cahill's replacement. He is Irish- American. Emmett will be touring with Celtic Thunder during their Mythology tour and the Christmas Voices Symphony tour.
Beginning in March 2008, the group has been featured throughout the US on the PBS television network more than 1200 times, and during May and June 2008, members of the group were interviewed on dozens of local PBS stations during performances of their show
Celtic Thunder is also the name of a traditional Irish band formed in 1977. The band recorded three albums―1981’s Celtic Thunder; The Light of Other Days (1988), and Hard New York Days in 1996.
Look At Me
Celtic Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm cool and I'm charming
Debonair and disarming
That's me to a tee
Take a look at me
Don't need no fandangos
I got all of the angles
Just look at me
Look at me
Look at you
I'm a natural winner
I ain't no beginner
That's me to a tee
Take a look at me
Take a look at you
I can sing acappella
I'm a hell of a fella
Just look at me
You know nothin' at all about ladies
Let me give you a piece of advice
You're headin' for nothin' but trouble
Let me give you a piece of advice
You think your a bit of a killer
That the ladies will fall at your feet, ha
They could eat you for supper
And spit you right out on the street
Look at me
Look at you
Your resistance will crumble
Get ready to rumble, one two, three
Look at me
Look at you
I'm as fit as a fiddle
So let's ? it a little
Just you and me
It's a very bad time to be cocky
When your out there on the ?
Hold your horse like a jockey
And don't rush in like a bull
You have to be patient with ladies
And tell them what they want to here
Keep a steady aim on your target
Don't shoot like a young pistoler
Take a good look at yourself
For goodness sake
All the ladies are laughin'
Ask yourself why
Take a good look at yourself
And you will see
A natural loser
Take it from me
Look at me
I ain't no beginner
A natural winner
That's me to a tee
Take a look at me
I can sing acappella
I'm a hell of a fella
Just look at me
Look at me
I ain't no beginner
A natural winner
That's me to a tee
Take a look at me
I can sing acappella
I'm a hell of a fella
Just look at me
The song "Look At Me" by Celtic Thunder can be interpreted as a cautionary tale for those who feel that they have everything figured out when it comes to winning over the opposite sex. The lyrics express an air of confidence and self-assuredness, but also imply that the singer may not be as successful in his endeavors as he thinks he is. He admonishes the listener to take a good look at themselves and avoid being too cocky or rushing in too quickly. The song highlights the importance of respecting and understanding the opposite sex, rather than trying to rely on charm or arrogance alone.
The first verse introduces the singer's confidence, describing himself as "cool and charming/debonair and disarming." He believes he has everything he needs to attract anyone he wants, and encourages others to simply "look at [him]" to see how it's done. However, the second verse adds a bit of a warning, reminding the listener that they "know nothin' at all about ladies." He advises against assuming that one is a "killer" who can win over any woman easily. Instead, he encourages patience and aiming properly to make a true connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at me
I want you to focus on me and my confident demeanor.
I'm cool and I'm charming
I have a suave and charismatic personality.
Debonair and disarming
I am sophisticated and alluring.
That's me to a tee
This is a perfect description of me.
Take a look at me
Don't look away, keep your attention on me.
Don't need no fandangos
I don't require any fancy or flashy things to impress others.
I got all of the angles
I know all the tricks and approaches to get my way.
Just look at me
I am worth your attention and admiration.
Look at you
You are nothing compared to me.
I'm a natural winner
I have a born talent for success.
I ain't no beginner
I am experienced and skilled.
Take a look at me
I am the superior one here.
Take a look at you
You are not even in my league.
I can sing acappella
I have an impressive and unique talent.
I'm a hell of a fella
I am an amazing and admirable person.
You know nothin' at all about ladies
You are clueless about how to interact with women.
Let me give you a piece of advice
Allow me to offer some guidance for your benefit.
You're headin' for nothin' but trouble
Your behavior and attitude towards women will only lead to problems.
You think your a bit of a killer
You believe you have a way with women, but this is false.
That the ladies will fall at your feet, ha
You expect women to be easily swayed by your charm, but they know better.
They could eat you for supper
Women can see right through your facade and would not be impressed.
And spit you right out on the street
They will quickly reject and humiliate you.
Your resistance will crumble
You will not be able to resist my charm and influence.
Get ready to rumble, one two, three
I am ready to take you down as the inferior one.
I'm as fit as a fiddle
I am in great physical condition.
So let's ? it a little
Let's engage in some friendly competition.
Just you and me
We will face off against each other as rivals.
It's a very bad time to be cocky
Your arrogance will lead to your downfall.
When your out there on the ?
In public or with women.
Hold your horse like a jockey
Stay calm and composed like a professional athlete.
And don't rush in like a bull
Do not behave recklessly or aggressively.
You have to be patient with ladies
Women require careful attention and care.
And tell them what they want to hear
You must speak to their desires and interests.
Keep a steady aim on your target
Work towards a specific goal with determination.
Don't shoot like a young pistoler
Do not be overly aggressive or impulsive.
Take a good look at yourself
Examine your own flaws and shortcomings.
For goodness sake
For your own benefit and improvement.
All the ladies are laughin'
Women are mocking and ridiculing you.
Ask yourself why
Think about the reasons for your failed interactions with women.
And you will see
You will realize.
A natural loser
You have inherent weaknesses and flaws.
Take it from me
Trust my years of experience with women.
I ain't no beginner
I am talented and experienced in this area.
A natural winner
I am born with the abilities to succeed.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@willoww7707
Damian McGinty is pure AWESOME!!!
@sheilalott9672
Not just talented singers, but entertainers as well, and so good looking!
@GallifreyLives
How can someone so young have such a deep voice?
@vinisavin97
Damian McGinty has such an amazing voice!! omg
@Spongefreak89
These are my two met favorite members!!! Damien is pure georgeousness!!
@chrisaccount1000
I'll take Keith any day!
@DeviliciousNails
I'd have them both. :p
@Luke-me2qs
Chris Garrett so wud I
@julietolis1918
watching damo grow before our very eyes is the best ever. what was he 6 out of the gate? now he is 25 amazing
@jasminedubois6711
Finally! I've been wanting to hear a full version of this song. I've only heard parts of it. Now I wanna find a full version of Hail the Hero. Thank you for putting it up.