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.
Outside Looking In
Celtic Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I like it this way
Here on the outside, lookin' in
I see the games that they play
I'm on the outside, lookin' in
But I don't really care
Here on the outside, lookin' in
You know that I'll take my share
When it's late at night, they blow out the light
And although they might be sleepin'
If they hear a sound, I may be around
And they know I could be creepin'
Creepin', creepin'
They must be aware if they think I'm there
It's a very scary feelin'
Lyin' in their beds, runnin' through their heads
Is one thought, what is he stealin’?
I'm on the outside, lookin' in
But I like it this way
Here on the outside, lookin' in
I see the games that they play
I'm on the outside, lookin' in
But I don't really care
Here on the outside, lookin' in
Long as I get my share
You know that I'll take my share
I can hear them tell I'm a hound of hell
'Cause they get the smell of danger
As I’m comin' here, I can taste their fear
Of the dark and deadly stranger
They know who I am, I don't give a damn
I could lead every lamb to the slaughter
So be on your guard for my calling card
And be sure to lock up your daughters
They keep us outside, lookin' in
My sister and me
And if we're outside, lookin' in
That's the way it will be
We're on the outside, lookin' in
But we don't really care
Here on the outside, lookin' in
Long as we get our share
You know that we'll take our share
We're on the outside, lookin' in
We're on the outside, lookin' in
We're on the outside, lookin' in
The lyrics to Celtic Thunder's "Outside Looking In" paint a picture of a perspective of someone who is on the outside, looking in on the lives of the "they" in the lyrics. The "they" refers to people who are living a life full of games and tricks that they play, but the person on the outside is not affected by it. In fact, they enjoy being on the outside because it allows them to observe all of the trickery and games that are going on without them being a part of it. They claim that even though they are on the outside, they don't really care as long as they get their fair share of things.
The song takes a much darker turn toward the end when the lyrics begin to talk about how the people inside are afraid of the person on the outside. The person on the outside is seen as a hound of hell, coming to disturb their peace and potentially hurt them. The person on the outside seems to relish in this fear and encourages the people inside to be afraid. There is also the implication that the person on the outside could potentially do something dangerous, and that the people inside are right to fear them.
Overall, the lyrics to "Outside Looking In" are a commentary on society's obsession with material things and games that people play in order to get ahead. The person on the outside is someone who has rejected this kind of lifestyle and is content to merely observe rather than actively participate. However, there is also a darker side to the lyrics that suggests that there is potential danger lurking just outside the door.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm on the outside, lookin' in
I'm excluded and an oustider of their games and fun.
But I like it this way
However, I am still content in observing and seeing the games that they play.
Here on the outside, lookin' in
As an outsider, I am witnessing the actions of the others.
I see the games that they play
I can observe how they interact with one another.
But I don't really care
Yet, their exclusion doesn't bother me nor affect me in any negative way.
Long as I get my share
As long as I receive the benefits from the games and interactions, I'm satisfied.
You know that I'll take my share
My involvement in their games and getting a 'share' of their fun is of importance to me.
When it's late at night, they blow out the light
When it's time for bed and they turn off the lights.
And although they might be sleepin'
Even if they are asleep.
If they hear a sound, I may be around
If they hear anything unordinary, I may be within the vicinity.
And they know I could be creepin'
They know I may be there 'creeping' around.
They must be aware if they think I'm there
They know to be cautious when they imagine I'm there observing them.
It's a very scary feelin'
Such thought is quite frightening.
Lyin' in their beds, runnin' through their heads
While they lie in their beds, the 'idea' lingers in their minds.
Is one thought, what is he stealin'?
Their fear is being robbed by the person they imagine to be around.
I can hear them tell I'm a hound of hell
I can sense their belief that I am a troublemaker.
'Cause they get the smell of danger
I give them a sense of danger and trouble.
As I'm comin' here, I can taste their fear
They can sense me approaching and it causes fear and panic.
Of the dark and deadly stranger
They image me as a person they do not know and of being a possible threat.
They know who I am, I don't give a damn
Despite their perceptions, I'm unconcerned about it.
I could lead every lamb to the slaughter
I am confident in my ability to make anyone follow my instructions, regardless of consequence.
So be on your guard for my calling card
Therefore, they should be cautious of my intentions.
And be sure to lock up your daughters
They should take measures to keep their daughters out of harm's way.
They keep us outside, lookin' in
They exclude myself and my sister from their group and games.
My sister and me
Both of us are outsiders to their group.
And if we're outside, lookin' in
If we remain excluded as outsiders.
That's the way it will be
It's the way things will continue to be.
We're on the outside, lookin' in
We remain outsiders watching them from a distance.
But we don't really care
Yet their exclusion doesn't bother us.’
Long as we get our share
As long as we receive our share of their games and interactions, we're content.
You know that we'll take our share
Our participation in their games and benefitting from it is important to us.
We're on the outside, lookin' in
We are still outsiders and excluded from their group and games.
We're on the outside, lookin' in
We still remain outsiders and away from engaging with them.
We're on the outside, lookin' in
We're observing and viewing their games and interactions from a distance.
Lyrics © SHAZBRO MUSIC CELTIC THUNDER LIMITED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Barbara Foster
Ryan and Carolyn Torti make such a good pair because they match ! Both beautiful dark people. And their voices blend so well. Well done.
firebuffE103
Wow Ryan, this had to take so much energy....you pulled it off with ease though and it was great.....great voice, your charisma and charm really come.through and makes for a fun time.........
LadySith
Yeah, I love Ryan too and he is a truly an amazing singer, but I think this part was made for him. He does it so perfectly.
Princess Natalie
love how hes so dramatic and i love his voice. Its overall beautiful
Carol Wilson
Ryan Kelly is stealing my heart and I will support him forever!!!! He is my Irish Gypsy King!!!! :-)
Irmgard Averesch
He is sooo stunningly beautiful! And his voice is amazing too! #teamryankelly
Elizabeth Smith
Beautiful luv it!!!!!
LadySith
I almost forgot THANKS SO MUCH RYAN for what you do, your're awsome!
girllovesmusic
The song is perfect for him or he's perfect for the song... not sure just which way it is!
Tim Timothy
In every song he sings Ryan looks like he's ready for a fight.