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.
The Island
Celtic Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Those mighty cedars bleeding in the heat
They're showing pictures on the television
Women and children dying in the street
And we're still at it in our own place
Still trying to reach the future through the past
Still trying to carve tomorrow from a tombstone
This wasn't meant to be no sad song
We've heard too much of that before
Right now I only want to be with you
Till the mornin' dew comes fallin'
And I want to take you to the island
Trace your footprints in the sand
And in the evening when the sun goes down
We'll make love to the sound of the ocean
They're raisin' banners over by the markets
White washing slogans on our ship yard walls
Witch doctors praying for a mighty showdown
No way our holy flag is gonna fall
Up here we sacrifice our children
To feed the worn out dreams of yesterday
And teach them dying will lead us into glory
But hey, don't listen to me.
'Cause this wasn't meant to be no sad song
I've sung too much of that before
Right now I only want to be with you
Till the mornin' dew comes fallin'
I want to take you to the island
Trace your footprints in the sand
And in the evening when there's no one around
We'll make love to the sound of the ocean
Now I know us plain folks don't see all the story
And I know this peace and love's just copping out
And I guess these young boys dyin' in the ditches
Is just what being free is all about
And how this twisted wreckage down main street
Will bring us all together in the end
And we'll go marching down the road to freedom
Freedom
Freedom
The Island by Celtic Thunder is a song filled with emotion and powerful imagery. The singer is reflecting on the current state of the world, particularly the conflict and violence that seem to be ubiquitous. The first verse speaks about the scenes of devastation in Lebanon, where women and children are dying in the streets. Despite the distance, the singer points out that their own country is not much better, and seems to be stuck in a cycle of trying to reach the future through the past. The line "still trying to carve tomorrow from a tombstone" suggests that there is little hope or possibility of progress.
However, despite the bleak outlook, the singer does not want to dwell on the sadness. The chorus is a hopeful and optimistic moment, as the singer imagines taking their loved one to a beautiful, peaceful island where they can be together and make love to the sound of the ocean. The second verse takes a more critical tone, commenting on the propaganda and nationalism that seem to be spreading in their own country. The lines "up here we sacrifice our children to feed the worn out dreams of yesterday, and teach them dying will lead us into glory" are particularly powerful, as they suggest that the country is willing to sacrifice its own people in order to maintain its outdated ideology.
Once again, however, the singer does not want to be completely cynical. The repeated refrain of "don't listen to me" suggests that they are aware of their own limitations in understanding the complexity of the world. Despite this, they hope for a better future, one where "we'll go marching down the road to freedom." The Island captures the struggle between hope and despair, between the challenges of current conflicts and the possibility of a better world.
Line by Line Meaning
They say the skies of Lebanon are burning
There are reports of devastating wildfires destroying the skies of Lebanon
Those mighty cedars bleeding in the heat
The iconic cedar trees of Lebanon are suffering and burning in the scorching heat
They're showing pictures on the television
The media is presenting images of the destruction in Lebanon
Women and children dying in the street
Innocent civilians, including women and children, are losing their lives due to the chaos and fires
And we're still at it in our own place
Despite these events happening elsewhere, we are still struggling with our own issues
Still trying to reach the future through the past
We are struggling to progress and move forward because of our attachment to the past
Still trying to carve tomorrow from a tombstone
Even though we are stuck in the past, we are still hopeful that we can create a better tomorrow
But hey, don't listen to me
The artist acknowledges that their perspective might not be the most accurate or complete
This wasn't meant to be no sad song
The artist wants to convey a positive message through their lyrics
We've heard too much of that before
Sad and depressing music has been overplayed and is all too common
Right now I only want to be with you
The singer is focused on the present moment and being with their loved one
Till the mornin' dew comes fallin'
They want to spend the night together until the morning dew arrives
And I want to take you to the island
The singer desires to take their loved one away to a peaceful, idyllic place
Trace your footprints in the sand
They want to spend quality time with their loved one, going on walks and leaving traces in the sand
And in the evening when the sun goes down
They want to enjoy romantic evenings together as the sun sets
We'll make love to the sound of the ocean
They want to engage in intimacy while being surrounded by the calming sounds of the ocean
They're raisin' banners over by the markets
There is unrest and protests happening in the local markets
White washing slogans on our ship yard walls
The authorities are covering up dissent by painting over graffiti on the ship yards
Witch doctors praying for a mighty showdown
There are people hoping for a violent confrontation to settle disputes
No way our holy flag is gonna fall
The artist expresses their stubbornness and refusal to concede defeat, even if it means escalating tensions
Up here we sacrifice our children
In their own community, the people are giving up their own children for the sake of the past ideals and beliefs
To feed the worn out dreams of yesterday
Their community is clinging onto outdated aspirations and beliefs, leading to sacrifices that undermine progress
And teach them dying will lead us into glory
Their community glorifies sacrifice and martyrdom, even if it means losing more lives
'Cause this wasn't meant to be no sad song
The artist reiterates that they intend for their message to be positive and uplifting
I've sung too much of that before
The singer has sung enough sad songs in the past and wants to change that pattern
Now I know us plain folks don't see all the story
The singer acknowledges that they might not have the full picture and that others might have different perspectives
And I know this peace and love's just copping out
The singer recognizes that some might view their positive message as being superficial or insincere
And I guess these young boys dyin' in the ditches
The artist is acknowledging the tragic loss of life among young people, likely due to war or other conflicts
Is just what being free is all about
They recognize that the cost of freedom is high and some might have to pay the ultimate price to achieve it
And how this twisted wreckage down main street
The singer sees destruction in their own community, likely due to conflict or unrest
Will bring us all together in the end
Despite the discord and destruction they are experiencing, they believe that it will ultimately unite them as a community
And we'll go marching down the road to freedom
The artist is still hopeful that their community will march towards freedom and progress, despite the challenges they are facing
Freedom
The ultimate goal of the artist and their community is to achieve freedom and independence
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEOFFREY DOWNES, TREVOR CHARLES HORN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stormtasker7467
Lyrics
They say the skies of Lebanon are burning
Those mighty cedars bleeding in the heat
They're showing pictures on the television
Women and children dying in the street
And we're still at it in our own place
Still trying to reach the future through the past
Still trying to carve tomorrow from a tombstone
But hey, don't listen to me
This wasn't meant to be no sad song
We've heard too much of that before
Right now I only want to be with you
Till the mornin' dew comes fallin'
And I want to take you to the island
Trace your footprints in the sand
And in the evening when the sun goes down
We'll make love to the sound of the ocean
They're raisin' banners over by the markets
White washing slogans on our ship yard walls
Witch doctors praying for a mighty showdown
No way our holy flag is gonna fall
Up here we sacrifice our children
To feed the worn out dreams of yesterday
And teach them dying will lead us into glory
But hey, don't listen to me.
'Cause this wasn't meant to be no sad song
I've sung too much of that before
Right now I only want to be with you
Till the mornin' dew comes fallin'
I want to take you to the island
Trace your footprints in the sand
And in the evening when there's no one around
We'll make love to the sound of the ocean
Now I know us plain folks don't see all the story
And I know this peace and love's just copping out
And I guess these young boys dyin' in the ditches
Is just what being free is all about
And how this twisted wreckage down main street
Will bring us all together in the end
And we'll go marching down the road to freedom
Freedom
Freedom
@mariemoore6406
Only could turn back time to celtic thunder with him and George again with the rest...
@cherylcook6837
Thanks Mr. Harkin. Beautiful song and beautiful singing.
@marypichardo1868
Your singing is beautiful. I have never seen a child dying in the street and I am 64 years old.
@miss-asketches5284
My fav voices were that of George and Keith. ❤
@louiserawle8999
I love his rich Irish brogue..Saw him in concert in Australia,such a beautiful voice and so gorgeous to look at,missed him when he left Celtic Thunder..but he has a wonderful solo career .
@shirleyparker5273
A sad but beautiful story in this song! Time of troubles in Ireland! But also story of 2 lovers during this time! Beautiful song!☘️💚🎶🎵🇮🇪😞
@lovinglife6080
Keith has such a beautiful voice and this song is is amazingly gorgeous God bless you all
@faymonckton4689
Lovely to listen to a song where you can understand the words and the melody is so beautiful. Absolutely wonderful
@patoneill734
😊
@bronwincahill3765
Beautiful song by a great artist.Thank you for sharing.Love from Australia ❤️❤️🇦🇺🇦🇺🦘