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.
Yesterday's Men
Celtic Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They were closing our factory down
Though we didn't believe him and we called him a liar
The redundancy letters came round
As we read them in silence, I choked back a tear
It was hard to believe after twenty-odd years
Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates
Oh, We gave them our best years now they've paid us back
By making us yesterday's men
Sure as hell
By making us yesterday's men
So we said our goodbyes by the factory gates
One cold Friday evening last year
And I saw it all there in the eyes of ma mates
The anger, the sadness, the fear
Like our fathers before us we worked there with pride
Now we fought back the bitterness burning inside
Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates
Farewell to the paydays, the pints and the craic
Oh we gave them our best years now they've paid us back
By making us yesterday's men
Sure as hell
By making us yesterday's men
Ah, now Jimmy, said she,
Give the kids a few bob,
After all, sure it is Friday night
But how could I tell her I was out of a job
From now on things were going to be tight
How well I remember it cut like a knife
I was never a day on the dole in my life
Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates
Farewell to the paydays, the pints and the craic
Oh, We gave them our best years now they've paid us back
By making us yesterday's men
Sure as hell
By making us yesterday's men
The machines now are silent, the workbenches bare
And there's dust on the factory floor
They've boarded the windows and have chained up the gates
And have padlocked the factory door
Now I'm on the scrap-heap, and I'm thirty-nine
Just one of the hundreds, shot down in my prime
Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates
Farewell to the paydays, the pints and the craic
Oh, We gave them our best years now they've paid us back
By making us yesterday's men
Sure as hell
By making us yesterday's men
Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates
Farewell to the paydays, the pints and the craic
Oh, We gave them our best years now they've paid us back
By making us yesterday's men
Sure as hell
By making us yesterday's men
The lyrics of the song "Yesterday's Men" by Celtic Thunder tell a poignant story of a group of workers who have spent their entire adult lives working in a factory which was recently closed down. The song explores the emotional turmoil experienced by these workers as they come to terms with their redundancy and a future that has been dramatically altered by the loss of their jobs. The song talks about the disbelief they initially experienced and the impact that the sudden loss of their jobs had on their lives.
The verses of the song describe the moment the workers discovered that they were being made redundant, and the sadness and bitterness they felt as they said their goodbyes to their colleagues and left the factory for the last time. The emotions of sadness, anger, and fear are conveyed in a powerful way through the lyrics. The chorus of the song repeats the line "by making us yesterday's men" emphasizing the impact of economic change on the working-class people.
Overall, the song gives voice to the experiences of many working-class people who have experienced the loss of their livelihoods due to economic restructuring. The lyrics illustrate the pain and sadness that come with losing a job that has been a significant part of one's life, as well as an important source of income, camaraderie, and identity.
Line by Line Meaning
'Twas Joey the Weasel that gave us the wire
Someone named Joey was the informant who helped the factory's management to shut the factory.
They were closing our factory down
The factory where the singer worked was shutting down.
Though we didn't believe him and we called him a liar
Initially, the employees thought Joey was lying and didn't believe that the factory was shutting down.
The redundancy letters came round
Eventually, they received the redundancy letters indicating that they were going to lose their jobs.
As we read them in silence, I choked back a tear
While reading the redundancy letters, the artist felt emotional and tried to hold back tears.
It was hard to believe after twenty-odd years
After working in the factory for over 20 years, it was hard for the employees to believe that it was going to close down.
Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates
The singer bids farewell to his fellow colleagues, who were also his friends.
Farewell to the paydays, the pints and the craic
The artist bids farewell to the paydays, pints (drinks), and fun times he had with his workmates.
Oh, We gave them our best years now they've paid us back
The artist and his colleagues worked hard for the factory, but now it was shutting down, leaving them jobless.
By making us yesterday's men
The employees feel that they are being left behind by society and will lose their relevance in the future.
So we said our goodbyes by the factory gates
After receiving the redundancy letters, the employees gathered by the factory gates and said their goodbyes.
One cold Friday evening last year
The artist remembers the day when he said his last goodbye, which was a cold Friday evening last year.
And I saw it all there in the eyes of ma mates
The singer notices the emotions in the eyes of his colleagues and the sadness that their work is ending.
The anger, the sadness, the fear
The employees are feeling a range of emotions, including anger, sadness, and fear due to the factory closing down.
Like our fathers before us we worked there with pride
Working in the factory was a tradition in their families, and they took pride in working there.
Now we fought back the bitterness burning inside
The employees are trying not to let their bitterness show visibly and are fighting it internally.
Ah, now Jimmy, said she,
The artist's partner is requesting Jimmy (the artist) to give some money to the children, as it is Friday night.
Give the kids a few bob,
The partner is asking for some money to give to the children.
After all, sure it is Friday night
The partner is indicating that since it is Friday night, they should celebrate and have some fun.
But how could I tell her I was out of a job
The artist is unable to tell his partner that he has lost his job and things are going to be tight now.
From now on things were going to be tight
The artist knows that their financial condition is going to be tough now that he has lost his job.
How well I remember it cut like a knife
The artist is clearly remembering the day he lost his job, and it hurt him like a sharp knife.
I was never a day on the dole in my life
The singer has never experienced being out of work and dependent on government welfare benefits (the dole).
The machines now are silent, the workbenches bare
The factory is now empty and devoid of any equipment or workbenches.
And there's dust on the factory floor
It has been a while since anyone has used the factory, and now dust has accumulated on the floor.
They've boarded the windows and have chained up the gates
To keep intruders out, they have boarded up the windows and chained up the gates.
And have padlocked the factory door
The factory door is locked with a padlock, further signifying that it is out of bounds to anyone.
Now I'm on the scrap-heap, and I'm thirty-nine
The artist has become a redundant person in society and is out of work at the age of thirty-nine.
Just one of the hundreds, shot down in my prime
The artist is just one of the many employees who lost their jobs, and all of them lost their jobs during their prime working years.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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