Fureys & Davey Arthur for Ballinasloe show

Date Published: {J}

Irish music legends the Fureys & Davey Arthur, will be making their second concert appearance in the Carlton Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe on Saturday, July 16.

The band are best known for their string of hits including When you were Sweet Sixteen, The Green Fields of France, Red Rose Café, The Old Man, Steal Away, Her Father didn’t like Me Anyway, Clare to Here and Leaving Nancy.

They credit their musical ability to their parents, Ted and Nora, who were well-known musicians themselves. They encouraged their sons to get involved from a very early age and there was live traditional music in their house constantly.

The band was formed in 1978 literally by accident. George and Paul Furey and Davey Arthur were playing in Denmark with their own band called the Buskers. Meanwhile, Eddie and Finbar Furey, who were on tour in Germany, were in a road accident. When George, Paul and Davey got news of the accident they immediately travelled to Germany. They then decided that they should all be playing together and this was the start of the Fureys and Davey Arthur.

Inevitably changes have occurred over 30 years. Their brother Paul died suddenly in June 2002 and Finbar left the band in December 1996. However George, Eddie and Davey Arthur have continued to delight audiences on their tours and have been releasing a new CD every year.

Eddie, who is the oldest of the Furey brothers left home in 1966 and travelled to Scotland becoming part of that city’s great folk revival. He met and shared accommodation with then unknown folk singers Billy Connolly, Gerry Rafferty and Alex Campbell, now all famous in their own right. In 1969 with Finbar, he was the special guest for the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem on their USA and Canada tour. In 1971 he moved to mainland Europe where he toured for seven years with Finbar, building up a huge following particularly in Germany. Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics has credited Eddie as teaching him his first chords on guitar when they met up in the North East of England while Dave was still a teenager.

Their music has received standing ovations in some of the biggest concert halls of the world and their admirers have ranged from the neighbours they grew up with in Ballyfermot to top sports people and politicians. They have performed for former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Irish President Mary McAleese and Pope John Paul II. Tony Blair has publicly stated that his favourite peace song of all time is the Fureys’ version of The Green Fields of France.

Catch them at the Carlton Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe on Saturday, July 16.