Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones

A special group of Irish men and women have been responsible for preservation of the tradition of Irish ballad singing over the past 50 years. Derek Warfield is a distinguished name among them. Derek Warfield and They Young Wolfe Tones are bringing that musical tradition forward with a reverence for Ireland’s past and the energy and optimism of a new generation of Irish musicians. 

Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones are thrilled to be celebrating 14 years On the One Road and are delighted to be celebrating it in style with the release of a new CD “Let The Free Birds Fly” released in June 2022, and performances all over America including some great Irish American Festivals & Venues. 

“We’re presenting an old tradition in a new package – and I’ve the same passion for it now as I had when it all started 50 years ago!”

• Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones (One of the headlining acts of Milwaukee Irish Festival 2018 (The biggest Irish Festival in the world)
• Derek Warfield (New York Society Dublin Man of The Year 2013) and (The AOH Spirit Of Freedom Award 2017)

Please check www.theyoungwolfetones.com for more information.

Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones (Official performers for ‘2015 The Friends Of Ireland Speaker John Beohner St Patrick’s Day Luncheon in Capitol Hill) for President Obama, Vice President Biden, Taoiseach Enda Kenny & many other distinguished friends of Irish America.

2016 Was a pinnacle for Derek and The Young Wolfetones was when they were chosen to perform on the 24th April at the 1916 centenary commemorations at the General Post Office in O’Connell Street Dublin at 12.o’clock noon. This was the exact same time the Irish proclamation was read by Padraig Pearse one hundred years ago to the minute. As Derek is quoted as saying “of all the honours bestowed on the Wolfetones old and young this privilege was the most significant. It was honour to perform the music and songs of remembrance and the patriotic ballads that were sung by the volunteers inside the building during the struggle for our freedom, and we performed them with the same passion and emotion. “The Foggy Dew”, “Wrap the Green Flag Round me” “The Soldiers Song” were some of the chorus’s that rang out along the main thoroughfare to the 30,000 people assembled.

Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones produced a powerful 20 track CD commemorative 1916 CD titled “The Call of Erin” that embraces the heritage of popular ballads that remember our hero’s and patriots in poem, song and music.   

After spending nearly 40 years as founder, leader and front man of the legendary Wolfe Tones (named after the 18th century Irish Revolutionary Theobald Wolfe Tone), Derek Warfield is revered as a singer, songwriter, historian and entertainer in all parts of the world where Irish roots have been put down. The Wolfe Tones enjoyed phenomenal success with 13 best-selling albums, 3 number one hits, many television appearances and shows in esteemed venues such as New York’s Carnegie Hall and The Royal Albert Hall in London.

Derek has been proudly presented with the keys to San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles for his contributions to Irish Song & Music over the years and was honoured as “Dublin Gael of The Year 2013” by the New York Dublin Society. 

Since breaking away from the Wolfe Tones in 2001, Derek’s solo career has yielded 12 albums to date, the most successful of them being “A Nation once again” “On the One Road”, “God save Ireland” “Sons of Erin” ‘The Bonnie Blue Flag” “Washington’s Irish” “Let Ye All be Irish Tonight”, “Call Of Erin” and “Let The Free Birds Fly”. With the formation and ongoing success of The Young Wolfe Tones, the legend of Derek Warfield continues.

LEGACY – THE YOUNG WOLFE TONES

In 2001, after nearly 40 years performing, the legendary Wolfe Tones parted with their founder and leader – Derek Warfield. No other Irish folk group, before or since, told the story of Ireland so completely and unapologetically. But for Derek’s hunger and desire to continue to further the story of Ireland through song, an ancient tradition might have lost perhaps its most iconic figure. In 2008, Derek put together a band containing some of the finest musicians and singers in Irish music – The Young Wolfe Tones.

Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones 

Damaris Woods - Banjo

Damaris Woods from Co. Meath and is recognized as one of the foremost banjo players in Irish music.

She has made a major contribution in popularizing the banjo within Irish traditional music. Damaris has performed an extremely hectic touring schedule over the last decade across the world. She has appeared on the Irish Spring Tour in Germany and been part of performing groups in North America, Australia and the prestigious Celtic Colours Festival in Cape Briton, Canada.

Damaris has appearances on many radio and television shows including Ireland’s The Late Late Show (RTÉ).

Damaris is also a gifted music and many of her students have been prominent prizewinners in traditional music competitions over the last number of years. On an annual basis Damaris organizes the hugely popular traditional arts camp – The Ag Seinm Traditional Arts Camp in Co. Cavan, Ireland.

Despite her own hectic schedule she still manages to find time to teach at the Joe Mooney Summer School in Drunshambo every year as well as The University of Ulster, Coleraine.

Andreas Durkin – Keyboard/Vocals

Andreas Durkin is a native of Co. Cavan, Ireland.  He has been playing keyboard and singing since the age of 21 as a solo artist, as a duo alongside his mother (renowned Irish Country Singer), Kathy Durkin and, as part of his own band “Cheap Whiskey”.  He has recorded 2 albums to date, ‘The Land Across The Sea’ and ‘Roll Back The Clouds’ featuring great Irish and Celtic songs such as ‘Caledonia’, ‘Leaving of Liverpool’ and ‘Boston Rose’ as well as alternative Irish songs like ‘Roll Back The Clouds’.  His most recent recording was ‘The Cowboy Rides Away’ which continues to get great radio play both locally and nationally.  Andreas has been touring the USA over the years.  He was musical director with one of Ireland’s top stars Tony Kenny for numerous tours, and continues to perform alongside his mother Kathy, and in a solo capacity both in Ireland and the USA.  Annually, Andreas has featured on the Cruise of Irish Stars where he gets the chance to share the stage with Ronan Tynan, Andy Cooney and many more.  Andreas has performed on many Irish television shows including Glór Tire on TG4 and Open House on RTÉ.

Cormac McGuinness - Vocals

Cormac is from Tallaght in Co Dublin. He has been playing music and singing songs from an early age. His love for music comes from his grandfather Paddy Doyle. Paddy passed on his love of Irish song to all of his family. Cormac has toured Ireland, England, Australia and is now making his way across the United States both as a solo artist and with the band. His love and admiration for the late Luke Kelly is very evident in his performances. 

Cormac is “the festivous” of the band and his sense of humour brings a spirit of laughter to anyone who is fortunate enough to meet him. His nickname is the Foggy Dude.

Cormac has recently joined ‘Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfe Tones’ and is very excited at the prospect of singing and playing instrumental music with such a diverse and eclectic group that has such a passion for Irish culture and history, as well as performing to a wider audience.

Eddie Kane – Vocals - Guitar

Eddie Kane is an accomplished singer and musician from Allenwood in Co. Kildare.  Eddie inherited his musical talents from his parents as his mother played in a traditional Irish music band with all her siblings, when she was a young age and his father is known to sing an odd song or two.  His biggest influences are Christy Moore, Andy Irvine, Planxty, The Wolfe Tones & Dervish to name but a few, and in recent years he has been honoured to perform with some of these acts on stage.  In the last few years, he has performed with many groups and singers such as the Rising Sons, Paddy Mangan, Meadbh Walsh and of course with Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones.

With his exciting stage presence, love of all things Irish, love of history and enthusiasm, Eddie will bring a new excitement and flare into the band for audiences all over the world.

Derek Warfield’s 50 years of experience coupled with the talent and energy of The Young Wolfe Tones brings the old tradition of Irish balladry into a new age. The story of Ireland is transmitted in their music and song and illuminated by the outstanding musicianship of three wonderful ambassadors of a new generation of traditional players. Derek Warfield and The Young Wolfe Tones deliver Ireland’s traditional music and folk songs with an energy and skill that shows the quality of contemporaries within that tradition. The patriotic spirit of Irish music carried through the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s by the Wolfe Tones now marches on in the dynamic sound of The Young Wolfe Tones.

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Derek Warfield’s lifelong passion for engaging people in the music and story of Ireland is also very present in the other band members: “Communication with a live audience through music is what I believed to be of primary importance when I founded the Old Wolfe Tones in 1963. In performing with The Young Wolfe Tones, I continue to communicate with audiences while also passing on an important tradition to a new generation. But perhaps most importantly, it has been fun and enjoyable and every performance gets better. The experience has reinvigorated me and given the young players and singers the opportunity to display their skills and talents around the world”

And I believe that I am passing on an ancient Irish bardic tradition worthy of preservation to a younger generation.

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