Dervish (band)

Dervish
BBC Lifetime Achievement Award 2019
Background information
Origin	County Sligo, Ireland
Genres	Traditional, folk
Years active	1989–present
Members	Catherine "Cathy" Jordan – Vocals, bodhrán and bones Brian McDonagh – Mandola Thomas "Tom" Morrow – Fiddle Michael Holmes – Bouzouki Shane Mitchell – Accordion Liam Kelly – Flute, whistles
Past members	Martin McGinley (founding member), Shane McAleer, Seamie O'Dowd - Guitar, Fiddle
Website	www.dervish.ie

Dervish is an Irish traditional music group from County Sligo, Ireland which has been described by BBC Radio 3 as "an icon of Irish music". They were formed in 1989 by Liam Kelly, Shane Mitchell, Martin McGinley, Brian McDonagh, and Michael Holmes and have been fronted by singer Cathy Jordan since 1991. They represented Ireland in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, singing a song written by John Waters and Tommy Moran. In 2019 they released an album on the US Rounder Records label called The Great Irish Song Book featuring a selection of classic Irish songs sung by a number of well known singers including Steve Earle, Andrea Corr, Vince Gill, Kate Rusby, Imelda May, Rhiannon Giddens, The Steel Drivers, Brendan Gleeson, Abigail Washburn, and Jamey Johnson. In 2019 they received a lifetime achievement award from the BBC.

History

The band was originally called The Boys of Sligo; an album under this title, with Martin McGinley on fiddle, and with no vocals, was released by Sound Records (SUN CD1).

In 1991 the band were joined by Roscommon-born singer Cathy Jordan and fiddle player Shane McAleer. Dervish's first album, Harmony Hill, was released in 1993. In 1994 their second album, Playing with Fire, was released. In 1996 Dervish released At the End of the Day.

Their fourth album, Live in Palma, was recorded in front of a live audience in 1997. In 1998 McAleer left the band and was replaced by Sligo musician Séamie O'Dowd and fiddle player Tom Morrow. Dervish's fifth album, Midsummer's Night, was released in 1999. In 2001 Dervish released Decade, a compilation of tracks from their first five albums. In 2003 they released Spirit, followed by A Healing Heart in 2006.

Eurovision Song Contest 2007

Dervish performed as the Irish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2007. They finished last (with five points which were awarded to them by the Albanian back-up jury because of a failed televote), for their performance of "They Can't Stop The Spring".

2012 Boycott of Israel

In the Spring of 2012, Dervish was one of two Irish bands that canceled heavily advertised concerts in Israel citing a cultural boycott of Israel. The band's lead vocalist, Cathy Jordan, stated "it was very naïve of me to think our motives would not be misunderstood and misrepresented. So much so it started an avalanche of negativity which has made it impossible for us to make the trip regardless of our motives." Jordan added that "Although I was aware of the concerns with our proposed visit to Israel, I wasn’t quite prepared for the extent of the venom directed at us." Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter accused the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) of "cyberbullying" Dervish into withdrawing from the concerts. IPSG National co-ordinator Kevin Squires stated that the organization had directed its supporters to target Dervish's website, although he denied Jordan's claim that there was any "venom" directed towards the band.

Discography

• The Boys of Sligo (1989)

1. Paddy's Trip to Scotland/The New Rigged Ship/Larry Redican's Bow
2. The Dolphin/The Clapton Jigs
3. Thos Byrnes/The Man Of Aran
4. Jackson's/The Cliffs of Glencolumbkille
5. The Sligo Set: Martin Wynne's/Lad O’Beirne's/McDermott's
6. The Raphoe Reel/The Chestnut Tree
7. The Boys Of Sligo/Monaghan Twig
8. The World's End Set
9. Eddie Kelly's Jigs
10. Unknown Reel/Return From Camden Town
11. The Key Of The Convent/Tommy People's Reel
12. The Dancing Bear/Oreaga
13. Walsh's Fancy/The Congress/Spoil the Dance

• Harmony Hill (1993)

1. Apples in Winter
2. Hills of Greenmore
3. The Green Fields of Miltown
4. Bellaghy Fair
5. The Ploughman
6. The Green Mountain
7. Welcome Poor Paddy Home
8. Jig C Jig
9. The Fair Maid
10. Virginia Set
11. A Stór Mo Chroí
12. Slides & Reels

• Playing with Fire (1995)

1. Buckley's Fancy
2. Molly And Johnny
3. Last Nights Fun
4. Wheels Of The World
5. Maire Mor
6. I Buried My Wife
7. The Hungry Rock
8. Cailin Rua
9. Ash Plant Set
10. Peigin Mo Chroi
11. The Game Of Love
12. Willie Lennox
13. Let Down The Blade

• At the End Of The Day (1996)

1. Touching Cloth (Reels)
2. Ar Éirinn Ní Neosfainn Cé Hí (Song)
3. Jim Coleman's (Mazurka & Reels)
4. An Spailpín Fánach (Song)
5. Packie Duignan's (Jigs)
6. Lone Shanakyle (Song)
7. Drag Her Round The Road (Reels)
8. Peata Beag (Song)
9. The Trip To Sligo Set (Reels)
10. Sile Ni Ghadhra (Song)
11. The Kilavill Set (Jigs)
12. I Courted A Wee Girl
13. Josefin's Waltz (Dervish & Väsen)
14. Eileen McMahon

• Live in Palma (1997)

1. Packie Duignan's (Jigs)
2. An Spailpín Fánach (Song)
3. Slow Reels
4. Sheila Nee Iyer (Song)
5. The Trip To Sligo (Reels)
6. The Hungry Rock
7. Ar Éirinn Ní Neosfainn Cé Hí (Song)
8. Molly And Johnny (Song)
9. The Green Mountain
10. I Courted A Wee Girl/Josefin's Waltz (Song)
11. Drag Her Round The Road (Reels)
12. Máire Mhór (Song)
13. I Buried Me Wife and Danced On Top Of Her (Jigs)
14. The Hills Of Greanmore (Song)
15. The World's End (Reels)
16. Peata Beag (Song)
17. Pheigín Mo Chroi (Song)
18. Jim Coleman's (Muzurka and Reels)
19. Happy Birthday To Felip
20. Edward by Lough Éirn's Shore (Song)
21. Killavil Jigs
22. Allelu na Gnamha

• Midsummer's Night (1999)

1. Midsummer's Night
2. Seán Bháin
3. Tenpenny Bit
4. The Banks of Sweet Viledee
5. Palmer's Gate
6. Érin Grá mo Chroí
7. Lark on the Strand
8. Cairns Hill
9. There was a Maid in her Father's Garden
10. Abbeyfeale Set
11. An T-Úll
12. Bold Doherty
13. Out on the Road
14. Red-haired Mary

• Decade (2001)

1. The Kilavill Set
2. Molly and Johnny
3. The Lark on the Strand
4. The Hills of Greanmore
5. The Worlds End
6. Apples in Winter
7. Peigín mo chroí
8. Josefin's Waltz
9. An Spailpín Fánach
10. The Hungry Rock
11. The Banks of the Sweet Viledee
12. Palmer's Gate
13. Ar Éirinn Ní Neosfainn Cé Hí
14. Jim Coleman's

• Spirit (2003)

1. John Blessings
2. An Rógaire Dubh/Na Ceannabháin Bhána/Páidín O Raifeartaí
3. Father Jack
4. Fair-Haired Boy
5. Siesta Set
6. Soldier Laddie
7. Beauties of Autumn
8. The Lag's Song
9. Boots of Spanish Leather
10. O'Raghailligh's Grave
11. Swallows Tail
12. The Cocks Are Crowing
13. Whelans: Trounsdells Cross, Whelans

• A Healing Heart (2005)

1. I Courted a Wee Girl / Josefin's Waltz
2. A Stór Mo Croí
3. Boots of Spanish Leather
4. Willie Lennox
5. Erin Grá mo Chroi
6. Ar Éirinn Ní Neosfainn Cé Hí
7. The Fairhaired Boy
8. Lone Shanakyle
9. I Hope You Still Dance
10. Josefin's Waltz

• Travelling Show (2007)

1. Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves
2. The Coolea Jigs
3. My Bride and I
4. The Cat She Went A-Hunting
5. The Bealtine Set
6. Grainne
7. Heading Home
8. The Queen and The Soldier
9. The Masters Return
10. Lord Levett
11. The Jolly Tinker
12. Crucan Na bPaiste

• The Thrush in the Storm (2013)

1. The Green Gowned Lass
2. Baba Chonraoí
3. Maggie's Lilt
4. The Lover's Token
5. The Rolling Wave
6. Shanagolden
7. The Corner House
8. The Banks of the Clyde
9. Handsome Polly-O
10. Harp and Shamrock
11. Snoring Biddy
12. The Thrush in the Storm

• Celebration!! 1989-2014 (2014)

1. Midsummer's Night
2. Snoring Biddy
3. The Coolea Jigs
4. Bold Doherty
5. Killavil Jigs
6. The Ploughman
7. Maggie's Lilt
8. Cailin Rua
9. Packie Duighnan's
10. Boots of Spanish leather
11. Buckley's Fancy
12. Lord Levett
13. The Swallow's Tail
14. Red Haired Mary
15. Welcome Poor Paddy Home

• The Great Irish Song Book (2019)

1. The Rambling Irishman
2. There's Whiskey in the Jar
3. Molly Malone
4. The Galway Shawl
5. She Moved through the Fair
6. The Rocky Road to Dublin
7. Down by the Sally Gardens
8. On Raglan Road
9. Dónal Óg
10. The Fields of Athenry
11. The May Morning Dew
12. The West Coast of Clare
13. The Parting Glass

Bibliography

• Neal Walters & Brian Mansfield (ed.) (1998) MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide, p. 217-8, ISBN 1-57859-037-X ), (Dervish entry, page 217, Dervish entry, page 218).

External links

• Official website