Celtic Music: Dervish

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The Boys of Sligo Become Dervish

Liam Kelly, Shane Mitchell, Martin Mc Ginley, Brian Mc Donagh and Michael Holmes got together in 1989 to record The Boys of Sligo which inspired them to form the band called Dervish. They were joined in 1991 by singer Cathy Jordan and champion fiddler Shane McAleer and recorded the first album under the Dervish name, Harmony Hill. This album quickly became acclaimed as a landmark Irish traditional album.

Publicity photo from the press page on Dervish's website.

Dervish Becomes a Musical Force to Be Reckoned With

They tour the world and pile up the awards

Following the release of Harmony Hill, Dervish experienced a rapidly growing demand and they toured extensively, not releasing their next album, Playing with Fire, until 1994. The album reached number one one the Irish Folk Music and World/Roots music charts and stayed there for several months.

Dervish released their two albums in the United States and toured the country with appearances at such venues as Wolf Trap outside Washington, DC, the Milwaukee Irish Festival and City Stages in Birmingham, AL. More nominations and awards followed.

In 1996 Dervish won the Hot Press Folk Album of the year award with the release of At the End of the Day. They also toured to Hong Kong and Malaysia, further broadening their appeal.

In 1997, just hours before a performance at Palma de Majorca's Theater Principal, the group decided to record the show. Their performance was so good that it didn't require much work in the studio to turn it into a two-disc album, Live in Palma, that was again highly acclaimed. Also that year the readers of Irish Music Magazine voted Dervish Best Overall Trad/Folk Band of the Year.

During extensive touring in 1998, Shane McAleer left the band and was replaced by Sligo fiddler and guitar player Séamus O'Dowd. Toward the end of the year, All Ireland Fiddle Champion Tom Morrow joined the band. In 1999 the group went into the studio and recorded Midsummer's Night which was named Irish Trad Album of the Year by several publications.

Dervish released the compilation album Decade in 2001. This was followed in 2003 by Spirit which, while rooted firmly in the Irish tradition, had a more contemporary feel. In early 2006 Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern invited Dervish to accompany a trade mission to China. Later in the year, they released the compilation album A Healing Heart, showing a softer side to the group. Their latest release is 2007's Travelling Show which features Cathy Jordan's cover of Cher's "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves."

Celtic Music: Dervish on CD Baby

CDs and MP3s available

DERVISH: Harmony HillHarmony Hill
1. Apples in Winter
2. Hills of Greenmore
3. Fields of Milltown
4. Bellaghy Fair
5. The Ploughman
6. The Green Mountain
7. Welcome Poor Paddy
8. Jig C Jig
9. The Fair Maid
10. Virginia Set
11. A Stor Mo Chroi
12. Slides and Reels

Buy the CD from CD Baby - Harmony Hill

DERVISH: Playing With FirePlaying with Fire
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 and Danced on Top of Her
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

Buy the CD from CD Baby - Playing with Fire

DERVISH: At The End of the DayAt The End of the Day
1. Touching Cloth
2. Ar Eirinn Ni Neosfainn
3. Jim Coleman's Set
4. An Spailpin Fanach
5. Packie Duignan's
6. Lone Shanakyle
7. Drag Her Round The Road
8. Peata Beag
9. Trip To Sligo
10. Sheila Nee Iyer
11. Kilavill Set
12. I Courted A Wee Girl
13. Josefin's Waltz
14. Eileen McMahon

Buy the CD from CD Baby - At the End of the Day

DERVISH: Live in PalmaLive in Palma
Disc 1:
1. Packie Duigan's
2. Spailpin Fanach
3. Slow Reels
4. Sheila Nee Iyer
5. The Trip To Sligo
6. The Hungry Rock
7. Ar Eirinn Ni Neosfainn
8. Molly and Johnny
9. The Green Mountain

Disc 2:
1. I Courted A Wee Girl/Josefin's Waltz
2. Drag Her Round The Road
3. Maire Mhor
4. I Buried Me Wife and Danced on Top of Her
5. Hills Of Greanmore
6. Worlds End
7. Peata Beag
8. Pheigin Mo Chroi
9. Jim Coleman's
10. Happy Birthday to Felip
11. Edward by Lough Eirn's Shore
12. Killavil Jigs
13. Allellu Na Gamhna

Buy the CD from CD Baby - Live in Palma

DERVISH: Midsummer's NightMidsummer's Night
1. Midsummer's Night
2. Sean Bhain
3. Tenpenny Bit
4. Sweet Viledee
5. Palmer's Gate
6. Erin Gra mo Chroi
7. Lark on the Strand
8. Cairns Hill
9. Maid Father's Garden
10. Abbeyfeale Set
11. An T-Uil
12. Bold Doherty
13. Out on the Road
14. Red Haired Mary

Buy the CD from CD Baby - Midsummer's Night

DERVISH: DecadeDecade
1. The Kilavill Set
2. Molly and Johnny
3. The Lark in the Strand
4. The Hills of Greanmore
5. The Worlds End
6. Apples in Winter
7. Peigin mo Chroi
8. Josefins Waltz
9. An Spailpin Fanach
10. The Hungry Rock
11. Sweet Viledee
12. Palmer's Gate
13. Ar Eirinn Ni Neosfainn
14. Jim Colemans

Buy the CD from CD Baby - Decade

DERVISH: SpiritSpirit
1. John Blessings
2. An Rógaire Dubh/Na Ceannabháin Bhána/Páidín O Raifeartaí
3. Father Jack
4. The Fair-Haired Boy
5. Siesta Set
6. The 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 (Jigs) Trounsdells Cross

Buy the CD from CD Baby - Spirit

DERVISH: A Healing HeartA Healing Heart
Released in 2005.
1. I courted a wee girl/Josefins Waltz
2. A stor mo croi
3. Boots of spanish leather
4. Willie Lennon
5. Erin Gra mo Chroi
6. Ar Eireinn Ni Neosfainn Ce Hi
7. The fairhaired boy
8. Lone Shanakyle
9. I hope you still dance
10. Josefins Waltz (Reprise)

Buy the CD from CD Baby - A Healing Heart

DERVISH: Traveling ShowTraveling Show
1. Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves
2.The Coolea Jigs
3. My Bride and I
4. The Cat 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

Buy the CD from CD Baby - Traveling Show

DERVISH: From Stage to StageFrom Stage to Stage
1. The Swallows Tail
2. Intro
3. Lord Levett
4. The Bealtine Set
5. The Masters Return
6. Intro
7. I Courted a wee Girl
8. Josefin's Waltz
9. Intro
10. Slangpolska efterByss Calle
11. The Coolea Jigs
12. The Cat She went a Hunting
13. Intro
14. The Boots of Spanish Leather
15. Intro
16. John Blessings
17. Intro
18. Red Haired Mary
19. Intro
20. Gold in Them Hills
21. Intro
22. Apples in Winter

Buy the CD from CD Baby - From Stage to Stage

Celtic Music: Dervish on Amazon

The first five albums under the Dervish name

The Boys of Sligo released in 1989, is not available on Amazon in the US. Amazon UK had one copy listed (click on the title). All available albums starting with Playing with Fire can be purchased in MP3 format in the United States.

If you wish to order from Amazon.co.uk, please click on the appropriate text link in each CD's description. Clicking on the graphic or title of the CD links you to Amazon's US site.
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More Dervish on Amazon

Four more albums plus MP3s from their out-of-print DVD

Dervish's 2005 compilation release A Healing Heart is not available on Amazon in the US. It is available from Amazon UK. Simpatico, released in 2003, is not available on Amazon in the US or the UK but may be ordered through Dervish's website, where it is noted that all profits from the sale of the album go to the Finn Corrigan Fund.
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Dervish Links

Dervish Videos
Enjoy a mini-concert from Dervish with 11 videos on the second page of this lens.
Dervish's official website
News and tour info, a discussion forum, ordering and more.
LiveIreland.com's website
This Irish Internet radio station plays a lot of Dervish tunes. When there's a live DJ in the studio weeknights, you can request Dervish's music.
Celtic Music Lenses by MobyD
A lens to help you find other Celtic Music lenses I've made.

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Dervish Videos

Dervish at Eurovision Song Contest 2007 (from Wikipedia)Enjoy a selection of Dervish tunes recorded in such places as the Eurovision Song Contest, Irish television studios, concert venues and even the Grand Canyon.

Can't Stop the Spring

Eurovision Song Contest 2007

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Three Jigs

From the DVD "Live at Johnny Fox's"

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The Boots of Spanish Leather

From 2007 w/string quartet

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Lark on the Strand

Midsummer night's session

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Gypsies Tramps & Thieves

Cathy's cover of Cher's hit

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Welcome Poor Paddy Home

Irish Cultural Center, Paris, June 2007

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My Bride and I

From Irish TV, late 2007

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Dervish at the Grand Canyon

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An-T-Ull

Midsummer night's session

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Dervish with Irish Step Dancer Dan Casey

Recorded in Canada

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Dervish with Irish Step Dancer Dan Casey 2

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Celtic Music: Dervish

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MobyD

I'm very interested in Celtic music and have created a series of lenses about performers. See Celtic Music: Lenses (named Lens of the Day on March 16,... more »

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