The Irish Descendants are a folk group from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. All the members, born of Irish emigrants, were workers in the Newfoundland fishing industry before forming the band in 1990 out of the remnants of two former Newfoundland bands – The Descendants and Irish Coffee. The group helped to popularise traditional Newfoundland music to a wider Canadian audience in the early 1990s, along with other bands such as Great Big Sea. Their popularity within the province itself led to their selection as the official band of the province's 500th anniversary celebrations, during which they performed for the Queen. Tension within the group caused co-frontman D'Arcy Broderick to leave soon after this period, and their lineup has frequently changed since then, with frontman Con O'Brien being the only constant member. Regular touring and occasional album releases have kept the group in the public eye.
The band is noted for its heavy touring schedule. They have played overseas, notably at the International Festival of the Sea in England, although the majority of their work has been in North America, particularly Canada. Upon the celebration of Newfoundland's quincentennial in 1996, the group was selected as one of the official entertainers, and as such performed for the representatives of the monarchy, including Queen Elizabeth II. They continue to play regularly.
The members of the Irish Descendants have changed repeatedly over the years, both in number and in name. Founding member Con O'Brien has been the only original member of the group since 1990. The group has occasionally recorded and toured with guest musicians and alumni; most recently, Larry Foley, Patrick Moran, Billy Sutton, Sandy Morris, Ron Hynes, Jamie Snider, Alan Doyle, Rowan Sherlock, Aaron Collis, and Kelly Russell joined the group at various times in 2009.
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