The Dubliners started off in O'Donoghue's pub in Dublin in 1962 under the name of the Ronnie Drew Folk Group. From the beginning they were four, Ronnie Drew (vocals and guitar), Luke Kelly (vocals and 5-string banjo), Barney McKenna (tenor banjo, mandolin, melodeon and vocals) and Ciarán Bourke (vocals, guitar, tin whistle and harmonica). In 1964, Luke Kelly left, and Bobby Lynch (vocals and guitar) and John Sheahan (fiddle, tin whistle, mandolin, concertina, guitar and vocals) joined the group. It is regarded that when Luke Kelly returned and Bobby Lynch left in 1965, the original Dubliners were together. A group with five men whose talents were mixed together in a superb blend and just wanted to play and have a good laugh. A twist of fate meant the major breakthrough of the group in 1967. The song Seven Drunken Nights was picked up by a pirate radio station and started playing the song regularly. All of a sudden, The Dubliners were a major band, playing all over the world, getting into the charts, and receiving golden albums.

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The seventies meant a continuation of where the sixties ended: touring, recording, and drinking. In 1974, Ciarán Bourke collapsed on stage with a brain hemorrhage, which eventually led to his death in 1988. At the same time, Ronnie decided to take a break, and Jim McCann took his and Ciaráns place in the group. Ronnie decided to make a comeback in 1979 as a member of the group. With Ronnie returning, Jim left, and The Dubliners were almost back where they started. Then Luke Kelly collapsed on stage due to a brain tumor, for which he received surgery several times. He made remarkable recoveries, and went on touring with the Dubliners, at the same time continuing his wild and unhealthy lifestyle. Seán Cannon, a long time friend, stepped in for Luke, when he couldn't be on stage. In 1984, Luke Kelly died, but The Dubliners, now with Seán Cannon as a member, decided to keep on.

For the Dubliners 1987 turned out to be a remarkable year. Their long time friend, and guest musician, Eamonn Campbell, brought the group together with the Pogues, resulting in the hit single the Irish Rover. This single took the Dubliners back to the charts, and also gave them a completely new audience; people who weren't even born when The Dubliners started off. And with Dublin celebrating its millennium in 1988, The Dubliners also received more attention than for years. Eamonn Campbell joined them on regular basis, a move that has turned out to be one of the most important in their history. The Dubliners celebrated their 30th anniversary in 1992, with a double CD and an extensive tour. Ronnie Drew left the Dubliners for a second time in December 1995, after releasing a solo album, Dirty Rotten Shame a few months earlier. The remaining members convinced Paddy Reilly to join them, and they continued their busy touring and recording schedule. When Paddy Reilly left the group in 2005 Patsy Watchorn became the new singer and till this moment this combination is also very succesfull.

The influence of the Dubliners in the world of music is large. They have paved the way for dozens of bands from Ireland and Scotland, like the Chieftains, the Pogues, U2, Ossian, and the Fureys. The number of artists that list The Dubliners as one of their major influences and idols is endless. They have brought folk music to millions of people all over the world, people who never would have been interested from the beginning. That is not only because of the folk music. More likely it is because of The Dubliners, their astonishing voices, their indescribable instrumentals, the wild life style and drinking, late sessions, their enormous beards, their extensive touring, their charisma and characters. It was, and still is to a certain extent, a blend the world will never see again.

Celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2002 with a reunion tour, the Dubliners are still one of the most legendary bands in the world. Ronnie Drew and Jim McCann joined the group for the reunion tour, which had its highlight in a series of seven concerts in the famous Gaiety Theater in Dublin. The Dubliners also released a new CD in honor of their 40th anniversary. The anniversary tour did not mark the end of The Dubliners, moreover the fans can look forward to the Dubliners in their 5th decennium. Unfortunately in 2008 founder and longtime member of The Dubliners Ronnie Drew died on the age of 72.

THE DUBLINERS IN 2009:
Barney McKenna - banjo, accordion, vocals;
John Sheahan - flute, fiddle, banjo, accordion;
Patsy Watchorn - guitar, vocals;
Eamon Cambell - guitar;
Sean Cannon - guitar, vocals.