Comprised of veteran players drawn from Ireland’s leading traditional circles, Patrick Street began in the mid-1980s as a limited touring project before evolving into a durable Celtic ensemble that issued eight studio albums and a single live recording. Core figures Kevin Burke on fiddle, Andy Irvine handling vocals and bouzouki, and Jackie Daly on accordion stayed in place across the group’s lifespan, while additional seasoned musicians rotated through both live and recorded lineups. During the first twenty years the band remained closely tied to the Green Linnet imprint, delivering well-regarded titles such as Irish Times (1990) and All in Good Time (1993). Following the appearance of On the Fly in 2007 they continued performing on stage for several further seasons.
The quartet first assembled in Dublin during 1986 as an informal traditional supergroup. Burke and guitarist Mícheál Ó Domhnaill had helped establish the Bothy Band, Irvine had belonged to Planxty, and Daly had performed with De Dannan. Marketed under the banner “Legends of Irish Music,” the original members toured the United States that year; the strong public reaction prompted them to treat the project as ongoing. They adopted the name Patrick Street, a common designation for thoroughfares throughout Irish towns, and cut their self-titled debut the same year. Fellow Planxty alumnus Donal Lunny served as producer while Arty McGlynn, known for work with Van Morrison, took over guitar duties from Ó Domhnaill. Alongside the traditional material the set included folk-song covers and band-penned originals, a pattern that persisted on later releases. The follow-up, No. 2 Patrick Street, arrived in 1988.
Irish Times, issued in 1990, stands among the band’s strongest achievements and introduced yet another guitarist, American Gerry O’Beirne, alongside McGlynn, uilleann piper Declan Masterson, and keyboardist Bill Whelan of Riverdance fame. The album also featured a version of Penguin Cafe Orchestra’s “Music for a Found Harmonium,” which became one of Patrick Street’s signature pieces and later appeared in multiple films. Although members pursued separate endeavors, the group stayed productive through the decade, releasing All in Good Time in 1993 and Cornerboys in 1996, the latter introducing Ged Foley of the Battlefield Band on guitar. Green Linnet recognized this period with the 1995 anthology The Best of Patrick Street. Foley remained for every subsequent project, including 1997’s Made in Cork and the 1999 concert set Live from Patrick Street.
Output tapered in the following decade, yet the band resurfaced with Street Life in 2002. On the Fly, recorded in 2007, found Daly largely retired and contributing to only two tracks; John Carty joined on fiddle, flute, and banjo.
