Positioned as the male counterpart to Celtic Woman, the High Kings operate as a commercially driven contemporary Celtic quartet under the musical guidance of David Downes, renowned for his Riverdance work. Launched in 2008, the ensemble unites four Irish natives in supergroup formation: Finbarr Clancy, born in Carrick-an-Suir, County Tipperary and formerly of the Clancy Brothers; Martin Furey, born in Dunmore East, County Waterford and previously with Bohinta; Brian Dunphy, born in Dublin and a onetime Riverdance cast member; and Darren Holden, born in County Kilkenny, who had performed in Riverdance plus other Broadway productions while maintaining a thriving solo career. Their debut release, The High Kings, registered strong U.S. sales in the world music category by climbing to number 150 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart and number two on the world music albums chart, an achievement fueled largely by a PBS television special aired nationwide for St. Patrick's Day and subsequently issued on DVD. The High Kings then brought their performances to audiences throughout Ireland.
