Far from pale imitations of their celebrated Mediterranean predecessors, the Irish Tenors brought together three singers already established in separate careers for a single performance at Dublin’s vast Royal Dublin Society venue. A sixty-piece orchestra supported the event, which drew strong crowds and was captured on tape for later broadcast. Exposure on the PBS network’s March 1999 pledge drive, featuring standards such as “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” and “Only Our Rivers Run Free,” proved decisive; riding the wave of renewed American interest in Irish culture, the program led directly to a recording contract for the ensemble.
The lineup consisted of John McDermott, Ronan Tynan, and Anthony Kearns. An Irish-Canadian tenor, McDermott first captured a selection of Irish songs in 1995 as a gift for his parents’ golden wedding anniversary; the resulting cassette reached EMI Music, which promptly offered him a multi-album deal. Tynan, despite wearing two prosthetic legs, earned prizes at several European vocal contests and also secured multiple titles in equestrian sport. Kearns, already recognized as one of Ireland’s foremost lyric tenors, had toured extensively with the English Light Opera Company. Before the Irish Tenors embarked on their 2000 tour, McDermott departed and Finbar Wright took his place.
Subsequent releases included Home for Christmas (1999), Live in Belfast (2000), Ellis Island (2001), We Three Kings (2003), and Heritage (2004). The following year Tynan stepped down, and original member McDermott rejoined the group. Their next project, the inspirational set Sacred, appeared in 2005.
