The High Kings

About The High Kings

The High Kings emerged in 2007 as a sort of Irish folk supergroup, though that term might overstate things. Four guys from different corners of Ireland's traditional music scene decided to pool their talents: Finbarr Clancy from the Clancy Brothers dynasty, Brian Dunphy who'd been kicking around the Dublin folk circuit, Martin Furey from the legendary Furey Brothers, and Darren Holden, who'd done time in Riverdance. The idea was straightforward enough: take Irish ballads and folk standards, add tight harmonies, and see what happens.

Their self-titled debut in 2008 did better than anyone expected. They took songs like "The Parting Glass" and "Red Is the Rose" and turned them into something that worked for people who'd never set foot in a pub session. The arrangements were polished without being Vegas slick, and their four-part harmonies gave traditional material a different dimension. "The Rocky Road to Dublin" became a calling card of sorts, showing they could handle uptempo material without turning it into dinner theater.

The follow-up albums came in steady succession. "Memory Lane" in 2010 leaned into nostalgia, while "Friends for Life" in 2013 found them tackling everything from "Will Ye Go Lassie Go" to Ryan Adams covers. Not every choice landed, but they'd figured out their lane: Irish traditional music for people who owned iPhones. They toured relentlessly, building audiences in places where Irish heritage meant something, which turned out to be a lot of places.

The lineup shifted over the years, as these things do. Martin Furey left in 2011, replaced by his nephew Paul Finbarr Clancy departed in 2014, with George Murphy stepping in. Then Paul Finbarty left in 2016, and suddenly only two of the founding members remained. Darren Holden eventually exited too, leaving Brian Dunphy as the last original standing. Most bands would crater under that much turnover, but The High Kings kept going, adding new voices and somehow maintaining continuity.

Recent years have seen them expand beyond the traditional repertoire. "Grace & Glory" in 2017 included original material alongside the expected standards. "Home from Home" in 2019 continued that trajectory. Their covers of pop songs in a trad style became a reliable move, the kind of thing that plays well at festivals and on Spotify playlists titled "Celtic Vibes" or whatever.

They're still out there, still touring, still recording. The current lineup includes Dunphy plus Paul O'Brien, George Murphy, and others who've cycled through. They've carved out a sustainable niche in the Irish music ecosystem, somewhere between Christy Moore's authenticity and Celtic Woman's production values. They've sold plenty of albums, filled plenty of venues, and given people a way into Irish music that doesn't require a PhD in sean-nós singing. Not a bad run.

Their shows have the feel of a really good pub session that got way bigger. Crowds tend to be mixed generations, everyone pretty engaged. They're solid musicians who don't oversell things, and the room usually gets quiet when it matters.

Known for The Parting Glass, Rocky Road to Dublin, Whiskey in the Jar, Finnegan's Wake, The Foggy Dew

See The High Kings Live