Abbey Tavern Singers
| Abbey Tavern Singers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Dublin, Ireland |
| Genres | Folk, roots |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Labels | ARC Records, V.I.P. Records, Spin Records |
The Abbey Tavern Singers are an Irish vocal group who had a major hit in Canada and a minor hit in the United States in 1966 with "We're Off To Dublin in the Green."
The group's history begins in 1962 near the ruins of Howth Abbey, when it was founded by Abbey Tavern owner Minnie Scott-Lennon, who decided to add a sing-along music attraction to her establishment. The idea was immediately successful, and as the group became locally popular an album was released on Pye Records in 1965.
A song entitled "We're Off To Dublin in the Green" was used by Carling Breweries Ltd in an international television advertising campaign. The song is an IRA marching song dating back to approximately 1916. Using the soundtrack from the commercial, the song was released on Canada's ARC Records and became extremely popular in Canada, reaching No. 2 on Canada's CHUM Charts and selling close to 150,000 copies in Canada within the first year of release. It was a surprise hit, partly because of the poor sound quality of the soundtrack, partly because of the song's ties to the IRA, and partly because of its association with an alcoholic beverage. It was also released in the United States, on Hanna-Barbera Records where it charted on Billboard's Hot 100, peaking at No. 94 staying for two weeks and on the "Easy Listening" charts at No. 40. "Off to Dublin in the Green" spent five weeks on the Cashbox Top 100 chart, with a peak at number 68. Not wanting to take sides politically, the B-side was a song of the Orangemen, "Captain of the Gallant Forty Twa," which was also featured in beer commercials.Carling Black Label reported increased market share following the release of the advertising campaign and the song's subsequent popularity. Because it was the best selling Irish record in Canada, Mrs. Scott-Lennon was presented with a Trophee International Midem.
In response to the popularity of "Off to Dublin", albums were also released, containing material recorded entirely at the Abbey Tavern in Ireland. The group stayed on the ARC label for Canadian albums, but oddly were placed with Berry Gordy's V.I.P. Records in the United States. Demand for live appearances became so strong in North America that a tour was conducted there in 1967. These concerts maintained the informal atmosphere of the tavern performances. This tour was lengthy, so their third Canadian album "Abbey Tavern Singers on Tour" was recorded in a Canadian studio instead of at the Abbey Tavern.
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