Dublin City Ramblers

Dublin City Ramblers
Patsy Watchorn member of Dublin City Ramblers from 1970-1995.
Background information
Origin	Dublin, Ireland
Genres	Irish folk
Years active	1970-
Labels	Columbia, Lynwood Records
Members	Sean McGuinness(Vocals, Tenor banjo) Pierce Plunkett(Guitar, vocals) Tom Miller(Bass guitar)
Past members	Patsy Watchorn Mick Crotty Kevin Gerahty Philip "the horse" McCaffrey Kevin Molloy Paddy Sweeney Shay Kavanagh Stephen Leeson Derrick Keane

The Dublin City Ramblers is an Irish folk band, originately formed by the name of The Quare Fellas in 1970. The band has had a long line of members and Sean McGuinness is the only current of the original lineup, that also included Patsy Watchorn later member of The Dubliners.

The Dublin City Ramblers began life in the mid 60s as the Jolly Tinkers, but due to the existence of ballad groups with same name, they decided to change their name to the Quare Fellas. At this time the line up consisted of Patsy Watchorn, brothers Sean and Matt McGuinness and Pat Cummins. While the group recorded the two albums At Home and A Fond Tale on the CBS label, they considered themselves part-time musicians. Pat Cummins left the band between the first and second CBS album and was replaced by Brendan Leeson.

In 1970, the Quare Fellas disbanded and The "Dublin City Ramblers" were formed, with Patsy Watchorn, Sean McGuinness, Mick Crotty and Kevin Gerahty. This line up lasted until approximately 1977.

When both Mick Crotty and Kevin Gerahty left the group in 1972, Philip "the horse" McCaffrey (fiddle) and Kevin Molloy (guitar and vocals), came on board. The four piece of Patsy, Sean, Philip and Kevin went on to have a Top 10 hit album with their 1972 album A Nation Once Again. This was to be the group's most prolific period (releasing seven albums) with what would be known as The Dublin City Ramblers "original" and best-known line-up and also (arguably) the band's most successful period.

In 1978 the band released their (and the country's) most controversial album called Irish Republican Jail songs, which included songs such as "Our lads in Crumlin Jail" and "Over the Wall". The most controversial was "19 Men", which was about the Provisional IRA's successful attempt to break free from Portlaoise Prison. The Gardaí and soldiers, it seems, were a few seconds behind the escapees. On this same album, fiddle player Philip "the horse" McCaffrey took his first ever lead vocal with the band. However, It wasn't the only song he ever recorded and sang live with the band. The first song he ever recorded was called "Bring them home", about the Price Sisters' hunger strike and campaign to be repatriated to a prison in Northern Ireland. He also sang The Ballad of "Tom Williams" and "Our Lads in Crumlin Jail" on the same album. This album was branded as "ludicrous and full of delusion" by a then member of Dáil Éireann in the same year, 1978.