Dubliners, the

Irish ballad band formed in O'Donoghues Pub on Baggot Street, Dublin, in 1962. The original and most recognizable line-up consisted of Barney McKenna (banjo), Luke Kelly (vocals, banjo), John Sheahan (fiddle), Ciarán Burke (guitar), and Ronny Drew (vocals, guitar). Originally known as the Ronnie Drew Band, they became very popular throughout Ireland and Europe, even more so when their 1967 single ‘Seven Drunken Nights’ was banned in Ireland. Their material consisted of Drew's gravelly Dublin street ballads, Kelly's powerfully delivered socially and politically relevant contemporary folk songs, and McKenna's excellent dance music.

The Dubliners did much to popularize the tenor banjo in Ireland and laid down the song repertoire and a style of performance for many ballad bands that followed. The death of Luke Kelly in 1984 and the departure of Ronnie Drew have meant that the band has lost much of its distinctive character. Important albums include Finnegan Wakes (1966) and Recorded Live at the Albert Hall (1969).