The Irish Rovers

Biography & Overview

The Irish Rovers is a group of Irish musicians that was formed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1963 and named after the traditional song "The Irish Rover". They are notable for their international television series, for contributing to the popularization of Irish music in North America, and for the songs "The Unicorn", "Drunken Sailor", "Wasn't That a Party", "The Orange and the Green", "Whiskey on a Sunday", "Lily the Pink", "Finnegan's Wake", and "The Black Velvet Band". The primary voices heard in the group's early songs were Will Millar (tenor), Jimmy Ferguson (baritone), George Millar, and Joe Millar, and in the last twenty years, also John Reynolds and Ian Millar. Wilcil McDowell's accordion was a signature sound of the band for more than fifty five years, until his retirement in 2020.