I had been looking forward for some time to seeing this show and after my recent conversation with John Sheahan, the last surviving member of the original Dubliners, I was even more excited. The show, the brainchild of John and another musical legend, Phil Coulter (the Musical Director), is produced by John's daughter, Ceoladh and directed by Maurice Sweeney and recreates the sights and sounds of The Dubliners as they were in the 1960's and early 1970's. The musicians, handpicked by John and Phil, are Kilian O'Flanagan (as Ronnie Drew), James Gallagher (as Luke Kelly), Jeremy Jenkinson (as Ciaran Bourke), Adam Holohan (as Barney McKenna) and Aidan Connolly (as John himself). 

The show itself consists of live performances (including typical Dubliners banter and dialogue), interspersed with archive film, reminiscences by John, narration by Imelda May (yet another musical legend and  a proud product of Dublin) and even contributions from the original Dubliners on stage. It is authentic, interesting, entertaining and for me personally, it brought a sense of nostalgia for those days of my childhood and early teens, when I first became aware of The Dubliners and their wonderful contribution to the world of music. The lads had us clapping our hands, singing along and eventually, on our feet and dancing. I am delighted that this show has hit the road and I look forward to its continued success. Afterwards, it was great to meet Luke's brother, Paddy and his family and to convey my admiration for the musical legacy of Luke and the others in person. 

I am very grateful to Ceoladh for the opportunity to review the show and I hope that this won't be my last opportunity to be present at this great production.