On 30th January 1984 it is said that the Whole of Dublin grieved the early death of Luke Kelly.He has left an indelible mark as being the greatest folk artist of the 20th Century.In October 2001 'A Tribute to Luke Kelly' was launched in Dublin's Hotpress HQ before an audience which included Luke's siblings and relations. As a result of the show's sucess, MCD booked the band for a three month residency at the Olympia theatre which led to a memorable appearance on RTE's Open House.

Over the past seven years they have amazed audiences following powerful sell-out performances in prominent Irish venues with the regular attendance of the Kelly family. Popularity has seen the band touring abroad even as far away as Australia.

Lead singer, Chris Kavanagh bears a remarkable resemblance to Luke while his singing talents capture the depth and passion of the great man. He is joined on stage by accomplished musicians who all consider it an honour to bring Luke's memory to the stage in the ultimate tribute to the King of balladeers.

It is with great excitement that myself And Chris are bringing our two fantastic shows together in one barnstorming tribute to these two legends legends of Irish music. Rehersals are underway for shows to commence in  early 2012. For more information text/call 087 8240275 on E Mail info@liambyrne.com

Described as a ''modern day Flight Of Earls '' Liam's song ''County Bondi'' is now available to down load on i tunes. This great ballad with it's catchy chorous and superb full band backing is a song for the new generation of Irish making their lives in Australia.

DMC promotions have just confirmed dates in Scotland on June 10th & 11th..Venues to follow and be confirmed.

With 2010 just about to bow out it is time to look ahead to the coming 12 months and already things are shaping up nicely. In July & August of last year i contacted numerous GAA clubs throughout the 32 counties to let them know that i would be undertaking a tour in 2011 of Clubs nationwide. Over the last 15 years or so almost every parish and town in the country have seen the completion of state of the art club houses and halls and with clubs anxious to keep them ticking over i feel my show is one that can be hired as a great fundraiser and put bums on seats throughout the land and put a few dates in my book at the same time.Already 8 clubs have booked and all dates will appear shortly here on my site.

Alan Prunty, my booking agent for all gigs abroad, has been on the phone again to the other side of the planet and, while the exact dates are not completely finalised, my third tour in 3 years of Australia is going ahead in March of 2011. Gigs in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney are on the cards but not sure in what order yet. The plan is to release the single ''County Bondi'' to coincide with the tour so fingers crossed that my third ''run down under'' will be as successfull as the last two

RTE RADIO 1...THE KING & I (and George Lee too) This Saturday @10am Greg''Elvis''Traynor & myself are being interviewed by George Lee on ''The Business Show''. They wanted a couple of lads with unusual jobs..but they ended up with us...TUNE IN!!
RTE called me yesterday...''Hello this is Ray from rte''..''At last, it's a gig on the late late show or at the very least Brendan O'Connors show'' says i to myself..... ''We are looking for someone with an unusual job to appear on the business show this week'' said Ray....Ah well next time ehLiam, next time..Sure i might meet Marian Finnuchane...i better learn to spell her name in case i do!

So to re-cap-RTE RADIO 1...THE KING & I (and George Lee too) This Saturday @10am Greg''Elvis''Traynor & myself are being interviewed by George Lee on ''The Business Show''. They wanted a couple of lads with unusual jobs..but they ended up with us...TUNE IN!!
 

Last night Kieran Kelly interviewed me on the fantastic Sin E show on Dublin City FM... He kindly let me stay for 2 hours and we chatted about family, music, songwriting, Kilmuckridge, Christy and much more besides...He very kindly played 5 songs from my recent album and i sang 5 songs live, They were, County Bondi, The Ballad Of Miriam O'Callaghan, Margerrete, Avoca, and KK joined me for Ride On. Simon Besanson came along for the drive up and we both had a great time in a very relaxed atmosphere in the studio...Other stations around the country shoul take note of Dublin city FM's ethos and maybe if they reflected it a little more,our home grown music industry might do even better.

I'll be guesting on Dublin city FM's Sin e show on Tuesday 5th October. Mick O Brien & Kieran Kelly run a lively show every Tuesday featuring the very best in Irish folk music..gigs, album reviews and guest artists..and thanks to Christy Davy, i'll be eating tea and drinking buscuits in the studio this week..This show has become Irelands most popular Irish music show over the past 10 years with listeners from all over the world tuning in every week...9pm on Dublin City FM..and it's on the www if the wet battery for the wireless is flat

Greetings from Shannon Co.Clare. Tonights gig in Cross Co.Mayo will almost be be my last summer gig ...(Just the madness of The Auld Lammas Fair in Ballycastle on Monday & Tuesday to go, and it's a mad affair by all accounts so better post this just incase!!) as the evenings draw in, the harvest is saved and the kids cover the books for the new school year. Many miles travelled in the last 2 months and the only negative thing about that is that i have missed many a good bar b q at home in Wexford and alot of sunny days not spent with Sinead & the kids...But needs must and there ya go...

Mucho thanks to all the venues, weddings and festivals that booked me and only one cancellation thankfully Crosshaven Regeatta)...A right few stand out nights..The weddings in Seafield and The Storehouse and Adare...The Turtle in Loughrea, Gort Na Mona GAC Belfast, Achill on 30/7, but top gig just had to be in the tent on the side of the road in Ardfield near Clonakillty...just a very special night that wont be forgotten in Cork or Wexford.

Finished my gig last night with a new song called ''Two Hands, Two Hearts, One Love'' and i think it's gonna be a great tune so hopefully back to the studio in the near future...I am dying to finish a new original album and i am about 30% there so fingers crossed..Plenty of songs and ideas to work with, i'd like to Re-record ''Golden Boats'', ''On This Road'' and a few others so on we go eh!!

Not sure if anybody even reads this but i enjoy posting it and it's good foor me typing!!If you have read it please take a minute to leave your thoughts on the guestbook...

Chat soon y'all

Liam.

Achill Head vHotel13/8/10. Arrived into Achill 2 weeks after my first ever trip out there and i was fit for nothin but room 21 for a few hours..Almost slept it out!!downstairs to throw up the P.A. in record time,quick change and off we went...smaller crowd than the last night but still very enjoyable and clocked in at 2 and a half hours..Finished the gig with Christy's Vest and A stitch in time so thats the kinda listener i had..Nina and Alan and Martha kayaked their way from Castlebar and i dedicated my song ..''without the shadow of a doubt'' to the 2 lovebirds... Couple of drops of sleep remedy and off to land of nod waking to the atlantic ocean gently teasing my listening buds..what a sight to wake upto!!!!
Got into Galway around miday and as always i just love a walk thru those streets on a Saturday..the market, the activists,street performers, beautifull women, handsome men, tourists, natives, church's..a beautifull vibe that makes me want to find something more pure and meaningfull  in this like...Sounds BS i know but....In Loughrea now and on my way to Puchaun in Co.Shane Mcgowan...playin for a magic mushroom festival...Bless the wind that shakes the barley, curse the spade and curse the plough...
Will ye click on me www and if you have ever seen me perform in your town or venue maybe you'd click the guest book and leave your thoughts...be nice or i'll ate your sandwiches...Love to S, R, M and ?

Well i dont know how many readers i have but sure i'll drive on like she's stolen...It's a tough ol time all 'round and i know that all my fellow muso's are feeling the squeeze at the moment just like everyone else and how sick it makes us all to turn on the news and see what we the tax payer will have to shovel out to keep a bank that doesn't deserve to open it's doors afloat....Anyhoo..i am not well versed enough in all that stuff to blog about it but i do know that there are so many people under pressure at the moment and one can only hope that stability will come for everyone soon.. Iy has been a quiet Jan And Feb but i had a few very very nice gigs ..Tralee I.T. & D.I.T. Bolton St spring to mind as well as playing a post wedding bash for Dennis & Sharon in Mitchelstown and a right 4 hour gig it was...the length i'll play for some cocktail sausages and 4 chicken wings!!March is nearly over and there was a great dry spell but the rain is back now and the dog got his arse kicked for tearing a toilet roll around the garden and the bull is getting used to the electric fensce but by Christ i am excited about my new song County Bondi...It's like Liam Reilly Wrote a song for Christy Moore to perform with The Seeger Sessions Band...but better....better X by 10 i tells ya!!! Gavin Ralston played guitar(electric & acoustic), mandolin, Hammond organ, piano, banjo, some tiny guitar with a funny name, and his brother played bass and his pal played drums and then i was invited to join in!!!! if you listen closely you can almost hear me sing!! It's good and i cant wait to put it out..just waiting on the bull whistle!!As i say, i dont know how many readers i have but it's nice to update my site as it reminds me that i am doing ok amidst all this turmoil and i have gin by my side and my wife and kids are asleep and the bull is with his cows tonight so there !!!! PLEASE SIGN THE GUEST BOOK THO!!! IT'S FREE.

Long Overdue but here's me first blog of 2010 and i hope it finds you all keeping well. It's been all very quiet over January but the phone is ringing again and the book is filling up so i hope to meet some of ye up and down the road as i go. Had the pleasure of sharing stage with Paddy Casey in Ashbourne in January and if you are in that part of the world i encourage you yo pop into thr Ashbourne House Hotel any thursday for a great singer/songwriter night. Recording of a new single was due to begin today Feb 10th, but for different reasons i have postponed it for a week or so. The single will be called ''County Bondi'' and will strike a chord with anyone who had friends or family living in Australia or in any part of the world for that matter!. Other title's for what i hope will make up a new original album are, ''Tea in The field'', ''Political World'', ''Margerette'', ''Meeting On The Hill'', ''Without the Shadow Of A Doubt''. The plan is at the moment to record these on my ZOOM Handy Recorder and post them to my website or Facebook page, get some public reaction and decide from there. Gavin Ralston in Silverwood Studios may have other ideas though!
Right thats her for now.. See you soon.

Jet Lag well & truely passed. Did my final date in australia on Sunday 15th Nov and left for Eire the next day, touching down 26 hours later in Dublin. Ahhh the rain was grand..for about 10 minutes!! John next door picked me up and brought me to my door in his disco taxi, where Sinead had a class Lasagne in the oven and Rebecca & Matthew were glad to see Daddy home too. A few days off and some QT with the cows and had some cousins home from down under..we had a wee dinner party on Friday last, the 21st, and after a few glasses of vino collapso i wondered thru my original song book and it occured to me that i have a few grand songs behind my pencil and so have reconfirmed my commitment to myself to record a new and completly original album early in the new year.
Eamonn O'Connor from Rolling Toad Design continues to tweak the new website so be sure and leave messages.
Live dates for the remainder of 2009 are on the gig page,
All the best for now... Liam

Its over, It's over, IT'S OOOOOOVER... Bags packed and fair play to Sinead...not one pair of jocks too many!! Fran & Ozzie picked us up and off we went to Penrith Gaels for a 3 oclock concert. The clock on the wall went mad and i played for 3 hours instead of two. Camereon Maher played the first set and warmed up the crowd without even breaking a string or sweat and he helped me close the tour with ''Dirty Ol Town'' '' Viva La Quinte'' and ''Derry''. Rita D called to say well done on the previous night and she'll be home for Crimbo!!! YAYYYY!!
It's been a great 2 weeks and i have some new tunes wrote 3 of which are keepers i think, ''Co. Bondi'', ''Political World'' and ''The Sydney Waltz''... A song called ''Gorgeous Pam' is one for afterhours and ''When the kids are in Bed'' is a wirk in progress.
So many to thank, Paul(perth) Adam(Canberra) Richard(Brisbane) James (Melbourne) Dean & Ozzie(Sydney) & Mark (Penrith) for providing Sound, to all the venue managers who looked after us so well all thru, to Fran from Troubadore Music, our man on the ground here and poorly paid taxi service. Collie for the Harp and Judith for picks when i lost mine. Paul was our groupie and followed the tour all over..i hope your ok mate. to Pro-Copy Austra;ia who printed my CD's in record time and had them ready for our first gig..Big Up as they say in another genre...
Special thanks and fair play to Alan Prunty, my tour manager for keeping the show going..there's alot to organise to do 6 shows in Oz...flights (international & internal), Accomadation, venues, sound, transport, merchandise, support acts, lock in's and the like...
Thanks to all that came to all the shows and listened, drank, danced, laughed, cried, walked out and came back..
and finally thanks To Sinead, Rebecca & Matthew.... See ye on the other side.
Thanks for reading, tell your friends and leave a message on the guestbook....
Adare next up!!!! I'll bet it rains.

Sunday morning & i would love to sleep but the A/C is on the blink and it's in the mid 20's i'd say...A great great night in The Gaelic Theatre and about 400 turned up demanding Ballads. Cameron & Colly warmed up the crowd with 2 great sets and i took over about 10 30.. and off we went..The crack was 91 for the next 2 and a half hours with Joxer getting an outing twice, my new song ''County Bondi'' also got a double shot and it went down as i had hoped..flags waving, tears falling, irish boys calling their mam's from their mobiles, girls hugging each other trying not to spill their double double vodka..you can picture the scene. All the gigs have been so different and i have been thankfull for the ability to adapt as per concert.. and concerts is what they were. Canberra was a completly silent listening crowd wanting to hear and to listen, Perth and Melbourne was rowdy and fun but with both audiences willing to sit & listen when it was required and For the Gealic Theatre well i just sang because that crowd was in festival mode and that was ok with me. When Dean turned up the house lights during some songs you could just see the energy as well as feel it!! So 5 down and 1 to go and i need some rest before we head to Penrith Geals Irish Club just outside Sydney. A bit of an emotional hangover from last night which i need to snap out off.. France just won 1-0 but it's only half time. Sinead is keeping the home fires burning which is a much harder job than mine.. William has kept the cows fed fair play... I hope someone reads this!!!