Tommy Byrne
born and raised in Dublin where he still lives. He
is the lead singer with the Wolfe Tones - and he also plays
guitar. A boyhood of hitch-hiking and youth-hosteling taught him
all there was to know about the allied professions of mountain
climbing and ballad singing. Gradually he found himself being
weaned off the mountains and becoming founder of the folk-clubs.
He met the Warfields and Noel on his journeys throughout Ireland to open air festivals of traditional music and it eventually became apparent that it was fated for the four of them to team up together. Tommy is still a lover of the outdoor life and when he gets a chance he loads up his car and sets off for a quiet weekens's fishing. He also holds the honour of being his local club's master angler.
Tommy was always in love with traditional music and his dream was fulfilled when he joined the Wolfe Tones trio all those years ago. He remembers on Good Friday, 1964 meeting the lads for the first time and playing with them informally that night."Songwriting? The only songwriting I do is in my sleep" he comments, "but once I've woken up its all forgetten and I'm back where I started!!".