Mick Hanly is one of Ireland's foremost singer songwriters with a string of successful and well loved songs to his name. In 1981 he joined Christy Moore and others in Moving Hearts, a band some consider far and away the most powerful, innovative and exciting Irish band ever. Moving Hearts broke up in 1985 but while in the Hearts he had begun to perform his own material - "All I Remember" and "Open Those Gates" being two of the best known and best loved. 1989 saw the release by Mary Black of her album No Frontievs. She sang Hanly's "Past the Point of Rescue." Hal Ketchum then recorded it as the title track of his 1991 album and released it as a single. It became one of the most played and the most-requested songs on the 2,500 country stations across the U.S., which sent both the single and the album into the top selling charts. Mick continues to write and record and is now recognized both at home and abroad as one of the truly great Irish songwriters of recent years.


This innovative Irish folk-rock band was formed in Dublin in 1970 by Barry Devlin (bass, vocals), Declan Sinnott (lead guitar, vocals), Eamonn Carr (drums, vocals), Charles O'Connor (violin, mandolin), and Jim Lockhart (flute, violin, keyboards), although Sinnon was replaced by Gus Gueist and then John Fean in turn. The Horslips took the theme of Irish legends for many of their songs, and when they toured as support to Steeleye Span even featured a complete performance of The Train, a more rock-based recording than their 1972 debut. They maintained a strong cult following, but, only one album, The Book Of Invasions: A Celtic Symphony, reached the UK Top 40. The Man Who Built America received a lot of airplay when it was released internationally in 1979, but wider acceptance evaded them, and the band split-up in 1981.


This folk-inspired Irish rock band, who took their name from the title of a Wynton Marsalis album, were based around the nucleus of vocalist and keyboard player Liam O Maonlai and guitarist Fiachna O Braonain. The duo busked in their native Dublin, and in 1985 won the 'Street Entertainers Of The Year Award'. Recruiting bass player Peter O'Toole, saxophonist Leo Barnes, drummer Jerry Fehily and backing vocalist Maria Doyle, they became Hothouse mowers and landed a regular gig at the Magic Carpet Club just outside Dublin. Their notoriety spreading, they were highly praised in Rolling Stones magazine before they had even secured a recording contract. An appearance on RTE's Late Show led to the issue of a single on U2's Mother label. "Love Don't Work That Way" in 1987 and though it was not a great success it brought them to the attention of London Records, who signed them up. Their debut single, "Don't Go," was a #11 UK hit. Their best selling debut album, People, reached #2 in the UK charts. In 1995, O Maonlai formed a side project, Alt, with Andy White and Tim Finn. Hothouse Flowers returned in 1998 with Born.

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