By David Hennessy
Thousands of people chanted and sang along to the Wolfe Tones in Finsbury Park in north London, including slogans and choruses that would have once been provocative or troublesome.
The Wolfe Tones say they are bowing out after this year of farewell concerts.
The event on Friday 5 July – with support from The Undertones, The High Kings, the Sharon Shannon Big Band, The Scratch, Brògeal and Niall McNamee – was, they say, their very last UK show.
Heavy rain failed to dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm.
They were there to say goodbye to Brian Warfield, 78, Tommy Byrne, 80, and Noel Nagle, 79, after more than 60 years together.
Undertones lead singer Paul McLoone told the crowd they had ‘guaranteed sunshine’ to look forward to in The Wolfe Tones.
The Derry band also paid tribute to the late Mean Fiddler music promoter Vince Power who organised many big events, including The Fleadhs and The Feis in Finsbury Park.
Taking to the stage at around 9pm, The Wolfe Tones started their set with My Heart is in Ireland.
Brian Warfield told The Irish World: “The Irish diaspora across the world have always been massive supporters of The Wolfe Tones, and no greater support was had than from the Irish in Britain.
“I wrote ‘My Heart is in Ireland’ as a tribute to the Irish in England, Scotland and Wales. The London Irish hold a very special place in our hearts, there are too many shows to mention but the great nights in The National in Kilburn will never be forgotten.”
Among the many special guests was Imelda May who took to the stage to sing Grace with the band.
Another guest was Siobhan Warfield who joined the group for the song Margaret Skinnider about the only woman shot in the 1916 Rising.
From the stage Brian Warfield told the crowd, “Thank you one and all, I couldn’t say anymore from the bottom of my heart, I give you all my love and everything that we have to give you and I mean it most sincerely and that comes from everybody here on this stage.”
Introducing another song, he said: “One of the great songs we had and one of the great things that happened to the Wolfe Tones is that this song was voted number one song of the millennium, over six million votes for the Wolfe Tones. Not bad, not bad, not bad.
“The BBC had a poll for the greatest song of the millennium – but do you know something? They didn’t get Rule Britannia, did they? What they got was A Nation Once Again.”
As the show neared its end Brian told the crowd: “After 60 years of travelling the world, travelling around every city in England, Scotland and Wales. After those 60 years, we thank you all and I can’t say it enough. I can’t say it enough but I wrote a little song to thank everybody for the 60 years that we’ve had together, 60 years that me and the audience and Tommy and Noel and Derek in the old days…”
After some chants from the crowd of Olé, Olé, Olé Brian continued: “It’s very sad for the Wolfe Tones after those 60 years but we don’t want to end up with a sadness or anything like that, I have a little song called Goodbye that I wrote for everybody here tonight and I mean it. I thank you all.”
Just before they finished with Celtic Symphony Brian said: “It is a sad moment but we’re going to raise the roof – well, there’s no roof on this place, is there?
“They’re going to hear us all over London tonight, that’s for sure, we’re going to go out with a bang.”
And they did.
