The Wolfe Tones announce 60th anniversary gig in Cork ahead of retirement
Brian Warfield, Tommy Byrne and Noel Nagle of the Wolfe Tones. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ RollingNews.ie
Almost a year on from setting records at Electric Picnic, The Wolfe Tones will take to the stage for a stadium concert in Cork.
The band, who announced their retirement plans late last year, will play Musgrave Park on Saturday, June 29. It will likely be their final concert in the Rebel County.
Band members Brian Warfield, Tommy Byrne, and Noel Nagle will mark six decades of making music with anniversary gigs in Dublin and Belfast as well as this new Cork date before the trio calls it a day.
They will be joined by a host of familiar faces for their 60th anniversary celebration in Cork, including the Sharon Shannon Big Band, The Scratch, and Ispíní na hÉireann.
Tickets will go on sale this Friday at 9am from Ticketmaster, with the MCD presale starting from 9am this Wednesday.
*** MAJOR SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT - CORK! ***
— The Wolfe Tones 🇮🇪 (@wolfetones) January 29, 2024
The Wolfe Tones' 60th Anniversary Concert
Plus Special Guests The Sharon Shannon Big Band / The Scratch / Ispiní na hÉireann
VIRGIN MEDIA PARK, CORK!
Sat 29th June 2024 - Subject to Licence
On Sale Fri 2nd Feb, 9AM, https://t.co/bIV7s16wC6 pic.twitter.com/0WEQTkyE4U
Last year, Byrne said he and his fellow band members agreed on the decision to retire, saying it was sparked by the prospect of his own milestone 80th birthday in 2024.
“I brought this motion to Brian and Noel and they agreed. To go out on a high like this would be a great tribute to the band,” he said.
Byrne added Warfield “would like to go on with The Wolfe Tones until he drops.”
Warfield added: “I’d rather die on stage than in a nursing home, but I respect Tommy's decision. It's probably the right thing to do.”
In a career spanning from 1964 to the present day, the group is known for ballads like Grace and Celtic Symphony. From 1964 to 2001, Warfield’s brother Derek was also a band member.
In the past, the Wolfe Tones have come under criticism for pro-IRA chants from fans attending their gigs.
Other acts performing at Musgrave Park this summer include Picture This, Cian Ducrot, Crowded House & The Waterboys, Sting & Blondie, Take That, and Becky Hill.
