The Mary Wallopers

Based in Dundalk, Ireland, The Mary Wallopers formed around brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy and their friend Sean McKenna, first as an acoustic trio revisiting the repertoire of traditional Irish ballads in local pubs. The band sits squarely in the folk and trad vein, driven by communal vocals, a straight-ahead delivery, and arrangements built around guitars, banjo, and tavern tunes, with lyrics that blend popular tales, social commentary, and dry humor. From homemade videos and sessions, The Mary Wallopers drew an online following that later turned out for tours in Ireland, the UK, and then across Europe, while the lineup gradually expanded on stage with additional players. Their debut EP, A Mouthful of The Mary Wallopers, arrived in 2019, followed by the self-titled album The Mary Wallopers in 2022 and Irish Rock ’n’ Roll in 2023, furthering their reworking of traditional songs alongside original compositions. During the pandemic, the band staged livestreamed concerts from their Dundalk base, deepening the community roots and the living-room aesthetic that define The Mary Wallopers’ world.