The Wolfe Tones

The Wolfe Tones take over 3Arena, North Wall Quay, Dublin 1, on 4 July 2026. Formed in 1963 in Dublin’s Bluebell, the group forged a distinct Irish ballad sound that mixes acoustic folk, traditional airs, historical ballads and rebel songs, at times edged with folk-rock. The current trio of Brian Warfield, Noel Nagle and Tommy Byrne carries on a long-running story that began with early members Liam Courtney and Derek Warfield, before settling into this formation in 2001.

On stage, their repertoire blends original songwriting with pieces drawn from the Irish popular canon, circling themes of emigration, national identity and collective memory. The set can reach across six decades of albums, from The Foggy Dew and Let the People Sing to A Sense of Freedom, You’ll Never Beat the Irish, Child of Destiny and The Dublin Rebellion 1916. Harmony vocals, whistles, strings and steady rhythms keep the focus on the storytelling, with melodies shaped by the pulse of traditional music.