Album Notes

"Don't bother to tarry in America, go straight to Butte," was the call of many an Irish hardrock miner to his relatives back in Ireland.

Most of Butte's Irish came from West Ireland, predominately County Cork, but thousands immigrated from Co. Mayo and Donegal as well. David Emmons, author of The Butte Irish, writes that by 1900, Butte had 12,000 residents of Irish descent in a population of 47,635. A quarter of the population was Irish, a higher percentage than any other American city at the turn of the last century, including Boston.

Dublin Gulch has emerged as Butte and Montana's premier traditional Irish band. For the past eighteen years, Tom Powers has led the group with his passionate and pure vocal prowess. Multi-instrumentalist Mick Cavanaugh adds his stellar whistle, banjo, mandolin, and guitar virtuosity to the mix. Jim Schulz provides driving rhythm support with guitar, bouzouki, and mandolin as well as harmony vocals. Fiddler and banjoist John Joyner completes the group with his unique blend of Celtic, bluegrass, jazz, and old-timey sensibilities. It all adds up to an orchestra of the best that Irish music has to offer!