After the final incarnation of
Planxty ended in early 2005, Irvine, Lunny, and
Liam O'Flynn created a new quartet called
LAPD, with the addition of
Paddy Glackin.[1] When O'Flynn resigned, McGoldrick and Doyle joined the remaining three members of LAPD to form Usher's Island (a reference to the
Dublin quay).[2][3] Between them, they play the following instruments:
In 2016, they played at The Gathering traditional festival in
Killarney, on 20 February.[10] In April, they embarked on a short tour of Ireland, starting with a concert during the Imagining Home centenary celebrations at the
National Concert Hall in Dublin on 3 April,[11][12] followed by additional gigs in
Belfast,[13] Letterkenny,[14]Galway[15][16] and
Dungarvan.[17] On 20 August 2016, the group performed at the
FolkEast festival in Suffolk, England,[18] and at the Irish Festival of
Oulu, Finland, on 9 October.[19]
In 2017, Usher's Island played a sold-out concert in Paris on 15 March at the Centre Culturel Irlandais (Irish Cultural Centre) and also performed at the festival D’ici et d’ailleurs, organised by Les Bords de Scènes in
Juvisy-sur-Orge the next day.[20] The group then delivered three performances in
Kilkenny (17 March),[21]Cork (18 March),[22] and at
Vicar Street in Dublin during
St Patrick's Festival (19 March).[23]
Recording
Usher's Island released their debut, eponymous album in March 2017, on the independent label
Vertical Records.
^Irvine, Andy (17 January 2015).
"Andy having the craic half a century on"(text) (Interview). Interviewed by Brian Campbell. Ireland: The Irish News. Retrieved 2 April 2017.