Off to Dublin in the Green

When i first found this LP and posted it on ICFC, I knew nothing of the Dublin Rogues. I tried researching them as best I could, but their names (Shay Duffin and Brian Brennan) are not exactly unique enough to get a lot out of google that was very reliable. Luckily, Mr. Brian Brennan found us, and we had a great email exchange.

According to Mr. Brennan, "Duffin and I met in Vancouver in 1966. I was a recent immigrant from Ireland, and he was already established in the local music scene. He worked as an upholsterer during the day (he claimed to have once upholstered a toilet seat in Princess Margaret’s Kensington Palace apartment!) and moonlighted as an Irish tenor who could hit all the high notes of Danny Boy and Macushla. He needed a regular piano player, and I happened to be available. I think the fact that I was Irish helped me more than my rudimentary prowess on the keyboards. The name, Dublin Rogues, was chosen by our agent, Ben Kopelow of Pacific Show Productions. He first wanted to call us the Irish Rovers, only to discover that the name was already taken. We quit our day jobs in 1967 when we were hired as summer entertainers at the Palace Grand Theatre in Dawson City . We then relocated to Toronto, where we figured there would be a big demand for Irish folk music. We spent the next year on the road, mainly in Atlantic Canada."

"The duo disbanded in mid-1968 after we had recorded two albums for RCA. The second was titled Roamin’ and Wanderin’. Duffin continued to work for a while with two other musicians as “Shay Duffin and the Dublin Rogues.” Then he developed a one-man theatrical show, “Shay Duffin as Brendan Behan: Confessions of an Irish Rebel,” based on the life of the boozy Irish playwright. He toured the show across Canada and the United States, and eventually he settled in Los Angeles, where he has worked in television and movies. His credits include Raging Bull, Titanic and Seabiscuit. If you Google him, you’ll find more."

(Note: It's true, check out his write-up on IMDB ).

"I, Brennan, left the full-time music business behind, went into journalism, and worked at the Calgary Herald for 25 years as a staff writer and columnist. I quit in 1999 to focus on writing books. If you click on my website and blog links, you’ll get more. I still play piano semi-professionally. I am the lead voice on the song “Courtin’ in the Kitchen” that you have posted on your website."

During our email exchange, one anecdote in particular was quite amusing:

"On one occasion, we played a charity concert in Halifax with a number of other artists, including Tommy Hunter and the Rhythm Pals, then well-known from television. While Duffin and I were backstage waiting to go on, I spoke to a young woman who was going to be performing just before us. “What’s your name and what do you do?” I asked. “My name is Anne Murray,” she replied. “I do a bit of singing.”"

Not bad, eh? Big thanks to Mr. Brennan for getting in touch with us. It's always a pleasure to hear from people and listen to their stories.

From the LP "Off to Dublin on the Green" as pictured above, here are some of the original liner notes, and two song samples:

"The Dublin Rogues, featured in this album, are two Dublin men called Shay Duffin and Brian Brennan who have made their homes in Canada. It has been said about these two young men that if their night-club act were any more Irish they would require an interpreter.

Shay, the lead singer of the duo, is the third youngest of eleven children. He came to Canada in 1960 and within a short time established himself as a very versatile performer. he won the best actor award in the British Columbia Drama Festival, after which he appeared in the Canadian television series "The Littlest Hobo", and also in the movie "The Trap" with Oliver Reed and Rita Tushingham. His fine lyrical voice earned him a role in the Vancouver International Festival's production of "The Most Happy Fella" with Robert Weede and Gerry Orbach, and also gained him a season in the CBC television network production "Chorus Gentleman" in 1966.

In addition to his acting and singing ability, Shay has also shown himself to be a very successful night club entertainer. With his droll Irish humour and comedy songs he has become one of the most sought-after performers on the west coast.

Brian, the musician of the duo, plays piano, accordion, organ and 12-string guitar. Not content with that, he also has the audacity to sing. He arrived in Canada in 1966, having gained tremendous popularity in the variety and television field in Ireland as a musician, parody writer, and general all round entertainer... A week after his arrival in Vancouver, he met Shay, who was performing at the time in the famous Cave Theatre Restaurant. Following a long chat backstage after the show, a friendship was made which led to the forming of the Dublin Rogues."
-Kevin McGowan