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Barnbrack

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Barnbrack
OriginUnited Kingdom
GenresPop, folk
Years active1980s–2003; 2009–present
LabelsHomespun

Barnbrack is a Northern Irish male vocal/instrumental folk/pop group, with band members Alex Quinn, Jimmy McPeake and Eoin McMahon. The word 'barnbrack' is a play on the Anglicised Irish word "Barmbrack", a type of bread that contains fruit.[1] Barnbrack separated in 2003, after the premature death of Quinn's wife, Deirdre, aged 55.[2]

While Barnbrack has had many popular songs, such as "The Fly" and the "Unicorn Song", the band's only notable chart success was with a single called "Belfast", written by Lisburn-born man and band member Alex Quinn. The song described the feelings felt by an expatriate, who is planning to return to Ulster and the city he left behind.[3] The song was released on the Homespun label. It entered the UK Singles Chart on 16 March 1985, and reached no. 45; it was in the chart for several weeks.[4]

In 2009, the Belfast Telegraph reported that, after six years apart, the former members of the band were planning a reunion. The band is now back together and is currently touring Northern Ireland.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Terence Patrick Dolan (2004), A dictionary of Hiberno-English: the Irish use of English (2 ed.), Gill & Macmillan Ltd, ISBN 978-0-7171-3535-6, retrieved 3 August 2009
  2. ^ [1] Archived May 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Lyrics: Belfast". Soundclick.com. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  4. ^ Rice, Tim; Rice, Jonathan; Gambaccini, Paul (1990), Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness World Records and Guinness Publishing, ISBN 0-85112-398-8
  5. ^ McIlwaine, Eddie (21 July 2009). "Barnbrack set for big time again with comeback". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 19 February 2013.