Barnbrack

Barnbrack
Origin	Belfast, Northern Ireland
Genres	Pop, folk
Years active	1984–2003; 2009–present
Labels	Homespun
Members	Alex Quinn
Past members	Jimmy McPeake Eoin McMahon

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

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. 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.