Con O’Brien of The Irish Descendants

It’s a bit ironic that the Newfoundland cod moratorium helped expose the songs of fishing communities to the rest of the world. Con O’Brien and the original members of The Irish Descendants were all working in the fishing industry when they started playing together. And after the collapse of the cod stocks in 1992, the members moved full time into the music industry. An international recording contract helped them become the first Newfoundland band to record a compact disc and paved the way for others like Great Big Sea. O’Brien and The Irish Descendants will be performing at the Light House Arts Centre in Halifax on Saint Patrick’s Day. This is a brief history of the band from the man who calls himself the bands lowest common denominator.