The Fureys

The Fureys

The Fureys are an Irish folk band from Ireland. The group first performs and records as The Fureys & Davey Arthur with family friend Davey Arthur, before the name later shortens to The Fureys after Arthur stops performing with the band.

Background and early line-ups

Before 1976, two of the Furey brothers tour as a duo, Finbar & Eddie Furey. Paul Furey also performs with brother George, Davey Arthur and Brendan Leeson in The Buskers. Both line-ups take part in the Irish Folk Festival tour through Germany, first in 1974, where they appear as The Furey Brothers and later as The Furey Family. In the latter group, the brothers are joined by their father Ted Furey, a well-known fiddler.

Success as The Fureys & Davey Arthur

The Fureys & Davey Arthur achieve their biggest commercial success in 1981 with the single “When You Were Sweet Sixteen”, which becomes an international hit and reaches No. 14 in the UK, No. 1 in Ireland and No. 9 in Australia. “The Green Fields of France” also reaches No. 1 in Ireland and remains in the singles chart for 28 weeks. The group also has two Top 40 British albums, Golden Days and At the End of the Day.

Changes in membership

Davey Arthur leaves the band in 1992 to pursue a solo career, although he later returns for a number of tours and recordings until a stroke in 2014. Finbar Furey leaves in 1996 to begin his own solo career. Eddie and George Furey continue touring with Davey Arthur in Ireland, the UK and across Europe. Paul Furey dies suddenly in 2002.