Dublin Legend Paul Watchorn: ‘Life on Tour Feels Like Home’
It’s a busy Tuesday for Paul Watchorn. In a few days, he will fly to Amsterdam to begin an extensive European tour with The Dublin Legends, the successors of The Dubliners, who changed their name after the passing of the last original member, Barney McKenna. Fourteen shows are scheduled this year just in one country alone, and the excitement in his voice is clear. ‘I’m trying to get everything ready before the trip,’ he laughs over the phone from Ireland.
For Watchorn, this part of Europe has become more than just another stop on the tour. ‘The people are always so kind, and they really appreciate the music,’ he says openly. ‘They’ve followed us for so many years. They love to sing along with the songs.’
A Home Away From Home
That appreciation is mutual. Watchorn knows the region like the back of his hand. ‘There aren’t many places I haven’t been to,’ he laughs. ‘Sometimes, after all these years, you forget the names, but if someone mentions a place, I think, “Oh yes, I’ve been there!”‘
Recently, he performed solo at a festival, and he looks forward to the many other stages he has come to know over the years. ‘I do a lot of solo shows alongside the work with the guys,’ he explains. ‘It’s nice to do your own shows, where you can share stories about playing with Luke Kelly and Ronnie Drew, and everything that goes along with that.’
Dublin Legends
The current lineup of The Dublin Legends consists of an experienced group of musicians, each bringing their own speciality. Alongside Watchorn himself on vocals, banjo, and guitar, the band includes Seán Cannon on vocals, guitar, and octave mandola, Gerry O’Connor on Irish tenor banjo and fiddle, and Shay Kavanagh on guitar and vocals. It is this combination of experience and musical diversity that gives the band its unique sound.
For this tour, the band invited a special guest artist: Phelim Drew, the son of the legendary Dubliners frontman Ronnie Drew. Phelim Drew is a singer, songwriter, and actor who has appeared in films such as My Left Foot, Into The West, Angela’s Ashes, and the Irish soap Fair City. As the recognisable son of a legendary musician, he knows he has big shoes to fill, but his shows celebrating his father are consistently sold out across Ireland.
For Paul Watchorn himself, saying ‘yes’ in 2014 was not difficult when the band asked him to replace his brother, Patsy Watchorn. ‘It was an honour, of course!’ admits Paul. ‘And I’d known the band for years. Our families had been friends for a long time, and all these men feel like family as well.’ That sense of Irish connection is what makes the band so strong.
The Stories Behind the Music
Those stories are an essential part of Watchorn’s performances. ‘I love telling the stories behind the songs,’ he says. ‘The songs we sing are stories, and most of them are probably true. That’s the beauty of Irish music: they are real stories.’
Watchorn now lives in western Ireland, where the Irish language is still spoken and tradition and music go hand in hand. ‘It’s always been this way,’ he says. ‘Music is passed down from generation to generation. People play music and sing—it’s just part of the culture.’
From 1962 to Now
The Dubliners began their journey in 1962, and since then, they’ve built generations of fans. ‘People have known these songs for years,’ Watchorn says. ‘They’ve been singing along since The Dubliners started. Even older people know the songs now, and what’s remarkable is that the younger generation loves them too.’
That timeless appeal of Irish music continues to fascinate him. ‘It just keeps going,’ he says. ‘As long as people keep coming and singing along, we’ll keep playing the songs.’
A Homecoming in Dublin
After a European tour through various countries, the journey traditionally ends where it began: home in Dublin, at the prestigious Vicar Street. ‘It’s nice to finish at home,’ Watchorn explains. ‘It’s a familiar venue where everyone has played. With around 1,400 to 1,500 seats, it’s always sold out when we return.’
The homecoming show is more than just a concert: it’s a reunion. ‘We do this for our local fans who love us, and of course for the people in Dublin. It’s something we’ve done since we started.’
Rituals and Routines
Despite a life on the road, Watchorn remains surprisingly grounded and sticks to his daily rituals. ‘A bowl of cornflakes, a sandwich, and a banana. That’s what I eat every morning, and it never changes.’ It’s a small glimpse into the man behind the music: consistent and reliable, someone who seeks stability in the little things while the rest of his life is anything but predictable.
With his openness and authenticity, Paul Watchorn, along with The Dublin Legends, has built a bridge between Ireland and the rest of Europe. As he himself says: ‘It’s just a short flight, and that’s fantastic.’
Photos (c) Marcel Hakvoort
Dublin Legends 2025 Tour:
Fri – Sep 26, 2025 Katwijk, Netherlands, Tripodia
Sat – Sep 27, 2025 Scherpenheuvel, Belgium, Den Egger
Sun – Sep 28, 2025 Sneek, Netherlands, Theater Sneek
Wed – Oct 01, 2025 Zwolle, Netherlands, Hedon
Thu – Oct 02, 2025 Haarlem, Netherlands, Patronaat
Fri – Oct 03, 2025 Sittard, Netherlands, Volt
Sat – Oct 04, 2025 Middelburg, Netherlands, Oostkerk
Sun – Oct 05, 2025 Antwerp, Belgium, Stadsschouwburg
Mon – Oct 06, 2025 Utrecht, Netherlands, TivoliVredenburg
Tue – Oct 07, 2025 Groningen, Netherlands, Oosterpoort
Thu – Oct 09, 2025 Eindhoven, Netherlands, Muziekgebouw
Fri – Oct 10, 2025 Harderwijk, Netherlands, Podium Het Garnizoen
Sat – Oct 11, 2025 Aalten, Netherlands, Westendorp
Thu – Oct 23, 2025 Holbæk, Denmark, Sidesporet
Fri – Oct 24, 2025 Knebel, Denmark, Fuglsøcentret
Sun – Oct 26, 2025 Næstved, Denmark, Grønnegade Kasserne
Wed – Nov 12, 2025 Rubigen, Switzerland, Muhle Hunziken
Sun – Nov 16, 2025 Shaffhausen, Switzerland, Kammgarn
Wed – Nov 19, 2025 St. Pölten, Austria, Bühne im Hof
Thu – Nov 20, 2025 Oslip, Austria, Cselley Mühle
Fri – Nov 21, 2025 Traun, Austria, Spinnerei
Sat – Nov 22, 2025 Vienna, Austria, Metropol
Sun – Nov 23, 2025 Vienna, Austria, Metropol
Wed – Nov 26, 2025 Salzburg, Austria, Rockhouse
Thu – Nov 27, 2025 Munich, Germany, Technicum
Fri – Nov 28, 2025 Frankfurt, Germany, Jahrhunderthalle
Sat – Nov 29, 2025 Stuttgart, Germany, Hegelsaal
Mon – Dec 01, 2025 Düsseldorf, Germany, Savoy Theatre
Tue – Dec 02, 2025 Berlin, Germany, Passionskirche
Wed – Dec 03, 2025 Hamburg, Germany, Laeiszhalle
Thu – Dec 04, 2025 Lübeck, Germany, Kolosseum
Sat – Dec 06, 2025 Bochum, Germany, Christuskirche
Sun – Dec 28, 2025 Dublin, Ireland, Vicar Street
