‘They don't like the Wolfe Tones' – Brian Warfield takes swipe at RTÉ during Thomond Park gig

Sunday World

3 days ago

Thomond Park is the last stop on the band's Final Farewell tour before they retire after more than 60 years performing together.
Brian Warfield of The Wolfe Tones performing at the Electric Picnic in 2023. Photo: Kieran Frost/Redferns
Brian Warfield of the Wolfe Tones has taken a parting swipe at RTÉ during one of the band's farewell shows.
The long-running rebel music group played the first of two nights at Limerick's Thomond Park on Friday, with the second night scheduled for Sunday.
Thomond Park is the last stop on the band's Final Farewell tour before they retire after more than 60 years performing together.
During Friday night's performance, lead vocalist Warfield made a statement about the national broadcaster's treatment of the Wolfe Tones.
'They don't like the Wolfe Tones, do they? You don't hear them on RTÉ,' he told the audience.
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"They don't play our music on RTÉ. We have been blacklisted since Section 31, when Conor Cruise O'Brien brought in that awful, awful legislation to blacklist the Wolfe Tones all over the place.'
Warfield was referring to Section 31 of the Broadcasting Authority Act, which was introduced during the Troubles to restrict those associated with paramilitary organisations from the airwaves.
Warfield has long spoken about not having their music played on the radio going back to Section 31 being introduced in 1971.
"We're retiring this year, we don't give a sh*t,' Warfield said.'Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, they can blacklist us all they like now, we don't care.'
He said the band are very proud they 'put up a great fight against RTÉ'.
"Their blacklisting of the Wolfe Tones, we're very proud of that. And that's a fight, and that was something not just for us, but for future generations coming along, and that's the important thing.'
After Warfield's statement, the band headed into a rendition of their song The Streets of New York.
Friday night's Wolfe Tones concert was added as an extra date after the Sunday night show sold out. A crowd of 29,000 concert-goers is expected for the second night.