Larry Kirwan

Who is Larry Kirwan?

Larry Kirwan is an expatriate Irish writer and musician, most noted as the lead singer for the New York-based Irish rock band, Black 47.

Prior to Black 47, Kirwan and fellow Wexfordian Pierce Turner were the house band in Malachy McCourt's Bells of Hell in Greenwich Village. Their music was a blend of folk, trad, progressive rock, Celtic rock and punk. The group was one of the few groups banned from CBGB's. In the words of Hilly Kristal they were "too demonic". They then led the new wave band Major Thinkers for some years. Their song: Avenue B became a radio hit whereupon they were signed to Epic-Portrait Records. They recorded an album: Terrible Beauty, that was never released and after a performance in Irving Plaza on St. Patrick's Day 1985 they disbanded.

Kirwan has also written and produced eleven plays and musicals, some of which have been performed in the United States and Europe. The plays deal mainly with Irish history and politics. The most popular is Liverpool Fantasy. Five of the plays: Liverpool Fantasy, Days of Rage, Mister Parnell, Blood and Night in the Garden are published in the book, Mad Angels. Kirwan is presently working on a musical: Transport, with Australian author Thomas Keneally.