Barry Devlin
Barry Devlin (born 27 November 1946) is an Irish musician, songwriter, screenwriter, and director from Ardboe, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.[1] He is best known as the bassist, vocalist, and a founding member of the pioneering Celtic rock band Horslips, which he co-formed in 1970 and with which he toured extensively across Ireland and Europe until the band's initial disbandment in 1980, followed by reunions in later decades.[2] In addition to his music career, Devlin has made significant contributions to television and film as a writer and director, including penning the screenplay for the BBC One drama series My Mother and Other Strangers (2016–2017), which draws on wartime events and post-war community experiences from his childhood in rural Northern Ireland.[3] Devlin grew up in a close-knit family as the only boy among six sisters—Anne, Marie, Polly, Valerie, Claire, and Helen—in Ardboe, a parish on the western shore of Lough Neagh. His father Tommy was a shop owner and Tyrone Gaelic footballer; many locals relied on eel fishing for livelihood.[4][1] His mother, Eileen, was a teacher, and the family home was near a former USAAF airfield that influenced local stories and his later writing.[3] Notably, his older sister Marie was married to the Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney from 1965 until Heaney's death in 2013.[4] After spending over four years training as a Columban priest, Devlin pursued music and the arts, eventually marrying actress and producer Caroline Erskine in 1982.[5][6] In his screenwriting career, Devlin contributed episodes to popular series such as Ballykissangel and The Darling Buds of May, and in the 1980s, he directed music videos for U2.[2] His work often reflects themes from his Tyrone upbringing, blending personal history with broader cultural narratives, as seen in My Mother and Other Strangers, which explores the impact of American servicemen on a Northern Irish community during the war.[3] Devlin's multifaceted career has earned him recognition in both Irish music and media circles, with Horslips' innovative fusion of rock, folk, and Celtic mythology leaving a lasting legacy on the genre.[2]Early life and education
Upbringing in Northern Ireland
Barry Devlin was born on 27 November 1946 in Moortown, Ardboe, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He grew up in a rural Catholic family as the only son among six sisters—Anne, Marie, Polly, Valerie, Claire, and Helen—with his mother, Eileen, working as a teacher and his father, Tommy, owning a local shop and having played Gaelic football for Tyrone. The family's home was situated in the flat alluvial lands along the western shore of Lough Neagh, a region where fishing, particularly for eels, was a primary livelihood for much of the parish.[4][3] Devlin's early years were shaped by the rich tapestry of Irish folklore and traditions in the Ardboe community, including local stories passed down through generations and the prominence of the ninth-century Ardboe High Cross, a remnant of early Christian heritage. Music played a central role in family life, with traditional Irish songs from the Lough Neagh area frequently heard around the home, fostering his lifelong appreciation for Celtic musical roots. These cultural elements were intertwined with the strong religious ethos of the rural Catholic parish, where centuries-old customs and community gatherings reinforced a sense of identity and continuity.[3][7] Inspired by his family's devout values and the pervasive religious culture of mid-20th-century Northern Ireland, Devlin developed an initial interest in the priesthood during his teenage years, reflecting the era's emphasis on clerical vocations among Catholic youth. This period coincided with the socio-political tensions of post-World War II Northern Ireland, marked by the lingering effects of partition, economic hardship in rural areas, and the presence of British military airfields nearby, such as the former USAAF Station 238 at Cluntoe, which brought American servicemen into contact with local communities until the RAF's withdrawal in 1955. Amid these influences, Devlin's exposure to traditional Irish music deepened through informal settings like pub gatherings, where locals shared songs amid the backdrop of emerging sectarian divides.[8][9][3]University studies and early professions
Barry Devlin studied English literature at University College Dublin (UCD), earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1968 and a Master of Arts in 1969. During this period, he also trained to become a Columban priest at St. Columban's College (Dalgan Park) in Navan, County Meath, Ireland, where he spent approximately four years studying philosophy and theology as part of the preparation for missionary work; he was one of six students selected from the seminary to study at UCD.[9][10] He was drawn to the academic rigor of the seminary but ultimately experienced a crisis of faith, leading him to leave before ordination in the early 1970s.[11] This decision marked a pivotal shift away from religious vocation toward secular education and creative pursuits. After leaving the seminary, Devlin transitioned into the professional world of advertising and visual arts in Dublin, joining Ark Advertising in 1970 as a copywriter.[12] In this role, he crafted scripts and promotional content for clients, honing skills in concise narrative and visual communication within a creative agency environment that emphasized graphic design and media production. While working at Ark, Devlin also dabbled in music as a personal interest, occasionally playing bass and experimenting with songwriting alongside colleagues, though these activities remained secondary to his day job at the time.[13][14]Musical career
Role in Horslips
Barry Devlin co-founded the Irish band Horslips in Dublin in 1970, initially as a fictional group for a Harp Lager television advertisement, which evolved into a real ensemble blending rock music with Irish traditional elements.[15][16] As the band's bassist, lead vocalist, and frontman, Devlin played a central role in shaping its sound and stage presence from the outset, contributing to the group's emergence as pioneers of the Celtic rock genre.[17][13] During Horslips' active years from 1972 to 1980, Devlin was instrumental in the band's songwriting and performances, with key albums including the debut Happy to Meet, Sorry to Part (1972), the concept album The Táin (1973)—inspired by the Irish epic Táin Bó Cúailnge—and Dancehall Sweethearts (1974), which showcased a mix of folk-infused rock tracks.[15][16] He received songwriting credits for notable tracks such as "Trouble (with a Capital T)" from the 1976 album The Book of Invasions: A Celtic Symphony, a song that became a live staple and highlighted the band's satirical edge on social issues.[17][13] The group toured extensively across Ireland, the UK, Europe, and North America, performing over 2,000 concerts and gaining a devoted following through energetic live shows that fused traditional Irish instruments like the fiddle and uilleann pipes with electric rock instrumentation.[15][13] Horslips, under Devlin's influence, played a pivotal role in pioneering Celtic rock, revitalizing Irish cultural identity amid the socio-political tensions of the 1970s, including the Troubles in Northern Ireland, by making traditional music accessible and exciting to younger audiences.[16][13] Devlin later reflected that the band "changed for ever how people felt about their own culture," energizing a sense of national pride through their innovative fusion.[13] The band's initial run concluded with its breakup in 1980, driven by internal creative differences and external challenges such as the rise of punk rock, which shifted musical trends away from their style.[15][17]Solo album and U2 collaborations
Following the breakup of Horslips in 1980, Barry Devlin pursued independent musical projects, beginning with the production of early demo recordings for the emerging Irish rock band U2. In November 1978, while Horslips were still active, Devlin produced a session for U2 at Keystone Studios in Dublin, capturing raw versions of songs such as "Street Mission," "The Fool," and "Shadows and Tall Trees," which helped shape the band's initial sound during their formative years.[18][17] Devlin's primary solo endeavor came in 1983 with the release of Breaking Star Codes, a concept album issued on the Starcode imprint through RTÉ Records as a vinyl LP (catalog BDLP 1 / RTÉ 79) and cassette (RTEC 79). The album comprises 12 tracks, each loosely inspired by one of the zodiac signs, exploring themes of fate, personality, and cosmic relationships in a soft rock style with Celtic undertones. Production was handled by Devlin himself at Lombard Studios in Dublin, with engineering by Brian Masterson; it featured contributions from former Horslips keyboardist Jim Lockhart on flute, whistle, and string arrangements, alongside musicians including bassist Steve Travers (on four tracks), drummer Liam Genockey (on four tracks), guitarist Greg Boland, and composer Roger Doyle on keyboards. The distinctive cover artwork was designed by renowned illustrator Roger Dean, known for his work with progressive rock acts like Yes. The tracklist is as follows:- Twins (Gemini)
- Who Can Tame The Lion? (Leo)
- It's The Cruellest Sign (Virgo)
- Remember You're A Winner (Aries)
- When Two Stars Collide (Sagittarius)
- Just Another Line (Pisces)
- Let The Scales Decide (Libra)
- December 21 (Capricorn)
- The Stars Said (Taurus)
- Remember A Star (Cancer)
- Aquarian Girls (Aquarius)
- Love With A Sting In Its Tail (Scorpio)