After almost a year away from the showbiz scene, the six Willoughby Brothers from Coolboy, Co Wicklow, are back on the concert circuit. And they are raring to go as they bring their new show to audiences in Castlebar, Drogheda, Mullingar and Cashel.

While Des continued his solo career, teaming up with Mary Byrne for a number of shows countrywide, some of the other brothers were busy on the family circuit over the last year.

“It was hard to keep up with them,” says Des. “Yes, it was a pretty hectic time for them alright.

“Johnny and Michelle had a baby girl and Sammy and Annie had a baby boy. Robbie got engaged to Ellie and Jerome to Emma, so you can see why there were so many celebrations in the last year.

“Jerome even won an All-Ireland junior doubles handball title (40 x 20) (along with Keith Kavanagh) last week. All six of us hold all-Ireland titles, while four have world titles. I don’t get much time anymore to go into the ball alley but the sport has been very good to us.”

Richie, Des, Sammy, Robbie, Johnny and Jerome have a great passion for singing and an infectious presence on stage that creates a great bond with their audiences. Their fondness and appreciation for music was nurtured by their parents Richard and Breda.

Back in the 1970s and into the ’80s, Richard and Breda had a popular country band called The Moonsiders, who played at dances across the Leinster and midlands region.

In 1990, Breda was diagnosed with breast cancer and died at the age of 38, leaving the young family of six boys relying on the strength of their father and the support of family and friends. The youngest, Jerome, was just three, while the eldest, Richie, was only 15.

“While our own concert shows feature various genres, we were well used to the country singers as children. I remember TR Dallas calling to our house back then. Today, we know him as a colleague on the circuit. We have made lots of friends in various avenues of the music scene since we started doing our own shows,” says Des.

Their current album, Irish Heart, is a showcase for the kind of material they feature in their shows – a blend of Irish ballads, popular classics and contemporary songs.

The title track was written by country singer Derek Ryan. Another, Our Mother Our Friend, was composed by Michael English. The album was produced by Phil Coulter.

Des, who was recipient of the vocalist of the year accolade at the recent Irish Country Sound entertainment awards night in the Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone, says they are delighted to be together again for these concerts.

“The lads are all refreshed and delighted to be back on the road. We have great fun and laughs together. All of us bring our own style and strengths to the shows and we find it easy to establish a happy rapport with our audiences from the outset.”

America is calling again at the end of November when The Willoughby Brothers return for a series of 14 theatre shows in New York, Boston, Cleveland, and along the East Coast of the USA.

“This will be our third trip to America and we are all looking forward to it. The Irish-American audiences are warm-natured and have been so kind to us on our previous tours. Songs like Boolavogue and Danny Boy always get a wonderful response,” reflects Des.

• You can see The Willoughby Brothers in the Royal Theatre, Castlebar, on Friday, 17 April; TLT, Drogheda, on Saturday 2 May; Mullingar Park Hotel on Saturday 9 May; and the Brú Ború, Cashel, on Friday 15 May. All shows start at 8pm and tickets are now available from the venues.

• For more news on the tour, visit the willoughbybrothers.com.