Country duo Michael and Philomena O’Brien are celebrating 21 years on stage together. The Auburn Lodge Hotel in Ennis will host a special night to mark the occasion on Wednesday 30 October, and they will be joined by a number of guest performers for the big party.

Michael, who hails from Bodyke in east Clare, trained and qualified as a psychiatric nurse and served for some years in that profession before music became his life. He enjoyed writing songs and won a few of the regional song contests which were popular back in that era.

He came to national prominence in the mid-1980s when his recording of The Veil of White Lace became one of the most-requested country songs of the year. Soon after, Michael was touring Ireland with his own band and releasing albums on the top labels of the day.

Philomena (née McGovern) is from Swanlinbar, Co Cavan, a region where country music has had a strong tradition over the decades. During her school years she studied piano and guitar and from time to time played with many of her musical friends around Fermanagh and her native Cavan.

In the early 1990s, Philomena and her family moved to Galway where she got involved in the fashion business and was manageress of a popular boutique for many years. Her love of music was never far from the surface and soon she was doing a number of gigs in the region.

She recorded a 16-track album, I’ll Throw A Party, with many of the songs picking up extensive airplay. A-One Music, based in Glasgow, signed her to their record label. Not only were her songs featuring on the stations here in Ireland but also over in England and Scotland. In more recent times she has enjoyed success with Beyond the Sunset and In The Time That You Gave Me.

Back in 1998, Michael and Philomena teamed up to bring their stage show to venues around the country. A number of albums have been released over the last two decades while they have also undertaken numerous overseas trips, especially to Spain and Portugal as well as to Ibiza and the USA. They have featured as guest performers on a number of the cruise ship music tours.

The big night in the Auburn Lodge Hotel not only celebrates 21 years on stage together but also the release of Happy Times, a new 20-track album from Michael featuring a selection of favourite songs from over the years as well as some previously unreleased numbers.

Joining Michael and Philomena for this special night will be Pat McKenna, Carmel McLoughlin, Eddie Carey, Sabrina Fallon, Larry McEvoy, Aoife Leonard, Julie Healy, and the Michel Cahill Band. The compère is Mike Gardiner from ClareFM who has hosted a regular country show on the station over the last three decades.

Dancing starts at 9pm and further details can be had from the Auburn Lodge Hotel or michaelobrienmusic.com