Derek Warfield

20th and 21st century Irish singer

Derek Warfield (born 15 September 1943) is an Irish singer, songwriter, historian, and a former member of the musical group The Wolfe Tones.

Born in the Dublin suburb Inchicore, Warfield was educated at Synge Street CBS. He was apprenticed as a tailor until becoming a folk musician. He lives in Kilcock, County Kildare. On df=y 2006 3, Warfield's wife Nuala died, followed by the death of his eldest daughter on df=y 2007 9. As of July 2017, Derek had not spoken to his brother and former bandmate Brian Warfield since he left the Wolfe Tones in 2001, except when Joe Duffy unsuccesfuly tried to get them to resolve their differences on the radio show Liveline in 2009. He is a cousin of Sinn Féin Senator Fintan Warfield.

Derek Warfield is a singer, songwriter, mandolin player and a founding member of the Wolfe Tones, performing with the band for nearly thirty seven years, writing and recording over 60 songs. As a founding member of The Wolfe Tones he featured on every album recorded by the band from 1965's debut album The Foggy Dew through to 1989's 25th Anniversary. A solo album, Legacy was released in 1995 and was followed with Liberte' '98, Sons of Erin, Take Me Home To Mayo and Clear The Way. Warfield also has a video Legacy and two books, The Songs and Ballads of 1798 and The Irish Songster of the American Civil War. Warfield has performed his music and songs at American Civil War events and commemorations at such sites as Gettysburg, Sharpsburg and Harrisburg with his band, The Sons of Erin. Warfield's 2002 release, Clear the Way is the second in his Irish Songs in the Civil War series. The ballad "Take Me Home To Mayo", written by Belfastman Seamus Robinson as a tribute to Michael Gaughan, was recorded as a duet with Irish American Andy Cooney and is the title track of another 2002 Warfield release. In March 2006, Warfield released his ninth solo album, a 36 song double CD of Irish songs. In 2012, Warfield released an album called Bonnie Blue Flag, celebrating the Confederate Army and particularly the Irish people who fought to maintain the institution of Slavery in the United States. He now tours with his new band, Derek Warfield and The Young Wolfe Tones.

A biography of Robert Emmet in two volumes, although not written by Derek Warfield, has been published by him, and a collaboration with Raymond Daly of Tullamore has resulted in the publishing of a critically acclaimed book of lyrics and histories of Irish songs called Celtic and Ireland in Song and Story.