Thomas Sheridan and John James (Jimmy) Swarbrigg are Irish

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 music promoters

Promoter (entertainment)

An entertainment promoter i.e. music, wrestling, boxing etc is a person or company in the business of marketing and promoting live events such as concerts/gigs, boxing matches, sports entertainment , festivals, raves, and nightclubs.- Business model :Promoters are typically hired as independent...

 and former pop music

Pop music

Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

ians. As The Swarbriggs they represented Ireland at the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest with That's What Friends Are For

That's What Friends Are For (Eurovision song)

That's What Friends Are For was the Irish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1975, performed in English by The Swarbriggs.The song is an mid-tempo number, with the singers calling on their listeners to help each other in times of need, because "That's what friends are for"...

. As The Swarbriggs Plus Two, with Nicola Kerr and Alma Carroll, they competed again in 1977

Eurovision Song Contest 1977

The Eurovision Song Contest 1977 was the 22nd edition series, and was held on 7 May 1977 in London. With Angela Rippon as the presenter, the contest was won by Marie Myriam who represented France, with her song "L'oiseau et l'enfant" . This was France's fifth victory, a record, which was equalled...

 with It's Nice To Be In Love Again

It's Nice To Be In Love Again

"It's Nice to Be in Love Again" was the Irish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977, performed in English by The Swarbriggs Plus Two.The song is a moderately up-tempo number, with the band singing about the joy felt by someone in love again...

. The brothers wrote both songs.

From 1964, Tommy played trumpet

Trumpet

The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...

 with Joe Dolan

Joe Dolan

Joseph "Joe" Francis Robert Dolan was an Irish entertainer, recorder and singer of easy listening songs...

's showband, The Drifters (not to be confused with the American group

The Drifters

The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...

). In 1968 he and the other backing musicians left to form The Times Showband, with Jimmy added as vocalist. The brothers wrote their own compositions, unusual for a showband. By 1973 they had their own television show on Radio Telefís Éireann and worked independently of the showband, leaving altogether in 1975. In later years they had various business ventures, including promoting concerts in Ireland for various Irish and foreign artists, including Smokie

Smokie (band)

Smokie is an English rock band from Bradford, Yorkshire who found success in Europe in the 1970s.-Early years:Originally called The Yen, then The Sphynx and later Essence, the band was formed in 1964 at St. Bede's Grammar School in Heaton, Bradford as The Yen. The Yen's first gig was at Birkenshaw...

, Leo Sayer

Leo Sayer

Leo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s...

, The (American) Drifters, Jack L, Wolfe Tones

Wolfe Tones

The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band who incorporate elements of Irish traditional music in their songs. They are named after the Irish rebel and patriot Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double entendre that a wolf tone is a spurious sound...

, and Richie Kavanagh

Richie Kavanagh

Richie Kavanagh is an Irish entertainer who writes and performs his own songs. Famous for the song Aon Focal Eile, he now has a number of hits to his name...

. The brothers were attributed as the inspiration for the 'My Lovely Horse

My Lovely Horse

My Lovely Horse is a song featured in the hit comedy series Father Ted. It was written by Graham Linehan, Arthur Mathews and Neil Hannon , and appeared in the episode "A Song for Europe", in which Ted and Dougal sing it for Ireland at "A Song For Ireland" , a contest to determine who will represent...

' music video in the channel 4 television series Father Ted

Father Ted

Father Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...

.