The Barleycorn was formed in 1971, in the North of Ireland and reined for
many years as the top rebel ballad group. The Barleycorn were far from a one-note
rebel band, as the group recorded a wide range of ballads and tunes, many reaching
the top of the Irish charts. The original group consisted of Paddy McGuigan,
Liam Tiernan, Brian McCormick
and John Delaney. Over the years the band saw many changes in its line-up, including stints
featuring Paddy Sweeney
and the late, great Derek
McCormack with John Delaney as anchor throughout the group's entire life span.
In 1995, John decided to call it quits as "The Barleycorn" and teamed up with
Alec DeGabriele to form the "
New Barleycorn".
