In 1995, Bob moved to South Florida and immediately became involved in the Irish music community. He
was invited to join The Big Shillelaghs, a Celtic Rock Band based at Dicey Reilly’s, The largest Irish bar in
Florida, located in Ft.. Lauderdale The band featured Dublin born singer Pat O’Carroll, Nial Donnohue on
vocals, electric guitar and whisle, Belfast man,
Easton Pollock on drums, another Dubliner, Gerry
Langton on electic bass and Bob Denton on
acoustic guitar and Mandoblaster (a synthesizer
mandolin).
The Shillelaghs played 4 and 5 nights a week all
over South Florida and were offered an Irish tour
with Garth Brooks as well as a record deal to be
recorded in Criterion Studios. Their CD Live and
Legless was recorded live at Dicey Reilly’s in
1998.
Bob left the band after a few years, due to getting too old to continuously punish his liver, and began
playing with a world renown piper, Eamonn Dillon. Bob played guitar on Eamonn’s first album, Keep ‘er Lit,
and they played at numerous venues in South Florida as well as gigs in New England and Canada. Bob,
Eamonn and Padric Keane, son of The Chieftain’s Sean Keane, formed Saoirse
(Irish for Freedom) and played numerous
gigs throughout South Florida and the North
East.
Bob was also a regular at The Irish Cottage
in Delray Beach, crawling distance from
Bob’s home. Bob would sit on mandolin and
guitar with the Echoes of Erin featuring
Danny Glaser on vocals and guitar, “Seamus” Shuttlerow on 5 string
banjo and guitar and Limerick born George Walker on fiddle.
Bob would also join George and his brother 65 year old kid brother Sean playing for a monthly Ceili in
Pompano Beach.
One off night in early September, 2001, Bob stopped in for a beer and met an Egyptian at the bar. A few
days later Bob recognized the Egyptian as Mohamed Atta, the leader of the 9/11 attacks. The terrorists had
been staying at a motel across the street. A pub regular and friend was Bob Stevens,
an editor at The National Enquirer. Bob was the first victim of the anthrax attacks.
In 2005, Bob moved to California and teamed up with Art Shapiro, The Flute Player,
The other fiddle forming a traditional Irish group based out of San Jose. They played
regularly at O’Flaherty’s pub in San Jose and at various gig around the Bay area. They
played for the Prime Minister Bertie Ahern in 2007. While in California, Bob
organized an Irish session at the Byington winery. In addition, Bob dusted off his
bluegrass chops and joined up with The Santa Cruz Mountain Boys and played bluegrass at various venues
around the Bay area.
In 2008 Bob moved to Tucson, Arizona to be closer to his archery coach, Alexander Kirilov. He plays
regularly at The Auld Dubliner Pub and gigs occasionally with other Tucson based Irish groups.
