Taylor Byrne, the Irish voice of The Celtic Social Club
In an interview published by The Irish Post, the best-selling Irish newspaper in Great Britain and worldwide, Taylor Byrne looks back on his unlikely journey — from busking on the streets of Dublin to becoming the lead singer of The Celtic Social Club. A story shaped by intuition, encounters, and a shared Celtic soul. When Taylor Byrne first received a message on Instagram from a French band he had never heard of, he thought it was a scam. He ignored it for two weeks. Not long after, he found himself standing on a festival stage in western France, singing in front of 2,000 people. At just 24 years old, Byrne is now the Irish lead singer of The Celtic Social Club, joining the band in 2022 and becoming its only non-French member. Formed in 2013 by drummer and founder Manu Masko, the group already had more than a decade of history and an impressive international touring résumé when Byrne stepped in. “I literally went from playing to no one on Grafton Street to playing festivals,” he says. “It all happened very fast.” Originally from Finglas, on Dublin’s north side, Byrne had only been busking for six months before music became his full-time profession. Once street performances paid the bills, he left his job at IKEA without hesitation. Busking, he says, was his real training ground. “People aren’t there to listen to you — you have to stop them, make them engage.”
“That’s the guy”
A first performance in Temple Bar marked a turning point. Guitar in hand, something clicked. The flow, the connection, the feeling — it was undeniable. One of those moments would soon change everything. Manu Masko had come across a YouTube video of Byrne performing Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out. At the time, The Celtic Social Club had just lost its previous singer and needed to move fast to honour upcoming tours. “Manu saw the video and immediately said, ‘That’s the guy,’” Byrne recalls. Trusting his instinct, Masko reached out. After finally replying, Byrne met him for coffee in Dublin. The connection was immediate. Two weeks later, he was in France for rehearsals. Soon after, he was on stage in Saint-Palais, near La Rochelle, for his first show with the band. The excitement, however, came with doubts. For a long time, Byrne struggled with imposter syndrome, joining a group with years of experience and tours across Europe, the US and China. “It took me time to understand what they saw in me.” Today, that doubt has faded. Byrne describes the experience as life-changing, crediting his bandmates for teaching him what it truly means to be a professional musician. Sharing the stage with them, he says, is “an immense privilege”. Though largely French, The Celtic Social Club has deep Celtic roots. Most members come from Brittany, a region that proudly embraces its Celtic identity. “There’s a romantic view of Ireland in France,” Byrne says, “but more than that, there’s real respect — for the culture, the music, the history.” Ironically, it was after moving to France that Byrne truly discovered traditional Irish music, having not grown up in a household where it was part of daily life.
“But I did — and I’m glad I did. Why not?”
His earliest musical influences came instead from across the Irish Sea. “The Beatles were my first love,” he remembers — a radio moment that led him to pick up a guitar and start writing songs of his own. Songwriting now takes centre stage on You Should Know, the band’s latest album, released in October. Byrne was deeply involved in the writing process, eager to prove himself creatively. “I wanted to show that I could bring something to the table.” Recorded collectively by all seven members in the bassist’s studio, the album captures that shared energy — friends making music together. Produced by Nick Davis (Genesis, The Pogues, XTC), You Should Know marks a new chapter for the band. As the tour continues across Ireland, England and France, Byrne looks back with perspective. “If I hadn’t been so young and naïve, I probably wouldn’t have said yes,” he reflects. “But I did — and I’m glad I did. Why not?”
