Splinter, Tip

Websites:  No
Origin: Toronto, Ontario
Biography:

Listening to TIP Splinter makes you long to be Irish even if your grandmother came from the Ukraine. The group's unusual name derives from a Toronto theatre group called the Toronto Irish Players (TIP). The singers were a group that splintered away from the original troupe to pursue music. There have been many changes in the personnel of the group since its inception. The only original member left is Jonathan Lynn, host of the Ontario Cable-TV folk music show Highway 10, for which Lynn received a "Builder of Canadian Folk" Porcupine Award in 1993. TIP Splinter received a "Canadian Celtic Song" Porcupine Award in 1990 for "Fields of Saskatchewan."

The group's sole CD--A Living Tradition--is a compilation of material from their first four albums and tapes, arranged from most recent to oldest: Takin' the Floor (1992), The Jumping Irishman (1990), Mooncoin (1988), and TIP Splinter & Friends (1986). The quality of the group varies over the years, with the most recent cast providing the best tracks, but overall this long-playing album is a gem for anyone who loves Irish-Canadian music. Over the years, the following musicians have been members of TIP Splinter: Joe Byrne; James Ediger; Henry Geraghty; Patrick Hutchinson; Jonathan Lynn; Jim McGee; Eamonn O'Loghlin; Madeleine O'Loghlin; Loretto Reid; Jamie Snider; Brian Taheny; and Kieran Wade.