Terry Boyle, Vancouver Island singer songwriter, playing an acoustic guitar outdoors during sunset, surrounded by dry grass and fallen logs on Hornby Island.

Full Bio

TERRY BOYLE

Singer, songwriter

THE SINGER

Terry Boyle comes from Dublin, Ireland where he grew up playing guitar and singing during the folk boom. As a member of the successful folk band “Tipsy Sailor”, Terry made numerous radio and television appearances and played at some of the biggest festivals in Ireland. The band also toured in France, Germany, Belgium and Holland.

Terry then took his talents to Boston, USA where for six years, along with regular gigs in New York, Vermont and Austin, TX., he continued as a solo artist while also playing regularly with a local folk band. During a visit home to Ireland, Terry was kidnapped and taken as a souvenir to Canada and now divides his time between Ladysmith and Victoria, B.C.

He has appeared numerous times on local TV and radio, played Butchart Gardens, Duncan’s “39 Days of July”, presented and performed at Islands Folk Festival, took the stage as featured performer at Sooke Folk Club, Cowichan Folk Guild and Nanaimo Folk Connection, and played many house concerts up and down Vancouver Island.

THE SONGS

Terry has a large repertoire of mostly Irish folk songs with several in Gaelic, a language he speaks quite fluently. His folk influences are varied and include The Dubliners, The Clancy Brothers, Planxty, Bothy Band, Moving Hearts, Christy Moore, Leonard Cohen, Martin Carthy, Neil Young, Paul Simon and many more.

His original songs tell stories of lives and loves lost and sometimes regained, of quirky adventures and situations, some with a catchy chorus which invite the audience to join in. One music writer has compared his song writing and delivery to Al Stewart (“Year of the Cat”, “Time Passages”). There is a mixture of folk, blues, country—a touch of something for everyone.

THE RECORDINGS

In 2004 Terry’s song “Ladysmith—Jewel of the Island” was chosen in competition as the town’s official song for it’s centennial celebration and released as a single.

The eponymous “Terry Boyle” CD of original songs featuring artists such as John Reischman, Pat Coleman and Bill Hicks is available by contacting Terry directly.

”Life’s Too Short”, recorded in 2018, is an EP of seven original songs featuring the fiddle excellence of Ceilidh Briscoe (Riverdance World Tour 2017-2018). The songs are a mixture of madness and sadness, containing Celtic and world music influences. Available through his website, on Spotify and several other music platforms.

“Cast a Cold Eye”, released in July 2025, is very special collection of original songs about friendship, empathy, drinking, inclusion and positivity, with help from Adrian Dolan—producer and multi-instrumentalist, Daniel Lapp—trumpet, Scott White—bass, Ceilidh Briscoe—fiddle, and Jeanne Tolmie—backing vocals

Terry also has an album, “Doolin”, of traditional folk songs, which he has re-mastered for release in Canada in the near future.

THE ARTIST

I’ve always been singing. As a kid I used to sing myself to sleep, sometimes late into the night when I would get shushed by my parents. Nowadays, (mostly) to the amusement of my wife or the (definite, eye-rolling) dismay of either of my sons, I’m liable to break into song at any moment, at home or in public. So again, I get shushed fairly regularly.

There always seems to be a song floating around in my head, which explains my somewhat erratic gait, once described as that of a farmer walking through a ploughed field in over-sized wellies. Whatever… I walk to the beat.

When I was about fourteen I took up guitar and simultaneously gave up hurling (not that sort of hurling - check out the game on YouTube). I decided I needed my fingers intact if I was to make any progress. By that time I also decided that I didn’t fancy dressing up in women’s clothing and singing Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Gondoliers” in broken falsetto as part of my Boys Only secondary school career.

There was a strong folk club scene in Dublin at the time where songs tunes and guitar chords were generously exchanged, transformed and presented anew. I loved walking all over Dublin to the various pubs and late house sessions. I played in a four-piece ballad group “Pennywhistle” and later in a duo “Stoneybatter”, before joining Tipsy Sailor.

Then I moved to Doolin, a tiny fishing village on the west coast of County Clare with more sheep than people. I played music and sang seven nights a week, and did commercial fishing for crab and lobster during the day while also playing for the local Gaelic Football team. The village and area was a mecca for Irish traditional music and that was when I recorded my first album of songs. The rest, as they say, is a story unfolding.

I sing every day … somewhere. I try to write everyday… somehow. I would love to perform for you… sometime.

“Sweet music roll on.”