The Swarbriggs

Thomas (Tommy)Swarbrigg (Tommy) and John James (Jimmy) Swarbrigg are Irish music promoters and former pop musicians. As The Swarbriggs they represented Ireland at the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest with That's What Friends Are For. As The Swarbriggs Plus Two, with Nicola Kerr and Alma Carroll, they competed again in 1977 with It's Nice To Be In Love Again. The brothers wrote both songs. From 1964, Tommy played trumpet with Joe Dolan's showband, The Drifters (not to be confused with the American group). In 1968 he and the other backing musicians left to form The Times Showband, with Jimmy added as vocalist. The brothers wrote their own compositions, unusual for a showband. By 1973 they had their own television show on Radio Telefís Éireann and worked independently of the showband, leaving altogether in 1975. In later years they had various business ventures, including promoting concerts in Ireland for various Irish and foreign artists, including Smokie, Leo Sayer, The (American) Drifters, Jack L, Wolfe Tones, and Richie Kavanagh. The brothers were attributed as the inspiration for the 'My Lovely Horse' music video in the channel 4 television series Father Ted.