Oasis founder member Tony McCarroll to be honoured with a plaque unveiling in Kinnitty, Co. Offaly

One of the original Oasis members, drummer Tony McCarroll, will be honoured with a commemorative plaque unveiling this weekend  in Kinnitty, Co. Offaly. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, 31 August, from 6 pm at Kinnitty Parish Hall, the very same place where he had his first pre-Oasis public performance in the early '80s.

The unveiling coincides with the 30th anniversary of Definitely Maybe, which is being re-released on Friday 30th August.

Tony played drums on their debut album Definitely Maybe, which to date has sold over 8 million copies worldwide, the single 'Whatever' and on the band's first number 1 song 'Some Might Say'.

The English drummer has ties to Offaly, with his mother Bridie (O’Donnell) McCarroll who hails from Kinnitty. Tony himself lived in Kinnitty for two years with his parents in the '80s and attended Kinnitty National School during this time.

Tony McCarroll discussing plaque unveiling event with John McFadden in The Moxy, Manchester. April 2024

“It’s a huge privilege for me, my family and Oasis to be honoured in this way," McCarroll said of the commemorative plaque. "I’m really looking forward to the event."

John McFadden, co-organiser and McCarroll's lifelong friend, first approached Tony about the idea in 2019. Speaking about the ceremony, he added: "Tony certainly influenced me to get involved in the music industry, from seeing his first performance in Kinnitty Parish Hall with Seamus Bradley to being on Top of the Pops.

“I’m not exactly sure how the idea came about, I think John (Clendennen) and myself were talking about honouring notable people from Kinnitty, and Tony was definitely first to my mind”.

Cllr John Clendennen, who also co-organised the event, commented: “It is great to see the community come together to recognize Tony’s contribution to the music industry, and in particular his success with Oasis and the Definitely Maybe album 30 years ago.

This event is very much a celebration, and with so many family members living locally, nobody can dispute Tony’s roots and connection to Kinnitty. It has been a pleasure to be involved in organising the event with John McFadden, and I want to acknowledge the support of Offaly County Council with this Blue Plaque initiative and I hope we can continue with the concept in future years.”

To mark the occasion, Tony McCarroll will join John McFadden on stage in Kinnitty Community Centre at 7pm for an "In Conversation" event that will be followed by a "Q&A" section from the audience. Tony will then hold a Meet & Greet with the opportunity for Oasis fans to have their picture taken in Kinnitty Community Centre, after which a night of Oasis music will take place in Giltraps Pub in Kinnitty.

Attendance at the plaque unveiling will be free of charge, with tickets for the In Conversation, Q & A and Meet & Greet priced at €20.  Part of the proceeds from the event are being donated to Kinnitty Parish Hall and Kinnitty Community Centre.

For tickets, please see here.