Three Musketeers act born out of holiday photo

What started as a holiday snap in sunny Portugal has unexpectedly led to the formation of Ireland’s newest musical trio – and a chart-topping one at that.

Tipperary impresario Billy Morrissey, country favourite TR Dallas (Tom Allen), and Mick Foster of the much-loved Foster and Allen were performing shows on the Algarve when fate intervened.

According to Moyra Fraser, wife of Mick Foster, the whole thing happened by accident. “One evening they were in the green room, all in colourful shirts, when someone snapped a photograph and put it online with the caption ‘The Three Musketeers’,” she explained.

The joke backfired in the best possible way. Almost immediately, fans began sending in gig requests and looking to download music that didn’t actually exist – at least not yet. Luckily, Morrissey’s wife, singer Trudi Lalor, stepped in to manage the project. Before long, The Musketeers were born.

Since then, the group has released a couple of records, the latest just last week. Their newest single, Wild Bogs and Reel Rum, shot straight to number one across all major platforms – Spotify, iTunes and Apple Music – outpacing acts half their age.

“It’s been remarkable,” Moyra admits. “It all started as a bit of fun, but people love the combination.”

Of course, TR Dallas is no stranger to partnerships. He’s the brother of Tony Allen, Mick Foster’s long-time sidekick in Foster and Allen. Now, in this new formation, the three ‘Musketeers’ have taken to the stage together at events like the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival, where their short (half-hour) sets have gone down a storm.

The trio’s debut album was recorded at Jonathan Owens’s Spout Studios in Granard and earlier this month they even graced the Ireland AM sofa with a lively performance.

Not bad for three men who only meant to pose for a holiday picture.