Murphy & Rogers/Sounds Irish, Acts Global, 4. The 1950s: Elvis and Ireland’s Catholic Pop

When Elvis Presley was at the forefront of youthful rock ‘n’ roll in the US, he appeared on the influential Ed Sullivan Show. A singing group from Ireland appeared on the show with Elvis. The contrast was startling, and it revealed a lot about the cultural chasm between Ireland and the epicentre of pop music. In particular, it highlighted the generally unexplored, yet powerful, bond between the Catholic church and the pop industry in Ireland.