Irish traveller and traditional singer Thomas McCarthy was born in the town of Birr, County Offaly in the Irish midlands into a well respected Irish Traveller family. His grandfather was known as a seanchaí, an Irish term for someone with a profound orally derived knowledge of the history and families of Ireland. Learning his crafts of singing and storytelling from his mother, aunts and uncles, Thomas' extended family also has a long history of musicianship and includes the well-recognised and respected Doran Brothers and their grandfather Big John Cash, who all played the Irish uillean pipes. At age ten Thomas moved to London but continued to travel with his family back and forth and around Ireland and England. He was recognised by his own family as a gifted singer from a young age, but was “discovered” in 2008 by the wider public after a tip off from a barman at a family wedding. This led him to Cecil Sharp House in Camden Town, London where he joined other singers at Sharps folk club, who were amazed and enchanted by his powerful and authentic Irish traveller style of singing, and by the vast quantity of rare songs that he brought with him from his community. In addition to singing across the UK & Ireland, Thomas is also an activist on behalf of his people - providing an education on the traveller community during his performances, talks and storytelling, to confronting racism and racist language against travellers.