Big Tom and The Mainliners were a Country and Irish showband from the Castleblayney area of County Monaghan, Ireland.
Originally named the "Mainliners Showband", sometimes prefixed with the word Mighty, and already beginning to make a name on the country music scene in Ireland and Scotland, particularly since mid 1965 when the late John McCormack of Rockcorry became their manager, the band received its biggest break and widespread fame appearing on RTÉ Television's Showband Show broadcast on Saturday, 21 May, 1966.
On the Showband Show, Tom sang Gentle Mother and such was the huge positive public response and demand for more, it was soon recorded and reached number 7 in the Irish charts.
The band subsequently used other lead vocalists, including John Glenn, Tom Allen and Jan Lynch, and occasionally performed without a front man.
[2] Cyril McKevitt died of a heart attack, on Tuesday 15 September 2009, just days after the end of the band's Summer 2009 tour.