The Wizards played Beatles, Hollies and Spencer Davis songs, before progressing into "heavier blues territory" when Jimi Hendrix and Cream appeared.
[1] Brian O'Reilly was also a songwriter, influenced by American folk-rock groups like The Lovin' Spoonful and The Mamas & the Papas, but in the early 1970s he began exploring Irish folklore.
The Children of Lir developed into a stage production, and it premiered in Fermoy on 7 January 1973, with Kavanagh performing in the lead role.
The musical generated "a lot of regional attention"[1] and Ireland's national broadcaster, RTÉ recorded a ten-minute feature, which it aired on prime time.
[2] Early in 1974 the group recorded their debut album, The Children of Lir, a studio adaption of the musical with producer Leo O'Kelly from Tír na nÓg.
[3] When Riverdance made its appearance in 1994, and proved very successful,[1] Brian O'Reilly decided to restage The Children of Lir, this time with a more "folky and Celtic veneer".
In 2008 Sunbeam Records released Magic Carpet, a six-CD box set that included all the group's albums, singles and some of their early demos.