Cherish the Ladies

Cherish The Ladies is an all-female Irish-American group. The group was formed in 1985 in New York. The leader, Joanie Madden, plays flute, tin whistle and sings. The other members, Mary Coogan, Mary Rafferty, Donna Long, Siobhan Egan and

Cherish The Ladies is an all-female Irish-American group. The group was formed in 1985 in New York. The leader, Joanie Madden, plays flute, tin whistle and sings. The other members, Mary Coogan, Mary Rafferty, Donna Long, Siobhan Egan and Aoife Clancy play a wide range of instruments. Their albums contain many instrumental tracks, so they could be considered to be a female equivalent of The Chieftains. The name "Cherish The Ladies" is the title of an Irish tune, most famously recorded by The Chieftains on their fourth album.

Joanie Madden, who has Irish parents, won the senior all-Ireland championship on whistle in 1984. For a time Winifred Horan was a member of both Cherish the Ladies and Solas. Cathie Ryan, Heidi Talbot and Maureen Doherty Macken have also been members. The band have toured north and south America, the UK and Europe. They are normally accompanied by set dancers on stage.