We’ll Always Be Shouting For You
We’ll Always Be Shouting For You - the story of The Frank and Walters
The story of the 1990s Cork indie band known predominantly for their enduring 1993 single ‘After All’. It’s the story of the highs and lows, the chart successes and the wilderness years, enduring friendships and the power of a great song.
Produced by Paul McDermott
First broadcast on RTÉ Gold on 17 March 2025.
It’s the story of how the band formed, played their earliest gigs, moved to London and signed to Setanta Records. It’s also the story of two huge gigs in Cork City Hall. One in February 1993, a triumphant homecoming after a Top of the Pops appearance, and a return to the same iconic venue in 2025. It’s the story of two teenage fans, the same band, the same venue, but 33 years apart. The story is told by the band themselves and the people who were there and documented it.
Listen to We’ll Always Be Shouting For You via RTÉ Player
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Ed Power – Irish Examiner
“A gripping valentine to the Franks by documentary maker Paul McDermott featuring interviews with the group and other figures in Cork music… With their joyful, playfully catchy songs the Franks were always going to be successful. However, the point McDermott makes in his documentary is that they benefited from a thriving artistic community in early-1990s Cork.”
Declan Lynch – Irish Independent
“RTÉ Gold on St Patrick’s Day had a cracking documentary about the Cork legends, called We’ll Always be Shouting For You. It was made by Paul McDermott, who has a deep understanding of Cork’s rich rock and roll tapestry, and the strand of outcast eccentricity that runs through it.”
Mick Heaney – The Irish Times
“St Patrick’s Day brings joy with the broadcast of We’ll Always Be Shouting for You: the story of the Frank and Walters (RTÉ Gold), Paul McDermott’s affectionate documentary about the cult indie band from Cork.”
Stuart Bailie – music journalist
“This is a lovely radio doc that sends you back to the music, keen and eager. I’m happy to have a small part in this and to share radio space with Irish Jack Lyons, famously a role model for Jimmy the mod in Quadrophenia. Bless the Frank and Walters and good work, Paul McDermott.”
“But we care Michael we care
And we'll always be shouting for you
No matter what you say or do
We will always be shouting for you”
‘Michael’ - The Frank and Walters
Flyers for Cork City Hall, 21 March 1993.
We’ll Always Be Shouting For You
Produced by Paul McDermott
List of interviewees
Paul Linehan (The Frank and Walters)
Ashley Keating (The Frank and Walters)
Morty McCarthy (The Sultans of Ping)
Shane Fitzsimons (journalist)
Colm O’Callaghan (TV producer, ex-music journalist)
Niall Connolly (singer songwriter)
Jim Morrish (Choc-A-Bloc editor)
Ken Sweeney (journalist, aka Brian)
Stuart Bailie (ex-NME assistant editor)
Sophie O’Sullivan (fan of The Frank and Walters)
Paul Cussen (fan of The Frank and Walters)
and co-narrated by
“Irish” Jack Lyons (author of The Frank and Walters - A Renewed Interest in Reading)
Producer Paul McDermott and co-narrator “Irish” Jack Lyons.
A Learn & Sing production for RTÉ Gold, funded by Coimisiún na Meán and RTÉ’s Independent Radio Production Unit, both from the Television Licence Fee.
Dedicated to my great friend Dympna Byrne-Coleman, who sadly passed away in November 2025 after a short illness. RIP.
The Frank and Walters: Posters for Cork City Hall - 21 February, 1993 and 20 December, 2025.
Reviews
Declan Lynch – Irish Independent
“RTÉ Gold on St Patrick’s Day had a cracking documentary about the Cork legends, called We’ll Always be Shouting For You.
It was made by Paul McDermott, who has a deep understanding of Cork’s rich rock and roll tapestry, and the strand of outcast eccentricity that runs through it. This reminds me that neither Microdisney nor Five Go Down to the Sea? made it into Today FM’s hot 100, but then they’d have been profoundly troubled if they had done.
Indeed The Frank and Walters leaned into that outcast culture in taking their name from Frank and Walter who lived near them, and who in the band’s opinion were always doing strange or funny stuff. Thus any time they encountered something odd or amusing, they’d think, there’s a bit of the Frank and Walters about that.
The richness of this Cork tradition was also represented on the documentary by the contribution of Jack Lyons, or “Irish Jack”, an original Mod in 1960s London who became an inspiration for The Who’s Happy Jack before moving back to Cork to work as a postman.
It was good to hear the voice of Shane Fitzsimons, an important figure on the Cork music scene of the 1990s, reading out his early reviews of The Franks in The Evening Echo, or the voice of journalist Ken Sweeney remembering when the Franks became “the biggest band in London”, on the cover of the NME.
Most crucially they were on the same Top of the Pops as Paul McCartney, who told them he liked their record. Linda thought they sounded a bit like The Beatles. Moreover, the vibes of happiness created by The Franks at their best make After All a kind of anti-Zombie.”
Mick Heaney – The Irish Times
“Moment of the week:
St Patrick’s Day brings joy with the broadcast of We’ll Always Be Shouting for You: The Story of the Frank and Walters (RTÉ Gold), Paul McDermott’s affectionate documentary about the cult indie band from Cork.
Largely concentrating on the group’s first years, in the early 1990s, the programme intersperses interviews with the band members Niall Linehan and Ashley Keating with readings of early reviews from local media.
There’s much minutiae about Cork’s musical ecosystem of the time, but these contributions help create a fittingly enthusiastic and idiosyncratically unpolished portrait of a band who, to quote the journalist Stuart Bailie, always had a “pocket reserve of happiness”, encapsulated by their signature song, After All.
And, happily, they’re still going: the documentary ends with the band’s triumphant hometown gig in December 2025. As Linehan ruefully comments: “If I was to get a job in the morning, I’d be s**t at everything.”
Who cares when you’re that good at one thing?”
For Further Reading…
by Paul McDermott
RTÉ Culture - 09 March 2026
Ed Power
Irish Examiner - 16 March 2026
As is often the case with my audio projects, due to time constraints I end up with lots of great material that doesn’t necessarily fit my main narrative structure but is still worth documenting. So below you’ll find new interviews with Keith Cullen of Setanta Records and Dave Couse of A House.
Keith Cullen of Setanta Records reflects on The Frank and Walters and more.
by Paul McDermott
Dave Couse of A House/A House Is Dead reflects on The Frank and Walters, producing the Frank and walters’ first EP and more.
by Paul McDermott
Hot Press - 09 March 2026